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England Oxford: 20 sights to visit
Middle East 10 spots to see in Qatar (apart from Doha and Lusail)
Kuwait Kuwait in 15 sights
Asia Tokyo: 30 things to do in Japanese capital
Europe 
Middle East Dubai with kids: part 2
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When I say that Qatar has one of the best range of hotels in the world, I really mean this 🥹 #purpurpurpur_hotels
Our unforgettable stay at the @rafflesdoha - and check our last day in Sri Lanka in stories!
Save the best guide to Oxford, UK, for a perfect weekend activity!
1. Visit Ashmolean Museum
2. Get lost at Blackwell’s bookstore
3. Explore the Radcliffe Camera
4. Admire Divinity school
5. Explore New college
6. Pop inside the Oxford castle
7. Visit Oxford University Museum of Natural History
8. See the collection of Pitt Rivers Museum
9. Spot the Eagle and Child pub … (It was closed last time I visited)
10. ..Or go to the Bear, the oldest pub of Oxford
11. Explore the Christ Church
12. Observe The Sheldonian Theatre
13. Spot Bridge of Sighs
14. Stroll along the University Parks of Oxford
15. Have a cup of coffee at the Covered Market
16. Observe Oxford from above
17. Catch the White Rabbit at the Alice’s Shop
18. Shop at the Westgate Oxford
19. Take Oxford river cruise
20. Have a ride to the Bicester village
Where to stay in Oxford?
Last time we stayed in Courtyard by Marriott Oxford city centre – it has the most fantastic location: just in a few minutes from the shopping centre and the city centre. And if you’re lucky, you’ll get a window view over the Oxford castle (just like we did).
More info at purpurpurpur.co.uk, link in bio #purpurpurpur_guides🔎🌎
How many deers can you count (including an ice cream 😆) 🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵
Must see activities in Nara, an ancient capital of Japan:
1.Treat the deers at Nara park
2.Feed koi at Manyo Botanical Garden
3.Count the lanterns at Kasuga Shrine
4.Measure Buddha’s nostrils at Tōdai-ji
5.See the weeping sakura at Himuro Shrine
Follow @purpurpurpur for more travel inspiration and find more itineraries and hotel reviews at Purpurpurpur.co.uk, link in bio #purpurpurpur_guides🔎🌎
Save this hotel for your next Japanese trip!
For our last trip to Tokyo we opted for one of the most luxurious hotels in Tokyo: Shangri-La, and it didn’t disappoint.
We’ve got a corner room right above Tokyo Station with the panoramic windows: you can spot Tokyo Tree and Tokyo tower too from it!
And I’m speechless for this bathroom with the bathtub opening over the sleepless city and L’occitane skin care products.
The Lobby lounge restaurant serves fantastic seasonal Japanese dishes together with some western dishes. Their breakfasts were also good, especially the Japanese traditional breakfast (however I must note that the breakfast area is tiny, you have to wait for a table from time to time, and the buffet selection is rather limited).
#purpurpurpur_hotels
What a perfect place to be for a sunset 🥹👇🏻
The Inland Sea, or Khor Al Adaid, is one of the most unique sights of Qatar. This is an inlet of the Gulf surrounded by dunes from the Qatar side and by mountains from the Saudi Arabia side (the border lies on the other side of the Inland sea). This area is actually pretty wild with no people living here, so it has a unique flora and fauna too. 🔥
You can also spot the ‘sabkha’, commonly known as a stone desert: this is a flat hard area formed after the salty water evaporated.💦💦
We came there to watch the sunset, and our guide organised a small tea reception with a real fire right on the sand for us 🫖☕️🫖☕️🫖
Follow @purpurpurpur for more travel inspiration and find more itineraries and hotel reviews at Purpurpurpur.co.uk, link in bio #purpurpurpur_guides🔎🌎
You definitely didn’t expect to see pandas in Qatar!🇶🇦
📍Panda house
‼️Important: you should book your tickets in advance via Oun app! There are no tickets sold on the site!‼️
The Panda House is the first panda park in the Middle East opened in 2022 to commemorate the World Cup which makes Qatar the first country in the region to receive Chinese giant pandas!
one female and one male,both named after stars/constellations. Each has its own custom made enclosure.
The space is very well made, and there is also a panda themed cafe (with a view over pandas!), a kids only creative space, a shop, and a garden around the house.
I’ve been to China (Chengdu panda reserve), Singapore and many other places which have pandas but I’ve never seen a panda so close!
Follow @purpurpurpur for more travel inspiration and find more itineraries and hotel reviews at Purpurpurpur.co.uk, link in bio #purpurpurpur_guides🔎🌎
Save 10 spots to see in Qatar (apart from Doha and Lusail) - more info is at Purpurpurpur.co.uk, link in bio! #purpurpurpur_guides🔎🌎
Where to stay in Qatar: Banyan tree La Cigale Doha @banyantreedoha
The Banyan Tree Doha La Cigale is very unusual but still stylish, and just look at our room overlooking Doha!
