Middle East

UAE stands for United Arab Emirates, a country in Asia, and in the region of The Middle East . The Middle East extends into Africa (it is a transcontinental region) but the UAE is fully in the continent of Asia. Dubai is in the UAE, as is Abu Dhabi. This post is about the UAE …

Regular readers will know that we just spent almost a month in Egypt. Why? For fun, obviously and to please our kids who are fascinated by learning about Egypt. Suggested topics and interesting facts for kids to learn about Ancient Egypt include Ancient Egypt, the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid (allegedly the last of the …

Dubai is actually a very safe place to travel as a woman, with strict codes of conduct and relatively low crime. There are a few rules and safety precautions to follow, plus some perks of travel in Dubai that are just for women. Travel To Dubai, For Women I’ve travelled to Dubai as a solo …

The Middle East is a region, not a continent, not a subcontinent, and not a country. The region is located at the junction of Africa, Asia, and Europe and parts of the Middle East are in all three continents. Find out more about the Middle East, the countries that make up the Middle East and …

Jordan is an amazing destination for a family holiday, vacation, or trip, with so many interesting things to see and do, plus opportunity to taste local foods and experience a different way of life. This post covers some of the things to see and do in Jordan, to plan a family itinerary, plus some of …

Aswan is a must-visit destination in Egypt, home to many ancient wonders. This post is about the many things to do in Aswan Egypt, places to see, restaurants to try, tours to take, including onward travel to Abu Simbel from Aswan. We give you facts about Egypt relating to Aswan, and first hand experiences of …

If seeing a belly dance in the Middle East is on your bucket list, it’s easy to attend a belly dancing show in Dubai. Belly dancing is thought to have originated in Egypt, but this traditional dance form in which the stomach area is exposed, takes place in Dubai, with belly dancers often coming from …

Dubai, in the country of The United Arab Emirates, is one of the easier countries for travellers to handle their travel money at minimum cost. We normally tell our readers just to get money out at ATM s or cash points, and in Dubai, you should be able to find ATMs with no withdrawal costs. …

Dubai in December and at Christmas is warm to hot, temperatures are quite pleasant and it doesn’t get cold. Dubai is in the Northern Hemisphere so December is winter in Dubai. It’s winter or Christmas vacation time for many of us in Europe, America and parts of Asia. The 2-3 week Christmas school holidays are …

Dubai in July is hot. Dubai is in the Northern Hemisphere so July in Dubai is summertime, it’s vacation time for many of us in Europe, America and parts of Asia. The long summer school holidays are starting, so can you take a vacation to Dubai in July? It will be hot, but if you …

Dubai is an outstanding destination on so many levels, and we think it’s perfect for a family holiday. You could keep kids of any age entertained in Dubai as there is just so much to see and do, including plentiful adventure activities, theme parks, cultural and historic sites to see, and of course, warmth, beaches, …

Dubai, the beating heart of the United Arab Emirates. A city known for wealth, luxury, service and style, it has some of the most incredible man-made structures on the planet. Enjoy Dubai’s magnificent shining towers, fine dining, museums and theme park scene while giving your family a vacation to remember. Don’t skip the cultural excursions …

Egypt is a country that lies on the north coast of Africa. In this post we give you some cool and interesting facts about Egypt, for kids or for adults. Egypt is a great country to visit with many famous attractions and a rich history. Let’s get into those facts about Egypt! Facts About Egypt …

If you are visiting Dubai for a prolonged period of time, whether it’s for a work trip or a long vacation, you may want to know which are the best gyms in the area so you can continue working out while you’re away. If you need a pass to explore everything Dubai has to offer, …

Can you drink alcohol in Dubai? The answer to that question could convince you to book your Dubai holiday, or not. Yes, you can drink alcohol in Dubai but it’s not as easy to buy alcohol in Dubai as it is in most Western or Asian countries. Information on adult beverages and a few tours …

Egypt is located in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, making its geography very interesting indeed. It is a transcontinental country and there aren’t very many of those. Likewise, the Middle East is a transcontinental region. Egypt borders Africa, the Mediterranian Sea, Asia, and the Red Sea, which opens onto The Arabian Sea and …

Most people would say Dubai is known for wealth, skyscrapers, luxury shopping, glitzy nightlife, and white-clad Arabs driving expensive cars on desert roads. Dubai is also known for being a jet-set holiday destination. There’s more to Dubai. You’ll find history, culture, a mixed bag of nationalities, workers, and ex-pats. Dubai is also known for heat, …

Yes, Dubai is in Asia, but it’s also a part of the Middle East which could also be considered part of Africa. Dubai is not a country, it is a city and emirate in a country called the United Arab Emirates. This country is in the Middle East and this is a transcontinental region, ie. …

Are you going to Egypt, wondering what food in Egypt will be like and what dishes you should eat there? Maybe you’re just wondering what Egyptian food is? This post is to help you find the most delicious, unusual or traditional dishes in Egypt and give you a guide to Egyptian food, it’s history and …

