Everyone dreams of finding a great love or mysterious special someone while traveling abroad. The allure of the foreign, the sexy accents, the spicy romance. One of our recent trip participants found all that and more and is now marrying the love of her life she met on one of our Galapagos expeditions. This story's too cute not to share- keep iExplore in mind for all your future matchmaking needs.    

                                            

Dear Sir/Madam,

If you could spare a few moments I would like to share a love story with you.

A woman in her 30's who had been unlucky in love and basically resigned to being single, goes on what she expects will be a once in a lifetime trip to Ecuador visiting the Galapagos Islands and hiking in Cotopaxi National Park. Aside from the great adventure of breathtaking scenery and an incredible array of animals and plant life, she also finds the man of her dreams. This wonderful man has all of the qualities she has always hoped to find in a partner and had given up ever finding in one man.   As you can guess this love story is my love story. I am currently engaged to marry this wonderful man whom I met in the Galapagos Islands.  And the challenges of a long distance relationship has forced us to really get to know each other. Lots of long distance phone calls, emails and old fashioned snail mail. 

Daniel was working on the ship. Every day we had the opportunity to chat and among the many things that impressed me about Daniel were his priorities. Instead of asking me if I liked to party or what I did, he asked about my family. He asked if I had a good relationship with my family, and how I felt about marriage and children. This was very refreshing and endearing. One day Daniel told me that he liked me, and then asked if it was okay with me that he liked me. I tried to act nonchalant, like tall, dark, handsome men proposition me every day of the week. So I told Daniel that it was okay with me that he liked me, and then coyly turned around to try to turn off a light that was not even on, failing to operate the switch I was so flustered. Daniel very politely showed me how to operate the light switch, while I tried to exit the room with some semblance of dignity. Instead of walking through the door which was wide open, I walked right into the wall. Daniel acted as if he did not notice. But I think that was a clue to him that I liked him as well.

We have applied for a visa for my fiancé. Once my fiancé arrives we will only have 90 days to arrange our wedding. I would like to have a nice simple affair to thank our friends and family for all their love and support through this process. Thank you iExplore for helping this Cinderella find her handsome prince.

             

Sincerely,

Lisa R. Ahmed, Waltham, MA

Inquiring minds want to know: have you met anyone abroad? Any great tales of romance or fantasy?

Dubai is literally a city that is being built overnight. Work crews construct highways, public transit systems, and some of the worlds' tallest buildings from dusk until dawn, and beyond. Highway signs point to destinations that have not been built and taxi drivers are still learning where everything is located.

I began my journey in Dubai at the Madinat Jumeirah Resort. I was in quick need of an alcoholic beverage following my 14-hour long-haul flight from Atlanta. My taxi pulls up to the resort, which is actually more of a mini-city than a hotel. The concierge and valet run around feverishly to illustrate their level of efficiency and hospitality as I enter the Madinat property. The resort is the definition of opulence as I see man-made waterways transporting hotel guests to various parts of this Arabian-styled "super-hotel". Complete with two grand boutique hotels, courtyard summerhouses, a traditional souk, and a wealth of restaurants and nightclubs.

The next morning, I decide to spend some time on the infamous Sheikh Zayed Road. A 7-lane highway that cuts directly through newly constructed downtown Dubai. Some of the tallest and most uniquely designed buildings in the world line this street. An incomplete high-speed monorail hovers 40-50 feet above this super highway, which is said to eventually provide public transit service for all of Dubai and neighboring cities. This is a very ambitious yet essential task to easing the ever-worsening traffic that is quickly becoming a staple of this city.

I enter the Four Points Sheridan, which is a 45-story colossal building that actually seems petite in comparison to its neighbor, the 170-story Burj Dubai (the tallest building in the world). The roof deck is the most amazing part of this hotel, with a never-ending pool and a Caribbean inspired bar that has pina-coladas and margaritas down to a science.

Yearning for a taste of traditional Middle-eastern culture, I decided to drive to the Eastern shore of UAE, which is bordered by the Sea of Oman. Once you are 15-20 minutes outside of Dubai, you quickly see how under-developed this tiny city-state used to be 10-15 years ago. There is nothing but desert on all sides and the only sign of civilization is the occasional carpet dealer on the side of the highway.

After 2.5 hours, I reached the town of Dibby, which has only 2 hotels. The rest of the town is a mix of fish markets and falafel restaurants with a population of approx. 1,500. The main attractions in this city are the public beaches. These vast swaths of sand are cluttered with abandoned cars, washed up artifacts and unique photo opportunities. I took a camera and a journal with me and was able to spend the entire day without the least bit of boredom.  

If you decide to take a trip to Dubai, I strongly recommend seeing many of the amazing sights that have become symbols of this modern metropolis. However, taking a small day-trip outside the city has the possibility of opening your mind to the unpredictability and the simplicity of this once quiet coastal sheikdom.

Check out iExplore's Dubai Experience, a fully customizable and privately-guided 7-day tour.

