For most people, Qatar – the country – is synomymous with Doha – the main city. But there is more to Qatar, and there are memories to be made driving out to explore.Your first stop should be the camel racetrack where the camels are penned and trained. You can plan to see the racedays, but you appreciate the care given to these prized animals every … Continue reading Making Memories of Qatar’s Countryside
Qatar was my home for 2 years, and I have so many fond memories, especially of Souq Waqif – the heart and soul of Doha old and new. Here are my suggestions for making memories of your own.Visit and revisit the souq at different times of day as the light changes. Sometimes you may have the souq all to yourself! Sometimes you will get swept … Continue reading Making Memories of Qatar in Souq Waqif
Oman offers a delightful mixture of things to do and see, taste and hear, feel and enjoy. Here’s a sample of 7 different delights I would share with you if you were here. 1. Beach time. The sea is fresh and cool in March, the sand is smooth and clean, and I know where to go to avoid the crowds. We would pause to watch … Continue reading 7 days, 7 delights in #OmanMy2Home
Even I wasn’t sure it could be done: a tourist driving all around Sri Lanka in a car. Not a car with a driver. A rental car! Lots of Sri Lankans laughed… no…the drivers, they said, were too bad. But I was determined and I’m so glad I persevered. Rented a little car and headed out to semi-circumnavigate Sri Lanka. Here are some tips and … Continue reading Driving Sri Lanka – Tips and Tales
I drove all the way through Colombo from south to north – something that had been unimaginable when I started driving in Sri Lanka! It wasn’t easy, but I have learned the game of how to drive here. We were able to return our little rental car, after driving 2000 kms, with not a single scratch! The final leg of the circumnavigation was from Galle … Continue reading Coming full circle – back to Negombo
Fort Galle is a delight. A World Heritage Site, it sits on a promontory with its back to the prosperous trading city of Galle and its face to the entire exotic South Seas. Wandering the alleys and narrow streets is like going back in time through the history of Sri Lanka. Streets of beautiful but aging buildings from the Dutch era And new ones reminiscent … Continue reading Fabled Fort Galle – Something for Everyone
From the highlands of Sri Lanka, we arrived at the south coast at Hambantota. I was really sick, and Annie and the kind staff cared for me at the beautiful Peacock Resort. I ingloriously survived food poisoning and we drove on to Tangalle, our scheduled stop. Tangalle is primarily a busy local town of markets, schools, mosques, temples and churches. It gives a simple and … Continue reading Tangalle to Galle – The South Coastal Road
The mountains of central Sri Lanka rise like alluring misty visions from the flat farm lands that ring the island. There is nothing gradual about them…it is a sudden, continuous steep climb to the tea towns at the top and a rapid, tortuous descent on the other side. Fabulous for driving! Approaching from the north east, our first stage was to leave the rice paddies … Continue reading Driving over the Top of Sri Lanka
A feast for the eyes – sweet, vibrant, irresistible, varied, compelling, everywhere you look – Kandy is endless eye candy. The Sacred City of Kandy is the heart of Sri Lanka, and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic has been the heart of Kandy for 2000 years. There are gorgeous images at every turn. I was delighted to find moonstones, each with special significance … Continue reading Kandy is Eye Candy
