Africa

August 8, 2021 by monica 1 Comment

WHERE CAN WE TRAVEL TO FROM DUBAI? without having to quarantine. IDEAS HERE

Where can we travel to from Dubai without having to quarantine is the question we’re all asking ourselves. It IS possible to go places but as we know restrictions are definitely in force on many fronts. BUT travel is in our DNA so see where you can go NOW.

LONDON

So now we can GO TO LONDON WITHOUT HAVING TO UNDERTAKE EXPENSIVE HOTEL QUARANTINE, but so far we still have to isolate and quarantine privately for 10 days with a possibility of early release after day 5.

So that’s a lot of expensive covid tests AND many days of leave for those who work “wasted” . I also understand it can take up to 48 hours to get your test result back after day 5 so that’s a minimum of 7 days!

So some of us are waiting till the UK recognizes our entirely genuine vaccines. BUT when and if you do get to London check out some ideas we’ve experienced below.

LONDON IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES from boutique hotels to cooking lessons and everything in between. We LOVE London!

Click on the picture to see our many London posts. Psst we’ve also been alerted to a cool new hotel to check out in London’s West End. So add The Mayfair Townhouse to your list of places to consider having a drink, meal or few sleeps at!

ARTESIAN BAR AT THE LANGHAM LONDON

KENYA

We’ve just travelled to Kenya for a short break from Dubai and while the visa process has changed, there is no need to quarantine. Click to KENYA IDEAS HERE to see all our previous posts linked to countries we’ve been to to inspire you to book a trip.

KENYA IDEAS tried and tested here.

KENYA BEACH HOUSE

It’s possible to go to Kenya without having to quarantine, you just need a -ive PCR test on arrival and you have to generate a QR code via a link. The link to how you generate that code is here It’s a short 4 hour 40 minute flight from Dubai to Kenya direct on Emirates.

You do need a visa before hand so apply for an e visa on line first. Then on return you need a _ive PCR test.

SUNDOWNERS IN THE BUSH KENYA

NOTE the terminal is now in a NEW PLACE at Nairobi airport. Check you get dropped at the right place. Covid tests are quite easily available in Nairobi, the cost is around US $65.00 or so.

AMERICA

Well California Ideas here tried by us.

It’s possible for us to fly directly to the States from Dubai. Click for CALIFORNIA ITINERARY for you to copy. It’s a long flight but you do just get on and get off!

(16 hours from here to California) And I understand if you spend 10 days there you can now also go to London from there.

WHERE CAN WE GO IN EUROPE ? European Trips we’ve been on check the itineraries here.

I think you can go many countries in Europe from Dubai without having to quarantine, BUT check which countires are or would be green if you need to go on to the UK. See where we recommend in

SPAIN, NORWAY, ITALY, THE CZECH REPUBLIK, BUDAPEST and TURKEY.

S PAIN

You can travel to Spain from Dubai without having to quarantine. We LOVED Barcelona and our foodie adventures in San Sebastian. The H10 hotel group has a 25% discount on 2 of our favourite hotels at the moment.

IN THE MOOD FOR BARCELONA

CZECH REPUBLIC

We loved our long weekend in Prague, click the link to read about what we did and where we stayed. It’s a very quick flight from Dubai.

NORWAY

This is an expensive destination but if it’s clean air and fabulous scenery you’re after then this is the place!

FABULOUS FJORDS IN NORWAY

ITALY

A really easy flight, fabulous food, good infrastructure and very friendly vibes, choose what kind of holiday you want in Italy.

BUDAPEST

A really good short trip from Dubai, fabulous architecture and a very walkable city. Lot’s of history too.

SHORT BREAK IN BUDAPEST

TURKEY

Well we’ve put this into Europe but know it can be classed as Asia as well, we went to Istanbul, Bodrum and Cesme, I’d do that whole trip again if I could. We LOVED the Maçakizi hotel but there is a Mandarin Oriental in Bodrum too!

