the-manalog

سنغافورة: جزيرة سنتوزا، شارع العرب وتشاينا تاون

Sat, 15 Nov 2014 19:18:29 +0100

من بعد تمضية يوم بين الفنادق والمدن، ويوم بين الحدائق والمنتزهات، وصلت الى الجزء الأخير والأكثر إثارة من رحلتي في سنغافورة: جزيرة سنتوزا! هذه الجزيرة الصغيرة هي بمفردها تستحق الزيارة لإجازة ممتعة

في هذه الجزيرة الصغيرة، تجدون كل ما تحتاجونه للاستمتاع بإجازتكم، إن كنت عزاب تبحثون عن المرح والمغامرة، أو عائلة تبحث عن ترفيه يناسب جميع أفرادها من صغار، مراهقين وكبار. تابعوا القراءة لتعرفواعن النشاطات المتاحة على هذه الجزيرة المذهلة

لتصلوا إلى هذه الجزيرة الصغيرة من جزيرة سنغافورة الرئيسية، عليكم بركوب التلفريك (الكابل كار) لتستمتعوا بالمناظر الرائعة من الجو في طريقكم إلى سنتوزا. بعد نزولنا من التلفريك، أول ما توجهنا له هوالزحافات (اللوج) للتزحلق من أعلى القمة إلى أسفلها، واستمتعت به مع أني أتوترعند قيادة أي نوع من العربات فأنا لا أعرف كيف أقود وفي آخر مرة قدت في الكارتينج في حلبة البحرين، اصطدمت بالحاجز هههه
من أسفل القمة، عدنا إلى أعلاها بمقاعد الرفع (مقاعد في الجو على كابلات كما في منتجعات التزحلق) وكانت نزهة جوية جميلة، رأينا عبرها بعض ما ينتظرنا من مغامرات على الجزيرة

في الصورة، مقاعد الرفع وإحدى الزحافات معلقة في أسفلها

بعدها، توجهنا إلى مغامرة شيقة كنت أتوق لتجربتها منذ فترة طويلة وأخيرا حققت منالي، وهي التزحلق أو الهبوط بالحبال (أو الـزيبلاينينج) في ميغازيب أدفانتشر بارك حيث تكون معلقا بحبل وتتزحلق على كابل من علو. ما كنت أستطيع أن أتوقع كيف سيكون شعوري عند القيام بها، مع أنني قمت برياضات مرتفعات من قبل مثل الباراغليدينغ في جورجيا، لكن هذه الرياضة تأتي بدون تعليمات أو مدرب لاصطحاب المبتدئين... في أي حال، انتم لست بحاجة لأيهما فهي سهلة وممتعة وتمدكم بشعور من الحرية كأنكم تطيرون في الهواء مثل العصافير. وبإمكانكم الاحتفاظ بهذه الذكرى إذ يتم تصويركم بالصور والفيديو واختيار شرائها للاحتفاظ بها كتذكار، كما رأيتم جزءا منها في الفيديو عن رحلتي

الزيبلاين أوصلنا إلى الشاطئ ومن هناك، استقلينا حافلة الزوار للتنقل إلى باقي الجزيرة... في طريقنا، العديد من المنتجعات، المطاعم والمقاهي على واجهة البحر حيث بإمكانكم الاسترخاء والاستمتاع بمضي الوقت براحة... وإذا كنتم من محبي الحياة البحرية والألعاب المائية، فتوجهوا إلى ريزورت وورلد الذي يضم العديد من المشاريع، إحداها هو منتزه الحوض البحري "مارينا لايف بارك" الذي يضم أكثر من مئة ألف حيوان بحري من ثمانمئة فصيلة مختلفة... من أروع ما رأيت في المنتزه هو الفصائل المختلفة من قناديل البحر، إذ كانت بالفعل ساحرة، تتراقص في المياه بسلاسة تستطيع أن تهدء أعصابك وتنومك مغنطيسياً

أما إذا كنتم من محبي اللعب والتسلية، فتوجهوا إلى إحدى أشهر منتزهات الترفيه في العالم "يونيفرسال ستوديوز" حيث بإمكانكم تقضية يوم كامل بين أقسامها العديدة بدون أن تشعروا... فكل قسم منها لديه "ثيم" معين ومصمم تبعاً لإحدى أفلام يونيفرسال ستوديوز الشهيرة كـ ترانسفورمرز وشريك ومدغشقر وغيرها... أول لعبة دخلتها، كانت ترانسفورمرز، وأحسست كأنني داخل الفيلم بالفعل! ثم دخلت لعبة "ريفينج أوف ذا مامي" وأحببتها لدرجة أنني أردت أن أعيد الكرة لكن صديقاتي خفن من أول مرة فكان من المستحيل أن نركبها مرة أخرى للأسف... الجميل في يونيفرسال ستوديوز سنغافورة أنها صممت كـ يونيفرسال ستوديوزهوليوود لكنها طبعاً أقل ازدحاماً وبذلك لا تضطرون للانتظار مطولاً بالصف ليأتي دوركم للركوب. وبالطبع هو مكان مثالي للعائلة حيث هناك ألعاب ونشاطات لكل الأعمار، جتى ولو كنت فقط تودون المشي والاستمتاع بالأجواء الترفيهية

ما يميّز يونيفرسال ستوديوز سنغافورة أنها، بالإضافة إلى الثيمات والماركات الأمريكية الأصلية، فيها ركن يعكس الروح والثقافة المحلية وهو ركن الطعام الماليزي حيث تستطيعون التلذذ بالعديد من الأطباق الماليزية والتي كان لها أثر كبير على ثقافة وحضارة سنغافورة... لتعرفوا أكثر عن هذا المزج بين الحضارات، عليكم بزيارة ما يعرف بـ شارع العرب حيث يوجد مركز التراث الماليزي، ومسجد سلطان الذي أنشأه آخر سلطان ماليزي حكم سنغافورة قبل تسليم الحكم لبريطانيا. بالإضافة لغنى المنطقة بالتراث والثقافة، فهي أيضا مركزمهم لمسلمي الجزيرة، وللعرب ومحبي الأطايب العربية، ففيها المطاعم والمقاهي التركية والمصرية وغيرها... كما فيها من مظاهر الفن المعاصر كالجرافيتي، وبعض محلات ملابس وديكورات وهدايا، منها الـ"فينتج" ومنها المعاصر

