The vibrancy of summer is bound to be marked by a strong sense of wanderlust and these four women from across the region set a trailblazing example of finding the perfect symbiosis between this desire to travel and what they care about. Their journeys around the world are almost akin to a compass, guiding them in a search for adventure, diverse cultures, delectable food, and most of all inspiration. From Al Taif to Vietnam and across Europe to Latin America this summer is all about mixing travel with your passion.
Linda Krockenberger
“As an avid traveler, my summer plans are set on exploring Tabuk Province and Al Taif in Saudi Arabia,” says Linda Krockenberger. “Tabuk offers breathtaking rock formations, arid landscapes, and lush green wadis. On the other hand, Al Taif’s elevated location provides a cooler climate compared to Dubai during the summer months.”
For the Dubai-based German native traveling is all about being slow and intentional, really immersing yourself in the true nature of a destination. While her itinerary includes scouting potential trekking routes in Tabuk for future winter adventures and organizing a camel race in Al Taif she is particularly looking forward to connecting with the local culture and people. “I prefer regional destinations as there are still so many places to see and experience. I often end up staying with someone I know, or I was referred to, rather than in hotels. More than once, it is that tiny village in a corner of Oman, where I can truly recharge, and connect with people who live an entirely different life.”
When it comes to travel essentials, Linda swears by “The Ordinary” face cream and serums with Hyaluronic Acid to keep her skin nourished amidst changing environments, along with a trusty sunscreen to protect her from sun damage. This is certainly because her travels are marked by a penchant for ending up in desert destinations, mostly due to her love for camels. It was during a two-week trek from Umm Al Zumool to Dubai in 2019 that she discovered this affinity with camels. “Witnessing the camels’ enduring patience, strength, and unwavering determination to keep moving captivated me. It sparked my admiration for these remarkable creatures.”
Now every time she shares photos from her travels there is bound to be at least one camel in them. “Camels allowed me to travel slower and more consciously into the desert.” Most notable amongst these trips for her was the desert of the Empty Quarter. “I was moved to tears when I ventured deep into the dunes with a convoy of cars. The expansive mountains of sand, the silence, and the enveloping darkness at night hold a unique power. Traveling through such a desert with camels was an incredibly calming experience that instilled a sense of freedom.”
When asked about the best destination for camel rides in the desert, she cannot help but share her enthusiasm, “I really enjoyed my treks in Oman, the Wahiba Desert is vast and runs with dunes and wadis from North to South, so you can choose between riding in the Seih, or climb the dunes and ride along the crests. It is truly breathtaking. And Omani bedu families still live very close to their camels and deserts. Sharing the journey with them, listening to their stories, and adapting to their lifestyle is very captivating and humbling.”
The pioneer of the first women-only camel racing series, C1 Championship in Dubai, looks forward to exploring more regions with camels as she promotes them through sustainable and mindful tourism. This October she will be heading to Wadi Rum in Jordan to participate in five-day camel race. There is also her desire to explore Saudi Arabia more, “I am intrigued by the historically significant trade and pilgrimage routes waiting to be explored on camelback. Additionally, the vast expansion of the Empty Quarter within Saudi Arabia presents an incredible dream to be realized.
Lynn Hazim
For Beirut-born Lynn Hazim travel is synonymous with food. “I love planning my trips around food, I find that it’s one of the easiest ways to explore new cultures and places. Travel is all about broadening your horizons and getting to experience new, different, beautiful things, and food is such a wonderful vehicle to do that.”
The Dubai based gourmand is certainly an authority on travel, one only has to look towards her jam-packed summer itinerary to see that. Summer always constitutes a trip to Lebanon, she explains “There are two times in the year where everyone reunites in Lebanon, expats, families, and friends: summer and end-of-year holidays, and I’m really looking forward to spending quality time with everyone close to me.” There will also be a few days in Paris before she heads to the South of France and then eventually London to escape the summer heat. However, it is Lisbon that she seems to be the most excited about. “I haven’t been to Portugal in eight years, and I’m really looking forward to visiting again!”
Summer is actually her favorite time to travel, “I love that lunches are longer, sunsets are longer, dinners are longer. It just feels like there’s more time to just be and enjoy.” In the past she has found herself often heading for the Basque region – Hazim believes in repeat traveling and loves to revisit places she has already been. “My sister lives in Bordeaux, so whenever I visit her, we rent a car and drive down to Cap Ferret first. We love to visit the oyster shacks where you just sit for hours facing the water and eat oysters and wine. Then we make our way down to Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, until we finally cross the Spanish borders and spend a few days in my favorite city for food, San Sebastian.”
When it comes to dining in San Sebastian, Lynn suggests a pintxos trail, stating, “It’s hard to choose one place to eat in San Sebastian, but if I can suggest the following pintxos trail, I would start with Bar Txepetxa for anchovies pintxos, Bar Ganbara for the monkfish with prawn and the wild mushrooms with egg yolk, Borda Berri for the risotto de Idiazabal, kebab de costilla de cerdo, and the beef cheek. La Cuchara de Sant Elmo for the foie with apple compote, the cochinillo, and the pulpo. Antonio Bar for the tortilla, Barnestor1980 for the tomato salad and the txuleta, and of course, La Vina for the Basque cheesecake.”
Her suggestions when it comes to food are full of insight, conjuring restaurants in faraway places that she yearns to visit again. She constantly dreams about the Pappardelle Ragu from a restaurant Seychelles in Athens and often thinks about the best caponata of her life from a tiny aperitivo bar in Florence called II Santino, she describes as her favorite place in Italy. “It’s on this tiny street facing a church. It starts getting busy after sunset where suddenly the four tables inside don’t fit people anymore, so everyone spills into the street. This ‘enoteca e gastronomia’ focuses, in a typically Tuscan way.”
