24 Friday Apr 2015
Tags
grand arrivals, Kenya, Maldives, seaplane, Travel, Victoria Falls, Zambia
So if “Life is a Journey, Not a Destination” as highlighted by Ralph Waldo Emerson, then the arrival must surely be an experience to be savoured.
I clearly recall the delicious thrill more than a decade ago of being swept away by a seaplane and being transported magically to a desolate sandbank in the Maldives.
Posted by Natalie Amos | Filed under Adventure, Amos_phere loves, Reviews, Travel
03 Tuesday Mar 2015
Posted in Adventure, Amos_phere loves, Travel, Writing
Tags
adventure, Alila, authenticity, Jabal Akhdar, luxury, Mountains, Muscat, oman, sustainability, Travel
Why visit … because there’s something magical about Oman. Whenever I think of the sultanate, punctuating the images of sunsets, mountains and souks, my head spins with the heady scent of Frankincense.
When … you feel the need to see generous sunsets and sip Bloody Mary’s overlooking a sweeping vistas stretching beyond the horizon a mere 2,000 metres above sea level it’s time to head out past Muscat and upwards to the mountains and beyond.
Why not ...join Alila Jabal Akhdar’s Leisure Concierge on a climb to discover the local ‘mirage’. Sarab, an abandoned village is just a few miles from the resort and is the original home of the local community, many of whom work for Alila or are producers for the resort. Head off after breakfast before it gets too hot, and take a packed lunch.
06 Monday Oct 2014
Posted in Adventure, Amos_phere loves, Responsible Luxury, Reviews, Spa & Wellbeing, Travel, Uncategorized, Writing
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Just a couple of hours away from Abu Dhabi, but a million miles away in pace, Banyan Tree Al Wadi is a gorgeous sanctuary hidden away in the vast, dusty Al Wadi Nature Reserve – Ras Al Khaimah’s first managed protected area.
Spanning 100 desert hectares across a wooded valley within Wadi Khadeeja, the reserve is home to a herd of endangered Arabian Oryx often found wandering around the resort, or drinking at the Saffron Watering Hole.
After a magical few days of horse riding, stargazing and a camel caravan across the sandscape exploring the rust coloured sand dunes which seem to drift for miles, my sister and I retreated to the rainforest. A rainforest in the desert? I hear you ask….
23 Sunday Feb 2014
The thing about winter in the UK is that it is cold. Freezing cold. On the spur of the moment after trudging through the snow to my London office I booked Exodus’ Week in Jordan. It sounded so perfect. Only five hours away from the UK, yet 15 degrees warmer. Jordan has history and culture in bucket loads and the itinerary meant I could really get under the skin of the country in a short time, and without having to fly halfway across the world.
The trip began in the Greco-Roman city of Jerash, 30 miles north of the capital, where we spent several hours exploring well preserved monuments including the Temple of Artemis and Temple of Zeus. Buried under sand for centuries until being rediscovered in 1806, Jerash was famed as one of the ten wealthy self-governing cities of the Decapolis. With a long and colourful history, Jerash enjoyed a golden age with luminaries including Alexander the Great and Emperor Pompey amongst the visitors to this great city.
Posted by Natalie Amos | Filed under Adventure, Reviews, Travel, Writing
14 Friday Feb 2014
Posted in Adventure, Amos_phere loves, Travel
26 Tuesday Nov 2013
After many months of turbulence, Egypt is now back on the travel map after the Foreign and Commonwealth Office relaxed its advice about travelling to this ancient and mysterious destination. From the colossal statues at Abu Simbel, to the Great Pyramids of Giza, to ancient, bustling Cairo and the tranquil Nile, Egypt is certainly a destination of contrasts. Adventure tour operator Exodus is offering tours to Egypt from January 2014. Here is a piece from Real Travel Magazine when I visited Cairo to coincide with the anniversary of Howard Carter’s opening of King Tutankhamun’s tomb, 26 November which also happens to be my birthday.
