I've been in Azerbaijan this week and have been reminded of the importance of research and preparation when travelling to new destinations, even when a tour guide is used. One could even say it is even more important in these circumstances.
Where possible, I would advocate spending a bit more time in a place and seeing it by yourself. Nothing beats the satisfaction of buying a guidebook before departure and lining up a list of must-see sights, only to find that once you're there you're able to do even more than expected. It might take longer to get to each spot, but you'll see it on your own terms.
When you sign up for a tour, there are a whole set of extra dynamics to take into consideration, some of which may not be in your best interests. Of course, sometimes, tours can be excellent, but not knowing in advance is one of the chances you take.
With a guide, there's a certain amount of "buy in" that has to happen for it to take place. They may say they are there to act on your every whim but, in reality, they only have a set amount of time and usually a preordained list of sites to get through.
While some accommodation can usually be made, even minor demands can prove controversial. In my case this week, my pre-booked driver and guide simply failed to turn up one morning, leaving me and the hotel concierge frantically searching through emails and calling many numbers at 9am on a Saturday.
Given that I only had limited time and was here for work, it was even more worrying.
Once finally roused, we set off, me trying to shake off the stress and lost time, and the guide playing catch-up. Fortunately, the guide and driver were competent enough to save the day, but it helped that I knew beforehand exactly what there was to see and what I needed to experience on the inside rather than just view from outside.
Often, people who just "leave it up to the experts" to dictate their programme find out later that key sites have been missed, because the guide simply skipped them. That's a big loss to the curious traveller who may never visit again.
This is why I try to stay several steps ahead of my guides in order to head off any such short-cuts. I’ll have a mental map of a place in my head and the basics on each site, so that I’m not thrown into the history and architecture of a site blind.
If you do this, you’ll exhaust yourself trying to get your head around whatever form of words your guide is using.
While some guides have admirable knowledge and communication skills, they often have a less than ideal way of presenting information, which can mean you’re left feeling frustrated, rather than enjoying the place in front of you.
Sometimes, guides can be essential, and good ones are a godsend. But more often than not you can't simply leave your trip in their hands; a toolbox is needed to influence them. If I sense, for example, that they're getting tired after only six hours, I'll throw in a mention of how much I'm looking forward to visiting a specific site, and check with them the closing times and how long it will take to get there.
That way they can’t run the clock down and head for home before the job is done.
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Read more from Rosemary:
The curse of the 'demonic plane child'
Why solo travel is the new luxury
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The%20specs
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
