We’ve compiled a list for CNN Travel of some of the best budget activities in Dubai.

For obvious copyright reasons (we sold the story to CNN), we can’t publish it on our blog.

To read the list, click here

Pendulous chains of fat golden marigolds swing lazily from wooden kiosks. Vibrant orchids rest in plastic buckets next to pink roses swathed in moist newspaper, protected from bruises inflicted by careless crowds rushing by. Nimble-fingered florists thread intricate arrangements together: their final destination a temple offering.

As large trucks from outlying districts arrive and deposit the floral cargo, vendors race to finish setting up stalls for the remainder of the night.

The market is a family affair. While their parents work, children play in the street while those too tired to stay awake sleep in makeshift beds fashioned from plastic chairs.

The action rattles to a crescendo at around 2:00 a.m. after all flowers have arrived and people swarm the market, hunting for a bargain.

This is a wholesale market, so the average punter looking for a dainty bouquet may be at odds to find what they’re looking for. The main trade comes from resellers who arrive in the early morning hours to snare a bargain, returning back to their shop in time to set up and begin morning trading.

The Pak Khlong market has a long history. Originally operating as a fish market throughout the 1800’s, the focus shifted towards fruit and vegetables around the turn of the 20th Century before being reincarnated in its present form as a flower market after the end of World War II. Traders have been present in Pak Khlong for generations, with most stallholders living nearby.

Remnants of the produce trade still exists towards the Eastern end of the market with a small cluster of fruit and vegetable traders servicing the area. They lay out piles of fat tomatoes resting on the ground alongside bunches of sweet smelling herbs and other assorted items.

If you’re in the mood for a midnight snack, pick up a bowl of steaming noodles from one of the street vendors wedged between sacks of jasmine blossoms. The contradiction of scents is an assault on the senses that is best experienced, rather than described.

To witness the full spectacle of Pak Klong Talat unfolding stay as late as you can. A visit to this market should be on your must-do list of things in Bangkok: you’ll never look at a bunch of roses the same way again.

Our guest author,

This is Varoon’s guide to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

About Colombo

Colombo is the largest city in Sri Lanka and its main commercial hub. A day spent in this laidback city will take you on a ride across different cultures, architectures, languages and cuisines informed by various religious and colonial influences over the years.

Like most island cultures, Sri Lankans have an easy and simple outlook to life. They live well, they drink well and they eat well. No one is in too much of a hurry and you’ll always be greeted with a smile.

Favourite place to eat
Hotel de Pilawoos
Galle Road

It’s much easier to love different dishes at many places, rather than just have one favourite place. But for the sake of authenticity I’d say Hotel de Pilawoos at Colpetty, Galle Road. Pronounced Pill-house, this chop shop of an outlet will serve you fast food late into the night. It’s perfect for a late night snack and a favourite hangout for the afterparty Colombo crowd. Don’t be fooled by the de-esque name, it’s a pretty small joint with a big reputation and a flexible definition of hygiene.

Have a seat inside and order either a kothhu or an egg roti and wash it down with an iced lime juice or an iced Milo. During the day the crowd will be minus the Mercedes driving rich kids and the sarong clad waiter will have time to serve you.

The kotthu is a delicious mish mash of roti, meat (depending on your choice), egg, vegetable and curry.

Egg roti is a simple egg preparation made inside a roti. Ask the friendly chefs at Pilawoos to cut it up and garnish it with onions and generic curry. The extra curry adds spice; that’s when the iced Milo will help.

If you’re still hungry fill yourself with some extra deliciousness and sample the variety of sambols and hoppers.

Average meal cost: 500 Rupees ($3.90 USD)

Most interesting thing to do
Cricket games
Citywide

Catch a big inter-school cricket game. The inter-school rivalries are unmatched and their supporters are total diehards.

The atmosphere, the energy and the music will transport you to a happy place. The infamous Papara Band (who pop up at cricket matches across Colombo) play baila, a musical remnant left behind by their Portuguese colonisers, while the crowd madly waves Sri Lankan flags in a flurry of patriotism.

If cricket’s not for you, get your bargain on and head into the city to hunt for clothes and textiles.

Sri Lanka has evolved into a shopping destination because of its textile industry, you can get your hands on global brands at outlets around the city, for a fraction of the price (bring your scrutinous eye however and be careful of fakes).

