ARABIANCOUNTRIESWELOVE
NolundiMncwango, 47 SiyaToyi, 29
An events specialist, wife, mother,
daughter, sister and a lover of fun,
Nolundisayssheusestravellingtomake
newfriends,spendtimewithfamily,and
unwind.
WhatfascinatedyouaboutDubai?
Theirinfrastructureisoutofthisworld
andtheweatherwasperfectwhenwe
visited.WestayedattheAtlantis Palm
Hotel,whichhasalmosteverythingyou
canthinkof—includingfunactivities
and different restaurants. I’m a New
Year’sDaybaby,soI reallyenjoyedtheir
NewYear’sEvepartyandourstay.
Whatwouldyourecommendothers
try?Thesanddunes,hiringa yacht,the
helicopter ride,and definitelyvisiting
theirtwobigmalls.EasternCape-borncommercialquality
professionallovesthefinersideoflife.
Whatshelovesthemostabouttravelling
isseeing,firsthand,howotherpeople
liveinotherpartsoftheworld.
WhatfascinatedyouaboutIstanbul,
Turkey?There’sa mixtureofanancient
andmodernfeeltothecity.It’sbuzzing
withvibrancy,yetthelifeoftheoldcity
remainsa gemunalteredbythemodern
waysofliving.
Whatwouldyourecommendothers
try?When inIstanbul,theoldcityis
amust-seebecauseof itsrichhistory
and beauty. The Asian patterns and
buildings are so beautiful. Bosphorus
Bridgeatnightandaferryridetothe
islandsshouldnotbemissed.Silava June Ogana, 28 Florence Chichaya, 36
Kenya-born Silava lives and works in
SA. She’s the director of organic skin
and haircare company, Sava Organics.
Her parent’s zest for life and cultural
curiosity led to her love for travel.
What fascinated you about Egypt?
The history of Egypt is quite interesting.
There are many references about Egypt
globally, including the Bible. I was
excited to visit the Pyramids of Giza, the
Nile River, and dine at local restaurants.
Even though Egypt is an Islamic state,
I found it quite accommodative. The
restrictions on dressing and travelling
alone are almost non-existent.
What would you recommend others
try? The Pyramids, dinner at Pharos
Cruising Restaurants, a walk along
Muizz Street, a night out at Cairo Jazz
Club and flea market shopping at Khan
El Khalili.Born to an ambassador father, Florence’s
family travelled extensively — and thus,
her passion for wanting to see more of
the world was planted. She relocated to
the Middle East while working in the
hospitality industry in Cape Town.
What fascinated you about Doha,
Qatar? I was pleasantly surprised at
how warm and welcoming people were
to me. With the World Cup around the
corner, there’s so much activity and
excitement in Doha. The juxtaposition
of the new modern city and the old
traditional town are a beautiful site!
What would you recommend others
try? Definitely visit the Museum of
Islamic Art, and shop for traditional
garments at Souq Waqif. During
Ramadan, you get to enjoy the amazing
food and buffets. The Muslim religion
and culture there is beautiful to witness.BY
Sisonke Labase
IMAGES Supplied
MY TRAVELS
WWW.TRUELOVE.CO.ZA (^) |^2019 OCTOBER (^) |^113
Four avid travellers explored nations
rich in history and enjoyed exotic markets,
seascapes and deserts!