Darren has just got back from staying at the fantastic Atlantis the Palm : Driving up the trunk road of the Palm in Dubai the Atlantis dominations the horizon, and to be honest I was a little unsure if I'd like the resort as it looked very big and possible a bit soulless. The driveway to the hotel was full with other guest being dropped off and entering the lobby was a bit overwhelming with all the people whizzing around. Check was pretty quick and efficient which was a surprise as the lobby was so busy and I found the welcome extremely professional and friendly. Things were looking good! I was taken to my room with was lovely, very spacious with great views over the Palm and also the main swimming pool. The room was very clean and the quality of the furnishings very good, with all the facilities you could need for a comfortable stay. I have to say the hotel was a lot less themed than I was dreading and not tacky at all. After I settle in I head to the pool for a fe...

In 2012 we did a lot of travel, for research honest! One of Darren's favourites was Oman : “For a spot of winter sunshine late last year I had a long weekend in Oman, where temperatures were in the mid 30's - just perfect for lazy days in the pool! I stayed at the Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz Carlton hotel and a local landmark - there aren't many hotels I've been to where the local Sultan has a floor all to himself (not even the hotel's manager has been to the 9th floor, apparently!) Oman is a beautiful country and Muscat itself is a fascinating town - the area has some beautiful hotels but if you can drag yourself away from the beach then I'd really recommend exploring Muscat for a half a day. The Grand Mosque is a beautiful example of Arabic architecture, while the Downtown area of Mutrah has an excellent Souq that looks like it hasn't changed for hundreds of years - I bought some spices and a rather lovely stained glass light fitting that seemed like a b...