Gadling http://www.gadling.com Gadling http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Gadling http://www.gadling.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[6 surf destinations you'd never think of]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/20/6-surf-destinations-youd-never-think-of/http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/20/6-surf-destinations-youd-never-think-of/http://www.gadling.com/2011/08/20/6-surf-destinations-youd-never-think-of/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,



Sure, we all know the world of surfing revolves around Hawaii's fabled North Shore. If you've ever owned a board, you can probably rattle off some of the other global hot spots: Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Fiji, California, Costa Rica...the list goes on and on.

Just because the same 20 places have some of the best waves on the planet, however, doesn't mean that the rest of the globe is forced to go without. Ever since the 1966 release of the timeless surf film Endless Summer, global surf travelers have been pushing the boundaries of scoring waves in increasingly obscure locations.

Lately, it seems as if the act of finding waves in remote locations is potentially more exhilarating than the act of riding the waves themselves. Here on Gadling we've reported before about surfers hunting down waves from Lake Erie to Iceland in search of some stoke, and Surfing magazine has hosted contests such as the Google Earth Challenge in a modern effort to scour the globe for unknown pointbreaks and barrels.

So, in the spirit of ever-expanding global surf travel, here is a list of 6 locations you might want to put on your surf radar.

Continue reading 6 surf destinations you'd never think of

6 surf destinations you'd never think of originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 20 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>middle+east+surfing+destimationsmiddleeastsurfingdestimationsremote suf tripsRemoteSufTripsSurf BangladeshSurf GhanaSurf NamibiaSurf OmanSurf ThailandSurf Uruguaysurf+destinationssurf+spots+in+costa+ricaSurfBangladeshsurfdestinationsSurfGhanasurfing+skeleton+bay+namibiasurfingskeletonbaynamibiaSurfNamibiaSurfOmansurfspotsincostaricaSurfThailandSurfUruguayWeirdest places to surfWeirdestPlacesToSurfwho+would+think+that+lybia+is+a+surf+destinationwhowouldthinkthatlybiaisasurfdestinationSat, 20 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dubai tour company offers pirate hunting cruises off horn of Africa]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/04/01/dubai-tour-company-offers-pirate-hunting-cruises-off-horn-of-afr/http://www.gadling.com/2011/04/01/dubai-tour-company-offers-pirate-hunting-cruises-off-horn-of-afr/http://www.gadling.com/2011/04/01/dubai-tour-company-offers-pirate-hunting-cruises-off-horn-of-afr/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

pirate

After years of murders, kidnappings, and heists, the lawless sea near the horn of Africa seems to be getting worse. A Dubai firm is capitalizing on these pirate infested waters with a strange new form of pirate tourism. The tour company, Dubai based Seahunters LLC, sells both 7 and 14 day cruises embarking from Salalah, Oman and Abu Dhabi, UAE. Unlike the quintessential cruise, the cruisers do not board in hopes of devouring mid-morning nacho buffets or snorkeling with dolphins. These cruisers board in hopes of embarking on a hunting trip with the most taboo of target - humans.

Like any proper cruise, you can choose a type of stateroom with offers ranging from the humble sounding "standard inside" to the opulent "Hemingway suite." The similarities to any other cruise end abruptly when you begin assembling your personal armory. With offerings such as the predictably yielding "bazooka package" and a "mercenary madness" kit, you can personalize your weapons cache almost endlessly. The "mercenary madness" package includes rental of a M107 .50 caliber sniper rifle, an AR 15 assault rifle, and an 18kt gold plated Desert Eagle pistol. Bow and arrows are also available for purists. Flamethrowers can be rented as well, though require a 3 day licensing course prior to departure.