Panoramic bathrooms are always the best, and the skincare products smell as if I was back to the flower market of Bangkok.
There are modern ‘pigeon towers’ located in the hotel garden, which look really impressive, right? What a modern take on the iconic Qatari architecture.
Sadly, their gorgeous indoor pool was only 16+, however this are looked very relaxing and stylish. They also have a spa however I didn’t have chance to experience it.
Breakfast area is located on the 27th floor right under the Vertigo restaurant on the 28th floor. The food selection is not very big but still good..
The hotel offers special services, and I opted for a relaxing bath with some mocktails and candles. #purpurpurpur_hotels
We have just arrived to my 59th country (will announce it in stories soon!) - and check my new guide to Qatar at Purpurpurpur.co.uk!
While we’re spending last days in Singapore… Have you already been to the Frameless in London? Fantastic immersive experience for all ages!
Is this even real?🥹🥹🥹
Dondoko forest in Ghibli Park, Nagoya, is the magical forest, where you can find the Satsuki and Mai’s house from the My neighbour Totoro movie (it’s a traditional Japanese house you can explore), a traditional Japanese garden, and a tram!
But the very heart of it is a giant Totoro figure sitting on the top of the hill! Kids can even climb inside the Totoro figure.
The Japanese garden around the Dondoko forest of Totoro is such a gem, too, with white herons strolling in the pond and sakura blooming everywhere. #purpurpurpur_guides🔎
Save your guide to Kuwait:🇰🇼
1. The Avenues
2. Kuwait towers
3. Mirror House
4. Liberation tower
5. Souq Al-Mubarakiya Market
6. Grand mosque
7. Al-Seif Palace
8. Fish market
9. Souk Sharq Mall
10. Al Bahhar Entertainment Historical Village
11. The Scientific Centre
12. National Museum of Kuwait
13. Al Sadu House
14. Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Centre
15. Water towers
‼️IMPORTANT‼️
Hospitality: taxis, museums, restaurants
Some things are not necessarily adapted for the foreign visitors in Kuwait. The taxi drivers take you to random spots (even if you put an exact location on Careem app, this doesn’t mean you’ll end up there) and museums have unusual opening times for westerners: the majority are closed on Fridays and Saturdays and some are also closed on Sundays. Besides that, many have 3-4 hour lunch break, for instance, from 12.30 to 4.30 on the rest of the days. On the other hand, some museums simply cannot be accessed at all or you have to book a tour in advance.
For instance, we’ve been told that Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Centre was closed at all, and visits to the Mirror House and Al Salam palace museums are available only via the guided tours booked in advance (you can’t come on the site and have it there, so book a tour at least 24 hours prior to your visit).
On the other hand, there are lots of great restaurants and cafes, all with English menus and with staff speaking decent English. And the authentic historical Arabic vibe is present for sure – Kuwait City reminded me more of Jordan than Qatar, Bahrain, Oman or UAE.
New blog is live at purpurpurpur.co.uk-best things to do in Kuwait City (and what to avoid!) - the link in bio!
Follow @purpurpurpur for more travel inspiration and find more itineraries and hotel reviews at Purpurpurpur.co.uk, link in bio #purpurpurpur_guides🔎🌎
Save the best hotel for your trip to Kuwait! 🇰🇼
📍The Hotel Waldorf Astoria Kuwait @waldorfastoriakuwait is a fantastic luxury hotel just 15 minutes away from the airport.
It’s located in the biggest mall of the country: it opens up to the Gucci and Hermes shops and Angelina cafe.
The skincare they use in the hotel is Aqua di Parma. George got the warmest welcome from the team: and look, he even has a wigwam with a balloon!
They also have a great kids club with a castle tower, a kitchen and lots of activities going on. The breakfast is served in the Ava restaurant on a balcony overlooking the Avenues mall.
We also enjoyed our evening at the Roka Japanese restaurant there.
#purpurpurpur_hotels
Fendi cafe in the Avenues mall, Kuwait: yay or nay?
My guide to Kuwait is live at Purpurpurpur.co.uk, link in bio - don’t forget to subscribe!
Any White Lotus fans? 🪷
@anantaramaikhao might look familiar to you because season 3 of it was partly shot here! We booked it before we learned about it 🤣
We had a personal villa with a private pool and an outdoor bathtub, a covered terrace and a gazebo overlooking the lotus pond.
The villa looking over the pool is not very big, but extremely stylish and decorated with traditional thai ornaments and I adored our bathroom with panoramic windows - especially the outdoor bathtub 🥹🥹🥹🌿
#purpurpurpur_hotels
