Middle East

Restaurant Review: Al Nafoorah Al Qasr, Dubai

wareontheglobe 1 Comment

Dan and I really love, love, love Lebanese cuisine. We have been to some great Lebanese restaurants (including this incredible one in Amman, Jordan –Fakhreldine), and we always try to eat at Lebanese restaurants when in the Middle East. We had one proper dinner evening in Dubai last year on our way to the Maldives. We made a dinner reservation at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr.

Dan at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr.

Al Nafoorah Al Qasr is located inside the Jumeirah Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah hotel – only about a 10 minute Uber drive from our hotel on the Palm Jumeirah. And like the Jumeriah Al Qasr, Al Nafoorah Al Qasr is a gorgeous restaurant. Having both indoor and outdoor seating, the interior of the restaurant is centered around an olive tree and is immaculately decorated. The outdoor seating is along a man-made waterway, complete with tourist sightseeing boats, with views of the Burj Al Arab. We sat outside and had a perfect table overlooking the Burj Al Arab, as seen above.

Continue reading →

Airport Lounge Review: Marhaba Lounge, Dubai International, Terminal 3, Concourse B

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Dan and I spent a little over two hours in the Marhaba Lounge in Dubai International (DXB) Terminal 3, Concourse B in December 2024, after spending a week in the Maldives and a few days in Dubai. While we were sad to leave, the Marhaba Lounge provided a decent send off. We arrived in the Marharba Lounge before 6:00 AM (we had an 8:30 flight) and had a pleasant, albeit crowded, experience. We would certainly return.

Dubai.

Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: Mandhoo Restaurant, Conrad Maldives

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Dan and I visited the Conrad Rangali Island Maldives for the third time in November 2024. We had visited each of the Conrad’s 11 restaurants on prior visits except Mandhoo. As such, Mandhoo was a must visit for me on this visit. Honestly, we had been avoiding Mandhoo because it had always been billed, at least in our opinion, as the resort’s health food restaurant, and we just felt like that was not the vibe we were going for on vacation. While Mandhoo may have one or two healthier dishes than some other places, Mandhoo is just a normal restaurant with something for everyone. We will definitely return.

Mandhoo from afar.

Continue reading →

Cheese Fondue in the Maldives?

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Cheese fondue in the Maldives? The warm, island destination off the coast of India? Yes, you read that correctly. The Conrad Rangali Island offers a cheese themed fondue dinner twice a week in its Wine & Cheese Bar. This dinner is incredibly fun and very tasty. We highly recommend it at the Conrad Rangali.

Conrad Rangali Island.

THE WINE & CHEESE BAR

The Wine & Cheese Bar is one of the Conrad Rangali Island’s numerous restaurants. The Wine & Cheese Bar offers two dining options: a tasting menu and a cheese fondue set menu. The cheese fondue dinner is usually held twice a week and only seats 10 people. The cost as of November 2024 is $160 USD per person. We love this dinner and do it every year. We also agree that this is one of the best, and certainly the most reasonably priced, “experience dinner.” In contrast, the Wine Cellar dinner is $385 per person.

Conrad Rangali’s Wine & Cheese Bar.

Continue reading →

A Day Trip to Ephesus from Izmir, Türkiye: Tips & Tricks

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

This post discusses a day trip that I took to Ephesus from Izmir last summer on our vacation to Türkiye. I have seen a lot of Roman ruins in the past, so Ephesus was never big on my “must see” list until two totally separate people on separate trips told me that the Ephesus ruins were the “best Roman ruins they had ever seen”!  I made a day trip to Ephesus a priority when visiting Izmir.

Ephesus, Türkiye.

Was that description accurate after visiting? Is Ephesus the best Roman ruins? Maaaaybe, maybe not. Certainly, Ephesus is an extremely well preserved historical site that is interesting to visit. I think whether it is “the best” may depend on your personal interests and the quality of your visit. In brief, I would absolutely set aside a half-day to visit Ephesus if in the area, but I would not suggest a big bus tour or any “add ons” that many companies offer (like lunch, product demonstrations, etc.).

EPHESUS, TÜRKIYE – A BIT OF BACKGROUND

As a [very, very, very] brief background, Ephesus was an historical city in Ancient Greece that was quite advanced for its time. Located about an hour inland from present-day city Izmir, Türkiye, Ephesus was famous for many things, including the Temple of Artemis, a Wonder of the Ancient World, the Library of Celsus, a very cool site to see, and an open air theatre that could hold 24,000 people! Ephesus also important in the Christian religion, being mentioned in the Book of Revelation and entertaining rumors that the Gospel of John (from the Bible) was written in Ephesus. It’s also located very close to the House of the Virgin Mary a/k/a the alleged home with the Virgin Mary (i.e. Jesus’s mom) lived out her days…

Ancient Ephesus.

Continue reading →