World Travel Sweden: Middle East

Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Tehran ( تهران‎ ). A voyage to Tehran, Iran ( ایران ), Middle East.

With its relatively short history, ugly masks of concrete and smog, and manic streets flowing hot with machines, many travellers and no small number of Tehranis will tell you there’s no reason to hang around in the capital. But to take their advice is to miss out. For while Esfahan or Persepolis could mount a convincing case for being the soul of Iran, Tehran is indisputably its big, loud, chaotic, dynamic and ugly beating heart.
This tightly packed city of about 15 million is where change happens first. Politically and socially it’s Iran’s cutting edge, and from the relatively bold fashion statements of its youth to the range of restaurants, cafés and art galleries, as a visitor you can’t help but notice.
However, Tehran is also a city of contrasts that play out on geographic lines.
It is modern and traditional, secular and religious, rich and poor – north and south. Most of the spark comes from the affluent north, but wander through southern Tehran and you’ll see a contrastingly conservative, religious and poor city with little of the north’s brashness.

At a practical level, Tehran has a decent choice of hotels and the best range of restaurants in Iran. There are enough museums to keep you interested, and compared with residents of many capitals, Tehranis are surprisingly welcoming. Certainly, some travellers will find Tehran’s traffic, smog and uncontrolled urban sprawl overwhelming. But persist – or better, make short repeat visits – and you’ll find it opening up to you in ever more- rewarding ways.Show in Lonely Planet

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AN Iran, Middle East, Tehran

Monday, December 24, 2012

Tel Aviv ( תֵּל־אָבִיב ). A voyage to Tel Aviv, Israel ( מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל ) & the Palestinian Territories ( الأراضي الفلسطينية ), Middle East.

Jerusalem may only be 80km up the road, but culturally, socially and psychologically it may as well be a million miles away. While Jerusalemites flock to the holy sites, Tel Avivans hit the clubs. Kippas are swapped for sun visors, gefilte fish for sushi and quarried stone for poured concrete. If it’s 3000 years of history you’re after, head for the hills, but if you’re dead set on partying by the Med shores, pack your volleyball and bathing suit and visit the city by the sea.

After a few days in Tel Aviv (or TA as it’s affectionately known by expats) you may start to wonder if there is such thing as a weekend. The city seems to be on permanent holiday and at any time of day or night you can saunter down a main street and find crowded cafés, joggers, beach bums and dog walkers. Business is casual and no-one owns a suit.

The city combines its liberal, laissez faire attitude with low-level development and interconnected neighbourhoods. A short walk leads you from the glamorous beachside hotels to the exotic Yemenite Quarter to fashionable Rothschild Blvd.
While you could spend weeks sightseeing in Jerusalem, the main attractions of Tel Aviv can be done in a couple of days. The real reason to visit might be to escape the tourist hordes and enjoy a city that boasts fantasic cuisine, a heaving nightlife and pleasant tree-lined streets that spill into the Mediterranean Sea. Tel Avivans will tell you it’s the greatest city on earth, so spend a few days and find out why.Show in Lonely Planet

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AN Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Middle East, Tel Aviv

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Kuwait ( الكويت ). A voyage to Kuwait, Middle East.

Kuwait, in the cradle of one of the most ancient and most-contested corners of the world, is best described as a city state. The burgeoning capital, Kuwait City, is like a magnet: indeed it has been attracting Bedouin people from the Arabian interior, in search of a sea breeze and an escape from recurring drought, for centuries. Today the metropolis is still an oasis in a land of desert plains, but rather more of the cultural and epicurean kind. Excellent museums; a corniche ornamented with combed beaches and extravagant restaurants; modern shopping complexes and marinas, and long and lazy retreats at new beach resorts mark the Kuwait City experience. West of Kuwait City is Al-Jahara, unfortunately famed for the violence that took place there as Iraqi troops retreated during the Gulf War. Between one ostentatious building project and another, it’s almost possible to overlook the Iraqi invasion – almost, but not quite.
A decade has passed, but Kuwaitis are still smarting from the devastating experience and there are many visible reminders of the war (high security around hotels, and museums dedicated to the invasion). As such, it’s surprising to find there is little ostensible animosity between Kuwaitis and their northern neighbours.

Outside Kuwait City there are few attractions, except at resorts dotted along the coast. Tourist development of the historical island of Failaka is still in the planning stage, flat desert plains are given over to oil excavation and, with the exception of Mutla Ridge, there are few distinctive geographical features. That said, there is always something to see in a desert, with a bit of patience and an eye for detail; when it comes to the ritual camping expedition, Kuwaiti people seem to have plenty of both.
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