إضافة إلى الحضارة الماليزية، أكثر حضارة كان لها أثرها على سنغافورة هي الحضارة الصينية... وليس هناك مكان أفضل لتختبروا الحضارة الصينية من تشاينا تاون (إلا إذا ذهبتم الى الصين هههه)، فالصينيون دائما يحرصون على خلق عالمهم الخاص في أي بلد يجتمعون فيه... فإذا وددتم تجربة الطعام الصيني الأصلي، وشراء الهدايا والتذكارات ونسخة رخيصة عن أي شيء يخطر في بالكم، تشاينا تاون هي مقصدكم! سمعت من بعض الأشخاص، أن تشاينا تاون في سنغافورة هي من أنظف وأرتب التشاينا تانوز في العالم، فلا تفوتوا التجربة عند زيارتكم لسنغافورة... فكل ركن في سنغافورة يستحق الزيارة، بإمكانكم رؤية البعض منها في ألبوم صوري على فايسبوك، أو عبر كيكاتي

وبذلك أكون أنهيت جولتي في جزيرة سنغافورة الرائعة... هل زرتموها؟ هل هناك مكان فيها تنصحون يزيارته، لم أذكره في مدونتي؟ أخبروني به في التعليقات! وتابعوا مكتب سنغافورة السياحي على انستغرام لتروا المزيد من الأماكن وتتعرفوا على سنغافورة أكثر... ولا تنسوا أن تتابعوني لتروا المزيد من مغامراتي والوجهات السياحية التي يجب عليكم زيارتها والتعرف عليها من خلال عدستي

سنغافورة: حدائق على ضفاف الخليج، وحدائق الحيوانات

Sat, 15 Nov 2014 19:15:28 +0100

من بعد تمضية اليوم الأول في سنغافورة بين الفنادق الفخمة، توجهنا إلى أجمل الحدائق التي رأيتها في حياتي: حدائق على ضفاف الخليج. تم افتتاح الحدائق في أوكتوبر ٢٠١١، ومنذ ذلك الحين، تعدّ من أهم وأجمل معالم الجزيرة لجذب الزوار! هناك عدة أقسام في الحدائق، أبرزها هي الحديقة الخارجية التي تحتوي على ١٨ “سوبرتري” وهي عبارة عن مجموعة من النباتات المختلفة المعلقة على شكل أشجار بعلو ١٦ طابق، يتخللها أنوار تضاء عبر الطاقة الشمسية… في المساء، بإمكانكم أيضا الاستمتاع بعرض الأضواء الموسيقي. الجلوس تحت أضواء تلك الأشجار الخضراء المتراقصة بألوان متلألئة، مع سكون الليل ولطافة الجو، بين جماهير من الزوار المفتونين بصمت، كانت من أكثر الأجواء سحراً في رحلتي... مع أنه ينبغي لكم أن تكونوا هناك بأنفسكم لتشعروا بسحر تلك اللحظات، يمكنكم رؤية العرض في الفيديو أدناه

من الجيد أن الحدائق الخارجية مجانية، وبإمكان الزائر قضاء ساعات في المشي، أو الجلوس في الحديقة أو الكافيهات ومشاهدة عرض الأضواء الموسيقي الذي يستمر ١٠ دقائق مرتين في المساء. بالإضافة إلى روعة طبيعة المكان، هو أيضاً مركز تعليمي وتثقيفي عن البيئة والحياة النباتية... ففي "قبة الأزهار"، وهي حديقة داخلية، تجدون العديد من أنواع النباتات والأزهار مع اسمائها ومعلوماتها والمناطق/المناخ التي تعيش فيها. وغالباً ما يكون هناك عرض عن موضوع خاص لمجموعة من النباتات من منطقة معينة بتصميم مميز مستوحى من تلك المنطقة. الحديقة الداخلية الأخرى ،"غابة السحاب"، تتمتع بجوٍ بارد ومنعش، فيها شلالات، برك ونباتات استوائية، وتحاكي العملية الطبيعية لتكوّن السحاب والضباب. كما فيها غرفة عرضٍ عن تأثير الاحتباس الحراري على العالم خلال السنوات القادمة، ومجسمٍ مصغرّ عن "حدائق على ضفاف الخليج" تشرح عن تصميمها وتطورها، وارتباط اقسامها ببعض لتكون دورة متكاملة... لا أود أن اضجركم بالتفاصيل، بالمختصر المفيد، لا يجب أن تفوتوا الفرصة لزيارة الحدائق واستكشاف كل زواياها

للاستمتاع بالمزيد من الطبيعة الخضراء والحياة البرية التي تزيد من متعة التجربة، عليكم بعدها التوجه إلى حديقة سنغافورة للحيوانات، السفاري النهري، والسفاري الليلي حيث قضيت يوماً رائعا، أتجول بين الحدائق، محميات الحيوانات، وأحواض الأسماك والحيوانات المائية والنهرية... تحتوي المحمية على معظم الحيوانات التي يمكن أن تتخيلوها، الأليفة والمتوحشة، في مساحات مفتوحة بحواجز، ليستمتع الزوار برؤيتها في بيئة طبيعية، خلافاً عن معظم حدائق الحيوانات التي تحجزهم في أقفاص كئيبة. ما احببته شخصياً هو قفص الغابات المطرة الذي بإمكانكم دخوله لتتفاعلوا مع عدة حيوانات وطيور برية أليفة وغريبة عن قرب كما ترون في الفيديو الذي صورته أدناه... أشعر دائماً بحماس غير اعتيادي عند رؤية الحيوانات البرية، خاصة على مقربة... لا عجب أنها حديقة الحيوانات الأولى في آسيا

Sep 28, 2014 | Interview with the sloth & King Julian at #Singapore Zoo lol مقابلة مع كينغ جوليان في حديقة سنغافورة للحيوانات by TheManalyst on Keek.com

