Travel

  • A Day-trip to Fresno, CA

    A Day-trip to Fresno, CA

    A few days ago, I took a day trip with friends to Fresno, CA. Here are some of my musings on the trip. Fresno, a city located in the San Joaquin Valley, is about an hour and a half’s drive from Yosemite. Named after the abundant ash trees in the area, it is the fifth Read more

  • Dubai Vacation: Burj Khalifa

    Dubai Vacation: Burj Khalifa

    The day is finally here. It is hard to imagine a vacation to Dubai without including its most iconic landmark, the Burj Khalifa. Having visited the CN Tower in Toronto in 2007, when it was the tallest building in the world, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this visit. Here is a list of Read more

  • Dubai Vacation: Desert Safari

    Dubai Vacation: Desert Safari

    Dubai is located in the Arabian Desert, an extension of the Sahara. Having done dune bashing in the Sahara in Morocco, we decided this time we would simply sit back and savor the experience. Expectations were high when we booked this excursion. I made our reservation with Dubai Desert Safari, which seemed to offer a Read more

  • Dubai Vacation: Souk Al Bahar and Dubai Fountain

    Dubai Vacation: Souk Al Bahar and Dubai Fountain

    A waterfront walkway with Dubai’s tall buildings in the background, starting from the Dubai Mall, leads to Souk Al Bahar. Souk Al Bahar, an extension of the Dubai Mall, is a mini Arab-style souk or marketplace that features antique stores, carpets, and a chocolate shop where we stopped, sampled, and then bought Dubai Chocolate. The Read more

  • Dubai Vacation: Dubai Mall

    Dubai Vacation: Dubai Mall

    Mesmerizing and awe-inspiring are not words one would typically associate with a mall, but there are no words to truly capture the experience of the Dubai Mall, the world’s second-largest shopping center. Attracting over 1.5 billion visitors, it is the most visited building on Earth. Spanning 217 square miles, the mall could fit more than Read more

  • Dubai Vacation: The Hotel

    Dubai Vacation: The Hotel

    We did not find the missing bag at the airport and decided to head to our hotel. Our home away from home was the Nejoum Al Emarat Hotel, located in Sharjah, Dubai’s neighboring city, about 12 miles from the airport. The choice was based on affordability, and it turned out to be a great one. Read more