Chora Church in Istanbul: Magic and Mosaics Ok, so it might not be magic. Though it doesn’t seem to get nearly the acclaim of the Sultanahmet hotspots like the Hagia Sophia or Blue Mosque, the Byzantine-era Chora Church and surrounding area make for an excellent day in Istanbul. The church nearly […]
GYG Tours
Abu Dhabi Palace Hotel
Abu Dhabi Palace Hotel If the beach is the natural highlight of Abu Dhabi and the Heritage Village the cultural highlight, then the Palace Hotel is some sort of ostentatious absurdity highlight. Walking up, of course, the presentation is grand as you approach the main entrance via an alleyway of […]
Abu Dhabi Heritage Village
Abu Dhabi Heritage Village My personal highlight for Abu Dhabi was definitely the Heritage Village. A kind of open-air museum, it actually did a very nice job of presenting the traditional cultures of the Emirates without feeling tacky. Exhibits included examples of traditional architecture, crafts, and lifestyles. This place was […]
Abu Dhabi
Though Abu Dhabi did have a few highlights, overall it wasn’t terribly exciting. As far as I could tell, the beach was the most inspiring reason most people find to be in the city. Fronting the downtown area, I must admit that seeing the beach gave me a twinge […]
Al Ain Camel Market – A Dubai Daytrip
Al Ain Camel Market Also, if you’ve ever wondered what a really angry camel sounds like, this is for you: —- I’m normally a proponent of independent travel where reasonable, but for a daytrip to the Al Ain Camel Market a guided tour might actually make sense. Leaving from Dubai, […]
The Tallest Building IN THE WORLD!!!
To say that the Burj Khalifa dominates the skyline of Dubai would be putting it lightly. The Khalifa IS the skyline of Dubai. There are other interesting and tall buildings, but they are emasculated dwarfs beside this. Taking the elevator to the 124th floor (out of 160) viewing platform is […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.