The distance from downtown Dubai to Abu Dhabi is approximately 150km or just under 100 miles. The road is a sealed multi-lane highway that can make getting from Dubai to Abu Dhabi quick and easy. Avoid peak hours when traffic can add an hour or more to your journey. Travellers and tourists may need to …

This post is about the best beaches in Egypt. Hurghada is our family favourite. For the rest, I asked a friend, Emma, to contribute as she’s spent a lot of time living in Egypt and visiting beaches, resorts, hotels, and more. Over to Emma and her take on Egyptian Beaches to help you plan your …

Abu Simbel is one of the greatest, most spectacular monuments or temples in Egypt and you are most likely Abu Simbel from Aswan. Unfortunately, Abu Simbel is difficult to get to, but you can visit Abu Simbel by air or road from Aswan. We’ve been to Abu Simbel twice, two ways by flying and by …

Just a little south of Cairo is a tourist attraction that most tourists don’t see. That’s a great shame because this ancient necropolis on the west bank of the Nile turned out to be one of my favourites of our whole month in Egypt. Maybe it was partly because we hadn’t been here before (if …

Best places to visit in Egypt include ancient sites, cities, museums, beaches, souks, fortresses, and oases. Egypt is full of wonders and is an affordable destination with great food, diving, and of course, sights to see. Take a look at some incredible places to visit in Egypt, on this page, and start planning the itinerary …

Last week I posted on the Facebook page that we’d just been involved in a very dangerous situation while travelling in Egypt. We were still in Egypt then. It was scary, too close for comfort, and we had a very lucky escape. I thought we’d all handled it pretty well as we carried on enjoying …

Welcome to our Egypt Travel Blog page. It’s hard to find up to date information or travel guides for Egypt because the travellers and holiday-makers all but stopped coming quite a few years ago. I haven’t been able to find any other travel blogs that cover Egypt in any depth, so I decided to make …

Chef and I met in Egypt on a 5 day felucca trip on the Nile. It was a lovely, peaceful few days and it was almost 20 years ago now. This year we wanted to do it all over again and share the magic of traditional sail boats on the longest river on Earth with …

We’ve taken our kids to the best and most famous museums in the world, London, New York, Washington DC and a hundred smaller storehouses of knowledge, but nothing could ever beat Cairo’s spectacular Egyptian Museum. This is my favourite museum in the world, a dusty slice of yesteryear and for us, The Egyptian Museum Cairo …

There is a train from Cairo to Luxor or you can go by road, air, or water. Tourists normally take the night train from Cairo to Luxor, the night train is much more expensive than the day train. We wanted to take the train during the day. You can, of course, fly, go by road, …

Bam, we’re in Egypt. We’re certainly not in Kansas anymore and Cairo hits you around the head like a sock full of sand. It’s big, it’s busy, it’s crazy, it’s dirty and it’s freaking amazing! We arrived late at night, around 1 am at Cairo airport and were very glad we had a pick up …

Dubai Desert Safaris are popular with visitors to Dubai, but not all Desert Safaris offer camel rides or camel trekking. There are many places to take a camel ride in Dubai, including some beaches, but to combine camels with Dubai’s desert safari camps and entertainment, you need to book this tour! Dubai Camel Safari Review …

Are you travelling to Dubai? We can’t recommend it highly enough. This cultural tour and lunch along with a desert camel safari and seeing the fountain, light, and sound show at the Burj Kalifah were highlights. We wanted to learn something of the history and culture of the UAE, this Dubai cultural tour and lunch …

We’ve been in Istanbul now for almost 2 weeks so I thought I’d do one of those posts where I tell you about life on the road, what we’re doing, why we’re doing, what’s Istanbul like and what is there to see and do. The Istanbul Blog We love Istanbul. We’ve explored and roamed this …

We’ve enjoyed 5 nights at the Armada Old City hotel in Sultanahmet, Istanbul. Sultanahmet is the tourist hub of the city, this is where you’ll find Istanbul’s major historic attractions, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace. All are outstanding on a global scale and we really can’t recommend them highly …

We’ve been in Istanbul for 5 nights and we’re having a fantastic time. This morning I was so overcome by the fabulousness of the food that I felt the urge to write a post sharing the joy of eating in Istanbul. If you’re hungry, you’d better go read something else, some delicious pictures coming. We’ve …

To see old Istanbul and its iconic buildings, a hotel in the Sultanahmet area must be your first choice. Hotel Alilass made a perfect base for our explorations of this part of the city, its history and culture. This beautiful historic peninsula, old Constantinople, is bound by water on three sides, the Golden Horn, Bosphorus …

A family Egypt vacation is a holiday to appeal to both young and old, and it’s easy to see why; few countries can boast so many intact examples of its ancient past as Egypt, while, equally, its modern attractions draw in families from all over the world. And with the variety of convenient packages available, …

It was love at first sight for us in Dubai. From the moment we left the airport, Dubai was one big wow. We posted about our fantastically fun camel-riding, belly-dancing, dune-jumping adventure in the desert. We’ve told you about the cultural heritage tour that took us beyond the glitz into the living heart of Old Dubai. I …