Turkey Sailing

It took a while to find, but I am one of those lucky ones that found a fun travel group. We are a group of 6 from all over the world that have the following common denominators: good fun, good laughs, good food, good memories, easy going and our favorite: drama free!
It does help that most of us have a respectable income which allows us to discover really nice countries. For this Eid, Turkey was our destination, on a luxury sailboat that is!
Initially we were a group of 10, as the boat fits comfortably that number. It was a large 5 bedroom sailboat individually fitted with bathrooms.

Permanently on board, a captain geared the winds, a skipper to assist him, a butler to assist us and a cook to feed us. I'll rephrase the latter, a chef, Michelin worthy that is.
We boarded from Bodrum and hugged the Turkish coast. Main sight seeing cities were: Bodrum, Marmaris, Kos (Greece)

The waters were clear blue clean and as deep as the eye can see...
Initially i bought my faint heart a box of motion sickness pills, after all, this was a sailboat and i was tied to it for 7 days. For the first 2 days, i popped a pill right before i thought i would feel sick. After day 2, i eased into the boat and made it my home pill-free! So much so, that the soft rocking at night became the only way i can fall hard asleep.
Every morning we would wake up in a different place, every morning we would jaw drop as each of us walked on deck and was taken by the color of the ocean each day more beautiful than the day before.

It was hard to pinpoint one preferred area, but we all agreed on one thing: docking and discovering a city was not an option. We attempted the latter in Marmaris as we walked the busy port street. We found ourselves anti-social and turned off by the scene. It was almost like a feeling out of the Beach movie. Remember the part where they went into town to pick up groceries only to find themselves disturbed by the noise and the crowds?
I have never seen a group of people run back to the boat so quick and sit in silence while staring at the night stars. That night we became even closer  as a group. We popped open the on-board karaoke machine and sang the night away---just us.

The trip was overall extremely relaxing, especially for a group of people that was only seeking a disconnection from the real world. I couldnt emphasize more on how i recommend this trip to anyone seeking a sailing vacation.

I cannot wait for next year as we are targeting the Croatia coast line....and we can only hope chef Issa is on board!

Questions? Comments?

Wedding Wedding on the wall.....

I find it quite interesting that Dubai has its wedding exhibition in April. Many Emarati brides choose to get hitched in November and December, hence planning in April makes sense, but what about the Spring brides? Spring in Dubai is from March to May (also locally known as summer!)
For those brides, planning should definitely begin as soon as September, and unfortunately there are no events that can help a bride during that quarter. She must rely on friends, parents, wedding planners and well, herself!

Planning for the event is quite overwhelming, even more so shopping for the wedding dress. Since the Royal wedding in 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge has laced us with love! Her Royal gown has changed the way future brides dream about their wedding dresses!! The bridal cat walks have never looked so romantic!


                                                                       Reem Acra

                                                                          Elie Saab

         
                                                                           Marchesa

However, something in the bridal fashion world is slowly happening. A shift perhaps. A shift that will forever change the way a bride walks down the aisle. A shift that redefines the meaning of a bride. And this shift is caused by none other than the wedding guru designer-- Vera Wang.
The bride in black....
I cant wrap my head around it...the pure meaning of a bride has completely changed. I'm pretty sure Queen Victoria rolled in her grave the moment Vera Wang unleashed her collection this season. Is it modern? Are we reinventing the white bride? Or is it the way it was always meant to be? In the 18th century, the bride wore whatever color she chose, and most wore black...It was not until Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840 did this "white" bride become a tradition.
Im not quite certain how romantic this bride can be, but one thing for sure....it's a stunning dress....now the question; is it wedding bride worthy?

Share your thoughts!!