By Keith Pereña
As I write this, I’m looking at my boots as they touch the floor of my home here in Dubai. Not long ago, these boots treaded the irradiated grounds inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and I walked in them through the town of Pripyat. While of course, I joke around with my friends and dare them to touch the boots, the truth is that Chernobyl is not really the horror destination it’s made out to be.
Continue reading I went to the most radioactive place on earth, and survived
By Nilanjana Gupta
In the seemingly never-ending game of one-upmanship that’s become normal for airlines seeking to accommodate first-class travellers, Emirates’ new suites have managed to set a new benchmark.
Continue reading Emirates’ new first-class suites are inspired by Mercedes-Benz
By Harveena Herr
This column started out with me thinking about the one novel that took my breath away — Ragtime — and about the particular skill of the author to intertwine slices of history with fiction. The author, EL Doctorow, was described by some, as someone who put the ‘story’ into history. I have no idea how I chanced upon his book but I found it difficult to put down. Ragtime is a form of music that predates jazz and its liberal introduction of new themes serves to surprise, and so it is with the book. You go careening through themes and meet characters like Harry Houdini, Henry Ford and JP Morgan. Light plays a role in the book, as does Scott Joplin who was a master of ragtime. Continue reading Aged 12, I was on to Rommel, cowboy tales and then some
By Deepa Narwani
Seeing a city “like a local” may sound like a cliché, but it’s also to some extent a valid goal, as I found out on a recent trip to Finland’s capital Helsinki. The metropolis is a tourist’s delight. It boasts of stunning monuments. From the imposing architecture of the Helsinki Cathedral that harks back to the city’s time under Russian rule, to its bustling Market Square, home to a traditional market selling foods and treats, as well as handicrafts. But it was while striking up conversations with locals at restaurants and train stations and asking them ‘Where do you go?’ or ‘What’s your favourite activity?’ that I found out the more fascinating aspects of life in Helsinki. Continue reading One way to spend a day is to pick berries in Helsinki
By Kelly Clarke
Imagine the scenario. You’re alone in a foreign country. It’s the middle of the night and you’re stranded on an island in a fog-dense forest. There’s not a soul in sight. Now what would you do? My answer: fingers in ears, eyes squeezed shut, rock back and forth in fear, wait desperately for morning to break. But for Nada Al Nahdi, it wasn’t a case of imagine; it was real-life. Continue reading This woman’s 24 and has visited 25 countries in 2 years. Jealous?
By Sunil Vaidya
A trip to Maasai Mara yielded in Sunil Vaidya returning with a camera full of images of the big five game — and also one of the most impressive and moving sights in the world — the migration of beasts
Continue reading In a little bit of Kenya you can see a whole lot of migration
By Kelly Clarke
The Lebanese capital does not have to work very hard to prove its reputation as the party capital of the Middle East. It’s easy: the people are warm, friendly and know how to have fun. Make your way there soon Continue reading Why Beirut, by far, has the best nightlife in the Middle East
