Apr 6 - 26 Segment 7 of our World Voyage onboard the Azamara Onward. After we left Singapore it was all new territory for me. One of my big regrets of the trip (or just a good excuse to do it again) is that we didn’t get to see Kuala Lumpur. Greg wasn’t feeling well. We only made it as far as the shopping centre in Port Klang. I guess in 155 days you have to have a tourist fail at some point. This was ours. KL will have to stay on my bucket list until the next round. But we bounced back for Sabang Indonesia. We rode tuktuks around Weh Island, followed some ‘in the know’ crew up to Freddies Santai Sumurtiga on the North coast for a great swim and a sunny afternoon on a deck overlooking the sea. It was the last day of Ramadan, and the call to prayer was ringing out as we traveled back through town. Back at the ship I was mesmerized by the giant bright pink jellyfish swimming in front of the ship. Life is full of wonders.Next up, a safari in Hambantota Nat’l Park in Sri Lanka. The only part of the elephant I saw was its poop, but we caught lots of other wildlife. Giraffes, wild boars, crocodiles, water buffalo and so many amazing birds.

A quick hop from there and we were in Kerala, India. We spent the first day exploring the backwaters of Alapphuza by houseboat. There are loads of these rigs out there. It’s super popular as a honeymoon thing to do. The boats were rice movers at one time, but when it became more economical to move rice in trucks over roads the boat owners did a quick pivot and created this thriving tourism industry. Pretty cool. That night the ship put on one of their “Azamazing Evenings” at the Sheraton. We were treated to all kinds of dances, drummers, palm readers, portrait painters, mehndi and martial artists. The next day we toured all the churches, mosques and temples Cochin had to offer, as well as the one time home of Mahatma Ghandi.

Then off to Mumbai, where we rode the trains, toured the world’s largest human-powered outdoor laundry, had lunch at the Taj Mahal Hotel, and visited fashion designer James Ferriera in his very cool house in Khotachiwadi Village in the heart of the city.

Muscat, Oman was our next stop, where I swathed my tempting wrists, ankles and hair in fabric to tour the Grand Mosque. It was beautiful. What I was most taken by was this concept of gathering to pray so many times a day. It’s so foreign to me, but just imagine the sense of community and connection that creates. I bought loads of spices in the Muttrah Souk while Greg tucked into a barbershop for a tune up. Then we found the one rooftop bar that would sell beer in this ‘dry’ land and tucked in to enjoy the setting sun and the call to prayer floating out over the city.

The next day we arrived at our first UAE stop; Sir Bani Yas. I did a mountain bike tour of the coastline, the manufactured marshesconstructed for kayaking, and the animal reserve filled with giraffes, ibexes, oryxes and other marvels to please the Sheikh. He and his family spent covid here and liked it so much they’re having a second palace built on site. There’s no one here besides them, the guests of their private resort, and the army of employees who operate it all. The cruise port terminal is new and oddly manufactured, but the ship put on a big bbq party on the beach and we had a great afternoon floating in the very salty sea.

Off to Abu Dhabi, where we visited the Grand Mosque and the Louvre. Both buildings were amazing, each in their own way. There’s a Guggenheim being built at the moment too. I’d love to come back and do a deeper dive when that’s complete; explore, see more architecture and kayak around the Louvre.

s. And much more liberal than anywhere else we’ve been in the Arab world. Lots of scantily clad women enjoying their days in the city. We wandered, then loaded into vehicles for a wild ride across the sand dunes. We’d signed up for a Bedouin Dinner under the stars, complete with camel rides, belly and fire dancers. It was a feast in every sense.

The next day we sought out the art studio village at Alserkal Avenue. This warehouse zone is filled with galleries, studios, theatres and very cool creative shops and cafes, all with the Burj Kalifa standing tall off in the distance.

I could have spent another week exploring this fascinating city, but time to wrap up this segment and start our journey around Africa