Most culturally authentic thing to do
Buddhist temples
Citywide

Apart from cricket of course, Sri Lanka’s dominant religion is Buddhism.

Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka by the offspring of the Indian King Asoka. Ironically, its popularity in Sri Lanka is inversely proportionate to its standing in Indian society today. There are majestic stupa’s and temples dotted all around Colombo. One of the best things about widespread following of Buddhism is that every full moon is a holiday, no alcohol is served however, so plan accordingly.

There are a few Buddhist temples in Colombo that you can not miss out on. Gangarama Temple in the heart of Colombo near Beira Lake is an labyrinth of eclectic statues, tusks and random items, including a classic Mercedes! There is a small entrance fee, but it’s totally worth a checking out. Put aside at least a couple of hours to see all the levels.

From Gangarama Temple it’s a short walk to Sima Malaka shrine, on an island in Beira Lake. It’s a scenic temple in the middle of the lake where a hundred Buddha statues are serenely meditating just waiting for a photo-op.

Tourist trap to avoid
Dodgy nightclubs
Citywide

The clubs are sleazy and over-crowded with underage patronage. Not quite the kind of nightlife Colombo promotes itself with. If you don’t want to be hit on by a slurring ‘pilot’ who wants to show you a good time, I’d recommend chilling at one of the many pubs around town instead. The Inn on the Green at Galle Face or the Cricket Club at Duplication Road would be my call.

If you’re getting to and from pubs, like most places around the world, if you don’t look local chances are you will be asked to pay more than the going rate for your taxi rides. Always bargain before getting into a tuk-tuk (3 wheeler taxi). There are a lot of metered tuk-tuks now
plying Colombo. They’re reasonably priced but if you can’t find one, figure out the going rate from your hotel before setting out.

If you want to read more posts from Varoon, check out his blog, It’s the Journey.

Additional image credits: Asela Jayarathne, Brett Davies, Indi Samarajiva.

With about 170,000 visitors per-year trampling fragile breeding grounds of over 16 endangered species, limits on tourism operators came into force with cruise ship operators banned from visiting any island more than once during a 14 day period. The government also opened up new routes in the marine park which were designed to reduce pollution and cut fuel consumption of cruise ships. Tourists are now allowed to stay a maximum of five night and four days on the islands.

Whether or not you agree with the Megamondo Travel viewpoint that cruise ships are essentially dystopic floating islands of the damned, crammed to the brim with gaudy decorations and over the top tack is beside the point. The fact is, the Ecuadorian government has embarked on a precarious balancing act; walking a tightrope between ecological preservation and a moneygrab for precious tourist dineros. The outcome of whether or not the new restrictions will harm the Galapagos tourism industry remains to be seen, however, the protective measures enacted focus on long term preservation and Ecuador should be applauded for their foresight.

This made us think about other sensitive ecological tourist destinations that have restricted access. There are many locations around the world have limited the amount of visitors in an attempt to ensure the enjoyment of future generations.

Take Lakshadweep for example: India’s smallest union territory located about 400 kms off the coast of Kerela. Comprised of a small cluster of islands, entry to this pristine environmental habitat is restricted by permit only: even Indians must apply for a permit through the government tour operator. Foreigners however, are restricted to three islands only.

In an effort to preserve the delicate ecosystem, a number of marine species are protected by law, including turtles, whales and dolphins. Of particular importance is the protection of corals. Visitors who wish to take home souvenirs of their visit should beware of taking any coral (dead or alive) home with them and might find themselves in trouble with the law if they attempt to smuggle a sea-trinket home.

The concept of other such protected areas around the world are also gaining popularity as authorities realise the potential value that pristine nature reserves offer tourists wanting to escape crowded urbanised environments.

In Shanghai (a place not commonly associated with environmental preservation), efforts are being made to preserve the Dongtan wetlands on Chongming Island to the north of the city. Since it was opened up to the public in 2005, ninety per-cent of the fragile ecosystem has been restricted to tourists who flock to the island for birdwatching, with thousands of annual visitors crowding for a peek of rare and endangered species.

Plans are underway however, to open up more of the wetlands; a delicate balancing act overseen in part by “Special Task Force Eagle IV”, a dedicated team of eco-warriors charged with protecting the core avian inhabitants of the island. The team is constantly sweeping the island for illegal hunters and trespassers: a challenge considering the demand for space and resources in such a densely populated metropolis.