الجميل في الأمر، أن المنتزهات الثلاثة تتواجد على بعد خطوات من بعض، فبإمكانكم البدء في أول اليوم بتناول الفطور مع قردة الإرانغوتان في مطعم حديقة الحيوانات، قبل أن تبدأوا جولتكم مشياً أو باستخدام عربة التجول، والتي قد تستغرق عدة ساعات لكبر مساحة الحديقة، ووجود العديد من الحيوانات المثيرة فيها. وعندما تودون أن ترتاحوا، اكملوا استمتاعكم بالطبيعة الخلابة بجولة على المركب في السفاري النهري لرؤية الحيوانات والأسماك النهرية. في منتزه السفاري النهري، وقبل جولة المركب، ستجدون كل ممر مسمى تيمناً بنهرٍ معروف ويحتوي على أحواض للأسماك، الحيوانات المائية والزواحف البرمائية التي تتواجد في بيئة ذلك النهر. يشتهر المنتزه بوجود دببة الباندا، ذكر وأنثى، اسمهما كاي كاي وجيا جيا، وهي فرصة نادرة لرؤية هذه المخلوقات الظريفة المهددة بالانقراض

Sep 28, 2014 | River Safari after #Singapore Zoo, wonder why the pandas are here! السفاري النهري بعد حديقة #سنغافورة للحيوانات by TheManalyst on Keek.com

وفي نهاية النهار، اكملوا مغامرتكم البرية في السفاري الليلي لتتعرفوا على وتقابلوا المخلوقات الليلية. للأسف، لم يسمح لي وقتي ذلك اليوم بدخول السفاري الليلي، فعليكم زيارته واخباري عن تجربتكم

اذا استمتعتم بالقراءة عن هذه الحدائق، ستستمتعون أكثر برؤية صورها في ألبومي على فايسبوك، ولا تنسوا متابعتي على انستقرام وكيك لتبقوا على اطلاع بمغامراتي القادمة، وأهم جزء من رحلتي في سنغافورة في التدوينة الأخيرة: جزيرة سنتوزا! لا تفوتوا الفرصة لتعرفوا عن كل المرح الذي ينتظركم على تلك الجزيرة

سنغافورة: شانغري-لا، شارع اورتشارد ومارينا باي ساندز

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 11:26:41 +0100

قبل أن أزور سنغافورة، توقعت أنها ستكون على الأغلب عبارة عن مدينة متطورة و"باردة"... لا أعني برودة طقسها، بل برودة أجوائها من أفقها الإسمنتي الذي كان يشابه أفق "دبي" في مخيلتي... لكنني سعدت جداً عندما أدركت أن انطباعي الأول عنها خاطئ حينما قاربت طائرتي على الهبوط في مطار تشانجي السنغافوري الدولي... ومن تلك اللحظة، بدأ إعجابي بهذه الجزيرة وازداد مع رحلتي ومغامراتي فيها. بإمكانكم أخذ لمحة سريعة عن زيارتي القصيرة لسنغافورة، لكن المليئة بالنشاطات والأماكن الرائعة، من خلال الفيديو أدناه... ثم تابعوا بالقراءة للمزيد من المعلومات عن رحلتي لتساعدكم بالتخطيط لرحلتكم إلى سنغافورة! و

القرار الأول والأهم في أي رحلة هو مكان المبيت... حتى لو كنتم مثلي، تمضون أكثر وقتكم في السفر خارج الفندق، ستريدون العودة مساءً إلى غرفة مريحة وفندق بخدمة مميزة... لذلك أحببت إقامتي في فندق شانغري-لا سنغافورة! يقع الفندق تقريباً في وسط الجزيرة، مما يجعله قريباً من معظم الأماكن التي ترغب بزيارتها. لدى الفندق ثلاث أجنحة، كلٌ منها يتميز بتصميم معيّن، أحدها هو جناح الحديقة -حيث كانت غرفتي- الذي صمّم بلمسات من الطبيعة الاستوائية الخضراء، الينابيع والبرك... وعرفت أن المطرب الأجنبي روبي ويليامز أقام في أحد الاجنحة في الفندق عند زيارته لسنغافورة لإحياء حفلة مهرجان الفورملا وان مع جنيفر لوبيز في سبتمبر الماضي... كان من الواضح أن شانغري-لا هو الفندق المفضل لدى المشاهير، الأثرياء والسياح الخليجيين في سنغافورة! بالنسبة لي، أكثر ما وجدته مميزاً في الفندق هو خدمة الغرف، إذ يضعون لمساتهم الخاصة بناءً على ما تحب! قبل مجيئك إلى الفندق، يسألونك حتى عن نوع الأزهار التي تفضل وجودها في الغرفة، وكل ما يستطيعون تأمينه لك حسب احتياجاتك (كسجادة الصلاة، طاقم خدمة غرف من الذكور أو الإناث، الخ.) ويستمر الاهتمام خلال إقامتك... فمثلاً، لاحظت خادمة غرفتي أنني استخدمت كل الماء والشاي الأخضر الموجود في غرفتي من أول ليلة، فوضعت لي المزيد منها لليوم التالي وتركت لي ملاحظة "كيوت" موجودة في الصورة أدناه

ما أحببته في الفندق أيضاً هو بعده عن ضوضاء وزحمة المدينة، ومع ذلك فهو يبعد عدة دقائق مشياً عن أكثر شوارع سنغافورة شهرة وأكثرها ازدحاماً بالمتسوقين والمشاة... شارع اورتشارد، وهو يماثل شارع التحلية في الرياض أو جدة، لكن قطعاً أنظف وأرقى مع لمساتٍ من الطبيعة الخضراء، الفن والثقافة في حناياه. على امتداد الشارع الطويل، يوجد العديد من المحلات والمراكز التجارية التي تضم الماركات العالمية الفخمة مثل ديور، لوي فيتون، وغيرها، بالإضافة إلى الماركات الاعتيادية مثل زارا، إتش إن إم، والماركات المحلية... من الجدير بالذكر هنا أن مهرجان التسوق في سنغافورة السنوي ينافس مهرجان دبي للتسوق من حيث العروض والتخفيضات والفعاليات، ويعتبر من أهم الأحداث التجارية في شرق/جنوب آسيا. هناك أيضا العديد من المطاعم والكافيهات في هذا الشارع، لكن ينبغي التنبيه أن معظمها لا يقدم طعاماً حلال وحتى المأكولات البحرية تطبخ بالكحول... لكن من الجميل لديهم أن العاملين في المطاعم يسارعون لتنبيهك بذلك حتى قبل أن تسأل اذا اتضح لهم أنك مسلم. من الجميل أيضاً أن المطاعم الحلال لديها شهادة بذلك، ويضعون هذه الشهادة في مكان مرئي حتى تطمئن... من الجيد أن معظم مطاعم الوجبات السريعة التي اعتدنا عليها، كماكدونالدز، كي إف سي، وبيتزا هات في سنغافورة حلال، وهي منتشرة في أنحاء الجزيرة. هناك أيضاً مطاعم شعبية ماليزية حلال في معظم صالات الطعام في المجمعات، وبالإضافة بإمكانكم مراجعة قائمة المطاعم الحلال هنا... ما أنصح به شخصياً في شارع اورتشارد هو مطعم سترايتز كيتشن في فندق جراند حياة، وهو بوفية مفتوح من الأطايب وألذ المأكولات الآسيوية والمحلية الحلال

