KT readers share their stunning holiday pictures

We asked our readers to share their favourite summer vacation snaps. Here are our top picks

Mazhar Farooqui

Published: Sat 13 Aug 2022, 9:54 PM

Last updated: Sat 13 Aug 2022, 11:29 PM

From experiencing unbelievable exhibits at Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in Hollywood to soaking up the sun on the sandy beaches of Maldives, UAE residents stopped at nothing to get into the holiday spirit this year

Dubai-based Ukrainian entrepreneur Natali Budzei had the ultimate entertainment experience at Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in Hollywood, California,

Here she posing in front of the iconic dress Marilyn Monroe wore in 1962 while singing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy. The $4.8 million costume was reportedly ruined after Kim Kardashian wore it at the Met Gala earlier this year. Believe it or not, Ripley’s has denied claims that American reality-star damaged the gown.

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Irish expat Elinor Reilly shared this picture from Civita di Bagnoregio, a medieval hilltop village in central Italy that can only be reached by crossing a narrow pedestrian bridge. The historic tourist destination became known as the “dying village” because of the flaking tuff hill it is built on.

British expat Natasha Dury, 21, went to the UK on a family vacation. Here’s she having a great day out at Runway Visitor Park at Manchester Airport, home to a variety of legendary retired planes including the spectacular supersonic airliner, Concorde G-BOAC; and former RAF military spy plane, Nimrod.

One of Dubai’s most popular influencer couple, Gaurav Tandon and Kritika Rawat enjoyed some quality time together with their four-year-old daughter Kyra at an Alpaca farm in Azerbaijan.

A species of South American camelid mammal, alpacas are prized as pets and cattle because of their docile and soft nature. It is similar to, and often confused with, the llama.

Ankita Arora, who works for a real estate company in Dubai, took a break to unwind in Turkey with her parents and sister. She sent this panoramic view from Goreme in Cappadocia, famous for its cone-shaped rock formations.

Radio jockey Sanchari, who hosts Meethi Mirchi on Mirchi 102.4 FM Dubai, had an epic vacation in the USA where she visited several popular landmarks including Hershey’s Chocolatetown, inspired by the legacy of American confectioner Milton S. Hershey (1857-1945), who pioneered the manufacture of caramel, using fresh milk and founded The Hershey Company, commonly known as Hershey's, is an American multinational company and one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world

Viktoriya Melnykova, a senior advisor at the Gallorie Art Gallery in City Walk, Dubai chilled out with her kids Vitaly and Nikita in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a charming Provencal town on the river Sorgue in Provence, in south-eastern France, known for its antique stores and weekend markets.

Dubai-based jewellery designer cum gemologist Vinita Michael visited her hometown Kerala, India, with husband Melvin Jospeh and sons Ethan and Marcus.

Schengen visa delays have prompted many UAE residents to opt for countries with visa on arrival facilities. One such popular destination is Georgia. Ezekiel and Tracy travelled to the country’s capital, Tblisi where they had a great time exploring Georgian culture and cuisine

Milu Mary Mathew went to Armenia on a family trip. Here’s she posing with her daughter at Garni Temple, the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia and the former Soviet Union.

Indian expat Kapil Dahal enjoyed a thrilling paragliding adventure in picturesque Pokhara, dubbed as the lake city of Nepal because of the stunning mirror-like freshwater lakes nestled amid majestic mountains.

Gabriela Shihadeh shared a picture while posing in front of the Eifel Tower. The iconic landmark in Paris welcomes almost seven million visitors annually making it the most visited monument that you have to pay for in the world.

Patrick Rodgriuez posed for this picture outside the Taj Mahal, the famous ivory white marble mausoleum on the banks of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. And no, 16th century Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who built the monument in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahak, did not chop off the hands of Taj Mahal workers. It’s an urban myth.

Rema Charlon took in the sights and sounds of Kerala, a state in south India that is often referred to God’s own country because of its misty hills, serene back waters and lush fields.

Sam Fraser shared this insta-worthy picture from Egypt, ranked nine among 17 most popular destinations for travellers in 2023, according to Travel Awaits, a website specialising in tourism and travel affairs

Sehrish Anjum had a blast at Tomorowland, one of the world's biggest EDM (Electronic Dance Music) festivals. Making its return after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival is held in the Belgian town of Boom and welcomed roughtly 600,000 revellers from more than 200 countries across three weekends.

Sabahat Nasim and his friends trekked for nearly two hours to reach Dumail, a high-altitude camping spot near Narang, a tourist village and ancient Hindu pilgrimage site, near in Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Geraldine Naorbe had the time of her life in Grandpark, Maldives which welcomed over 36,000 tourists between August 1 and 8, a 521 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2021.The island nation’s President Ibrahim Mohamed hopes to welcome 1.6 million tourists in 2022 which marks 50 years since the inception of the country’s tourism industry in 1972.

Angelica Ferrao had Scooby gang singing Happy Birthday to her at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, USA.

Akash Dil enjoyed the idyllic bliss of Kazbeki in Georgia.

Arshad Khan and his family visited the Fuhrer bunker in Berlin wher Adolf Hitler, chancellor and dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945, committed suicide as Soviet troops closed in on him

And the staycationers

Many UAE stayed put for the summer to enjoy attractive hotel deals closer home. Here are some pictures they shared with us.

Adam and Alladin Shefin lazed around with their parents at Cove Rotana in Ras Al Khaimah.

Dona Hossein Heidari explored Dubai’s half desert road on a horseback.

Sam Mile Lee visited the spectacular seven-storey Museum of the Future, billed as the “most beautiful building in the world.

Samina Nazerali sent this picture from Dubai Miracle Garden, which sprawls over 72,000 square metres, making it the world’s largest natural flower garden.

Bhoomika Singh and her family had a splashing good time at Yas Waterworld, Abu Dhabi, home to 45 rides, slides and attractions besides a diversity of seasonal events and shows.

Sancia Gonsalvez posed with her partner Rex Lopez at Wings of Mexico, a metal sculpture of angel wings that stands in front of the Burj Khalifa.