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DUBAI MAY 2013

I flew Emirates to Dubai in May 2013.

What a fascinating place. My first experience of the middle east and its quite an eye opener which I am very grateful for.
Emirates still hand out a little amenity pack which is becoming rare these days -so you can forget your toothbrush and eye shades, just bring your earplugs.
We stayed at the JW Marquis Marriott which is the worlds tallest hotel! Very luxurious and just a short cheap taxi ride to most attractions,
Of course I managed to shop :-) the outlet Mall although a bit far had the best bargains in a retail air conditioned style but saw some interesting bags and ethnic style tops at the souks which you will visit on the morning city tour I would recommend. Its worth buying the local ladies eye liner then.
Gold is amazing at the gold souk (market) but its a fair set price at the airport which includes the labour and you don’t have to barter.
Dune dinner safari is a must, just a bit more low key if your there during Ramadan.
I had got my first tattoo – henna of course, on my hands and ankles – beautiful mosaics which lasted about a week, tried the shisha pipe and saw the most amazing sunset.
We also spent a very memorable afternoon including traditional lunch off the floor at the Sheik Mohmammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in the old district not far from the museum which has the best gift shop! Lucky for the 30kg luggage allowance Emirates has.
Next time I would like to venture “down the road” to Abu Dhabi and do a high tea at the Burj al Arab.
Oh yeah and of course I went to the top of Burj Khalifa saw the dancing fountains and the most amazing aquariums at the Atlantis on the Palms at Jumeirah beach.
Bucket list is to stay in a room there where instead of a window the glass looks into the aquarium!

NEWSFLASH!!!

Great news today …..Emirates will start direct services to Dubai direct from Adelaide from 1 Nov – which means one stop connections to about 26 European cities including WARSAW!!! Its a great airline and stay tuned for great airfares as well!!!

Samoa

OMG Samoa!!! What can I say…. I am enchanted with the place!!! Fantastic culture and family values, amazing beaches (in up to your neck and you can still see your toenails). Very affordable prices and a break from pushy merchants. Still managed to shop but only things like Noni juice and coconut soap – nice change for me. Couldn’t even find a souvenir towel so settled for a sarong (pareo)! Slept a metre from the beach for 2 nights in an open air hut for $45 including full breakfast and dinner – met some of the nicest people and staff ever. Absolutely a highlight a fave and a must do again!!!

USA

Hello lovely people!
I was lucky enough to go to the USA recently for a managers meeting. :)
We flew Qantas from Sydney to LA on the Boeing 747 and came home on the new airbus A380 which is currently trialling free internet access on board. About 30 travel agents from Vic/Tas/SA & NT and I got picked up in a stretch Hummer and got to drive through the Hollywood Hills and the “stars” homes as the LA marathon was on that Sunday morning and some major roads were closed. After checking into our hotel on Sunset Boulevard (!!!) we had a quick nap and did the hop on hop off bus before seeing Cirque du Soleil “Ovo” on Santa Monica beach. Can I just say I fell in love with Mexican food after a fantastic restaurant in Santa Monica and also spending the day in Tijuanna (mmmm Margaritas and just a little bit of shopping  - I will wear those half price cowboy boots…one day… I promise :) . Finished off with a weekend in Vegas and some fantastic shows and a little more shopping. USA rocks esp with the exchange rate at the moment!!!

Malaysia Trip

I recently went to Malaysia for the first time on Malaysian Airlines. The flight took about 6 hours and the service was lovely and I was quite comfortable.

Arriving in Kuala Lumpur we (myself and the other travel agents) went through the checks and then we were taken to our hotel.

We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel KL. It was beautiful and the service was excellent. I loved my King size bed…I don’t think I have ever slept in a more comfortable bed in my life.

In the morning after breakfast (OMG the food, the food) we met with our tour guide to experience the Skybridge Petronas Twin Tower. You must note here that to visit the Towers, you need a ticket. Our tour guide lined up at 1.00am to get tickets for us. The ticket office opened at 8.30am. They only allow 1000 visitors a day and 500 on Friday so if you are keen be warned of the queue. Remember this building is 88 stories and the Skybridge is on level 41, so if you have a fear of heights this is NOT for you.

