I'm going to be in London for the Olympic Games but I've yet to sort out any tickets or book accommodation. Have I left it all too late?
There are still some tickets left for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, which open on July 27 and run until September 9, but you have to be willing to spend time searching out what's available and need money to spend on what is already an expensive holiday destination.
If you have a credit card registered to an address in the UK or EU, you can buy a short break through the tour operator Thomas Cook (www.thomascooklondon2012.com) that includes tickets for a range of different Olympic sports at different venues plus accommodation at different price points. Among the cheapest is £99 (Dh579) per person for a one-night stay at the Ibis London Heathrow with tickets to a preliminary round of the women's volleyball competition. One of the most expensive is a three-night stay at the Waldorf Hilton near Covent Garden in the West End, with tickets to the closing ceremony and the men's hockey and volleyball finals for £5,899 (Dh34,522) per person.
MMI Travel has been appointed to sell Olympic Games travel packages (including economy airfare, hotel accommodation, event tickets, transfers and insurance) in the UAE and it reports some availability for athletic and equestrian events. Sample prices include a three-night Olympic equestrian package (August 6 to 9) from Dh12,593 per person.
If you decide not to join the scramble for tickets and simply go to soak up the atmosphere, flights are more expensive than usual. For example, Etihad Airways (www.etihad.com) has just released early summer flights to the UK capital for travel from April 10 to May 31 for Dh3,330 but a return economy fare for the period of July to early September is Dh4,370. The Dubai-based Emirates (www.emirates.com) is no cheaper at Dh4,890 for an economy return, just over Dh1,000 more than if you flew next week. Flying indirectly via Doha with Qatar Airways (www.qatarairways.com) is more affordable at Dh2,960 return, but less convenient.
Once you do land there are a plethora of rooms still available but why not base yourself in East London, one of the UK capital's trendiest neighbourhoods near the Olympic Park? The smart Town Hall Hotel (www.townhall.com) in Bethnal Green has double rooms from £420 (Dh2,457) per night, including breakfast and taxes, for a minimum five-night stay. Just down the road, a double room at the comfortable but more basic RE Hotel (www.hotelshoreditch.com) costs a reasonable £119 (Dh696) per night, including taxes. Whatever you decide to do, it's worth visiting www.London2012.com to get the most up-to-date information.
Do you have travel questions or queries? E-mail them to us at travel@thenational.ae
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Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Company%20Profile
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CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
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Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
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Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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