Looking forward to future travels, Hazim expresses her interest in exploring Latin America. While she has been to Mexico in the past she simply cannot wait to go again, “So many cuisines have traveled well, you can get really good Italian outside of Italy, for example, but you can’t get really good Mexican food outside of Mexico.” The travel enthusiast also wants to explore Peru, a country that has been on her bucket list for a long time now.
Omniya Fareed
“I’m proud of myself for succeeding in making my passions and interests a way of living,” remarks Omniya Fareed, a young Egyptian national who has been traveling the world full-time. The corporate life simply wasn’t for her which is why after only three years Fareed left her job in the banking industry and dived into a lifestyle dominated by travel and freelance writing.
Although Fareed has been writing since she was a child and initially started working freelance so that she would have a steady income travel has made her a lot more inspired. “Traveling has made me more creative and expressive in my writing. I’m able to write about more topics now too, especially in travel content jobs because traveling allows you to learn new things and meet new people from different cultures. Some of them inspire me so much sometimes that I end up characterizing them in a book or article. I’m also more patient because in traveling there’s always a thing or two that goes wrong so I’m able to work on more difficult or long projects without getting bored or frustrated.”
After traveling to 46 countries, it is India that is closest to her heart and subsequently inspires her the most. “I spent three months there and I’m actually planning on visiting India again in the future to explore more of it. The cultural diversity, history, and nature there is incredible.” Fareed also has high hopes for a writing retreat that she will be attending in Skyros, Greece sometime in the future. Situated in the heart of Greek village life The Writer’s Lab is an adult-only creative retreat featuring writing, yoga, traditional Skyrian accommodation, and stunning views of the Aegean Sea.
As someone who seems to travel a lot more than she is at home, Fareed is certainly an authority on travel essentials. Like most seasoned travelers one beauty product that she simply cannot travel without is sunscreen, the Relief Sun containing rice and probiotics from Korean skincare brand Beauty of Joseon to be more specific. Her vacation style is all about being relaxed and comfortable with flowy pieces exuding an understated sense of elegance. “I like summer dresses and skirts because they look good and are easy to move in when I’m exploring in the morning. With some additions, they work as evening outfits too.”
Fareed will soon be sporting her signature style in Vietnam. “I’m traveling to Vietnam this August. It’s a country I’ve wanted to go to for a while now because there’s so much to see and do in terms of history, culture, and food,” she shares. The writer also hopes to one day also find herself traveling to Argentina, “I really want to go to Tierra del Fuego National Park and explore more of South and Central America. I’ve been to Cuba, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay and next, I’ll explore Argentina and Brazil there.”
Hana Basrawi
“No matter the destination I always try to embark on an adventure that is unique to where I am and that helps me see and experience the country I am in,” says Hana Basrawi, a leading force in fitness and health within the region. When the Saudi-British fitness professional is not influencing women and men globally through her platform into a healthier lifestyle and breaking stereotypes she is traveling and exploring new places, whilst indulging in sports activities and events.
“This year I’ve already been to Cape Town and Mauritius and I’m planning on going to Egypt to visit the Core White pop-up fitness event. I’m also looking forward to visiting Croatia and Italy. I love traveling and exploring the world and try to pick unique destinations every year that I haven’t been to before. I love exploring different cultures and seeing how other people around the world live and of course, trying the local food,” she says teeming with enthusiasm.
These travels are marked by are highly influenced by her penchant for physical activity such as a scenic bicycle ride around Al-Ula, horseback riding along the beach in Mauritius or a climb to the top of Lion’s Head in Cape Town, South Africa. Elaborating on this she states, “I’m lucky that my work also takes me to so many different places, ideally as long as I have access to a gym, I can stick to my usual training routine wherever I am in the world. However, sometimes I don’t want to be confined to a gym or have limited time in the country I am in so I started finding amazing ways to stay active but also be present wherever I was.”
Traveling as a fitness enthusiast is not always easy and there have been times when even Basrawi was taken by surprise. She will surely not be packing as many heels as she did on her first visit whenever she is in Positano next, “I didn’t realize the number of steps they had everywhere, and my hotel was right at the top. I was definitely putting all those hours of stair master to good use!” The climb in Cape Town was another similar instance, especially for someone who has a fear of heights. “The mountains there were not only physically challenging but also mentally. Some of the passageways were so narrow and so high up.”
No matter what the challenge Basrawi always perseveres which is why she is just the right person to ask for advice on merging travel and fitness. “I would recommend thinking out of the box and getting out of your comfort zone. Making the most of being in new surroundings and combining exploring with something physically challenging. If you’re somewhere with mountains, go climb one. You’ll get the most amazing view. Mingle with locals at a park and jump in on a basketball or paddle game. Take a dance class or even yoga with a view. Training isn’t only about going to the gym and lifting weights. Try pushing and moving your body in ways you wouldn’t usually when you’re back home in your comfort zone.”
She dreams of going to Japan and South Korea soon, but the latter is a destination that is more influenced by her love for beauty and all things feminine. Basrawi defines herself as a girly girl who loves putting on makeup and simply cannot travel without her sunscreen or hair wax for that perfect slick bun. So for someone who is all about taking care of her skin South Korea is a natural destination, “Their skincare products and treatments look so dreamy!”
Photos: Yulia Manakhova, Khalifa Qabeel
Originally published in the July/August 2023 issue of Vogue Arabia
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