JWH TRAVEL BITS AND MORE…August 13, 2020

Jun 29, 2019

Grand Egyptian Museum opening postponed until 2021

Feb 15, 2020

Al-Khimyah, written and directed by Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan, explores the work of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in the historic city of Cairo, Egypt. The film shines a spotlight on the 30-hectare Al-Azhar Park — converted from a mound of rubble — and the stories of local residents of the adjacent Darb al-Ahmar neighbourhood. Since opening in 2005 after 20 years of careful excavation and design, Al-Azhar Park has provided much-needed leisure and recreational space to the inhabitants of the city, and is today often referred to as “Cairo’s green lung.” Located in the heart of Egypt’s capital, the urban oasis has become a popular destination for both locals and tourists. Landscaping features include walkways, fountains, lawns, and gardens overlooking a lake in the traditional chahar bagh style. Hundreds of young men and women have found work in the park, in horticulture and park maintenance: The park features over 300 different plant species — many native to Egypt — grown in a special nursery, and an orchard provides shade from the sun. The park has also proven to be a powerful catalyst for urban renewal, evolving beyond the green space itself to include the restoration of monuments and public spaces, and socioeconomic initiatives including housing rehabilitation, microfinance, crafts apprenticeships, and healthcare. The film is Prince Aly’s account of a city whose foundations were laid over a thousand years ago, which has seen a 500-year-old rubbish dump rebuilt into a lush green oasis, and a poor inner-city district transformed into a thriving community.

Jun 5, 2020

NOVEMBER 25, 2019 BY EGYPT TRAVEL BLOG

John sits down with Egyptian photographer Ahmed Wahba to talk about some of his favorite unspoiled and emerging places to visit in Egypt, including the North Coast, Marsa Alam, Soma Bay, and the White Desert. Ahmed’s amazing photography showcasing the best of Egypt and its people can be found on his Instagram account @ProjectWahba. He is also the co-creator of the content creation company Visit Egypt, which can also be found @VisitEgyptEG.

Join Maeve O'Meara as she explores the nourishing foods of Egypt and discovers the country's favourite dishes. Maeve meets chef Ramy Megalaa who introduces the key ingredients in Egyptian cooking and prepares an aromatic fish tagine. She also learns what to expect from a traditional Egyptian breakfast, including the popular fava bean dish, ful medames, and discovers how to make it when Alice Ibrahim shares her favourite recipe.

You might know how to walk like an Egyptian but do you know how to dress like an Egyptian? Amandine Mérat introduces a selection of Egyptian textiles from fashion and furniture. 

Aug 19, 2019

May 16, 2020

Here are 15 of the most unique accommodations we've slept in the last 4 years! 

In no particular order, here are all of the full-length vlogs for the #uniqueaccommodations we stayed in:

Patrick Onyekwere imbues his photorealistic portraits with layers of emotion. Before sketching with blue, ballpoint pen, the Nigerian artist invites his subjects into a conversation about their lives, contemporary culture, and nature to establish the mood or story he’s hoping to convey. Their responses produce a collaborative endeavour that organically merges their perspectives and histories, which the artist translates to his artworks. Hyperrealism Ballpoint pen drawing overlapping lines at various angles between mid-tone to darkest areas in other to create a shift in value until a desired form is achieved. Throughout this process, I constantly look at my reference picture.

Powerful and Emotive, Artist Patrick Onyekwere’s Hyperrealistic Portraits Are Rendered Meticulously in Ballpoint Pen

JULY 16, 2020

GRACE EBERT

Jan 10, 2020

My family's sour and spicy condiment business in North India attracts hungry visitors from afar.

It’s a scorching afternoon in July and fresh mangoes have just been rolled past the gates of the pickle factory in Panipat, a city 55 miles north of Delhi. Men in cotton clothes unload large jute sacks that are weighed on a scale taller than the nine-year-old me. It’s mango season, which means my grandfather’s pickle factory will run 24 hours a day to pickle the raw fruit in bulk and make enough to meet demand for the entire year.

BY SEEMA DHAWAN

July 22, 2020

The Port Lockroy team includes some of the only non-scientists to live in Antarctica.

Each summer, roughly 5,000 people move to the southernmost reaches of the world, living in Antarctica temporarily. Nearly all are scientists or researchers, working at stations like Argentina’s Esperanza Base, the U.S.-operated McMurdo Base, or Chile’s Villa Las Estrellas. A select few non-scientists, though, head to Port Lockroy, a sheltered harbor off the coast of Wiencke Island, on the west side of the Antarctic peninsula. Among other tasks, they run the world’s southernmost post office.

BY MADISON FLAGER

June 5, 2020

Crystal Clean+^® 2.0

August 7, 2020

Crystal understands that relationships are built on trust. With your continued trust in mind, we have applied our exacting attention to detail across all of our new safety measures. So while our touch may remain (intentionally) unseen, we deliver nothing less than total transparency in all matters regarding your health and wellness.

With more than 30 years of cruising to the far reaches of the world, Crystal has a long tradition of implementing and maintaining exceptional standards for health and safety at sea. To further protect our Crystal Family we’re introducing Crystal Clean+, a stringent set of health and safety protocols and measures to meet the unique challenges posed by Covid-19. The company is tackling these challenges with science and innovation and in accordance with the latest data and recommendations by health experts.

Return to Crystal 2.0

The protocols introduced here are the initial measures in Crystal Clean+. Every protocol will be continually evaluated and will be updated as new information becomes available. Crystal will be in full compliance with the standards established by Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) and global health measures when we sail. Additional measures will be implemented and communicated accordingly as they are eventually announced.