TURKEY TRIP

As always CHECK ALL RESTRICTION AND TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU BOOK ANY TICKETS! We were almost off to Poland BUT we’re not clear as to whether they accept our vaccines or not, please let me know if you have any updated information on this. Poland seems like an amazing place to visit, great value too!

September 29, 2020 by monica Leave a Comment

KENYA BEACH RESORTS

3 Kenya Beach Resorts

A Kenya Beach resort holiday beckons but how to choose your resort? I’ve been to 3 luxe beach resorts in Kenya and can’t wait to go back. Read the honest detailed reviews here to help you make a more informed choice.

Msambweni Beach House

Splendid Isolation at Msambweni Beach Resort

Hemingways Watamu

Boho Vibes and Deep Sea Fishing at Hemingways Watamu

Lantana Galu Beach Private Villa

Do I need a visa and any health documents? CHECK HERE

October 16, 2019 by monica Leave a Comment

RADISSON BLU NAIROBI ARBORETUM

TRAVELLING

FIRELAKE AT THE RADISSON BLU NAIROBI ARBORETUM

The Radisson Blu Nairobi Arboretum

FireLake at the Radisson Blu Nairobi Arboretum is the first FireLake restaurant in Africa! We sampled their lunch offering with wine and had a look around the hotel.

The Food

We tried the red organic salad bowl and thai fish cakes to start with and went on to share a red snapper for our main course.

The food is fresh, tasty and beautifully presented by experienced chef Sebastien Mireaux. We liked the way they made use of edible flowers and also liked our charred bak choi vegetable. Desserts comprised of a generous platter of three different puddings. We thought the lemon meringue tart spoke the loudest to us!

Again very well presented but the innovative raspberries on rice cakes were also good and something I hadn’t eaten before. Portions are more than ample if you’d like to share.

The menu offers choice but isn’t bewilderingly big! Food is Mediterranean with an African and Indian slant.

We wanted to try the sukumawiki tots with bacon, African spinach and boursin cheese but these weren’t available on the day we visited.

The Setting

You can sit inside the spacious restaurant with the josper grill, on the front terrace near the elegant pool or on the back terrace behind the restaurant. I liked the view from the front terrace of the pool and the vertical green wall reflecting the verdant arboretum across the road.

All the spaces are light and airy wherever you choose. It’s new at the moment so everything is clean, well maintained and smart. But the colours of the walls are generally cool and sophisticated as well as being appropriate bearing in mind the location and name of the hotel.

F i r e L a k e
at the Radisson Blu Nairobi Arboretum is the first FireLake restaurant in Africa

The Prices

Prices are commensurate with that of a smart, international branded hotel. Here’s an idea:

Firegrilled Emperor Red Snapper KSh 2300

Organic Red Salad KSh 1100

Thai Fish Cakes KSh 1800

Divide by 100 to get the rough US Dollar price!

Other places to eat at the hotel

You could have a lighter, less formal bite at the Arborista coffee shop on the ground floor of the hotel. There is a large terrace and the coffee and snack menu was comprehensive enough for a light meal. I was impressed with the Serax brand of candles in the recessed shelving. I’ve never seen this French brand in Nairobi before and wasn’t sure if they were sale, but would make sophisticated gifts for any occasion.

Meet me at the Radisson Blu Nairobi Arboretum

Get a feel of the vibe of this place.

Location

where is FireLake

at the Radsisson Blu Nairobi Arboretum

This review was written in conjunction with the Radisson Blu Nairobi Arboretum, but the views are all my own.

Monica Kapila

Founder of DoinDubai

MOTIVATION

Always add some greenery into your environment, a house plant or something for the garden. It’s soothing to the mind to look at something green and growing.

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a bloggers guide to Nairobi as published in Gulf Business

July 8, 2019 by monica 1 Comment

MSAMBWENI BEACH HOUSE perfect Kenya coast holiday idea

Msambweni Beach House is a stylish, private villa type resort with all the amenities and service of a well-run hotel.

Located on Kenya’s southern coast. Perfect for a group get together.

Where is Msambweni Beach House

Msambweni Beach house is located in the Kwale province on the Southern coast of Kenya. As it’s name suggests it’s right on the beach.