أيضا من المطاعم المميزة التي زرتها في سنغافورة كان "سكاي أون فيفتي سيفن"، وهو مطعم فاخر في الطابق الخامس والسبعين من فندق مارينا باي ساندز، حيث بإمكانكم الاستمتاع بطعام متميز من الشيف المشهور عالميا "جاستن كويك" والذي حضّر لنا خصيصاً عدةً من أطباقه المتميزة من الحساء، السلطة، التونة الطازجة، البيض مع الفطر، المعكرونة مع الكركند، وطبق رئيسي محلي من الدجاج والأرز... أنا لست خبيرة طعام، ولا أجازف دوماً في الأكل، لكن يسهل علي قول أن ما قدمه لنا كان لذيذاً بقدر جمال وأناقة طريقة تقديمه

كانت هذه أول وجهة لنا في الرحلة واعطتنا لمحة شاملة لما سنراه لاحقاً من إطلالة المطعم... بالإضافة إلى المطعم، يتميز الفندق بمسبح على ذات الطابق وبنفس الاطلالة الرائعة، كما يتصل بمجمع تجاري فبإمكانك بكل سهولة تمضية يوم كامل في الفندق والاستمتاع دون الاضطرار للمغادرة! لكن لا تدعوا ذلك يغريكم، إذ أن سنغافورة فيها العديد من الأماكن الرائعة والممتعة يمر فيها الوقت دون أن تشعروا، وبالتأكيد تحتاجون يوماً واحداً على الأقل لتزوروا وتستمتعوا بكل واحدة منها

لتروا المزيد عن فندق شانغري-لا، شارع أورتشارد ومارينا باي ساندز، اطلعوا على ألبوم صوري على فايسبوك هنا... ولا تنسوا متابعة مدونتي أو حسابي على انستقرام لمعرفة بقية الأماكن التي تستحق الزيارة في سنغافورة في مقالاتي القادمة: حدائق على ضفاف الخليج وحدائق الحيوانات

هل زرتم سنغافورة من قبل؟ ما هو انطباعكمعنها؟ أم هل ترغبون بزيارتها يوما ما؟ إن كان لديكم أي اسئلة عنها، سيسعدني اجابتكم

FlyDubai to Georgia - Tbilisi

Sat, 23 Aug 2014 22:23:30 +0100

We started our Georgia journey by arriving in Tbilisi, so it's only natural that we end it in Tbilisi as well. After our day excursion in Kakheti, we headed to settle down in Tbilisi for the next 3 nights, explored around, and had all sorts of fun!
The capital of Georgia is a living breathing piece of history; having been destroyed and built over 29 times, it is layered with the old, the renovated, and the modern... And we got to see a beautiful overview of it from Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel where we were staying, as you can see below from the balcony of the hotel's restaurant, which overlooks Mtkvari river.

Stepping out of the hotel, you get to one of the main streets where you can enjoy shopping from international brands, as well as local brands, artisan/souvenirs shops, and even a flea market full of traditional Georgian arts & crafts... All that in the midst of beautiful architecture, in avenues that are very European; but rest assured, the prices aren't too European, i.e. things aren't expensive, unless you're aiming for expensive things, so it's much like Saudi. For example, I bought comfy shoes that were only for 9 Georgian Laris = 20 SR (Thank you, China lol). In some stores such as Zara and Parfois, items were even cheaper than in Saudi.

If you do not visit Tbilisi for the shopping and architecture, then you might do so for the food and restaurants/cafes. Their cuisine is quite close to Mediterranean, with an apparent affinity to mushroom for some reason. There are a few halal restaurants in the city that you can enjoy with peace of mind, like the Iranian restaurant "Gruzbek", and the Lebanese restaurant "Amira". While in other places, like Tsiskvili, you can enjoy the food with the view (seen in my photo below), the atmosphere and a traditional local show with music (You can see that in my video here).

But the coolest place to eat in Tbilisi, and also chill, is anywhere in the Old Town, known as Altstadt, which looks like a cozy version of Beirut Solidere/Souks, more like Jbeil Souk, and if you aren't familiar with either places in Lebanon, then it just means that it's a pretty nice branch of streets where you can walk around, or sit in cafes/restaurants. The Old Town is rich with historical churches, monuments, and traditional trades such as jewelry making, and I was lucky to come across ladies fixing and restoring old rugs in a business their family has owned for generations.

The city offers many attractions that are only a few minutes apart; making it ideal for a city walk, and when you want a break from walking, you can take the aerial tramway, across the Bridge of Peace, to enjoy a breathtaking view of the city from atop (which is the view you see in the first photo of this post. Neat, huh!). To truly explore the city, and take your time enjoying it, you'll need about 3 to 4 days, especially if you included a "hammam" in your excursion, and you should!

And when you've had enough of city excursions, you can always take a trip outside the city, to the countryside, where you'll find stunning nature of mountains, rivers, and green fields. You'll also many historical sites to visit, monasteries on top of hills, that look like castles, where you can pretend to be in Game of Thrones :P haha
And if it's adventure and thrill you seek, then you won't be disappointed either... There are many thrilling activities to do around the country such as rafting and other various water sports, rock climbing, caving & cave diving, and paragliding... So I chose to end my amazing journey in Georgia by doing something I've wanted to do for so long and I finally had the chance to!