The view was spectacular…tall skyscraper with a mixture of old with mountains in the background. Definitely worth a visit.

We also had a walk through the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. This is boutique style shopping and has around 450 outlets.  After a hard day of maxing your card you can enjoy some of the delicious food at the food court.

From there we moved onto Chinatown. For people who like to shop and get a bargain…this is the place for you. I unfortunately only had half an hour but I managed to put a great dent in my wallet. Make sure you are prepared to barter.

Then it was off to the Central Market. Enroute we had lunch at the Ginger Restaurant. Malay food has a kick to it is all I can say.

Friday evening we attended a business session at the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel where Y.Bhg Dato’ Zakaria Ahmad – Malaysia Culture Specialist spoke to us about Malay Culture. We then proceeded to the ballroom for dinner and a wonderful display of Malay dance which included Chinese, Malay and Indian dancers. It was wonderful and a great evening was had by all.

The next day was filled with shopping. We visited Sungei Wang Plaza which is gadget heaven. Any electrical/computer accessory you need you can pick up here. Laptops a plenty. Ladies, a great place to leave your man to peruse on his own. Then onto Lot 10 at Bintang Walk. Another shopping centre with many levels.

The evening was filled with dinner at the Royal Selangor Club after we proceeded on to the Launch of the Colours of Malaysia.  This I find very hard to describe into words but I will try my best. His Majesty The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud and Her Majesty The Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah arrived as well as the Deputy Minister of Tourism, The Minister of Tourism and many more dignitaries attended. The night was filled with dance, colour, singing, and fireworks with around a thousand performers. It was truly a majestic night. It was in honour of promoting tourism for Malaysia.

The following morning we said goodbye to Kuala Lumpur and flew out to Langkawi. We took the KL Sentral to the airport. It is a train that takes you directly to the airport. The best thing was that you checked your luggage in at the station and it was taken directly to the airport and onto your plane. You received your boarding pass and then you could leisurely walk around the airport without stressing about your luggage or lining up in long queues.

Langkawi…what can I say?! Heaven on earth. We stayed at the Frangipani Langkawi Resort and Spa. Langkawi is surrounded by 99 islands. The weather is beautiful and tropical.

The Langkawi Cable Car is a must. Spectacular views and an exhilarating ride to the top of the Gunung Machincang. You will really enjoy the marvellous views of the Andaman Sea. I could not get enough photos.

A quick stop at the Atma Alam Batik Art Village where we shown how they do their Batik art, a small art gallery out the back where you can purchase art from local artists and beautiful clothing and scarves within the shop to purchase if you so wish.

We then went to Eagle Square where there is a magnificent statue of the reddish brown eagle majestically poised for flight.

The following day was a boat cruise to Kilim Nature park which features a beautiful mix of well protected green mangrove forests, isolated white beaches and blue lagoons. We were exposed to the wonders of the park’s marine ecosystem, flora and fauna and its natural habitats like the overhanging “bogak trees”, brown eagles, tree crabs, iguanas and macaques. Watching the eagles swoop down one at a time to be fed was amazing.

Lunch was at The Hole in the Wall Restaurant and Fish Farm. This is a floating restaurant on the Kilim River where you can also see some very large fish, stingrays, crabs in the holding tanks that they have.

The last part of the tour was to Laman Padi which showcases the history, heritage and development of the nation’s rice growing industry.

My time in KL was wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone.

 

The very first post

Hello fellow travellers! Marysia here. I am so happy that you have come this far and are reading my blog. Some of you might know that I love to talk as well as the magic of words. Here I will update you every couple of months on our travels and some tips and hints as well as the latest news as it comes to hand. I recently travelled to LA and Canada and when I get a chance will post my impressions and some pics, (one highlight was going to Marilyn Monroes grave). Aneta will be going to Malaysia this month, so will have the latest update from her very soon. Happy travels!
p.s. and remember… “adventure before dementia”