https://www.scmp.com/rss/513961/feed Riddhi Doshi is a Mumbai-based feature writer. Her stories on art, culture, travel and lifestyle have been published in Forbes India, Nat Geo Traveler, Travel & Leisure, The Hindu, The Hindustan Times and Mint Lounge. She is also a Kathak student, a movement therapy practitioner and a first-time pet parent. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The United Arab Emirates’ one-Dirham coin has on one side a depiction of a dallah – a traditional Arabic coffee pot – signifying the importance of coffee in the Arab region. Most homes in the country have dedicated corners where coffee is ground, roasted, brewed, filtered and served to guests. No welcome or social gathering is complete without a cup or two. Arabic coffee has stronger notes than that elsewhere, and has the flavour of cardamom. “But that’s just how we Arabs like it,” says Khalid... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3247649/dubais-coffee-museum-shows-history-drink-and-cultures-around-it-plus-8-worlds-other-major?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3247649/dubais-coffee-museum-shows-history-drink-and-cultures-around-it-plus-8-worlds-other-major?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jan 2024 03:15:12 +0000 It’s a beautiful Sydney evening. The sun is slowly descending into the Pacific Ocean while the sea breeze is in a rush to sweep over the Opera House. At the Australian landmark’s Opera Bar, a tired-looking man is dodging tourists as he looks for a vacant, ocean-facing table. He smiles when he spots one and settles in with his hot chips and cola. Rip, the packet is torn open and in flies one, two, three… 10 noisy seagulls, each bird boldly strutting closer to the man and his food. Enter Bruno,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3234481/these-trained-dogs-sydney-opera-house-precinct-rescue-tourists-australian-citys-worst-food-thieves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3234481/these-trained-dogs-sydney-opera-house-precinct-rescue-tourists-australian-citys-worst-food-thieves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Sep 2023 03:15:09 +0000 Ancient castles, historical palaces, notorious jails – tourists are commonly drawn to such places. But a former mental hospital? Overlooking Lapinlahti Bay, surrounded by a lush-green, bio-diverse park in downtown Helsinki, stands the estate of the Lapinlahti Psychiatric Hospital. Built in 1841 on the orders of Nicholas I – the tsar of Russia at a time when Finland was part of the Russian empire – the state’s first mental-health facility was ahead of its time. Dating from the era of shock... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3203505/what-see-and-do-finlands-oldest-mental-hospital-helsinki-reborn-cultural-centre-and-tourist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3203505/what-see-and-do-finlands-oldest-mental-hospital-helsinki-reborn-cultural-centre-and-tourist?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Dec 2022 08:15:11 +0000 In the run-up to the football World Cup, Doha, the capital city of host country Qatar, has been transformed into something of an open-air art museum. A hundred public art installations, sculptures and paintings produced by emerging and established artists from all seven continents will greet the 1 million spectators expected by Qatar Tourism at the country’s airport, stadiums, beaches, markets, metro stations, hotels and cultural spaces. The Public Art project is designed to provide a taste of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3196771/10-must-see-public-art-installations-doha-football-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3196771/10-must-see-public-art-installations-doha-football-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 10:15:07 +0000