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THE IRHAL JOURNAL

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Travel Stories

7 - The Winter Palace – St. Petersburg, Russia

From 1732 to 1917, the Winter Palace was a home for the Russian Tsars. Architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli designed the elaborate palace in the Baroque and Rocco style for Grand Duchess Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great, as a symbol of the might of imperial Russia. During her reign, Catherine the Great expanded the Winter Palace and commissioned the addition of a new wing called the Hermitage and filled the…

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Travel Stories

9 - Thai Airways

Thai Airways International, the national carrier of Thailand, is based in Suvarnabhumi Airport. It has one of the longest non-stop commercial flights with its 18-hour non-stop flight from Bangkok to Los Angeles. Skytrax also awarded Thai Airways best airline lounge- first class and best airport services for 2010.

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Beirut: the Chic City

By Bushra Alvi When my husband was invited to attend a weekend symposium in Beirut, there was no way I was going to stay behind. For too long Beirut had been on my list of must-visit places and, while the trip would be short, I decided to tag along. The Emirates flight we took was full and cramped – especially for my six foot tall...

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Seychelles: Life in Slow Motion

By Amna Khalique Visiting Seychelles is like stepping back in time into another realm. Calm, serene, phenomenally gorgeous beaches, so many species of wildlife – you will definitely be tempted to visit each year. With a population of approximately 90,000 in the entire archipelago consisting of 115 islands, Seychelles is natural, untouched beauty at its best.

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Budget Travel: Paris on a Shoestring

It was early afternoon when I walked up the steps to the French Embassy in London. It had closed its doors for the day. But I was confident that I would be able to get in and have a visa stamped on my passport. I had used wasta (connections). If you have a Pakistani passport and are visiting London for a few days, the chances are that...

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An Expat visits Bali

By Irfan Ahmad Living in Dubai has its downsides. A few years back, when we landed at Heathrow, my then five year old son looked around and said, “Why is this airport so dirty?” Granted, London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 was still a couple of years away, but the aseptic environment of Dubai poses a number of challenges for destinations...

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Cape Town: Dinner at Mama Africa

The bed sheets felt fresh and crisp. The duvet was inviting. The heavenly bed seemed heavenly. After a 10 hour flight to Cape Town, sleep was what I craved. But a hungry stomach had other designs on my time. I went down to the Westin’s restaurant and ordered Tom Yom soup and a veggie pizza. The strange combination reflected the state I was in.

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Longyearbyen: 78 degrees North

The van that took us to the hotel had picked up a few other passengers besides us and meandered around the “city” dropping people off at what appeared to be crude, container-like cabins. So this is how people live in this part of the world? I remembered reading that Longyearbyen was a mining town. The metal cabins looked the part....

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