Hugh Taylor's Blog
Posted by Hugh Taylor
When the postman delivered Dorling Kindersley’s new guide to World Travel yesterday morning I knew it was a mistake to open the package. Mistake number two was deciding to have another coffee and leaf through a few of the pages. Several hours later I was still reading when I should have been in my office writing.
It's a splendid production full of the vibrant colourful images that separate DK guides from all the rest. It’s also jam packed with practical information concerning visas and passports, security, health issues, insurance, money, mobile phones, getting around, internet travel and travel photography.
The meat of the book, which the publishers describe as ‘the ultimate holiday planner’, is the features on the ‘world’s most spectacular places’.
There are 130 of them, each featuring one of six holiday themes from Festivals and Culture, Natural World and Activity Breaks to Family Getaways, Luxury and Romance and Unforgettable Journeys.
The book is arranged in a month by month format so you can search for the perfect destination to fit with your holiday dates or find the best time to visit your chosen destination.
The Middle East is well represented with features on Petra in Jordan, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Istanbul and the Lycian Coast in Turkey and Cruising on the River Nile and visiting the Red Sea in Egypt.
It was written by a team of travel experts of whom a significant number are suite101 Feature Writers including Evelyn Kanter, Mari Nicholson, Rebecca Ford and me.
My contribution is not on the Middle East but my home territory, the West of Scotland. I’m well pleased with it and I’m sure the good people at VisitScotland will be too.
Posted by Hugh Taylor
The summer weather in south west Scotland has been nothing short of abominable. So to say I'm looking forward to going to Egypt soon would be an understatement. Even though it's work it will be tremendous knowing that for a few weeks at least I will not see any rain.
I'm flying into Cairo then planning on taking a rail journey to Aswan and flying on to Abu Simbel to photograph the temples there. Then I'll spend a few days round Aswan, checking out the attractions, the souks, sailing on the Nile and visiting the dam before taking the train to Luxor. There I'll be shooting stock photographs of the many antiquities before taking the train back to Cairo for a few days exploring the old city, visiting the Pyramids and the Museum.
The only thing I have in place at the moment is my flight to Cairo from Glasgow. Everything else has to be arranged. Check my blog regularly and I'll let you know how I'm getting on and how you can use the same sources to book yourself an individually tailored tour of Egypt without having to fork out a fortune to an agency.
In the meantime take a look at my feature on Egypt - Travel Facts and Trivia
Posted by Hugh Taylor
Someone asked me to recommend the best guidebook to Jordan. I’d like to say that it’s my own Globetrotter Guide to Jordan but I can’t. It hasn’t been published yet and besides I don’t think there is such a thing as The best guide book.
When choosing a guide there are a number of factors to consider.
How long will you be there?
Have you been before?
Do you want a lot of detail and background information?
Or do you just want directed to the main attractions?
If I’m going somewhere on holiday my choice is determined by length of stay and whether I plan to see a lot or just laze around on the beach.
My first choice will usually be the AA/AAA Spiral Guides and I don’t just say that because my wife and I are authors of the Spiral Guide to Scotland. I like them because they have detailed itineraries and tours which mean I have very little thinking or planning to do.
Of the others AA/AAA Essential Guides are good for short breaks, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides have a lot of useful snippets and some very good in depth background information. Dorling Kindersley Guides are superbly illustrated, Insight Guides well researched and comprehensive but a wee bit on the heavy side. Globetrotter Guides have less detail but enough to do the job and the fit in your pocket. Bradt Guides are arguably the best books available for the countries they cover.
A lot also depends on the writer. How well do they know their destination and how much research have they done. Unfortunately many guides are now being writen by authors who have never been to the destination. This is hardly surprising when you see the fees that some publishers are currently asking writers to work for. But it means there’s a good chance the guide is rubbish.
Anyway the upshot of this is that I shall be reviewing a broad selection of guide books and telling you what I think of them. If I think they are garbage I will tell you so and I’ll also tell you why.
Currently in my In tray are the Bradt Guides to Palestine, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Syria, Oman, Iran and Armenia and the Insight Guide to Jordan. I’ve got the excellent Walking in Jordan by Di Taylor and Tony Hill and Jordan Jubilee by Ruth.
Posted by Hugh Taylor
If you are thinking about visiting Jordan then this is a good time of the year to do it. The winter rains are past and it is not too hot. Jordan is a very easy country to get to and entry requirements are simple and inexpensive. To help with your trip planning I’ve written an article detailing customs and health requirements, how to get there by air, sea and rail and how to get a visitors visa.
I am also planning a series of articles to help you get the most out of your visit including Getting Around, Where to Stay, Where to Eat and What to See so bookmark this page and check it regularly.
In the meantime here are a couple of suggestions for places to stay. One is probably the best small hotel in Jordan and the other one of the most luxurious.
The Mariam Hotel in Jordan is a family owned and operated hotel. Charl al Twal the proprietor is a member of one of the oldest families in Madaba and what he doesn’t know about the town is probably not worth knowing. For a small charge he will pick you up from Amman airport.
It has clean, well appointed rooms with ceiling fans, TV and free Wi Fi. There’s an excellent outdoor pool and beside it a bar and restaurant. And it is remarkably priced.
Not far away on the shores of the Dead Sea the Kempinski Ishtar competes with its neighbour The Mövenpick for the title ‘The Lowest Hotel on Earth’. It would take a surveyor to decide as there can only be an inch or two in it.
This was designed in tribute to one of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World theHanging Gardens of Babylon The second phase of the building development is now complete and officially opens next month. There are 201 new rooms and suites each with a patio or balcony with superb views over the Dead Sea. Just the place to sit at the end of the day enjoying a cool drink as the sun disappears over the horizon and the lights of Jericho appear on the West Bank.
Unlike the Mariam it is not a budget option but incredibly good value for money. It’s a favourite of Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Beatrix Potter actress Renee Zellwegger.
Posted by Hugh Taylor
The two for one Turkey offer produces a saving per couple of £220.
The offer is for departures between May 1-20, July 2-15, August 20-September 2, and September 24-October 7, with departures from Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Stansted.
Prices start at just £389 per person and include flights, in-flight meal, transfers, accommodation and local representative.
There is a choice of four hotels, the Ottoman Residence in Akyaka, the White Hotel in Oludeniz, the Samaria Deluxe Apartments in Kalkan, and the Nur Beach Hotel in Kas, plus two combinations of hotels and Gulet cruises.
The North Cyprus flight-only departures start on March 24 and there are a range of dates on offer until October 31st, with prices starting at £319, and departures from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, and Stansted.
Full details of all the money saving offers are on Anatolian Sky Holidays website.
