“Bursting of the bubble leaves life in broken city state feeling like the last days of Rome.” This was the doom-ridden headline about Dubai that jumped out of the newspaper I was reading on a recent flight out to the Middle East. There was in fact very little […]
There’s mile upon mile of beautiful sandy beach in Oman. Yet the coast seems to be deserted for the most part of the day, save for the lone swimmer, a few joggers and couples staying in the international hotels taking a walk. So if you want to get […]
Last night I took a ride out to what is regularly voted the best hotel in the Middle East. Walking through the main front doors of the Al Bustan Palace hotel, on the edge of Muscat, you can quickly see why it wins people over. The lobby, standing […]
The Omanis welcome overseas tourists with open arms. They are a very accommodating people and nothing seems like too much hassle. Taxis, for example, arrive on time and drivers don’t try to rip visitors off. In the souks stallholders launch in to sales pitches, but you don’t feel […]
I’m sitting in Costa Coffee, the sky is blue and from my seat I have a ringside view of a beautiful, long stretch of sandy beach. No, I’m not on a day out in Weston-Super-Mare with a pair of rose tinted specs, but in Muscat, the capital of […]
Anyone that holds the view that it is all grim up north clearly hasn’t done very much travelling. This ridiculous prejudice that many people have is completely unfounded when you consider what’s on show in great cities like Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester and Liverpool. You’ve got beautiful countryside like […]
In a society increasingly motivated by winning compensation for ‘accidents that weren’t your fault’, people will sue for anything in Britain these days. From slipping on rogue tomatoes on supermarket floors to sliding on militant leaves on park pathways, we love public and private bodies paying out for […]
YOU might think a museum filled with buses, trains and trams would be a haven for middle aged men with woolly hats, notepads and flasks of tea. But the London Transport Museum tells a story which appeals to a much wider audience. It is not just about one […]
Britain is famed around the world for its great historic cities. Visitors have everything from awe inspiring cathedrals and great parks to fascinating museums and first class theatre. Take a boat ride down the Thames in London for a close up view of Big Ben and the Houses […]
The papers are full of statistics these days about pubs shutting up for good. Many are said to be struggling following the introduction of the smoking ban and the fact that you can enjoy cut price drink at home. According to recent reports between 36 and 52 pubs […]
Past In The Present 