Continue reading Dubai tour company offers pirate hunting cruises off horn of Africa

Dubai tour company offers pirate hunting cruises off horn of Africa originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>april foolsAprilFoolscruisecruise shipcruisesCruiseShipdubaiFlameThrowergulf of adenGulfOfAdenGunsmogadishumuscatomanpiratePiratesSocotrasomali piratessomaliaSomaliPiratesYemenFri, 01 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[10 breeds of pirate - Somalis to Vikings to Japanese Pirate Ninjas]]>http://www.gadling.com/2011/02/21/10-breeds-of-pirate-somalis-to-vikings-to-japanese-pirate-ninj/http://www.gadling.com/2011/02/21/10-breeds-of-pirate-somalis-to-vikings-to-japanese-pirate-ninj/http://www.gadling.com/2011/02/21/10-breeds-of-pirate-somalis-to-vikings-to-japanese-pirate-ninj/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

pirate
A yacht carrying a quartet of Americans was recently seized by Somali pirates, the latest in a string of hijackings that reaches back millenia. According to MSNBC, the seized yacht, the "S/V Quest," is owned by Jean and Scott Adam - a couple on a worldwide quest distributing bibles. While they no doubt expected to spread the word far and wide, they were certainly not expecting to be boarded by Somali pirates off the coast of Oman in the Arab sea. The waters along the horn of Africa are a hotbed of piracy, and travelling by boat in this region is about as reckless as booking a 2 week holiday in Mogadishu.

The Somali pirates are the modern day face of an enterprise that has existed for centuries. Piracy has been part of seafaring culture since man first took to the open water. As early as 1400 BC, Lukka sea raiders from Asia Minor began committing acts of piracy throughout the Mediterranean. These early pirates were known simply as the "Sea Peoples." Aside from these early innovators of seaward sabotage, many groups and clans have sailed under the banner of terror on the high seas. The Vikings innovated the craft, the Barbary corsairs elevated it to an art, and the pirates of the Caribbean made it famous. Many other groups, operating in the shadows of history, took to piracy on the high seas. From dark age plundering to modern day terrorism, some of these groups of pirates include:

Continue reading 10 breeds of pirate - Somalis to Vikings to Japanese Pirate Ninjas

10 breeds of pirate - Somalis to Vikings to Japanese Pirate Ninjas originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BarbaryCoastborneobugislandcarribeanchinachina piratesChinaPirateschineseDayakTribesgulf of adenGulfOfAdenhorn of africaHornOfAfricamadagascarorang lautOrangLautpiracypiratepirate ninjasPirateNinjasPiratespirates of the caribbeanpirates-vs-ninjasPiratesOfTheCaribbeansomali piratessomaliasomalia terroristsSomaliaTerroristsSomaliPiratesvikingswokouMon, 21 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[UNESCO delists a World Heritage Site]]>http://www.gadling.com/2007/12/20/unesco-delists-a-world-heritage-site/http://www.gadling.com/2007/12/20/unesco-delists-a-world-heritage-site/http://www.gadling.com/2007/12/20/unesco-delists-a-world-heritage-site/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It would be easy to think that once a location becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site that such an honor is irrevocable.

UNESCO, however, recently shocked the world by proving that they can just as easily remove a site from the list as they can add one.

And why would they do such a thing?

Because sites can change for the worse over time and become something entirely different.

Ironically, it is quite often the UNESCO stamp itself that is the downfall of these World Heritage Sites. Once a location makes the list, tourists soon follow. And tourists, as we all know, quickly attract local authorities and entrepreneurs trying to make a buck.

The problem is that UNESCO actually has no authority over their World Heritage Sites--that's up to the local governments. And when these local governments start dabbling in the sites, their status becomes endangered.

This is exactly what happened at the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman after poaching decreased the oryx population by 85% and the government followed up reducing the land area by 90%. This pissed off UNESCO bad enough that they responded by honoring the sanctuary with the organization's first ever delisting.

It's sort of sad to see it on the website, with a big line drawn through the name, but I think UNESCO made the right choice. Hopefully this will be a shot across the bow for other countries that need to start thinking seriously about protecting their own World Heritage Sites.

UNESCO delists a World Heritage Site originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>UnescoWorld Heritage SiteWorldHeritageSiteThu, 20 Dec 2007 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Where On Earth? Week 23: Oman]]>http://www.gadling.com/2007/09/14/w/http://www.gadling.com/2007/09/14/w/http://www.gadling.com/2007/09/14/w/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Well done to moody75 for the winning answer of Oman. To be precise it's standing at the top of the Jebel Shams mountain range loooking into the Wadi Ghul canyon. Wadi Ghul rivals Peru's Colca Canyon and is about as unknown.

