Going to Dubai? Better Know the LAWS.

IMPORTANT:  If you break the law of a country you are visiting, your embassy will probably not be able to help you.  So know the laws and customs before you go.

By now you might be aware that a British couple in their 30s were sentenced to three months in jail and deportation because of their “public display of affection” on the beach following a champagne brunch.  Well, actually the charges were drunkenness and public indecency and sex outside of marriage.  The couple claims there was no sex, just kissing.

Recently, a lesbian couple was sentenced to a month in jail, followed by deportation, for sharing a kiss on the public beach in Dubai.

Three years ago, an unmarried Indian couple was sentenced to one year in prison just for hugging and kissing in the back seat of a taxi in the Emirate of Fujairah which is north of the UAE.  When the taxi driver saw what they were doing, he drove them directly to the police station!

If you’re planning a trip to Dubai, remember that it is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  The operative word here is “Arab.”   It might be a popular destination right now, and very glamorous (and expensive), but it is a Muslim country and their laws are very conservative.

Just because you’re a tourist who is bringing money into the region, never lose sight of the fact that this is NOT an amusement park or a paid attraction.  You are visiting another country with another culture, and you’d better learn their laws before you go there.  (This applies to ALL international travel.)

Here are some of the laws.

Read the rest of this article . . .


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World’s Only Revolving Hotel

The Marmara Antalya hotel is the world’s first and only revolving building.  It offers the best view in the house from every room.  Perched on the majestic Falez Cliffs in Turkey’s southern coast, every room of the resort’s 24-room revolving loft offers ever-changing 360-degree panoramic views of the turquoise-blue Mediterranean, the Antalya coastline, and the snow-capped Taurus Mountains.

The revolving loft was designed using shipbuilding specifications. It sits atop a special pool system where water drives the mechanisms that are set to turn the building 360-degrees every seven hours.  A second 15-story building with 208 guestrooms continues the same elegant and contemporary décor with stationary – but just as spectacular – views.

If you want a revolving room, you must reserve a “deluxe” room, which includes expected amenities plus a breakfast buffet.  While this unusal treat isn’t cheap, here are some thrifty tips.  Booking during the week is much cheaper than on the weekend; and staying in a “stationary” room will also save you a lot of money.  Although then you wouldn’t have the decadent pleasure of spending the night in the world’s only revolving hotel!

For more information, contact your travel agent or visit them on the Internet at http://www.themarmarahotels.com/The-Marmara-Antalya/index.asp.


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