OMAN – Kiwi Travel Writer talks food, travel, and tips

Post Covid-19 travel: when and where will you travel – or not!

When will you start travelling once we have COVID-19 under control or at least contained? Check out the map below-the world is a huge place.

If you’re a kiwi you’ll soon be able to travel all over New Zealander again. What will be your destination, and will it be to visit friends and family or as a tourist or traveller? What about a trans-Tasman bubble? Will you go to Australia? (or NZ)

Peacock Fountain, Christchurch Botanic Gardens

quintessential Australia – a sleepy koala

If you’re not resident in New Zealand, when and where, will you start travelling to?

Off to the Moulin Rouge in Paris perchance?

My belief is that tourists will stay home for quite some time however, as always, solo travellers, nomads, and backpackers, in general, will be the first onboard planes heading to exotic destinations. Backpackers, of course, are a state of mind – it’s nothing to do with their luggage or the amount of money in their bank account. They are the explorers who want to learn new things, to meet new people, see new things and of course, taste new food!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

So what places are on your travel list my bucket list is so long that at my age I know I will not be able to tick many off

Unless of course, I meet a tall dark handsome stranger who is happy to fund my travels – I’m open to that!

Warning: reading this may make you want to travel

Stuck inside under Covid-19 isolation I’m just remembering this wonderful trip’

Kiwi Travel Writer talks food, travel, and tips

read this and start packing

” ‘Why do you want to go to Zimbabwe?’

Even I thought it seemed a little silly, when I replied ,’Because I like the name.’ Zimbabwe sounded exotic and I just wanted to go.

Now I’ve arrived in Africa and I’m ready for my big adventure: a canoe safari down the Zambesi River.

Standing on the banks of the calm looking river, I am beginning to get scared. Watching us is the biggest, meanest looking crocodile I have ever seen. Lying in the sun, he seems to be inspecting us. I watch him and he watches me as I listen to our guide’s safety instructions.

“Keep looking for hippos, usually you will just see their little ears sticking out of the water, and every few minutes I want to you give a little knock on the canoe so they can hear us coming. If…

View original post 368 more words

Food and travel – heaven for some, hell for others!

Food is an important element to travel – it’s heaven for some – hell for others.

I love the new, the different, the local delicacies, while others want to mostly, or even only, eat at multinational outlets. what do you prefer?

This phenomenon is not confined to only westerners but also many others. I’ve known, Italians, and Asians who only want to eat their usual food while travelling … I know in New Zealand many Chinese tours always insist on meals at Chinese establishments.

Here are just some photos of a tiny amount of meals and food I’ve eaten all over the world.

Oman

Fiji Our food is exposed

Start with rice – on a banana leaf

Seafood risotto at Hotel Bruny

I love raw oysters – the food of love ‘they’ say

Food glorious food Dubai!

cooking

Bowls of all types are fantastic

Kota Bharu, I’m looking forward to more Malaysian food

Pad Thai: Indigo Pearl Resort, Phuket, Thailand

‘Banana leaf’ curry

I have breakfast at Gujaret Chief Minister’s home / Narendra Modi

durian .. most Westeners dont even try this “king of fruit!”

rambutan

No matter where you are, always try local food … fresh lotus seed heads

Asam Pedas for breakfast: Parit Jawa, Malaysia

only 12% of westerners like durian – I am one of them

food-lovers-guide-to-the-world-au-nz-black-large

this crispy fish was delicious

food features large in my travels

Put Oman on your bucket-list

‘Oman is one of the cleanest and most beautiful countries in the world’ a local business man tells. He put it down to the thousand street cleaners, in their green uniforms,’who work daily from 6 AM to 11 AM and then again from 3 to 530′. I agree, it needs to be on your bucket-list.

The Sultanate of Oman, the third largest country of the Arabian peninsula is certainly beautiful: with low rise buildings which must be painted white or cream. And, unlike its neighbour Dubai, this country has not traded its heritage for shopping malls, high-rise hotels, and imported workers.

In this delightful country it was easy to meet locals and today’s photos are from the fish market Muscat, the country’s capital.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I loved Oman . . . and the food

I have a silver fern painted on my cast before travelling

Despite travelling with a fractured arm I loved Oman and would certainly return. Because of that broken arm I haven’t written the blogs I intended to, however, they will happen and while you’re waiting here are a few photos of some of my meals.

The food of Oman is a mixture of several staples of Asian foods and are often based on chicken, fish, and lamb, as well as the staple of rice and a mixture of spices. Smoked eggplant (aubergine) is popular as are curries and soups. The main meal is usually eaten in the middle of the day with a lighter meal in the evening.