Driving from Bangladesh to England in a classic Rolls Royce

by Kraig Becker on

Rupert Grey and his wife Jan are preparing to make an epic road trip this September. The kind of road trip that we all dream about during which we leave our normal, mundane, lives behind in favor of the open road and untold adventures. In this case, our two intrepid travelers will begin their journey in Bangladesh and eventually end up back in their native England, covering thousands of miles in between. But Rupert and Jan aren’t content with just making that journey in just any old vehicle, which is why they’ll be driving their classic 1936 Rolls Royce along the way.

While the start of their adventure is still a few months off, the couple are making preparations for what will likely be a fantastic journey. They will be shipping their car to Chittagong, Bangladesh, where they will set out to drive through Bhutan, Nepal, and India before arriving at the Arabian Sea. From there, they’ll board a ship bound for Iran, where they’ll once again hit the open road, crossing into Turkey and eventually Europe, before returning back to the U.K.

Intrigued by this unique road trip, an independent film company hopes to make a documentary of Rupert and Jan’s journey. Rover Films is currently seeking funding for the project, and have already tentatively named their film A Sense of Adventure. You can check out the teaser trailer for it below.

Reading about this story left me to wondering. If you could take any road trip in any vehicle, where would you go and what would you drive? For me personally, I’d love to go from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa, in a classic Land Rover Defender. Say circa 1985 or so.

How about you?

[Photo credit: Rover Films]


A Sense Of Adventure OFFICIAL TEASER from Rover Films on Vimeo.

New luxury hotel to open in Kuwait

by Melanie Nayer on

Hotel Missoni announced it will launch its newest luxury property in Kuwait this fall. The hotel, set to open September 2010, will be succeeded by Hotel Missoni openings in South Africa (2011), Brazil (2012) and Oman (2012).

The Hotel Missoni Kuwait is the second property and the first resort to be launched under the new hotel brand. Hotel Missoni is part of the designer-turned-hotelier trend we’ve witnessed in the industry. The hotel group focuses on the style of the iconic fashion and interiors label, spearheaded by Hotel Missoni Creative Director Rosita Missoni.

The new Kuwait hotel will be located near the main shopping area of Kuwait City, overlooking the Arabian Sea. The hotel is part of a new development that also houses a large shopping mall, apartments and offices.

Hotel Missoni Kuwait will have a total of 169 rooms and suites, all of which have sea views. Each guest room has an in-suite bathroom complete with custom-scented Missoni bath amenities. The 63 suites range from 805 square feet to the 2,260-square-foot Presidential Suite, which also boasts a 970-square-foot outdoor terrace.

The Hotel Missoni Kuwait will also host a swimming pool with mosaic floor in a signature Missoni stripe; 13,000-square-foot Six Senses Spa; Rosita Missoni’s family recipes at Cucina restaurant; 18th floor bar with Arabian Sea views and private access to a mixed-use luxury retail development, which will include a Missoni boutique.

Dubai’s ‘The World’ cancelled

by Kraig Becker on

Remember Dubai’s The World? It was just one of a number of high profile construction projects for a country that seemed to have more dollars than sense. The plan was to create a series of man-made islands in the shape of the major landmasses on the planet. Eventually, plots of land on those islands would be sold off to the highest bidders for residential and commercial zoning. At least that was the plan, but then the world’s economy went into the tank, and like a number of big projects, The World fell victim to the credit crunch, and was canceled.

That may be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems with the man made archipelago, which sits just 4 km off Dubai’s coast. The Times Online is calling it “the world’s most expensive shipping hazard”, and worse yet, the tons of rock and sand that have been dumped into the Arabian Sea have altered the water flow and changed the environment there, which may have a long lasting impact on the ecosystem of that region too.

Now, The World, which in no way resembles the actual planet, is marked as off limits, with security boats patrolling its shores and warning buoys encircling the piles of rock and sand. Only one of the islands is actually occupied, and that one is owned by Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai. The rest have fallen into disarray and are described as looking like piles of muck by a local property agent. What was once a high profile symbol of the country’s opulence, now seems like a failure of epic proportions.

[via Wend]