As environmental and tourism authorities around the world balance the demand for public access with the necessary requirements of eco-protection, it will be interesting to see which interest triumphs in the battle of tourists versus conservation. Both seem to be mutually exclusive of each other. We foresee one possible outcome; ecologically protected areas of the future being accessible only to the incredibly wealthy, or the incredibly well connected.

*Feature image courtesy of Paola Frogheri.

Can’t get to China in time to celebrate? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with our list of places around the world to ring in the Year of the Dragon. Best of all, everything we’ve mentioned is free!

Sydney, Australia

Good Luck Temple Tour.

23 January – 5 February
Time: 11:00 – 17:00
Price: free

Yen Shan Temple.
645 Princess Highway.
Tempe

Located a short train ride from Sydney’s CDB, come and enjoy daily tours of the Yen Shen Buddhist temple. Guides will take you through the temple and happily explain the significance and meaning behind the symbols and give you tips on how to bring good luck into your home for the new year. You even walk away with a a good-luck red packet from the Buddha, believed to bring health and prosperity for the Year of the Dragon.

San Fransisco, U.S.A

Chinese New Year Parade

11 February
Time: 17:15 – 20:00
Price: Free

Market and Second Street to Kearny and Jackson
Chinatown
San Fransisco

Technically not on the official New Years Day, but nevertheless worthwhile celebrating, this parade is one of the longest running Chinese New Year processions in the Western world. The explosion of colour, music and dancing winds through the streets, sweeping up revellers in it’s path.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Asian Food Festival

29 January
Time: 13:00 onwards
Price: free entry

Nieuwmarkt square
Nieuwmarkt
Amsterdam

Technically a pan-Asian food festival featuring cuisines from across the South-East Asian region, this event offers a feast for the tastebuds as well as the senses. Entry is free and food from the different vendors is priced accordingly, but rest assured there is something for everyone. If you’re looking for your authentic Chinese fix, you won’t be disappointed: there will be street performers from China with contemporary dragon dancing. No fireworks will be allowed, so you’ll have to get your firery bang from a scorching Schezwan chilli-pot.

São Paulo, Brazil

Chinese New Year Festival

21 – 22 January
Time: 11:45 – 20:30, 10:30 – 19:30
Price: free

Liberdade district,
Liberdade
São Paulo

Brazilians love any excuse for a party and Chinese New Year is no exception. Liberdade district in São Paulo (traditionally, the Asian quarter) combines the best of Brazilian festa with CNY traditions, bringing cultural performances, dance, music, a food festival and fireworks into the streets for a two day carnaval asiático that attracts over 200,000 people! We seriously think that this is the best melange of cultures ever possibly conceived! Dragons and carnaval, could you ask for a better combination?
Schedule.

If you’re looking to celebrate Chinese New Year but there are no local events happening, here are some things you can do to welcome the Year of the Dragon:

• Make sure you’re wearing new clothes on January 23, 2012 and behave yourself; it’s believed that your actions on this day will be carried forward for the rest of the year.
• Prepare a new year banquet and reseve an empty seat in honour of absent family members.
• Eat fish on New Years Eve (January 22) and set some aside for the next day. The Mandarin saying, “may there be surpluses every year” sounds the same as “may there be fish every year”.
• Serve uncut noodles as they represent longevity.
• Get your best red clothes on; the colour scares away evil spirits and bad fortune.
• Clean your house and sweep out the bad luck of the previous year.
• Say farewell to the Kitchen God, the guardian of the family hearth. As he reports to heaven on the behaviour of the family over the past year, make sure to feed him sweet foods and honey, either as a bribe, or to seal his mouth and prevent him from saying bad things.
• Pay off all debts and cast aside all grudges.

Perfumed haze fills the heavy air with sweet frankincense as the cries of shopkeepers rattle through the narrow halls of the Muttrah Souq in Oman.

The souq, one of the oldest in the Arabian peninsula, is more than just a tourist haunt offering overpriced trinkets; many Omanis visit daily to trade and socialise as well as buy household items, gifts and spices.

Here, you can pick up a bargain on traditional Omani silver, handmade garments, handicraft as well as Arabian perfumes.

If the Three Wise Kings were loading up their camels for a desert sojourn in 2012, hitting up the Muttrah Souq would be an efficient use of their time. The souq offers gold, myrrh and of course frankincense, Oman being renowned for producing the world’s best variety.