Thanks to FlyDubai, and their travel agent Voyager, I had an amazing time in Georgia packed with beauty and fun. I definitely would love to go back there again and perhaps explore the Black sea side of the country; I was told that Batumi is quite gorgeous! Have you been to Georgia or are you planning to go? Let me know in the comments below! And if you haven't seen it yet, here's the video recap of my trip in Georgia below... And you can check out photos of it on my Facebook.

FlyDubai to Georgia - Khareba and Sighnaghi

Mon, 04 Aug 2014 22:35:54 +0100

In just a few days, I went from knowing nothing about Georgia to seeing and appreciating much of its charm, thanks to FlyDubai and Voyager Travel Agency. After our much needed rest at the magical Lopota Lake Resort, we took off on our discovery journey in the country.

The roads between towns are enveloped with green mountains, fields, and historical sites that unfortunately we didn't get much time to explore. Our first stop on the road was in the famous grape growing region of Kakheti, particularly Khareba, where we got to take part in making a traditional Georgian sweet called "Churchkela" and baking traditional Georgian bread (which you can see me make and eat in the trip video lol)

After our excursion in Khareba, we headed to another region in Kakheti, to one of Georgia's smallest towns, Sighnaghi, known as the "City of Love". As we pulled closer to it and saw the view from a distance, we knew it is going to be something special!

The town is beautifully secluded on top of a hill, and surrounded by fort walls from the 18th century. So if you want to have a peaceful vacation where you can pretend that you're in the old days of Europe, you do not want to miss Sighnaghi!

Due to our tight schedule, we spent only a few hours in the town, so we figured that the best way to see as much as possible of it is to take a tour on a motorbike with sidecar, which you'll find in the town center, along with ATVs and bikes for rent. If you're planning your own itinerary, I'd suggest staying about 2 days in the town, and just enjoy walking around town, and having delicious authentic Georgian food, surrounded by beautiful nature.

Aug 4, 2014 | #keekback: #hello from Sighnaghi, City of Love, in #Georgia! بلدة الحب الجميلة سيغناغي في جورجيا #travel #ksa by TheManalyst on Keek.com

To see more of Khareba and Sighnaghi, check out my Facebook album and feel free to share what you like.

As the day ended, we headed to Tbilisi, where we stayed for 3 nights and got to see a great mixture of old and modern Georgia... Which you should not miss in my upcoming post! So subscribe to my blog, share my post if you like it, and leave me comments with any questions you might have.

FlyDubai to Georgia - Lopota Lake Resort

Mon, 04 Aug 2014 22:40:03 +0100

FlyDubai has recently launched its Business Class and Lounge, as well as some new exciting travel destinations, including Georgia, which I was invited to experience and I gladly did. I had just been back a day from my thrilling, but exhausting, trip to Sri Lanka and I was definitely in need of some pampering and relaxation!

Before this trip, I had not really heard much about Georgia and I didn't know what to expect, but a true traveler is never reluctant to head into a new destination and a new adventure! In just 4 days, I learnt quite a lot about Georgian history and heritage, and got to see some of its beauty; you can see it in the video above, then read on to know more.

I started my trip on June 21st, from Dammam to Dubai for a connecting flight to Tbilisi (Georgia), on FlyDubai's newly launched Business Class. I was welcome with a drink, a complimentary snack meal, and the best part was getting the fast-track invitation that lets business class passengers speed their way through the airport by presenting the card at the immigration desk, on arrival at Dubai International's Terminal 2... Which is another reason I love FlyDubai, as their flights land in Terminal 2 that's smaller and less crowded than the other two terminals.

My connecting flight had an 8 hours layover at Dubai International Airport; if you have the option, then you can take that time to leave the airport and chill in Dubai for a few hours till it's time for departure to Tbilisi. I stayed at the airport in FlyDubai's Business Lounge, and I tell you, time flies by when you're sitting comfortably, with all the complimentary food you want, your laptop with one of your favorite shows, and free fast WIFI... What more would one need, right?!

The flight from Dubai to Tbilisi is around 3 hours and 20 minutes, taking off at 2 am and arriving at 5:20 am. Here's some important info: Tbilisi Airport has some currency exchange desks but they don't exchange Saudi Riyals, so make sure you exchange your money before getting to Georgia, preferably to USD, so you don't have to draw money from the ATM to get local currency, like I did, as the exchange/withdrawal rate is high through the ATM.

By the time I arrived to Tbilisi, I had been awake since I woke up at 7 am the day before, and our first destination in Georgia was about 2 hours away from airport... Basically, by the time I got to our destination, I hadn't slept for over 24 hours, so I was falling asleep while standing... But that all didn't matter as soon as I got to see where we are staying: Lopota Lake Resort.

The resort is located around a serene lake surrounded by beautiful green mountains, known as Lopota Valley. It is a really a magical place, where you can just forget all of life's troubles, and forget that anywhere else exists. The resort has different types of hotels, the oldest and most popular is the one on the left bank... which looks exquisite in winter as it does in summer!

What makes the stay at this resort perfect is that it has so many activities that can keep you easily busy, yet relaxed, for as long as you like. At the resort, you can enjoy playing tennis or mini golf, swimming in the pools, fishing or boat-pedaling in the lake, cycling, and horse-riding and have a good time at their other facilities like the jacuzzi, entertainment room, and restaurant. You can even do some forest/mountain trekking

Maha -Founder of Crystal Magazine, and other guest on this trip- and I had quite a nice time at the resort, boat-pedaling together, and having our own photoshoot in the middle of lake (See example below :P) but we both agreed that this was the kind of romantic getaway for couples, or even couples with kids who can get busy with the different fun activities while their parents relax.

We stayed only one night at the resort, and resting at such a quiet and gorgeous place was much needed and appreciated before we started our journey to explore other parts... Be sure to subscribe to my blog to not miss the upcoming posts about Georgia!

Around Sri Lanka in 2 Weeks - Part III

Wed, 16 Jul 2014 02:02:37 +0100

Yes, Sri Lanka is so awesome and there's much to see in it that it has taken me 3 posts to cover my trip! Keep in mind that I didn't even get to see all that the island has to offer.

After making my way down the west coast, then up the east coast, I made my way to the central area of Sri Lanka, and it was a totally different experience.