Dean Tatooles is an amazingly talented photographer and an iExplore customer.  He joined iExplore on an Antarctica excursion last winter and was kind enough to share some of his photographs from his trip with us. The entire iExplore staff was blown away by his beautiful panoramic shots; they did the (almost impossible) job of capturing the essence of a destination like Antarctica.  We wanted to get his take on travel photography, glean a few photography tips from him and talk briefly about his next iExplore excursion to Indochina. We hope you will enjoy our interview and we know you will love his photos.

CNN Travel Writer Chris Bach had a trip to Antarctica on his bucket list of ten things he wanted to do before he dies.  He came back and called Antarctica Awe-Inspiring.  I know you recently went on our Antarctica tour, tell us your thoughts about the experience.
Antarctica was definitely on my list of places to photograph.  I set a goal personally to step on all seven continents before I turned 40.  I am traveling with iExplore to Southeast Asia in a couple weeks and will achieve that goal five years early.  It's funny, I thought Antarctica would be my last continent; however, Antarctica became more intriguing to me as I continued to research it.  Most people think of Antarctica as this white barren wasteland.  It is something completely different.  The colors down there are awe-inspiring and the photographic opportunities were boundless.   The sheer grandeur of the place and its majesty will leave you speechless.

I would imagine there would be great challenges to photographing Antarctica.  Tell me about it.
Photographing winter scenes is especially challenging because of the wide range of contrast in a scene.  Antarctica was particularly challenging because of the difference in tonality of the bright whites and dark deep blues.  I shoot predominantly in the 6x17 panoramic format. My camera equipment is bulky, heavy and difficult to set up.  I was fortunate to have several days of advantageous weather and lighting conditions in Antarctica, with not too much wind or snow.  There were days, however, when Antarctica's wrath reared its ugly head and made shooting very difficult.

What percentage of photos from a trip are pre-planned versus spur of the moment that you were inspired to take along the way?
That is one of the best questions anyone has ever asked me.  A very small percentage of my images are pre-planned.  I find that most of my best photographs are those which I stumble upon.  Notwithstanding, once I decide on a destination I immerse myself into as many photographic books as I can to view how other photographer "see" a scene.  Then, when on location, I try and get a different angle or perspective than other photographers have gotten.  Be unique.  Yes, I get the shot of the landmark from the well-known vantage point, but I also try to capture life on a day-to-day basis and capture common things that people might pass by and not really "see". 

I am going to Southeast Asia next.  I have already envisioned how I want to capture Angkor Wat, for example.  Everybody has seen the temple and knows what it looks like.  But from a panoramic standpoint, I would like to capture it early in the morning when the sun rises over the top and the towers reflect into the lotus ponds.  That's the way I see it.  Also, I know that there is substantial tree growth inside the temple walls, which will lend itself wonderfully to some intimate panoramic landscapes.

How do you work with your travel partners like iExplore to ensure you have the flexibility to get the shots you want?
I don't like to travel with large groups for a number of reasons.  Large groups move around too fast and I need the time and flexibility to set up my shots.  iExplore has been very accommodating to my needs and has set me up with some fantastic private guides.  In certain circumstances a helicopter may be required and iExplore is always able to connect me with an able pilot who gets me where I need to be.

What is your favorite destination from a traveler's point of view and from a photographer's point of view?
It is truly hard to answer that question. I like all of the places I have traveled for different reasons.  If I had to pick one location from a traveler's perspective it would have to be Southern Africa, particularly Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia.  The close proximity of the wildlife, unique culture and exposure to an area where you are not at the top of the food chain were all life-changing experiences for me individually. From a photographer's standpoint, I would say Antarctica because of its remoteness, desolation and sheer pristine beauty.  The ice formations alone could provide a photographer with a lifetime of material.

Have any tips for amateur photographers to get the best photos on their next adventure?
I still shoot film.  However, a lot of people are using digital SLR cameras these days, which are great. A digital SLR camera gives you the freedom to make adjustments on location to gain a better result.  I would suggest that if someone is serious about getting better pictures that they learn to take their camera off the automatic settings and learn to use the semi-manual or manual settings.  There are a number of classes that teach technique offered around the country, some of which are only one weekend day.  A photographer can learn basic techniques such as using "shutter priority" to stop animals in their tracks or smooth out a waterfall.  Another tip to someone wanting to get better pictures is to get closer to what you are shooting.  If you think you are close enough you probably are not! 
 
You've said your hope is your work touches that sense of adventure in everyone and that viewers of your photographs will be transported to another time and place, even if its for just a moment. What time and place does your favorite photo transport you?
The Antarctica photo of the blue ice (above), is one of my favorite images.  It is hard to gain a perspective of how massive this ice flow was.   I generally don't like to have people or man-made objects in my photographs, but it might have been a good idea to have a zodiac in the frame to give the viewer a better sense of perspective.  Oh well, I got the shot I wanted and am very happy with it.  To me, this image transports me to another place in time every time I look at it.  In one word it is extraterrestrial.
 
Dean will be traveling to Indochina later this fall.  When he gets back we will be sure to touch base with him and share more photos and tips from Dean. In the meantime be sure to check out his online photo gallery.