In October 2025, we decided to visit the town of Alula in Saudi Arabia. We had realised some time ago, after attending International Travel Shows, that Saudi Arabia is an up-and-coming tourist destination, making major investments in the tourism sector. The town of Alula, a 3-hour flight from Dubai, is an oasis town in the North West of Saudi Arabia with a rich history, situated on an ancient incense trade route linking the Mediterranean and India. It was once the capital of

In May of this year 2025, we enjoyed a memorable cruise through Portugal’s picturesque Douro Valley, a journey that had been in the making for quite some time. Due to the very limited availability, plans for the trip had to be confirmed nearly two years in advance. We arrived in Porto the day before the cruise began, making the most of the evening and the following morning to explore some of the city’s highlights. These included the beautifully tiled São Bento railway station