Sailing the Nile Aboard a Traditional Dahabiya
We follow in the footsteps of Egypt’s 19th-century explorers and set sail on a Nile cruise aboard a beautiful, traditional dahabiya sailing boat. We couldn’t blame Enrique for trying. Our dahabiya host was determined to get us off the boat ...
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Road to ruin in Turkey – Part II
With three incredible weeks on the road behind us, we didn’t think Turkey could get any better. For our final week though, we risked further car-itation to hire another little runabout, and in one day alone, achieved a trifecta of superb ancient sites.
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Road to ruin in Turkey – Part I
For a moment, standing under the fluoro glare of neon lights, a sound like a wailing cat drifting out of a nearby karaoke bar, and a board proclaiming ‘best full English breakfast’ to our left, I wondered if my woeful navigation had somehow ...
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Istanbul to Cappadocia and everything in between
Our tour guide looks and sounds frighteningly like Borat. He’s decked out in a safari vest, a neck scarf, and he’s sporting a moustache Merv Hughes would be proud of.
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12 Days In Greece – An Island Hopping Greek Mezze
Halfway into our seventh or eighth consecutive Greek Salad, John confessed that he wasn’t actually much of a fan of tomato. Or cucumber. Or green capsicum and onion, for that matter. I pointed out that this didn’t leave much besides feta, a ...
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Tour d’España – Andale!
Somewhere in Extremadura, as we charged up a cobbly hill in 42 degree heat, hungry, thirsty and conscious that siesta (national closing time) was nearly upon us but we had yet to see the Roman funeral site! and the 2nd ...
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From Bedbugs to Bliss: A Marrakech Birthday
Carrying the scars of the budget-conscious – bedbug bites, mozzie welts and that general itchy, uncomfortable feeling that comes from staying in less-than-salubrious digs, we left windy Essaouira for our return to vibrant Marrakech and some five star treatment. Arriving at Maison MK in ...
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Pushing the senses: Fez to Essouira
“Welcome to Fez, where you from?”“Australia.”“G’day maaate! What you looking for?”“Just walking, thanks.”“There is nothing this way, it is closed.”“Really.”“Really, the lane, it is closed this way.”“Well, we’ll have a look anyway.”“The tannery is not this way, you want to ...
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Sailing Into The Sahara On A Moroccan Camel Safari
For years, whenever I’ve thought about Morocco, I’ve imagined myself sailing gracefully through burnt-orange sands at sunset aboard a comfy, good-natured ‘ship of the desert’. The reality proved far different.
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The magic 4×4 carpet: Marrakech to Merzouga
Day four of our road trip from Marrakech to Fez found us in the tiny desert outpost of Merzouga, having just missed the sacrifice of a sheep by the groom who’s wedding celebrations we were about to attend.
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Welcome to Marrakech! You like the hot?
‘A thousand welcomes to Morocco,’ declared the beaming man holding a sign with our names on it. ‘You like the hot?’ Hot, it turns out, was an understatement. As the airport doors slid apart, a blast of dry, super-heated air had us ...
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A Rio rejuvenation
The late UK instaceleb Jade Goody once remarked, ‘Rio de Janeiro…ain’t that a person?’, which (in addition to garnering her plenty of derision in the trash mags) got us thinking about how one would describe this complex and enigmatic metropolis. ...
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