Hayley Skirka

Travel journalist and editor

United Arab Emirates

Deputy travel editor based in the Middle East. Reporter with 10 years of experience, endless stories to tell and a specialist interest in travel.

Currently writing, commissioning and editing print and digital travel content at The National newspaper - the largest English language news service in the UAE with bureaus in Abu Dhabi, London and Washington DC.

Experience writing for Lonely Planet, Time Out, World Travellers, Stylist, Sorbet, Dubai Tourism and more.

Portfolio

Travel

The National
05/11/2020
'We are totally on our own': how coronavirus is impacting indigenous tribes around the world

"At stake is our way of life, our culture, traditions and, ultimately, our forests," cautions Randy Borman from the Cofan tribe, one of the oldest surviving indigenous cultures in the Amazon. "So far there are no active cases of coronavirus in the community, and we have established heavy fines for anyone breaking quarantine," adds Borman, who is vice president of the Zabalo village in Ecuador's rainforest.

The National
03/04/2022
'Tomorrow is too late': plea for more hotel rooms to aid Ukrainian refugees

"It's unthinkable," says Sofia Widmann, shaking her head in disbelief. "This is Ukraine we're talking about, it's Kyiv." For the last week, she hasn't slept much. Born and brought up in the Ukrainian capital, Widmann has been living in Austria for eight years with her husband Michael and their young daughter.

The National
01/23/2022
Seven sustainable train journeys new in 2022: from the Swiss Alps to Scottish Highlands

There's something about travelling by train that stirs the soul. Whizzing along as you enjoy ever-changing scenery, speeding over viaduct bridges and waking up in a city that isn't the one you went to sleep in are just some of the appeal. Train travel also conjures up images of a bygone era rich with romance, adventure and opportunity.

The National
11/03/2020
Battling fires in Brazil's wetlands: Scorched paws and firefighting scientists

It's been weeks since flames first licked through the now-charred region of the Pantanal that Fernando Tortato and a team of volunteers are slowly scouring through. A jaguar programme conservation scientist with Panthera - the global wild cat conservation organisation - Tortato has joined government agency workers and local volunteers to comb through the blackened remnants of the world's largest tropical wetlands, after they were ravaged by the worst fires on record.

The National
03/14/2018
Brazil's best-kept secret: a night in the Amazon rainforest

Brazil's Amazon rainforest is one of the last undiscovered frontiers on earth. Hayley Skirka spends a night under its canopy T he croak of a tree frog echoes in the air. I hear it, but only barely, so lost is it in the amplified hum of the rainforest's cicadas.

Lonely Planet
08/17/2018
How to live like a Local in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Lonely Planet Hayley Skirka has been resident in the United Arab Emirates for nearly 10 years, most of them spent in Dubai. After all this time in the city, she's seen most of the iconic landmarks and lost count of how many desert safaris she's been on, so she tends to spend her days discovering more of what makes Dubai a truly liveable city.

The National
05/05/2021
15 epic drone shots that capture the UAE's natural beauty from above

Ask anyone around the world what they know about the UAE and it's likely that people will talk about the sky-high buildings, luxury hotels and love of the finer things in life. One photographer in Dubai is trying to change that perception by travelling around the country capturing stunning shots of the Emirates' natural resources.

Lonely Planet
01/09/2018
Where to go for a winter walk in Dubai

Usually known for its desert climate, Dubai boasts balmy winters that are the exception to the rule. In winter, it's time to visit Dubai's pockets of green, each as pleasant for a quick stroll as they are for a full day. Here's where to wander.

