Tag: Dubious Destinations View All Tags

Dubious Destinations: Smugglers and Tourists Mingle in Khasab

October 22, 2008 at 9:00 AM | 0 Comments

"New" tourist destinations are popping up all the time--new to us, that is. Recently we've seen the Omani town of Khasab being promoted as a relaxing break away from the ultra-urban Dubai, less than three hours' drive away. According to the tourist brochures it's a relaxing spot with towering mountains and easy access to the Fjords of Arabia.

Cue Wikipedia for another view. Khasab, according to the internet bible:

Is known for fishing and smuggling in small, fast boats, to and from Iran.

To be fair, even Wikipedia admits that Khasab is "evolving" into a tourist destination and mention that diving is another popular activity there. We're just wondering if the smugglers will wise up and start offering speed boat smuggling tours.

Related Stories:
· A Perfect Arabian Getaway [eTravel]
· Khasab [Wikipedia]
· Oman Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia]

Pinkie and the Brain

February 24, 2006 at 1:40 PM | 0 Comments

It's wise to question the hotels (and spas) that are named after sensitive areas of the anatomy, and the g hotel in Galway, Ireland is no exception. Designer Philip Treacy has attached his name to the project, though we're not sure if he's meant to be all that famous. Then again, we don't hear about most of these people until they do something for Target, like our beloved Michael Graves' toaster oven.
 
"Designer" flourishes at the hotel include a black marble lobby with a neon sign that reads "This must be the place" and seahorses in the fish tanks, in addition to prints on the lamps and the laundry bags. Sounds crucial to quality of the hotel stay experience.

Really, shouldn't the g hotel have a tie-in with those sex toys from the Mondrian?

Related Stories:
·   The Mad Hatter's Hotel [The Guardian]
·   Where Does He Get Those Toys? [Jaunted]

Less Than Loveable Locales

February 17, 2006 at 2:25 PM | 0 Comments

It's not all murderous meatballs here at Jaunted. We can get serious, occasionally. Serious-ish, at least.

Forbes has published their list of Most Dangerous Destinations for 2006. A quick sampling: Iraq, Afghanistan, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo. All high on our list of places to visit. Be sure to check out the accompanying slide show at Forbes--with bonus squalor!

They also explain how risk specialists serve clients who visit those dangerous places. With fees starting at five grand, they will track your whereabouts, train you how to locate an explosive device strapped to your car, and teach you evasive driving maneuvers to dodge a kidnapping attempt.

Finally, the perfect way to plan our trip to Bogotá.  

[Image via dhammza/Flickr]

Related Stories:
·   Most Dangerous Destinations 2006 [Forbes]
·   Dubious Destination of the Week Inaugural [Jaunted]