How to Visit the Persian Gulf in Style Without Breaking the Bank

 Dear Traveler,

The Persian Gulf is not your typical popular destination. You might remember the episode from "The Sex and the City" show when Carrie Bradshaw and her girlfriends went to Dubai and spend the entire time party and on a shopping spree ...In fact, the first thought that comes to mind is that you gotta have lots of $$$ to blow when visiting this part of the world. And, of course, that’s at least partially true.

However, in this blog, please allow me to introduce perhaps the best & most affordable way to visit the Persian Gulf -- by a Cruise Vacation!
Two years ago, I saw an appealing cruise itinerary promoted by MSC Cruises. It was so different and the price point so attractive (buy 1 get 1 free offer) that couldn’t resist. There were 5 port stops for 7 nights cruise on a brand new ship.
Curious? Here are a few tips if you decide to visit yourself:
                                                                                         Dubai Marina
                                                                       On the top of the world-Burj Khalifa
  • The 7-Night cruise was a round-trip Dubai, with stops in Abu Dhabi, Sir Beni Yas (an island, wildlife preserve, part of Abu Dhabi), Manama Bahrain, Doha Qatar, and overnight in Dubai. To recover after the long flight (17 hours from O'Hare) my husband and I stayed  2 Nights Pre-Cruise in Dubai. I would recommend staying at "the Palm" where the hotels have their own private beaches.  A highlight of our Dubai visit was getting cocktails at Burj Al Arab and going to the top of Burj Khalifa. 
  • We had our main meals on the ship  (a wide variety of freshly-made, Italian-inspired cuisine mixed with other international dishes), and while in Port, we would stop for coffee breaks during sightseeing.
                                                                         Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi
                                                                         
                                                                            Abu Dhabi Financial Center
                                                                  
  • We had a surprising amount of extended hours to spend on land (on average 8 hours). In every port, we hired a local guide to show us around the must-see sights, which is more affordable than you might think, and could be the key to getting value-for-time. We would visit the new city followed by a traditional souq (market). We’ve learned that before the discovery of petroleum and natural gas, this part of the world was a major trading post. Having our own guide was a huge time saver. We didn't reserve any excursions through the cruise line.
  • I was blown away by how modern were all the cities we visited- futuristic shape high-rises connected with new wide roads, fancy Westernized Shopping Malls, and new museums displaying the local culture and traditions (the new Louvre recently opened in Abu Dhabi) There wasn't any graffiti and street beggars and we felt safe.

                                                                                      Doha skyline, Qatar
                                                                                      
                                                                 "The Pearl" mix-use real estate development in Doha
                                                                
                                                                         Katara Cultural Village, Doha
                                                  
  • We didn't see many of the locals. We later learned that they are only 15% of the population. The rest are immigrant workers from developing countries. 
  • The distances to most of the worthy visit sights are large. To get around the fastest and reliable way is either to hire a driver or to catch a taxi. In Dubai, there is metro but doesn’t connect all parts of the city. Everywhere we drove by we saw new construction sites.
  • Doha, Qatar is the better alternative to Dubai:  It's quieter, smaller (easier to get around), and less pricey. Doha's "Pearl" mix-use real estate development is a luxury complex with different style architecture.  You’ll find Arabian, Spanish, Italian and more. It has its own “downtown” pedestrian zone dotted with high-end restaurants, shopping, and a beautiful marina. Our guide took us to Katara Cultural Village and Souk Waqif  (Market) where we visited a Falcon store and learned the importance of the Falconry sport for the locals.  We even hold one of the birds!

​​Are you ready to see this part of the world?  





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Key Differences: Star Clippers and Windstar Cruises

Image
To the casual observer, if docked side by side both Star Clipper and Windstar Ships look similar. Both cruise lines belong to the niche market of small ship cruising, and both have sails (more on this below). There are no lines, no time wasted with transfers, most of the time the vessels dock right near the heart of the town. The service and the hardware gives you the feel of cruising on your own private yacht. The vessels are equipped with a watersports marina and they take you to less explored, exotic parts of the world inaccessible via large ship. With that said, there are still few recognizable differences to consider: Star Clipper in Monemvasia, Greece Star Clippers The Star Clippers fleet is comprised of 3 sailing ships with wind-operated sails:   Star Clipper , Star Flyer (sister ships), and Royal Clipper .  All launched between 1991-2000.  A new ship, the Flying Clipper is to be delivered by the end of 2017 The first two mentioned are true clipper ships, each ac
Read more

Malta For First-Time Travelers

Image
Dear Traveler, Did you know that Malta's history is older than the Pyramids? The small archipelago is home to some of the world's oldest human structures and many of them are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Moving on to later millennia, the strategic geographical position of the island has naturally attracted the ruling military powers of that period. Romans, Moors, the Knights of the Order of Saint John, the French, the British -- all have left their impact in shaping Malta's history, culture, and architecture. Quick facts & geography Malta is one of the smallest nations in the world (just under half a million inhabitants) situated right in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and the North African Coast. A part of the EU,  the local currency is Euro and there are no visa requirements for  US citizens. The official languages are Maltese and English (as a former British colony).  The Maltese Archipelago is comprised of Malta (the largest island),
Read more

Sailing to Amorgos, Greece: The Island of the "Big Blue"

Image
Dear Traveler, On a hot summer morning at the end of August, our Star Clipper Ship docked in the Katapola port on the island of Amorgos, the easternmost of the Cyclades group. Somewhat isolated, Amorgos wasn't on the traveler's map until the late 80's when it became a filming location of " The   Big Blue " -a freestyle diving movie featuring the french star Jean Reno. Cyclades Island Map Lonely Planet Compared with its trendy neighbors, such as Santorini and Mykonos, Amorgos attracts with its rough beauty and its peaceful and spiritual vibe. The mountainous relief of the island is hilly and steep with narrow and windy roads. The lack of hotel infrastructure (the majority of accommodations are room rentals concentrated around the port) draws low maintenance hikers, herb-pickers, and divers. We made a new friend at Asset Car Rental Amorgos is big enough that, in order to explore it, you will need to rent a scooter or a car. If you are not experienced w
Read more