Sometimes when things don't go as planned it works out even better. That was the case with our stay at the Marriott Mena House in Cairo, Egypt. We visited Cairo for the second week of our three week adventure to celebrate Shae's 40th birthday. The first three nights were spent … [Read more...] about Hotel Review: Marriott Mena House In Cairo, Egypt
International Travel
Visiting The Pyramids Of Giza In Cairo, Egypt
After spending a few days on the Nile at the Ramses Hilton, Shae and I moved over to the Marriott Mena House - a hotel right next to the Pyramids of Giza (here's my review; spoiler alert - it was amazing!). When booking our stay at the Marriott I hadn't appreciated quite how … [Read more...] about Visiting The Pyramids Of Giza In Cairo, Egypt
Exploring Babylon Fortress In Old Cairo, Egypt
On our final day staying in downtown Cairo, Shae and I took an Uber over to Old Cairo to explore Babylon Fortress. This is a fortress that's home to several churches, a synagogue, a mosque, a museum and more. Even more noteworthy, some of the locations are thought to have … [Read more...] about Exploring Babylon Fortress In Old Cairo, Egypt
Hotel Review: Ramses Hilton In Cairo, Egypt
After spending a week in Dubai, Shae and I hopped on a plane to Cairo, Egypt to visit there for six nights. The first three of those nights were spent at the Ramses Hilton, a hotel that overlooks the Nile. The hotel is a little dated, although they've been updating some of the … [Read more...] about Hotel Review: Ramses Hilton In Cairo, Egypt
1 Week In Dubai: Here’s What We Did
The first week of our three week surprise trip for Shae's birthday was spent in Dubai. It was our first time visiting the UAE and although we had an idea of what Dubai was like, it was different from - and exceeded - our expectations. Here's everything that we got up to on the … [Read more...] about 1 Week In Dubai: Here’s What We Did
Awesome Dubai Desert Safari For Shae’s 40th Birthday
Our week in Dubai saw us celebrating both our 17th wedding anniversary and Shae's 40th birthday. For her birthday I booked an Arabian desert safari excursion with OceanAir Travels which included camel riding, sand boarding, dune bashing, a Bedouin tent dining experience, henna … [Read more...] about Awesome Dubai Desert Safari For Shae’s 40th Birthday
Hotel Review: Grand Hyatt Dubai (1 Bedroom Grand Suite)
After landing in Dubai having had an awesome experience flying First Class on Emirates, we headed straight to our hotel - the Grand Hyatt Dubai. There were tons of great hotel options to pick from in Dubai, but I primarily focused on Hyatt properties as I have their top tier … [Read more...] about Hotel Review: Grand Hyatt Dubai (1 Bedroom Grand Suite)
Flight Review: Emirates First Class – Chicago (ORD) To Dubai (DXB)
I'd originally planned for us to get from Chicago to Dubai (via New York and Doha) on Qatar Airways in QSuites (Business Class), but those plans were stymied once we got to the airport due to the timing of our COVID PCR tests (see this post for more about that). As a result, … [Read more...] about Flight Review: Emirates First Class – Chicago (ORD) To Dubai (DXB)
It’s Time For Shae’s Secret Birthday Extravaganza!
Shae and I love celebrating each other's birthdays, so she was a little disappointed last year as her plans for my 40th birthday fell through due to COVID. My parents were going to be here during that time and she'd secretly arranged for my sister to come over too (they all … [Read more...] about It’s Time For Shae’s Secret Birthday Extravaganza!
12 Free Things To Do In Guildford, England
While I was back in the UK recently as part of the 40k To Far Away challenge, I spent several hours exploring Guildford. Guildford is a town in Surrey in southeast England that's close to where I grew up. Shae and I also lived there for a couple of years, so I thought it would … [Read more...] about 12 Free Things To Do In Guildford, England