How do you get to Msambweni Beach House

Fly to Ukunda airport from Nairobi and expect a 45-minute or so drive to reach the beach house from the airport. The last part of the drive is along a dirt track that we hear is going to be built into a tarmac road by September 2019.

We flew out on Silvertone Air and back via Jambo Jet, ideally arrive in the morning and leave in the afternoon to maximize your time there. Note that Silvertone Air doesn’t have any seat allocation.. so be prepared to sit wherever you get a seat.

When you arrive at the airport, stop off at Diani shopping centre or Foodplus (both about 5 minutes away) to pick up some food or drink you might fancy for your journey or while you’re at the beach house, we bought some wine and mixers for our drinks.

Room choices at Msambweni Beach House

Each villa sleeps up to 4 people, 2 up and 2 down, but the upstairs bedroom is much more basic than the downstairs and is reached via a fairly steep set of steps.

Stay in a private villa or in the main house. I recommend Villa 1 or Villa 2. The Ocean Suite is great for glamping types though! Both Villa 1 and Villa 2 have their own private pools and terraces, so these are perfect for groups.

The Beach at Msambweni

The property is located on the beach itself at a slight elevation, so you do have to go down some steps to get the beach. It’s a great beach to walk along and soak up the sun, but we didn’t swim in the sea while we visited. You can see the beach and sea from the moment you enter the property.

Food and Drink at Msambweni Beach House

All meals are included at Msambweni Beach House and most meals do have some choice. But do let them know if you don’t eat particular foods or have any food allergies.

Do expect a lot of fresh seafood on the menu. We had one dinner that was crab themed and was delicious.

You need to order your breakfast after dinner on the previous night.

We all loved the fresh passion fruit juice at breakfast and our favourite meal for lunch was the stone baked pizza buffet on our last day. They tend to sensibly make use of whatever’s in season on the menu.

Expect avocados, pineapples, passion fruits and of course fish making an appearance on your plates.

Things to Do

Relax, kick back and soak up the vibe, I loved the atmosphere at Msambweni Beach House, and really appreciated the fact the area wasn’t at all built up.

So expect peace and quiet, take your favourite books to read.

Swim in the main pool and stare at the ocean or swim in your private villa pools if you’re in villa 1 or villa 2.

Go down and have a drink by the beach bonfire and stare at the little crabs that come out on the beach.

You can walk along the beach with a local guide, the hotel will organize for you. Just tip the guide and ideally buy some coconut water on the beach on the way back.

The Big Trip

The big trip is definitely the excursion to the mangroves. It’s about a 35 minute drive to get the village where you take the boat. We were a party of 7 and we were on one flat, long canoe type boat, with one skipper.

This trip takes in all the mangroves and little houses on the riverside, but the highlight was definitely stopping and having some drinks and a walk on the magnificent sand bar! Tides coming in from 3 directions, a makeshift shade and not a soul in sight other than us. This is the stuff that memories are made of!

REMEMBER Wear a good hat, ideally that ties under your chin as it might fly away! Take binoculars if you have them but good cameras for sure. Don’t wear fancy footwear at all as you will be wading through some muddy water.

What to PACK

A good sun hat, sun protection, loose clothing, beach footwear and a good book. Also take some mosquito repellent although there are nets around the beds. Don’t bother taking anything designer in terms of clothing, jewellery, bags or footwear. No one is there to notice it anyway!

Room for improvement at Msambweni Beach House

The linen could be upgraded for sure and there also could have been a little more choice on the menu for some meals but the settings were all superb.

Access will be easier when the dirt track approach road is tarmacked.

But service overall is warm, friendly and above and beyond what we expected, and that makes all the difference.

How to Book

This is the hotel website, you could get better rates and help with internal transfers and flights by going through Merlin Safaris who also organise other excursions in Kenya email is merlinsafaris@gmail.com

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USE CODE DOINDUBAIMBH FOR A HUGE DISCOUNT ON RACK RATES. Put the code into the booking section and see!

BOOKING SECTION OF MUSAMBWENI BEACH HOUSE.

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