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Georgia

Earlier this year, my boyfriend surprised me a trip to Georgia. It is a European country which used to be part of the Soviet Union in the past. I was mixed with emotions when we traveled to the country as I heard they had snow during winter so it would be very cold. Fair enough, it was snowing every single day.

From Dubai, we flew to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, for around three and a half hours. We stayed in a beautiful four star hotel in the city, Iveria Inn Hotel. It was good and had great supermarket and places to go to easily in the area.

Our first trip was to Gudairi which was in the northern part of the country and had a ski resort. When we reached the place, we used a cable car to get to the top and experienced what cold snow felt like. It was beautiful and very very cold at the same time. That was the first time I felt a below zero degrees Celsius. It was almost negative 20 degrees Celsius.

On the way there, we stopped by an old fortress which had old churches dating back to as old as 12th century in Ananauri. According to our guide, the people from the village which was next to the fortress would seek refuge in the churches when invaders tried to attack their village.

The next day, we went to a vineyard on the eastern side of the country. The people at the facility showed us how they made wines in the past and today. We also had wine testing - three red wines and one white wine. That day, the people were kind enough to also let the men in the group to have their own signature whisky. We bought one red wine which I found really good to drink with for the holidays.

The next stop that we went to was the city of love, Sagnani. It was located at a higher altitude and used to be a kingdom which was an ally to the Persian empire in the past. The museum there showed gifts from the Persian empire that were given in the past to the kings Sagnani.

Legends say they called it the city of love due to the story of a painters affection for a famous actress or singer at that time. His paintings of her became famous eventually.

I had a beautiful time in Georgia. It was my first time to travel to a place that had snow and to experience snow. Although I loved the place, I am still an island girl at heart. Thank you Georgia for the great memories. Definitely worth the surprise.

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Oslob, Cebu Recently, I travelled to the Philippines to explore different islands. One of the places that was on my list was the place Oslob on the island of Cebu. It had become popular for whale shark watching. It took around 3 to 4 hours drive from Cebu city proper. Waking up at 5 a.m. in the morning and reaching Oslob a few hours later was a bit tiring. However, once you go for a swim right next to the gentle giants, it’s priceless. On that day itself, there were at least 4 of them that were swimming with me. Although they were huge, they were only 5 years old. Bucket list, check! Tips - Bring your own snorkeling gear to save. You may also rent there but ideally it’s better for hygiene purpose. - Bring cash. You need to pay to get a boat ride to the area from the shore and back. - Get packed lunch. After swimming with the whale sharks, you might get hungry. Lining up at the stall there for food may be tiring. - Bring waterproof camera to capture the moment. Ask the boatman to snap your photo. Some of them would say yes and are pretty good at it.

#whaleshark #jekahstraveladventures #jekahc #oslob #cebu #philippines #itsmorefuninthephilippines

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Banana Island adventure in Doha

Over the weekend, my family and I went to Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara. The place was beautiful, it reminded me of Maldives facilities wise. However, I was upset with the service.

The staffs were not at par with the five star quality of the resort. They were not quick or aware of what to do when things go wrong. Families, including us, had to wait for a long time to start our day, to use the facilities and etc. Very unprofessional.

When I started asking around the property, I gathered that the resort had only been operating for one and a half year, it would make sense. However, if the same staffs stay or if the staffs were not given better training, the resort will be a waste.

I applaud the idea of being able to escape from city life without having to travel far by plane as it is just a boat ride away from Doha.

I am writing this as honest as I can to further help other travelers of what to expect when they decide to visit the place. At the same time, this should be a wake up call for the management as I have also encountered other people who had experienced the same thing.

For the mean time, check out the resort’s official website to know more about it.

http://doha.anantara.com/

#bananaisland #doha #jekahc #jekahstraveladventures

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Part of my work as a journalist, I get invited to openings of new companies or launching of new products. This was the launch of a new desert camp by Dubai Leisure Holidays. It was on January this year. I haven’t been able to blog in a while. I thought maybe through here would be great. If you are a newbie in UAE, you have to go to a desert camp, eat Arabic food and enjoy the desert sand dunes. It’s beautiful especially during winter as the temperature is cooler. #journalistadventures

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Happy Holidays! I have been MIA lately as I have been busy with my job. I haven’t traveled as much as before. My traveling plans are on hold for now due to my work schedule. When I do travel, I will come back to blogging. For now, you may follow my journalistic adventures through my Twitter and Instagram @JekahCarillo www.twitter.com/jekahcarillo www.instagram.com/jekahcarillo I write for Kabayan Weekly, the UAE’s leading Filipino English newspaper. www.kabayanweekly.com Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 2016 here we come!