20 Wednesday Nov 2013
Discover Polo Day with the Dubai Polo Academy & Coutts Polo at the Palace
Perhaps the oldest team sport in history, polo is said to have first been played in Persia more than 2,500 years ago. Historical references to polo date from the reign of Alexander the Great when it evolved from training manoeuvres for the cavalry. As Alexander the Great of Macedonia, King Darius of Persia and other rival conquerors swept across Asia, polo was adopted as pastime by kings and conquerors, to while away the hours and plan their tactics. Fast forward six centuries, and polo was played for the first time in the north-east state of Manipur, India by British tea planters who later introduced the sport to England. A century and a half later, polo is played from Argentina to the UAE and remains a wonderful way to keep fit, enjoy the great outdoors and spend time in the company of magnificent polo ponies. Now even mere peasants like myself can now saddle up and experience the sport of kings. On the eve of Coutts Polo at The Palace which takes place at the iconic Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, I joined the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club for an afternoon of chukkas in the shadow of Emirates Palace. After just a few hours of learning the rules and tactics I learned enough to be able to join two chukkas and even hit the ball! A group polo lesson costs from £99 at the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club or the Hurlingham Club for details of UK polo clubs.
Posted by Natalie Amos | Filed under Adventure, Out & about, Reviews, Spa & Wellbeing, Travel, Uncategorized
30 Sunday Jun 2013
We were on the first afternoon of a wildlife photography trip with Kicheche Camps when we found this beautiful female cheetah in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy bordering Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The sun was breaking through the clouds and the mother had two cubs and the family were enjoying a respite from the heat under an acacia tree. Despite their playful games and mock charges, all three were clearly hungry and fatigued. After a short while, the mother decided enough was enough and leapt into action in pursuit of a young Thomson Gazelle. She went from rolling in the savannah with her cubs, to a 60+ mph (96kilometre) sprint in less than three seconds. I captured the scene with a slow-pan. Only seconds later when it was over, did I realise I had been holding my breath. For many reasons, the conservancy model is the template for the Mara community wildlife conservancies and a blue-print for the sustainability of the greater Maasai Mara eco-system. Consisting of representation from both Maasai landowners and tourism partners including Kicheche Camps, the conservancy limits guests to a maximum of 94 beds in five camps. This equates to a ratio of one game-viewing vehicle for every 2,100 acres, a move that is aimed at maximising the client wilderness experience and minimising the environmental impact of tourism. We were alone in our encounter with this beautiful cheetah and without the conservancy model ensuring there are no interruptions from revving vehicles and her two legged beasts, the future of the cheetah and her cubs is guaranteed. For more information about wildlife safaris visit www.kicheche.com
Posted by Natalie Amos | Filed under Adventure, Reviews, Travel
17 Wednesday Apr 2013
Posted in Adventure, Out & about, Uncategorized
Tags
I had always wanted to try handgliding. Where better than Rio de Janeiro? An amazing ten minutes, soaring above the clouds with views of Christ of the Redeemer São Conrado beach, favelas and the gorgeous coastline.
10 Thursday Jan 2013
Posted in Adventure, Travel, Uncategorized, Writing
Now Magazine
One of Asia’s best kept secrets, I travelled to Taiwan three times in two years. I hosted journalists from The Times and The Telegraph and escorted the BBC on an epic eight day trip which resulted in just six minutes of prime time television. During my visits I got to know this tobacco leaf shaped island and the offshore archipelago well. I worked with the tourist board and interesting people I net along the way to engineer bespoke itineraries designed to veer away from the tourist trail.
Formerly known as Ilha Formosa (beautiful island), Taiwan has a fascinating history which is evidenced throughout the island. Some of the highlights of my visits included taking a dip in the natural springs of Yangmingshan National Park, marvelling at the marble grottos and waterfalls of Taroko Gorge, seeing sunrise over spring blossom at Alishan National Park and swimming lengths in an infinity pool which seemed to stretch across the horizon at The Lalu, Sun Moon Lake. I hung out with the surfers on Kenting Beach, sampled dim sum in Taipei, snorkeled the coral reefs of Green Island and gazed on a handful of the 696,000 treasures housed in the National Palace Museum. What I liked most about Taiwan was the commitment of the private and public sectors to celebrating and preserving cultural heritage. I met lantern makers who have been creating paper dreams for more than six decades, as well as calligraphers,storytellers and puppeteers who are recognised as masters of their art and ‘living cultural treasures’ by the ministry of tourism and culture. With centuries of history focused on this tiny island, it is reassuring to realise that not everything made in Taiwan has a shelf life of a few minutes.