Trekking in Ritigala and Udawatta Kele Forests, and the Royal Botanical Gardens

Sri Lanka is all jungle with patches of small towns, so wherever you are, you would stumble upon some forest... The ones I made sure to explore are Ritigala Forest Monastery near Habarane and Udawatta Kele Forest Sanctuary in Kandy. What makes Ritigala special, apart from being enveloped by beautiful greenery, is that it used to be the home of monks...

Jun 15, 2014 | #hello from Ritigala forest, an old monk's sanctuary in #SriLanka. من غابة ريتيغالا، قديما سكن للرهبان #vlog by TheManalyst on Keek.com

Yes, they built a monastery from rocks in the middle of a forest! How cool is that?! That would be something I'd love to experience, granted that I don't have to sleep on a bed made of rock lol

What makes Udawatta Kele Forest Sanctuary special is that you can follow different tracks within the forest on your own, to see different plants and animals, and even get an overview of Kandy city. Other than the forest being breathtakingly beautiful, we got to enjoy a close encounter with a family of monkeys! Sure you may get to do that in most places in Sri Lanka, but it was quite different interacting with them in their natural habitat.

Apart from Udawatta Kele forest, Kandy makes a good visit if you want to see a different side of Sri Lanka. It is more developed than most of Sri Lankan towns, but with more greenery and beautiful scenery than a city like Colombo, which is probably why I found most Arab tourists there!
Another reason to visit Kandy is to check out the Royal Botanical Gardens... It is not an exotic trek as the forest, but it is still a nice excursion to see different trees, plants, and some gigantic bats! You can find photos of both forests and the garden in my Facebook album.

Finding good affordable accommodation in Kandy was a bit tricky, as most hotels in the center are pricey, and most affordable options are up in the hills away from the center, but a good option that combined affordability, cleanliness and location is Sevana Guest House.

Climbing Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Adam's Peak

These were the most exhausting part of my trip... I think I hated myself at some points during the climb because of the situation I put myself into haha. Even after all this time, I still wonder if the climb was really worth it for me, not that you wouldn't enjoy the challenge, or the view from the top, but you would definitely not enjoy the muscle cramps in the days after haha

If you're not accustomed to a lazy lifestyle like I am, then you should definitely make it to either or both mountains. Sigiriya Rock Fortress has an entrance fee of $30 (Yes, they make you pay for you own suffering), and takes around 2 to 3 hours of going up and down, with some breaks, and pushing among crowds.

We made our way to Adam's Peak from Nuwara Eliya at around 11pm, and got there around 2pm, and started our climb, which took us 4 hours up in the dark, to catch the sunrise from the top, and 4 hours down. It was the most difficult thing I had to do in my life so far! My legs just stopped working half way through, the weather got very cold, and I got very hungry... That's a combination of things you don't want me to experience near you haha

All that for this view down below... It was nice, mostly because that was the first sunrise I see in a very long time, but I just prefer sunsets that don't require a mountain climb, thank you :P You can see photos of that sunrise and other amazing scenery from both climbs in my Facebook album here.

Yet even after that long exhausting trip, we made our way to Kithulgala for some white water rafting, and with barely any rest, we jumped into that! It was definitely refreshing and exciting enough to make us forget about the soreness of Adam's Peak climb! I also climbed up Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya for the cave temple, but it is 800 steps only so compared to Sigiriya and Adam's Peak, it is not worth mentioning... Though it still sucked that I had to climb all the way up there and I couldn't get into the temple because of my head cover, which is disrespectful in Buddhist temples.

Nuwara Eliya and The Tea Plantations

Ever since I said I am planning a trip to Sri Lanka, people started asking me to get them tea, which Nuwara Eliya is most famous for. Nuwara Eliyah is in the hill country in the central area of Sri Lanka and is known as Little England for its Victorian architecture, and tea plantations... making it the most unusual and delightful part of my trip!

The nature in Nuwara Eliya and its surrounding areas is breathtaking, enveloped in green hills and waterfalls everywhere, and what made it even more special, is the cold weather! It was so cold that we had to buy winter jackets from the town center, and they're quite cheap so I'd suggest you do the same instead of having to pack and carry jackets needlessly throughout the rest of your trip.

I read much about Nuwara Eliya before my trip to Sri Lanka, so I knew what to expect. What was totally surprising though is when we headed on an unplanned trip to Ambewela, a small town in the same district, that is justly known as "Little New Zealand" for its green fields, and cow farms! I really felt like I had teleported to another country all of sudden! You can see what I mean when you check out photos of my Nuwara Eliya excursions in my Facebook album here.

Nuwara Eliya was the last stop in my itinerary before I headed back to Negombo for my flight on June 19th. Even after 2 weeks on the island, going from town to town, I was still getting surprised and delighted at every step. And as I conclude my posts about the trip here, reminiscing about the whole journey, I am getting overwhelmed with emotions and lovely memories of the places I went, the beauty I saw, the people I met, and the friends I made there <3

If after all this, you still have any doubts and questions about what makes Sri Lanka a must to visit, then leave me a comment below and I'll convince you, even if I have to take you there myself!

Around Sri Lanka in 2 Weeks - Part II

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 13:46:19 +0100

So I started telling you about the awesome time I had in 2 weeks in Sri Lanka, and I am guessing it would take me a few more posts to tell you about all I've seen and done in such a short time! But, I'll try to make it as brief as possible, and hope that it intrigues you enough to visit the country and see for yourself!

Continuing my journey, after the beautiful beach town of Mirissa, I began to experience more of the culture and wild life of Sri Lanka...

Yala and Minneriya National Parks

During my research about the island's wild life, I got lots of recommendations for Yala National Park as the biggest national park in Sri Lanka, with the widest variation of animals and birds... Most special of which is the elusive leopard; we could only catch a glimpse of it from afar, but we got to see many elephants instead.

In Yala, expect to see buffaloes, bores, gazelles (or bambis as they call them), crocodiles, birds like peacocks, storks, etc. and a few elephants... But if you really want to see herds of elephant families, then Minneriya National Park is where you should go because that's mostly what you'd see there. You can see photos of both parks in my Facebook album.
Spending about 3 to 4 hours, up to half a day, in either of the parks should be more than enough to get your fill of wild life. For Yala, starting at dawn is recommended to catch animals going for early swimming in the lakes. For Minneriya, the afternoon is recommended to see the elephant families strolling around and eating.

