usty, nomadic desert-dwelling Bedouin make their way slowly along the creek knowing their exact destination – Souq Waqif. With camels packed down with wool, meat and cloth, the Bedouin have come to this marketplace to sell and buy goods, such as rice, dates and other essentials. Fast forward to 2012 and not much has changed. [...]

oung girls in colorful traditional dresses paid no attention to onlookers as they kept pace jumping rope two at a time. Meanwhile, boys in white traditional thobes, engrossed in a lively game of tag, were darting about the Bedouin “village” while others concentrated on a skillful game of marbles. These three childhood activities were popular [...]

rom the intricately-carved white gypsum panels and traditional detailed lightscreens marrying side by side with softly curved vanilla arches, Katara harkens present-day visitors back to a yesteryear long, long ago marked by contrasts of old and new. Wandering the stone-clad walkways cooled by precisely-placed awnings above shielding the afternoon-setting February sun,it soon becomes apparent what [...]

rowds of adults and youngsters gather in earnest as strong drum beats signal the start of the traditional Arab ritual. I’m sandwiched among the audience at the exclusive Pearl-Qatar inDoha, Qatara waiting this highly publicized event that will initiate tomorrow’s slate of National Day festivities. Dusk settled in hours ago. Alongside the calm harbor where [...]

ucked away off a narrow country roadway in the Czech Republic’s South Bohemia region sits a tiny well-preserved village. The entire village! Rows of gabled white houses, some in various stages of renovation, line each side of the village green of this charming medieval town. Behind tall gates are barns, most having now been transformed [...]

ubai has enough activities to keep visitors busy for weeks. But what if you’re here on business with only a brief amount of free time? Your best option for an overview of the city’s past and present is Dubai’s Big Bus City Tour. The hop on/hop off style allows visitors to spend as much or [...]