I used to think that Bangkok was a good place to start to fly anywhere else in the world for cheap...this still holds true, but if you go by distance, Doha is actually a good base to start from to access middle eastern and european connections. Fares are certainly not cheap, particularly during the high travel season starting from April (Easter), then about late June to August/September (before the start of Ramadhan, 1st eid (Al Fitr) and 2nd eid (Al Adha) and from November, December, and into the new year.
Personally, my 37-days of leave entitlement (when I tell my friends this, it draws envious reactions) allows me to travel out anywhere. But I am such a home-girl; I always choose to return to my crowded little island and spend quality time with my family and friends, and of course, with my favourite pets, whether they be mine or home to others. So I make at least two trips home. Considering that it gets too hot to spend any time outdoors in the summer in Doha or any place else in the Middle East, I would rather be home bringing my mum out, chatting with my friends in the East Coast, going about my exercise routine either by myself or in the company other sweaty bodies, and enjoying my comfort foods of fish porridge, bak chor mee or whatever my tastebud desires.
But I return to Doha... only to leave this place for good. And before I make that exit, I thought I would make a visit or two to other regions of the GCC.
So with my little rucksack, I went on a one-day excursion with some friends to Bahrain, and a solo trip to Dubai.
Bahrain is a charming little gulf state, with a few sights to offer to visitors. In and around the town centre, drop in at the Bahrain National Museum for a bit of history lesson. Then continue on your journey around the old part of town and make your way for something local at the central market where you'll find a good selection local produce of meats, fish, dates, and assortment of fruits and vegetables. Not too far from the town centre, you can also visit the Qala'at al-Bahrain (Bahrain Fort). For a lebanese lunch and a McDonald's softee ice-cream, drive out to the King Fahd Causeway which will take you to the border of Saudi Arabia. Beyond the city limits, make your way to the Bahrain F1 International circuit and the wildlife sanctuary. Drive back into town, and spend your time in one of the large malls, and dine at one of the fancy restaurants and end the evening lounging at one of the cafes to people watch.
By contrast, Dubai is a different gulf state all together, where everything is on a grand scale -biggest malls (Dubai Mall where there's also the largest aquarium ever built in a shopping mall), tallest buildings (Burj Khalifa), grandest hotels (the 7* Burj Al Arab), the tallest flag pole and one oversized national flag; the largest man-made island (The Palms and the World), the tallest minaret (the Grand Jumeirah Mosque), indoor ski resort (Mall of the Emirates)...but all that glitters in this glamourous city is not gold as the powers that be try to find their way out of a colossal debt. As I make my way around the city, I see people on the move, very crowded malls, people spending money, long cab queues, families of all nationalities congregating at the parks, traders loading the dhows with varied goods and appliances, busy souks and people from all walks of like on the abras crossing the creek from dawn to dusk. Doesn't feel like there's a credit crunch...then again, I'm just your solo weekend tourist-warrior enjoying the sights and sounds of Dubai...sitting on a BIG BUS.
Till next time...
No comments:
Post a Comment