For either parks, you'll need to hire a driver/guide with a vehicle, so it's best to do this with a group in order to split the cost. If you're hiring the driver personally, then make sure you yourself buy the entrance tickets to the parks as the drivers tend to inflate the prices to squeeze more money out of you.
Yala National Park is in the southern province, so for accommodation, you can stay in one of the towns nearby. I was staying in Kataragame, which had nothing special much, but friends of mine were staying in River Inn Face, where I met them to go to Yala National Park together. It's quite a nice and clean place by a river, and with very nice staff.

Arugam Bay

After 4 days in Sri Lanka, spending a night in each location, and around 5 hours trip of changing buses from Kataragame to Pottuvil, I finally got to Arugam Bay where I spent 2 nights, just to relax and lazy off by one of the world's most famous surfing spots!

The beach is quite a popular tourist destination, especially for surfers, but also for those who want to enjoy one of Sri Lanka's largest gorgeous beaches on the East coast, while the West coast is off season. Still, the beach town wasn't quite what I expected... I was expecting a well-developed city with a very busy beach, but again, it was just another small town with a few tourists here and there along the beach... Check it out in my Facebook album.

Jun 9, 2014 | #hello from Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka's surfers' haven. من شواطئ سريلانكا المشهورة بالركمجة #beautiful #chilling by TheManalyst on Keek.com

The beach town is 20 minutes away from Pottuvil, the main town where the bus station is, a Muslim-populated town, with the most beautiful sunset scene I witnessed in Sri Lanka.

There are many options for accommodations by the beach; I personally stayed at Funky De Bar, that had good food, and nice beach beds to lay down outside. Another great option for accommodation and food, if you want something really special, is Ranga's Beach Hut.

Passikudah Bay

Passikudah Bay was the last beach town I got to enjoy, after around 3 hours by buses and a tuktuk from Arugam Bay, and it was quite different than all the other beaches. The sea was quite calm and shallow, and the beach was engulfed with luxury hotels only.

I spent a peaceful time there, swimming, snorkeling, and chilling on a commercial yacht that can be rented per night. There aren't any affordable options for accommodation or dining by the bay, but a 5 minutes walk away, there are a few good ones. I don't even recall the name of the place where I stayed, in the photo below, but it had awesome room cabins with open outdoor showers! I saw a squirrel running across the wall as I was taking a shower; such a thrill haha

Enjoy more of Passiqudah's beauty in my Facebook album here.

Up till this point in my trip, it has been nothing but "smooth sailing" in coastal towns... Then it was time for the other part of my trip, where I took a bus from Passiqudah and headed to Habarane to start my journey in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka, which you can read about in Part III here.

Have you been to Sri Lanka or planning a trip there? What caught your attention most? Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to share!

Around Sri Lanka in 2 Weeks - Part I

Fri, 18 Jul 2014 23:26:14 +0100

I had Sri Lanka on my travel radar for the past 2 years, and I was more encouraged to do that trip after seeing many of my traveling friends beat me to it! Sri Lanka has recently become "The Asian destination of choice", especially for Saudis... And now I understand why... In 2 weeks in Sri Lanka, I have seen and done more than I have in all my life so far!
Starting my journey from Negombo, down the east coast, south coast, up to the west coast, then center, before making it back to Negombo for departure, I was taken by how distinctive each town I stopped at is, while enjoying breathtaking scenery along the way. The video below recaps the highlights of my journey, which is detailed further below so read on ;)

Negombo

Negombo is a small town, that's 20 minutes from Colombo airport, and is usually a one night stop for travelers who don't want to go on another 2 hours ride to Colombo city. Personally, I chose to stay in Negombo because I'd rather experience the local community outside of *modern* cities... I went to Sri Lanka to escape city life, so I was certainly not going to make that my first stop.

Negombo may not have much to offer, but it makes a good start for a journey into Sri Lanka... It is most known for its beach, Negombo Beach Park, which I wouldn't really recommend as it is not quite clean, and lots of locals swarm around tourists trying to sell some silly things or pretend to be teachers for the deaf-mute to ask for charity money... My French language came in handy here to pretend that I don't speak English in order to avoid them haha
Apart from the beach, you can check out the Dutch canal, which connects to the beautiful Negombo lagoon, the largest lagoon in Sri Lanka. All in all, a tour around Negombo in tuktuk wouldn't take you more than a few hours, photos of which you can see in my Facebook album, so you really wouldn't need to stay more than a day.

Good accommodation in Negombo is not easy to find; hotels by the beach are either below average or overpriced, and at times both! So you might have a better luck staying somewhere that is not directly at the beach, but would be at a walking distance... As for food, I highly recommend Dolce Vita, delicious food with an extensive menu and quite a nice location by the beach!

Galle

Next day of my trip, I made my way to Colombo, which quite resembled any ordinary Lebanese town, and took the train from Colombo Fort Station to Galle, as it is known as one of Sri Lanka's scenic train routes. You can find out the train schedules, according to stations, from Sri Lanka Railways website: http://railway.gov.lk/

The most famous attraction of Galle is the Dutch Fort, where the cutest hostels and hotels are located in the heart of what looks like a typical Dutch/European town. The town is quite serene, scenic and beautiful, and should be on your itinerary when visiting Sri Lanka, to see one of the unusual aspects of the island.

Jun 6, 2014 | #hello from Galle, #SriLanka! بلدة تستحق الزيارة في سريلانكا #travel #hikeek #beautiful #selfie #hot by TheManalyst on Keek.com

I spent a night and half a day there, where it rained for 5 minutes refreshingly, and then enjoyed just walking around the fort (which is quite close to the station), and once inside the fort, you don't really need any transportation. You can enjoy more photos of Galle in my Facebook album here.

I stayed at the Pedlar's Inn hostel, a very clean and nice place for a reasonable price, so I highly recommend it, but make sure you take the room with the balcony, as the other one would have no privacy. For food, we had a lovely dinner at The Indian Hut, good halal food for good value.

