Gil Travel Group

Last month Gil Travel hosted a program called "Kosherati – A Kosher Spin on Gulf Food" with Dr. Elli Kriel, who started the first kosher kitchen in the UAE and the Gulf region. Before she ‘got down and dirty’ on teaching the virtual group on how to make her unique challah based on an emirate bread recipe including saffron, cardamom and, of course, dates, Elli talked about her experience of being a Jewish woman, and a Jewish mother, in Dubai. Her business venture, Elli’s Kosher Kitchen, was a result of her own kosher lifestyle that she and her family maintain, even in Dubai. Elli described Dubai as an International community – even the Jewish community is made up of ex-patriates from all over the world. There isn’t an indigenous Emirate Jewish community. Up until the Abraham Accords, with the normalization of relations with Israel, the members of the Jewish community were not necessarily comfortable about displaying their Jewish identity –   they weren’t always sure how open they could be with their peers or colleagues or what response they would receive from their emirate acquaintances once their identity was made public. What I learned from Elli – is that today post Abraham Accords – in addition to 28 direct flights to Israel weekly, visa entry to Israeli’s and Americans upon entry into the UAE, to Kosher kitchens being created in many of the luxury hotels, to integrative business prospects, potential collaborative ventures in medicine, agronomy, water and perhaps even defense - being Jewish in the UAE 2020 is an altogether different experience. One of openness, opportunity and freedom in one’s Jewish Identity; allowing the Jewish community to ‘come out’ and begin to assess its needs, develop goals and create strategy and planning to develop a strong future in this part of the world.

Contrary to popular beliefs on what “magic” is, whether it be a supernatural phenomenon or an astonishing power, there is no magic like the magic of flying.

It’s no surprise that summer is the most popular season to travel, so it’s no surprise that weekend traffic and airport security lines are as unpredictable as ever. When we’re traveling to the airport, there’s no question that there are a lot of factors to take into account—many that can either slow us down, or speed us up.

We always see TV commercials advertising extravagant cruise ships that feature indoor bowling alleys, casinos, movie theaters, etc. But did you know those are not the only types of cruises you can travel on? Sometimes, the loud, family-oriented trips aren't exactly the most soothing for couples traveling without children.

There’s no doubt that cell phones, and then smartphones, changed our daily life. Whether you use it a lot or not at all, a cellphone is a must-take item when leaving your home. When you check your pockets/purse for your keys, wallet and sunglasses, you ALWAYS check to see if have cellphone.

This is part of our Travel Diary series where our travelers write about their experiences abroad and share it with our readers.

Thank you very much Stacey, for sharing and allowing us to share with all of our readers! 

Part of our Travel Diary series where our travelers write about their experiences abroad and share it with our readers.

Thank you very much Stacey, for sharing and allowing us to share with all of our readers!