#happyholidays #uae #travel #adventure #jekahc #jekahstraveladventures #2016 #happynewyear

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Post #3 - Yas Waterworld at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

What better way to cool off during the summer than at a water park! United Arab Emirates has a lot of water parks to choose from. The one that I went to recently is Yas Waterworld. It is situated in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

If you are a UAE resident, with a valid Emirates ID, you can get a discounted ticket at Dhs. 190. They also have their own promos if you go in groups. To know more check out Yas Waterworld

I have been to this place twice now. The first time I visited this place there were a lot of people. I ended up waiting in line for a long time for the rides. However, this time I came early, they open at 10 am. I didn’t have to wait for the rides that long which is great.

There are a lot of great rides in the park. Best tip is to wear water shoes or socks. The floor becomes hot which can be very uncomfortable specially during the summer. Here are some of the water shoes to choose from http://amzn.to/1Na20i6 or http://amzn.to/1UyZVgh. If you want something that is thicker you can get them here http://amzn.to/1NUy3nN 

To snap your memorable time at water parks you need a waterproof camera. Here is what I personally use http://amzn.to/1Uz0uXr You can get the latest model of this camera here too http://amzn.to/1Na36ui as I purchased this a while back.

What is important is that it is a good waterproof camera and handy. This is cheaper than GoPro cameras but take great photos and videos. You also get to do a playback which is nice. Also selfie stick isn’t allowed in the park and ideally not good as it would disturb or hurt other people. The park will confiscate it specially if you are about to go for a ride.

Cool off at your nearest water park before summer ends! It is of course better to be prepared before going for your trip.

#yasisland #yaswaterworld #abudhabi #uae #waterpark #water #park

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Fujairah Pictures #2 On our way back we stopped by a restaurant which was super yummy! I recommend the jumbo prawns and eat with your hands. Totally worth getting your hands dirty to eat their food. The place is called Roboa Lebanon Restaurant. The photo that I snapped outside their restaurant was blurry, sorry for that. It is just by the road on your way going to Sandy Beach Hotel, that's where we stayed. The seafood there is delicious and fresh. If you are seated upstairs try to get the table with the view of the beach. To know more about my trip to Fujairah, check out my previous posts.

#jekahc #jekahstraveladventures #travel #Adventures #fujairah #uae #Dibba #Roboa #lebanon #restaurant #food

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Fujairah Video #2

One of the highlights from my Fujairah trip was swimming with one of the sea turtles. I was lucky enough to see at least one of them. I was so happy to see one and swim with it too.

According to my boyfriend, who is a frequent diver in the area, he said that if we had more time we could dive behind the Snoopy Island (to see what it looks like check out my previous post). Apparently there is more marine life there.

I enjoyed this experience so much I told my family that I would like to take them there. As mentioned in my previous post, you can drive up to Fujairah from Dubai if you are visiting Dubai.

#jekahstraveladventures #jekahc #travel #adventure #fujairah #dibba #snoopy island #dibba rock island #snorkeling #sea turtle #uae

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Fujairah Pictures #1 I went on a road trip to get to Dibba, Fujairah from Dubai. The ride was around 4 hours on average. It depends of course on your speed and which route you took. This is the second time I have visited Fujairah. The first time I visited, I didn't stay long and didn't even swim. From what I was told there are more than one route, at least 3 ways to get to Fujairah from Dubai. There could be more as new roads are being are being built every day in the UAE. Going to Fujairah, we took the route where we drive up and through the mountain. During winter when it rains that particular road is apparently dangerous to drive as water from the mountain would go down and make the road slippery or make some big rocks fall. The ride was fun although dangerous as the road is steep at times. However, the views are beautiful. It is amazing how the desert sands meets the rocky mountains. Loved it! Going back home, we took the highway route. It is a much safer route. Getting to that highway though was a bit confusing at first as we had to go through the city to get there. The roads aren't actually that hard and there are signs written in Arabic and English which was very useful. A tip, if one would like to go down in the Fujairah city, you have to be dressed appropriately. It is not like Dubai. My boyfriend and I stopped at a restaurant on the road. I will be sharing about that on my next post!

#Dibba #fujairah #snoopy island #Dibba rock island #uae #jekahstraveladventures #jekahc #travel #adventure

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Fujairah Video #1 As I have mentioned in my previous post, I went snorkeling in Dibba, Fujairah. The place was beautiful. The water was clear as seen in the video above. I decided to get my own snorkeling gear again to save costs. However if you do not have one, you may rent one or buy one there. You can also request for a guide to take you to the right areas to snorkel or scuba. I went with my boyfriend who have been snorkeling in the area many times. He guided me where to go which was perfect. We didn’t get to scuba but would love to next time. Our time there was limited and short. Hopefully next time we get to scuba. I was scared of snorkeling there as I saw big sea urchins. I did not take off my flippers at all while I was in the water the whole time, unlike in Maldives. See Post #1 Maldives to know about my Maldives experience. I think the best to describe my Fujairah trip is, it is like snorkeling in an aquarium. This is why I plan to go back to scuba to see more. Watch out for photos and more videos on my next posts!