Mirissa

After spending a night in Galle, I took my first bus ride to Mirissa, a town in the south known for its beautiful beach and whale watching cruises, but unfortunately, it wasn't the season. Still, enjoying the ambiance and beach scene was a pleasure on its own, and was good enough for my one night stay over. The town is close to Weligama, which is being developed to be an urban tourist destination, and my first stop was to see the sunset on Weligama bay from top of mountain resort.

I spent the next morning strolling by the beach, which is by far the most beautiful among the Sri Lankan beaches I visited. It is not as big as the rest of them, but it is much cleaner, and less crowded, with a number of fresh sea food restaurants right in the sand, playing Reggae music... I was surprised with how Sri Lankan beach boys resembled Jamaicans! To see the Jamaican looking beach boys, and more of Mirissa beach, check out my Facebook album here.

There are a number of popular beach resorts on the beach, depending on your budget, but I stayed at a hotel that's a 5 minutes walk from the beach, with an affordable rate (and a good breakfast! First time I tried the Sri Lankan pancakes with coconut cream!), called Banana Garden, which is family owned, and managed by an adorable guy called Jihane... I couldn't really believe he was Sri Lankan because of how cute he is haha

For food, you MUST stop by Dimali Inn, a restaurant that looks more like a house driveway where you would not consider to be a restaurant, but you'd be surprised by how awesome the food is! It is run by a woman chef, with barely a menu, but you can trust she'd make you the best food you'd have in Sri Lanka.

Jun 7, 2014 | #hello from one of the most #beautiful beaches in #SriLanka, Mirissa! من أجمل الشواطئ هنا #omg #selfie #travel by TheManalyst on Keek.com

On the 4th day, I made my way to Kataragame, a long 3 hours tuktuk ride, where I went on Yala National Park wild safari... Which you'll know more about in my next post! So comment, like, share, subscribe and even stalk me :P whatever you need to do, you do not want to miss the rest of my Sri Lankan adventures: Part II and Part III.

5 Travel Sites You Need for Your Trip Planning

Tue, 03 Jun 2014 15:37:00 +0100

Planning a trip can be as exciting as traveling, or at least, it’s what kicks off the excitement! Long before you even pack your bag or set foot in the airport, your mind is tickled with the thoughts of where to travel, where to stay, what to do, who to meet, etc. Although spontaneity is appreciated during travels, as it adds to the sense of adventure, but for some travelers, especially solo female travelers, planning ahead is essential to avoid uncomfortable and unsafe situations… Also, it is a mandate for overthinking meticulous perfectionists like me haha

I’ve recently been planning my upcoming trip to Sri Lanka, and spent over 2 weeks just on the planning alone, and enjoyed every minute of it! If you’ve ever planned your own itinerary for a trip, you’re probably familiar with some of the travel sites out there that can be of great help… Here are my favorites:

1. Skyscanner:
I’ve only recently gotten to know about this site, and now I can’t imagine not using it! It saves lots of time on checking the different airlines, timings, prices, etc. Just enter your departure airport, and leave the rest to it, to find the best airfare! You can even leave the arrival airport blank, and you’ll get a list of possible destinations from lowest airfares to highest, and pick your destination accordingly! If you already have decided where you’re going, then you get to compare airfares, by travel dates and airlines, and length of flight. Just check out their website, or download their mobile app, and play with it a little to get a better idea!

2. TripAdvisor:
Everyone probably knows about TripAdvisor, so no need to explain what it is. Basically, I use it to check attractions of the country/city I am traveling to, and make a list of the places I find interesting. It also gives you a list of accommodations, with rates from hotel booking sites, and reviews. What I find most useful though are the forums! Most questions that would come to your mind regarding your destination have probably already been asked by others, like questions about possible routes between cities, local hangouts, choosing between different itineraries, etc. Whenever you search google for such travel tips, you’ll probably get a TripAdvisor result first.

3. Booking.Com:
Most of the travelers I know are familiar with this site, and its major competitor Agoda.com. I personally prefer Booking, although its rates are sometimes higher with lesser options from Agoda, because I can book using my prepaid credit card. If you don’t have that issue, then either sites should work fine for you, but I find Booking’s interface easier to use and more appealing. The site also allows you to save the booking confirmation details to your device's gallery for ease of access, which I find very useful, especially when you have lots of bookings included in your trip.

4. Couchsurfing:
Now this is a site that not many people are familiar with, and it’s one of my all-time favorite travel sites! What is the worst thing about traveling alone? Definitely it’s the fact that you get bored and lonely most of the time, and that’s what Couchsurfing solves. Through this community, you can search for locals and travelers at your travel destination, meet up with them, get information from them, exchange stories with them, travel with them, and even “surf” at their homes. It is the best way to get to know amazing people from different cultures and backgrounds, and develop friendships around the world! Of course, some people (especially guys, seriously, stop turning every site into a dating site!) abuse the system, so be careful while you make your pick at who to trust!

5. Rome2Rio:
I have only discovered this site while planning for my Sri Lanka trip, as I wanted to be familiar with possible routes between cities, since I plan to travel from city to city almost every day. This site does just that, giving you route options including bus, taxi, flights, etc. and fares, complete with a map for the route!

Apart from travel sites, I also use and recommend the following:

Currency Converter: As simple as it is, using a currency converter saves a lot of hassle with the money exchange and assessing the value of what you’re paying for. I find it useful to familiarize myself with the currency of the travel destination ahead of time, so I don’t have to use the app every time I need to make a simple transaction.

Travel Guide: It certainly helps to have a travel guide for your travel destination that contains all the information you would require during your trip. I found it even better to make my own travel guide, or simply a Word/PDF document, with all the information I have collected so far: cities, attractions, routes with transportation options, accommodation details, maps, etc. It doesn’t have to be a fancy guide, but it would sure be a great way to organize your trip! I’ll soon upload a sample of my own guide to Sri Lanka, once I am done with the trip… Don’t want to publish it now and have people stalking me haha

Dictionary: It is common sense to have an offline dictionary for the language of your travel destination, especially if English (or any other language you speak) isn’t widely used… Even if it is, it wouldn’t hurt to learn a few courtesy phrases and show some travel etiquette!

So these are some of the sites and apps that I use for my travel planning… Do you use any of them? Or have any other ones that you recommend? Let me know in the comments below!

And if you found this post helpful, be sure to share it :D