As in most markets, prices are negotiable. We love that in the Muttrah Souq, the negotiation of prices is a mélange of theatre, social posturing, quick calculations, pouting and feigning outrage.

In Omani Arabic, the souq is known as Al Dahlam (The Darkness), a reference to the days where shopkeepers used lanterns to navigate the winding confusion of labyrinthine passages, interconnected by an M.C Escher maze. The installation of electricity, however, has banished the darkness and pushed the souq into a curious position of being wedged somewhere between ancient Arabia and the 21st Century.

Oman tends to operate on a different pace than the rest of the world: the stock exchange for example, trades from 10am to 2pm – if time really is money, then this may explain why Oman is significantly poorer than the other Gulf countries. The souq operates on a similar lackadaisical schedule, waking up around 10am and then retiring for a post-lunch siesta from 2pm to 4pm before yawning back to life and trading late into the night. Fridays, don’t even bother going there until 4pm, it’s Jouma’a (the holy day) and shopkeepers don’t trade until the late afternoon.

If you’re looking for whimsical trinkets or objects of necessity, Muttrah Souq is an Omani destination not to be missed. Get your pantomime haggle-bargain face on, bring a sense of humour and walk away with a deal.

Capacity: 154 passengers

Number of passengers: 68

Cruising altitude : 20,000 feet

Cruising time: 8 mins

Flying time: 50 mins

Flight number: WY-610

Class: economy

Cabin: the cabin is decorated with traditional Omani imagery, reminiscent of the 100 baisa note. Illustrated khanjars (traditional Omani daggers) and stylized scenery of Omani heritage are plastered on the front bulkheads of the cabin. Elevator muzak of generic panpipes gently fills the cabin during pre-takeoff.

Seating: we are seated in 20D, an over wing emergency exit. The seat is dirty, with what is either crumbs or curry seeds from the previous occupant. A small foam cushion is provided which offers some respite from the otherwise rock-hard seat with no adjustable headrest.

Entertainment: 18 small 10″ LCD screens fold down from above the seats (9 on each side of the cabin) during the short duration of the flight. No headphones are offered for the in flight audio channels as this is a short sector. Muted nature montages are played to appeal to a wide audience which are baffling and more like a sequence of dadaist non-sequiters. The in flight magazine reads like the articles have been copied from Wikipedia, complete with unedited grammar errors. If istockphoto sold feature articles, then Oman air would print them in their magazine.

Sustenance: immediately after the aircraft has finished the takeoff sequence, the crew race down the isle to distribute a token offering of food and drink while the aircraft rockets skywards at a 20 degree ascent. We are offered a choice of a “hot puff” (vegetable or chicken), as well as fruit juice and water. The chicken puff is dry and bland and the packaging comes with a warning that one can only hope to be true; caution, contents may be hot. Alcohol is served upon request, yet not offered with the cabin service. After reaching the front of the cabin, the crew then frantically work their way towards the rear, enacting the procedure in reverse to collect the remnants of the snack. This whole ordeal really begs the question; how hungry can one get in 50 minutes?

Toilets: we are the first to use the toilets before the aircraft takes off. Immediately we are assaulted by the heady aroma of human fluid, an enchanting reminder of the previous occupants. Aside from the olfactory assault, the toilet is otherwise clean of noticeable other matter.

Crew: the cabin crew are friendly yet clearly tired from a long day of continuous short haul turnarounds. Despite their obvious exhaustion, they are well presented with neat and tidy uniforms and a well groomed appearance. We are welcomed aboard with uncomfortable smiles, yet they make the effort to attend to passengers with perfunctory professionalism and courtesy of a well trained crew. Of the whole flight experience, they really are the stars of the show.

This was by far our most favourite tourism video of 2011. What was yours?

This question feverishly keeps us awake at night as we fret over the length of lash extensions and obsess over camel botox!

To quell the anxiety, we took a proactive step and decided to thoroughly investigate what happens out there in the dunes when camels strut their stuff!

A staple snack of late night hunger pangs, a killer of lunchtime cravings, a panacea for all ravenous yearnings that strike at the most inconvenient of moments, the shawarma deserves honouring with a classification of its own separate food group.

The shawarma, in it’s purest form, is shavings of roasted meat carved from a giant rotating vertical spit. Soft pita bread and sauces such as tahini, yoghurt or hot-sauce deliciously smother the filling.

