Epinions Recent Reviews for maykal

Koper

Tue, 30 Nov 2004 14:56:41 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - Poor Koper. Move this port to another location, and you wouldn't see the cobbles for daytrippers. There would be busloads of all nationalities herded round the Praetorian Palazzo, elbowing and shoving each other as they climb the steps up the cathedral...

Safranbolu and Amasra

Thu, 28 Oct 2004 23:56:13 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - On a wintry morning in County Durham, England, a little after nine, I stumbled out of bed and dragged myself, half-asleep and clutching a piece of burnt toast in my hand, over the road to a converted barn. From somewhere in the fog, a cow mooed at me. A...

Alexandria 2004...Al-Iskenderiyya Alfayn wa Arba'a

Sat, 23 Oct 2004 20:14:22 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - The best travel experiences are those which are not planned meticulously beforehand. If you have no plans, nothing can go against them…if you have no expectations of a place, you won’t be disappointed. My unexpected trip to Alexandria in Egypt falls...

Diyarbakir 2000

Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:12:16 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all non-essential travel to SE Turkey, places east and south of and including the cities of Diyarbakir, Van and Mardin." This cheery sentence was ringing in my ears as the minibus pulled up at...

Khartoum 2002

Tue, 22 Oct 2002 13:54:03 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - When planning a holiday, Sudan probably doesn't immediately spring to mind. You probably think "who in their right mind would go to Sudan on holiday?", and I wouldn't blame you for thinking that. Sudan doesn't feature in glossy travel magazines or...

Trieste 2002

Tue, 20 Aug 2002 20:21:51 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - Trieste must rank as one of Europe's most under-rated cities. Lying in the forgotten north-eastern corner of Italy, for years almost cut off from the rest of the country by the so-called Iron Curtain, the port city of Triests is neglected by the tourist...

Azerbaijan 2001

Fri, 16 Aug 2002 06:09:44 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - Azerbaijan isn't on the top of everyone's "must-see" list, and most people haven't got a clue where it is. Some might have heard of it because of oil, and others might remember hearing about it's long-awaited independence from the Soviet Union in 1991,...

Ramadan in Sana'a 2001

Fri, 9 Aug 2002 13:42:58 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - It sounded simple. Walk through the jambiyya (dagger) souq, turn left at the sleeping dog, pass the 17th century hammam, and follow the clucking chickens through a small door. There, I would find Ali and his one-eyed camel.

A friend who had...

Aden 2000

Thu, 25 Jul 2002 12:35:02 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - Aden is a strange beast. For years, it was under British control and because of its strategic position, it soon became the fourth busiest duty-free port in the world. Then it was the capital of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen...

Trabzon 2001

Thu, 25 Jul 2002 08:39:43 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - Trabzon, one of Turkey's largest cities, usually has two images among foreign tourists. The first is historical...many come to Trabzon expecting it to resemble the fabled city of Trebizond, and leave very disappointed with the modern-day...

Beirut 2000

Wed, 3 Jul 2002 19:09:32 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - "Hi Mum, I'm off to Beirut tomorrow,"...there was a long pause on the other end of the telephone, followed by a quietly concerned "oh!". Not a bad reaction, I thought, considering the negative press Beirut has had in the last few decades due to the...

Syria 1999-2000

Wed, 17 Oct 2001 12:24:09 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - If you've read my Damascus review, you'll know that I spent 9 months living in Damascus while studying Arabic, and saw nearly every corner of Syria. I'm not going to repeat myself with descriptions about Damascus or Aleppo, so this will be about the rest...

Georgia (Sakartvelo) 2001

Tue, 16 Oct 2001 19:00:55 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - When I mentioned I was going to Georgia this summer, most people thought I was planning on going to the US state of Georgia, and came up with handy hints such as "make sure you visit Florida while you're over there". I spoke to only a few who knew about...

Aleppo 2000

Tue, 16 Oct 2001 18:03:22 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - While I was living in Damascus, I made several trips to Aleppo, Syria's second city. To be honest, I never managed to be overly impressed by the city, always comparing it to Damascus. Maybe this also had something to do with the weather...on three...

Damascus 1999-2000

Sun, 8 Jul 2001 14:39:42 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - I lived in Damascus for 9 months while studying Arabic there. It was my first experience of an Arab city, and at first was quite a culture shock. I used to live with a Syrian family in the old city, which was a great experience as it gave me a unique...

Sana'a 2000/2001

Sun, 8 Jul 2001 13:45:23 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author maykal - *** I've just returned from a two week trip re-visiting Sana'a, so I've added a few more details at the end of this report***

I spent three months studying Arabic in Sana'a, Yemen's capital city, and would recommend that city to anyone.
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