United Arab Emirates Archives — Page 3 of 8

Once upon a time in Dubai: when the fairy tale doesn’t unfold (or get told) the way they wanted it to, Or, Why the media needs to grow up

“A couple of years ago when I first started reading travel articles about all the new develop- ments in Dubai, I could never have guessed that this would happen,” Erica from Blissful Travel wrote in response to my post on Dubai yesterday, which was actually a pointer to Terence’s post on Dubai’s Global Reporting Meltdown … Read more about Once upon a time in Dubai: when the fairy tale doesn’t unfold (or get told) the way they wanted it to, Or, Why the media needs to grow up

Dubai’s Global Reporting Meltdown

by Lara Dunston

Speaking of Dubai, the little city-state has taken quite a beating in the media lately with a number of negative articles about its apparent economic meltdown, written as if the rest of the world weren’t in recession. My partner and co-author Terence Carter, who is also a writer and photographer who blogs at Wide angles, … Read more about Dubai’s Global Reporting Meltdown

Please don’t tell me this is the future of guidebooks, or, Offbeat Guides part 3: a depressing postcript

by Lara Dunston

Does the world really need travel guides compiled for us from Wikipedia and/or any other online sources for that matter? Following on from my posts on Offbeat Guides part 1: my findings & part 2: my conclusion, I’ve been thinking about the future of travel guides…but first, the postscript: after posting part 2, I returned … Read more about Please don’t tell me this is the future of guidebooks, or, Offbeat Guides part 3: a depressing postcript

Offbeat Guides part 2: my conclusions

by Lara Dunston

Outdated, incorrect, misleading, poorly-written and poor choice of points of interest, the Dubai ‘guide’ that Offbeat Guides delivered was disappointing. It was about as current, authentic and original as the museum display pictured. My conclusions based on my findings: 1. Not an ‘offbeat’ bone in the guide’s body: the title suggests the content’s focus would … Read more about Offbeat Guides part 2: my conclusions

Offbeat Guides part 1: my findings

by Lara Dunston

As the new travel product Offbeat Guides intrigued me and I’d been invited to try their beta, I decided to test them out with Dubai, a place few people know better than Terence and I. My shorthand notes based on the exercise: * After signing in, selecting destination & inputting travel details, site promises I’ll … Read more about Offbeat Guides part 1: my findings