This magnificent culinary marvel is omnipresent across the globe, from Brazil to Bangladesh, it’s possible to travel the world eating nothing but shawarma.

At Megamondo Travel we aim to fearlessly reveal the unique and undiscovered; so, armed with a pocketful of loose change and a reckless abandon for hygiene protocol, we laid our stomachs one the line to bring you a review of Dubai’s best shawarmas.

Al Ijaza
Jumeirah Beach Rd
Jumeirah 1
Pumping out shwaramas for over 22 years, Al Ijaza is famous among locals and residents for satiating famine well into the wee hours. On the weekend, cars pack the parking area outside, furiously honking as the occupants shout their demands to nervous staff waiting to take their order.

The shawarma comes with crunchy salad filling, the pita is basted in the grease of the meat and then slightly toasted. The french fry-to-meat ratio is low, which means more meat and less starchy clogging feel when eating. Al Ijaza drizzles tahini sauce throughout, adding an earthy dimension to the flavour. Pickled carrot, cucumber and radish offered on the side are fresh and crunchy.

As an aside, the curious list of drinks should not be missed, we tried the “Facebook”; strawberry, mango, sweet melon and chikoo blended with icecream and topped with chocolate sauce. Sweet and artery clogging, yet refreshing.

Cost: 4 Dirhams
Shawarama score: 6/10

Eat & Drink Restaurant
Al Wasl Rd
Jumeriah 3
Offering a sumptuous sharwarma that could satisfy even the most haughty gourmand, the crowded parking lot of this popular hangout is crowded with hungry customers.

Chicken, spicy chicken and beef sharwarmas are served up by unappreciative, almost belligerent waiters. The frosty reception is compensated by an outstanding shawarma, replete with perfectly soft pita bread, fabulously tender meat drenched in flavour and plump tomato bursting with zest.

What tips it over the edge is the finely sliced cabbage that replaces the usual sodden lettuce of the common garden-variety shawarma. The cabbage adds a crunchy dimension in substitute of french fries, making the experience much lighter than many competitors.

Cost: 4 Dirhams
Shawarma score: 8/10

Arabian Sea Shell Cafeteria
Jumeirah Beach Rd
Jumeirah 3
Our stomachs still churn when we recall the culinary train-wreck that is the Arabian Sea Shell Cafeteria.

We ordered the chicken shawarma, which we held in high hope; the spicy meat dripping with flavour-laden grease promised an experience that offered great things.

What we were met with was average tasting meat, drowning in an unholy union of tepid mayonnaise and tabasco. Scant amounts of damp salad had been tossed in as almost an afterthought and pickled vegetables in a plastic bag were reminiscent of rubber erasers. The one redeeming element of this experience was that the shawarma was basted in its own grease before being lightly toasted, making it crunchy and adding texture to an otherwise substandard attempt at shawarma.

Cost: 4 Dirhams
Shawarma score: 3/10

Istanbul Flower
Sheikh Zayed Rd
Al Wasl
As this was a street-food assignment, we opt to order through a window from the kitchen facing out over the road. We were greeted by an incredibly friendly man who was more than happy to serve us with enthusiasm.

“Hello, I am from Turkistan”, he exclaimed as he gleefully brandished a giant knife and attacked a slab of meat with a beaming grin.

The shawarma at Istanbul Flower is more true to it’s origins, more Turkish inspired. The bread is unleaven and flat, unlike other offerings of pocket-pita. Instead of the standard pickled vegetable on the side, it was incorporated into the filling, giving a tart zing on the palette. There is no lettuce or cabbage, only tomato, however this does not detract from the experience as the tomato is plump and sweet. The thing that makes this shwarma special is that there is no sauce; the juice from the meat is ample to distribute flavour. This interpretation of the shawarma is worth trying.

Cost: 8 Dirhams
Shawarma score: 6.5/10

Al Mallah
Al Diyafah St
Al Diyafah
This is one of the more popular restaurants for shawarma in Dubai, sadly however, we were left with a dry taste in our mouth and a feeling of being slightly underwhelmed.

The bread was dry and the meat filling inside was also. The dryness was offset however by a zesty garlic mayonnaise which had the effect of a moisturising cream in restoring the balance of the contents somewhat.

Sadly, any trace of salad was noticeably absent and substituted by french-fries, which added to the feeling of choking when attempting to swallow.

Cost: 4 Dirhams
Shawarma score: 5/10