World Traveller
12/01/2016
The rebel quarter

Tucked along the shores of the Left Bank, Saint-Germain des- Prés embodies so much of what makes Paris special. Its cobblestoned streets and ancient façades survive to this day, revealing a history littered with luminaries

World Traveller
07/01/2017
Kathmandu: the ideal weekend bolthole

A visit to Nepal's capital is a trip bursting with highs and lows, from glorious mountain peaks to horn-honking chaos. Hayley Skirka rounds up the best bits

World Traveller magazine
01/01/2018
Silent Nights

Discovering Iceland’s wilderness on a journey that was equal parts adrenaline-fuelled adventure and hypnotic stillness

World Traveller
02/01/2017
Geneva: where time counts

Wander cobblestone streets, sail on Lake Geneva or marvel at horology intricacies: whatever you do to get under the skin of Geneva, make it count in this laid-back Swiss melting pot

Lifestyle

UltraTravel
09/28/2017
A taste of the wild

Go off the eaten path where hands-on dining goes to new lengths in taking travellers of foodie experiences in exotic places that they are very much a part of, writes Hayley Skirka

Abu Dhabi World Online
08/15/2018
Roll Up - Abu Dhabi World Online

From buttery pancakes to Venezuelan cheese rolls and everything in between, mobile traders are raising the bar for the capital's food trucks. Over the last couple of years, there's been a new player in Abu Dhabi's culinary scene as food trucks have rolled into the city. From burger trucks to tasty taco vans, there’s now a decent selection of mobile food outlets in the capital. But food trucks aren’t a new phenomena...

The National
11/12/2021
World's first Warner Bros hotel opens in Abu Dhabi

The WB Abu Dhabi, the only hotel by Warner Bros, has opened its doors in the UAE. On Thursday, the hotel on Yas Island hosted an opening extravaganza complete with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, a Batmobile and more.

Air magazine
10/01/2016
A long time Cumming

Famed as one of the most fun people in showbusiness, Alan Cumming chats exclusively to AIR about sharing the love, political philosophies and the real-life adventures documented in his new book

Atlantis, The Magazine
01/04/2016
Instant Andy

Before there were selfies, Instagram and iPhones, one of America’s most iconic artists was already detailing his life on camera

Atlantis, The Magazine
05/01/2016
The Guitarists' Guitar

Before rock and roll and had a past, Les Paul and Gibson Guitars shaped its future

Air Magazine
06/01/2016
Putting on the Ritz

Ahead of it's reopening, Hayley Skirka takes a look at one of Paris' grandest dames, the 118-year-old Ritz Paris and all the pomp, circumstance and scandal from its notoriously glamourous past

Time Out Dubai
04/29/2014
The return of Sandance - Nightlife Features - TimeOutDubai.com

Award-winning music festival Sandance has, it is fair to say, experienced incredible highs and lows in its few short years. Anybody who grooved with Nile Rodgers, rocked with The Killers or danced until late with the planet's biggest DJs will have lasting memories.

Air Magazine
06/01/2016
Keeper of Secrets

The house of Harry Winston has many secrets to share...

Atlantis, The Magazine
05/01/2016
Benvenuto

Hayley Skirka catches up with Giorgio Locatelli to talk Italian hospitality, the secret of great pizza and how the time is now for Dubai’s culinary scene

SWR magazine
04/01/2015
Route 66° North

JUST 70KM FROM THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, THE TINY TOWN OF ARJEPLOG IN SWEDISH LAPLAND HARBORS A SECRET – A 750 ACRE FROZEN PLAYGROUND, A CLANDESTINE MILLIONAIRE’S ICE RINK THAT’S RESERVED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THRILL-SEEKERS AND SPEED AFICIONADOS. THE ULTIMATE MOTORING EXPERIENCE - THIS IS ICE DRIVING AT ITS BEST.

Business

Visitdubai
Dubai technology - Dubai's never-ending quest for your attention

In today's digital era and a world where new technology and information saturation are at an all-time high, the pressure to retain an enduring presence is intense. In the Middle East and Africa, transformation is on an upward trajectory as audiences grow and broadcasters clamour for a share of a market value looking set to bypass US$15 billion by 2021, data from IDATE Digiworld shows.