A Friday Morning at Shatti Al Qurum Beach

It’s a cool February Friday morning at Muscat. After a daylong unusually heavy rainfall on Thursday, the Sun has come out with all its grandeur and brightness. And we are at our typical weekend spot - Shatti Al Qurum Beach. Nothing unusual about this. But today, the sea appeared bluer, the lawn appeared greener, the sands appeared cleaner & clearer and the atmosphere appeared more vibrant. Is it because of the allure of the Sunshine or the magic of Friday the 14th February?

 For me, it’s a great opportunity to snap some photographs. Grateful to nature for the lighting, backdrop and the special effects on my photographs. Wish I could spend a whole day at this place, but bad luck – there’s no toilet here! There are however, several water showers to clean off the sands after a plunge at the sea.

 It’s also a top barbeque destination of Oman. People flock here for kite flying too.

 I have found some amazing trees that are creating a perfect canvas with the sea at the background. Click, Click, Click.

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Package Tour or Independent Travel - which one is right for you:

Just wanted to share something from my experience. If it benefits someone, I would be happy. We are often confused while deciding between an all inclusive guided arranged tour and a self arranged tour. I have experienced both and given a choice and abundance of money & time, I would love to explore a place first by a package tour and then on my own.

Image courtesy: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guided tours are great as they offer a professional orientation to a place. We benefit from their experience & expertise. On the other hand, if someone wants to dive deeper and can plan well, it’s better to explore the place on one’s own.

I wouldn’t write a big essay on pros & cons of both the styles of travelling to make you more confused. As they say, one size does not fit all, here is a short & precise checklist to find out what sort of tour style is ideal for whom.

Package/ Guided/ Group tours	Self arranged
Ideal for whom
1. Big sized families	1. Honeymooners
2. Once in a blue moon travellers	2. Regular explorers
3. Family with kids	3. Couples, group of friends, back packers
4. Travellers with tight/ fixed budget	4. Ready to spend a little more than budget.
5. You can mix-up well with strangers/ anybody.	5. You love privacy
6. You love discipline & punctuality	6. You enjoy freedom
7. You want to see the major attractions	7. Special interest travellers
8. You want to be in a comfort zone in an alien land	8. You don’t mind getting lost.
9. Exploring turbulent places.	9. Exploring a stable, peaceful country
10. You hate googling, planning and making all sorts of arrangements	10. You love planning, making arrangements and do not hate uncertainties
11. On the go	11. Relaxing
12. Looking for tried and tested.	12. Like to get off the beaten track
13. You’re on a tight schedule	13. You don’t mind changing schedule
14.Enjoy the destination	14. Enjoy the journey as well
15. Expecting gifts, goodies, discounts, complimentary offers, etc.	15. Prefer to buy yourself whatever you need.

Now start ticking whichever of the above are applicable to you. Select the side with the highest ticks.

The bottom-line – Travel agencies earn by offering economies of scale, their information edge and planning expertise. If you have time & willingness to research beforehand and love/ not afraid of exploring unknown lands, you save the travel agent commission by being your own guide.

Found this useful? Or, disagree? I would love to have your comments.

Image courtesy: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Gardens of Oman: Qurum Natural Park

Qurum Natural Park

Right at the heart of Oman’s stony capital Muscat, there lies an oasis of green trees, endless manicured beds of flowers, water fountains, artificial water falls and large play area – suitable for the people of all age groups for relaxation. Leaving aside the hot months of the year (April to October), the rest of the year has a special package for this park – view of blooming flowers, gentle winds carrying the fragrance of flowers, sounds of chirping birds – all put together, a great treat for your senses!

Spreading over 400 acres of land at Al Qurum area of Muscat, this garden attracts a large number of visitors during winter months. Children love playing, some love jogging, some others love sitting leisurely on the soft grass. On the farthest corner of the garden, there is an artificial waterfall, the ceaseless waters of which have given rise to a small ecosystem full of green grass and wetland in the midst of desert.
This largest garden of Muscat also has a replica of an ancient Omani village showcasing the Omani lifestyle of bygone era.

Traditional Omani Village - Inside Qurum Natural Park

After a long walk encircling the garden, we got exhausted and set on a bench. I tried for Wi-Fi; it didn’t work. It works only near the entrance. We ordered tea from a café and relaxed for some time enjoying the fabulous surroundings.

When it was time for supper, we came out of the park. As of food is considered, the park has two restaurants- one is Al Maida that serves authentic Arabic food and the other is a theme restaurant called Jungle. However, we headed for City Centre mall instead which is just half a kilometre away from the park. It’s got a small food joint and some food shops. We chose one called Chowking. I could not resist mentioning two of the delicacies we had that evening – one is Chicken with Indonesian Rice and the other one - grilled vegetables with Tofu Rice. It was delectably good!

Indonesian rice with chicken

Tofu rice with vegetables

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Historic Royal Palace of England: Hampton Court Palace and Garden

Hampton Court Palace

If things such as history, architecture and archaeology interest you, then you can head, without a second thought, to the historic royal palaces of London. Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Banqueting House, Kew Palace and Tower of London are some of such places that offer you a peak into the history of England. If such things don’t interest you, the beautiful palace gardens would all likely to suit your senses.

Though I’m not much into history, I had some idea about King Henry VIII – I read stories about his six unsuccessful marriages, about executing his own wives by beheading them and about his majestic royal residence built way back in early 1500’s.

So, on a cloudy morning, we headed for this oldest surviving Tudor palace in England. Located at London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London, in the county of Middlesex, the palace has a 60-acre riverside garden. On entering the palace, we saw some musicians dressed in Tudor inspired costumes, playing ancient music of that age. As we were exploring the inside of the palace, the live commentary about the history of this palace was being played on the audio gears provided by HRP (historic Royal Palaces) – an independent charitable trust that maintains the palace.

 

Tudor styled musicians - Hampton Court Palace

We walked down the history lane and explored the corridors, church, royal halls, King Henry’s state rooms and Tudor kitchens. For painting lovers, one major attraction of this palace is a series of nine paintings titled -Triumphs of Caesar, created by the Italian Renaissance artist Andrea Mantegna between 1484 and 1492. Regret! Completely oblivious about paintings, we didn't care to take a snap of these paintings. We came to know about them only after coming out of the palace. Alike, we happened to heard eerie stories about the palace’s haunted halls only after leaving the place!

Inside Hampton Court Palace

After having enough of history, we turned towards the palace garden to see the blooming flowers, the famous maze, and the huge grape vine. While we were walking along the small pavements of the garden, it started to drizzle. It was cold and hungry we headed to have some warm food cooked at a Tudor kitchen! The food was a delight.

Hampton Court Palace Garden

Hampton Court Palace Garden

Hampton Court Palace Garden

Hampton Court Palace Garden

Hampton Court Palace Garden

Great Vines - Hampton Court Palace Garden

Hampton Court Palace may not be as architecturally sophisticated as the likes of Versailles Palace of France. However its garden is enchantingly beautiful and its history is as fascinating as the history of any other royal dynasty. Just a walk through this palace, offers a glimpse to the history of old England.

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A drive through the English countryside

We reached London two days before our scheduled packaged tour – because it was a weekend at Oman; also because we wanted to explore London on our own. On top of agenda was a drive through the beautiful countryside of England. It was no less than a fairy-tale drive through the beautiful landscape. My photos tell the rest:

It's a land we wanted to explore since our childhood. And as we were driving past the quite and ancient looking landscape, the characters from my childhood tales set at this backdrop came alive in my mind.

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