belzeboob

Nothing special. It’s like Dubai of the late 80’s I guess. Coming from someone who lives in the UAE, I thought Bahrain was dull and boring, unless you’re in Saudi Arabia. Then you line up in the traffic-choked bridge connecting the Kingdom to Bahrain and enjoy the weekend!

The first time I set foot in Oman was in Musandam. Beautiful fjords but the town itself is very basic. It’s good for one-day visits only.

The Omanis are said to be the friendliest Gulf people. I must say their men are also the handsomest :)

I will definitely visit Oman again when I get myself a new 4×4!

Why I recommend this place to visitors is that it’s probably the most open GCC country. We have alcohol, discos and bars, pork, christian churches, women drivers (you can’t say the same for Saudi Arabia can you?)..

Not saying that tourists only visit places for those, but I wanna point out that the UAE rulers have made sure that we non-Muslims also get to enjoy their hospitality. Go desert driving and skiing in the same day. Visit beaches, go quad-biking, eat glorious Arabic food (Lebanese cuisine is the standard Arabic food though).

The UAE is a melting point of cultures – the country is resided in by the most diverse set of nationalities.

Visit UAE in the winter. Forget June to August tours, you’ll choke in the heat if you dare go out of your A/C rooms in summer!

I went on a 5-day business trip to Mumbai on behalf of my ex-company back in 1998. I didn’t have time to go around much but I loved the food. Even here in the UAE, I scour the dark alleys for the best curries, masala, naan, parotha, etc.

I’d love to go back and see the real India, gorge on their heavenly food and trek their mountains.

I visited Singapore with my mom in 2007. It’s a bit of a “fake” country – everything’s been constructed recently for tourism I guess, kinda like Dubai – no established culture, not much of history.

Everything’s ridiculously expensive. Best word to describe Singapore would be “efficient.” Forget expectations of spectacular views, amazing sceneries, or friendly locals. But at least your transport (trains, buses) runs on schedule, there’s no littering anywhere, and there are no dangers lurking in dark alleys. Singapore’s citizens seem well-sustained, so if there are any muggers, chances are they’re visitors themselves, or so they say in Singapore. It’s a very small, well-managed country – you can traverse it end to end in one day.

I’d recommend the place for experience though. There’s only two of its kind (nanny state) in the world, the other one being Dubai.

The land of my birth.

It’s been called paradise on earth – white sandy beaches, scenic mountains, friendly locals, beautiful people, weird food :)

Get out of the crowded cities and visit the provinces – that’s how you’ll see the beauty of the Philippines!

It’s the most beautiful place on earth. That’s it.

I’ve been there twice – once by myself and the second time with my then gf. Got to see all the major towns and cities. NZ’s got the most unforgettable scenic views. Queenstown is heavenly.

I might settle down there. :)

I visited Sydney in 2005 with my then gf. No need to elaborate why you need to visit Sydney – it’s one of the must-tour cities of the world! :)

I went on vacation with my mom here. We visited Melaka, Penang Island and Kuala Lumpur. Went on historical tours, had massages, swam, bought trinkets from stall vendors, and basically just enjoyed the time. Malaysia is ok, not that great though. Looks similar to the Philippines, though Philippines is so much better in terms of beaches, urbanization, history, etc.

Malaysians are very nice people. What I remember most about this trip is this young Malay lady whom we asked directions from. She was very helpful, helped me with my map and even called her friend on the phone to confirm that her advice was correct. :) I was so grateful.

When I go back, I’ll be visiting Sabah for its mountains and caves.