It looks incredibly isolated but when you get out of your 4WD you're soon surrounded by local kids eager to sell you rustic woven rugs.

Points off to neil_metblogs for asking why Tiger Woods is wearing a robe? I really thought the good people of Melbourne knew their sports stars better than that.

Where On Earth? Week 23: Oman originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>grand canyonGrandCanyonFri, 14 Sep 2007 15:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Name That Hat: Oman]]>http://www.gadling.com/2007/08/28/name-that-hat-oman/http://www.gadling.com/2007/08/28/name-that-hat-oman/http://www.gadling.com/2007/08/28/name-that-hat-oman/#commentsFiled under: , ,

T

Thanks to all who posted answers for the inaugural Name That Hat. The winner was Moody75 who correctly guessed Oman. The name of the hat is a kumma, not "Steve" as the oddly named oddsocks opined. This one was bought at the main souk on the Muscat Corniche.

A couple of readers guessed Nigeria and Tanzania, and it's true you'll find similar head gear throughout other parts of Muslim Africa. Tanzania is a particularly good guess because Zanzibar was an East African destination for many of the Arab traders from Oman.

The name of the town where dhows (right) are built is Sur, and the world's grandest canyon after the Grand Canyon is the magnificent Wadi Ghul.

Name That Hat: Oman originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 05:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hatislammuslimomansurTue, 28 Aug 2007 05:40:00 EST<![CDATA[What Makes a Good Travel Guide?]]>http://www.gadling.com/2007/08/20/what-makes-a-good-travel-guide/http://www.gadling.com/2007/08/20/what-makes-a-good-travel-guide/http://www.gadling.com/2007/08/20/what-makes-a-good-travel-guide/#commentsFiled under: ,

On October 4 the excellent British travel magazine Wanderlust will announce the winner of their annual guide awards. Named after the late Paul Morrison, one of the founders of Wanderlust, the awards recognise excellence in travel guiding. Bill Bryson and Michael Palin will select the winner from a short list of six tour guides that work in countries as diverse as Mongolia, Egypt and Romania.

In your opinion what are the qualities a great guide must possess?

In my recent trip to Oman, the wonderful Hilal came close to perfection with a winning combination of humour, energy and a profound love of his country. His skill at juggling an MP3 player and a cellphone while threading a 4WD through the maze of Omani dunes was also pretty impressive.

What Makes a Good Travel Guide? originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>travel guidesTravelGuidesMon, 20 Aug 2007 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Undiscovered Oman]]>http://www.gadling.com/2006/05/07/undiscovered-oman/http://www.gadling.com/2006/05/07/undiscovered-oman/http://www.gadling.com/2006/05/07/undiscovered-oman/#commentsFiled under:

It is a wonderful moment in time when undiscovered locales register their first blip on your travel radar. 

This happened to me this morning when opening the LA Times and running across this sentence; "Oman is a peaceful wonderland of dramatic gorges, sweeping deserts and hidden villages, dotted with fairy-tale forts and castles."  Many thanks to Tony Wheeler, of Lonely Planet fame, who has penned this short article introducing us to the little-known nation of Oman. 

Pinched between Saudi Arabia and Yemen--two places most tourists aren't too interested in these days--Oman is a rare gem in an otherwise troubled area.  Travelers who venture here can enjoy the country's fine coastline, and with the help of a 4-wheel drive vehicle, tool around a slew of impressive mountain ranges and vast gorges that include Wadi Ghul, Oman's very own Grand Canyon. 

One of the more interesting sites Wheeler points out is the shipyard in Sur where traditional sailing dhows are still being built.  This ancient practice, coupled with many villages untouched by modern times, makes Oman yet another place to rush off and visit before its all swept quickly into the 21st century.

Undiscovered Oman originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 07 May 2006 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Sun, 07 May 2006 17:45:00 EST