#dibba #snoopy island #fujairah #uae #snorkel #snorkeling #beach #water #dibba rock island #jekahstraveladventures #jekahc #travel #adventure

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Post #2 - Dibba, Fujairah

Over the weekend I went to Fujairah, one of the Emirates or kingdoms in the United Arab Emirates. UAE comprises of seven Emirates or kingdoms, Abu Dhabi - the capital, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

One of the best snorkeling or scuba diving areas to go to is Fujairah, particularly Snoopy Island in Dibba. Snoopy Island is the rock formation as seen in the photo above. Yes, it is shaped like Snoopy’s head lying down.

I stayed at a great place which had direct access, which is just opposite of Snoopy Island. If you are looking for the best direct access and area to snorkel then Sandy Beach is perfect. The hotel is not 5 star but it had been one of the longest beach resorts in the area.

The room rates are also affordable and you can either eat in the resort or eat out at nearby restaurants. I decided to eat in the resort as the food was affordable and worth it.

When I got into the water, I was worried about getting hurt as I hurt myself when I went snorkeling in Maldives. However, the area near the seashore is just plain sand, it’s not white sand but it was soft and clean.

Swimming towards the Snoopy Island, I was ecstatic to find the huge amount of fish inside the water, mostly big in size. I even found the same type of fish that I found in Maldives. It makes sense as it is the same water, the Indian Ocean.

Overall, my experience was great. I would definitely go back. I went there on a road trip from Dubai. If you are visiting Dubai or Abu Dhabi, I highly recommend to visit Fujairah if you are into beach and snorkeling.

Watch out for my next posts for pictures and videos!

#jekahstraveladventures #jekahc #dibba #fujairah #snoopy island #uae #snorkel #beach #travel #adventure

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Maldives video #3 While staying at Chaaya Island Dhonveli, Maldives I made new friends. Up on the trees were local bats. The first thing in my head was, Dracula. However, their local bats were harmless. They are fruit eating bats and after researching most bats do eat fruits. I watch a lot of horror flicks to think this way I think. I first spotted them when I was on the beach. I told my siblings that I saw a bat and they told me no its a bird. They didn’t believe me until they saw bats flying again. I was expecting to see creatures living on the island too. I didn’t expect bats but it was one of my highlights during my trip. Also bats do not just fly at night, they fly during the day too. Horror films are just making false facts about them. To know more about my trip go to Post #1 - Maldives

#maldives #chayaa #island #dhonveli #bats #jekahstraveladventures #jekahc #travel #adventure

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Maldives pictures #3

Here are more pictures to show my adventures at Maldives. This place is truly a wedding destination, as seen in one of the photos. I snapped a couple having a photo shoot on the island.

Other than the views, the people working on the island are very kind. The people who work on the island lives on the island as well. There are some of them who are from Male, Maldives.

I literally went snorkeling every single day which was fun. I encountered lots of sea creatures, different colours and sizes. It was an eye opener.

As seen in most of the photos, one does not need to swim deep to see the sea creatures. You can see them clearly above the water. 

To know more about my trip check out Post #1 - Maldives

#JekahsTravelAdventures #JekahC #travel #adventure #maldives #Chayaa #island #dhonveli

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Maldives video #2 Snorkeling in Maldives To know more check out Post #1 - Maldives

#jekahstraveladventures #jekahc #travel #adventure #maldives #chayaa #island #dhonveli

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Maldives video #1 Waves at Sunset Bar on Chayaa Island Dhonveli Resort. One of my favourite spots on the island. The sound of the waves calms me. To know more about my trip, read Post #1 - Maldives . Enjoy!

#Maldives #Chayaa #island #dhonveli #resort #waves #water #Beach #holiday #vacation #adventure #experience #JekahC #JekahsTravelAdventures

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Maldives pictures #2 Here are a few more snaps from the trip. The beach bungalow we stayed in had an outdoor tub and shower. Maldivian language was very interesting. To know more about my trip read Post #1 - Maldives . Enjoy!

#maldives #holiday #beach #water #adventure #maldivian #language #JekahC #vacation #jekahstraveladventures

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Maldives pictures #1 Here are a few snaps from the trip. We flew in to Male with Emirates Airlines, one of my favourites. We had to ride a ferry boat to get to Chayaa island from the airport. To know more about my trip read Post #1 - Maldives. Enjoy!

#maldives #emirates airlines #chayaa #island #beach #water #adventure #holiday #JekahC #vacation #jekahstraveladventures