A mother’s love is truly a blessing. We should no doubt celebrate each day as mother's day. And of course, father's day also.

Over the years, it has become a tradition to celebrate Mother's Day on one particular day — to show our love to the person who has been our greatest role model. In the Arab world, this day is March 21, which is also the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Each year new ways are created to show appreciation and gratitude. Families celebrate with flowers and roses, dinners, gifts, outings and in many other ways.

Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate motherhood and femininity. Extravagant gestures are always great but what better way to say, “I love you mom” than a trip with the full package of shopping, leisure, sightseeing, great restaurants, and occasional refreshing strolls in gardens or on sea side boardwalks. It's a way for your mom to find her inner Ibn Battuta.

Our first destination takes us to London with its sophisticated streets, bistros, shopping areas and historic attractions. London is a wonderful destination for the mellow traveler. The range of museums, gardens, parks, theaters, classy London hotels with their afternoon teas and restaurants can keep travelers amused for days. Special meals are always served for mother-daughter occasions such as Mother’s Day. Brunch and high tea are usually the most preferred English traditions.

High tea is a special time for the English in many places, with small tables surrounded by beautiful fluffy armchairs that can place you on the set of Downton Abbey. Tea is served with crumpets, petite fours and finger sandwiches. A stroll in one of the many gardens of the city on a March spring day is ideal with its surrounding flowerbeds and topiaries and the slight hint of rain about to fall as clouds roll by.

Shopping is another activity best reserved for mothers and daughters. A stroll down Portobello Road is ideal, with its busy and crowded stands full of unique treats from here and there. No visit to London is ever complete without visiting the upscale Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street and nearby Oxford Street to enjoy window-shopping and fine dining.

One of the most beautiful locations in the United States in the springtime is its capital Washington D.C. The city is a year-round playground for many tourists, with walk-friendly streets connected and intertwined to intrigue the curious.

Spring is celebrated with its well-known yearly Cherry Blossom Tree Festival as its main attraction. The over 3,500 Cherry Blossom trees were a present from Tokyo after their treaty with the US at the end of World War 2. Since then, the vibrantly pink and white flowering trees have surrounded the city specifically around Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin (a manmade body of water near the Potomac River).

The weather in D.C. during springtime is ideal for exploring the city. Many cafes offer meals and beverages on their outside verandas and are suitable for picnics. The park surrounding the Jefferson Memorial is a perfect location for picnics. Facing the water line and under the trees, mother-daughter picnics are perfect under sunny skies and a cool breeze filled with the scent of the Cherry Blossoms. It’s a picturesque scene to enjoy with your ultimate loved one.

There are many attractions in walking distance. The city is also a joy for the taste buds with its international cuisine. Georgetown is just a step around the corner right on the Potomac, an idyllic tree-lined neighborhood filled with red brick homes and mansions, high-end shops, local boutiques and waterfront restaurants. Stroll down M Street all the way to Wisconsin Ave. around early evening and enjoy the sound of jazz music.

A third beautiful destination is the capital of the land Down Under, Sydney in Australia. It is a unique location known for its beautiful seaside setting, kangaroos and adorable fuzzy koalas in the bush. It is fall in March but the weather is great with dried up orange, red and yellow leaves everywhere.

The first location that is a must-visit is the Sydney Darling Harbor with the backdrop of the Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House. The area is busy with restaurants serving the best and freshest seafood and international cuisine right on the waterfront. The best time would be around sundown as the sun’s rays reflect on the opera house's exterior, making it a unique and beautiful sight.

Bushwalking is Australian for hiking. It is a good, healthy activity. Many organized bushwalks take place in different landscapes surrounding the city, a good activity to appreciate and enjoy the quality of public places. An hour away from Sydney’s city center is the Featherdale Wildlife Park, Australia’s largest private collection of native animals, with koalas, wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, emus, fairy penguins, Tasmanian devils (no water proof clothing is needed) and many more animals and birds. It’s claimed that a koala’s hug is the softest and cuddliest hug anyone can get, so why not get your mom a wonderful hug from one of Earth’s cutest animals?

For an East Asian flavor, a mother and daughter duo can find no better place than Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. A typical tour would start in the heart of KL by visiting the Petronas Towers and shop in the vast seven-story mall located between the two towers.

But why start there when you can enjoy the best of Malay hospitality and head to a spa. The city has a variety of luxury spas. Head to the private resort island of Pankgor Laut, about an hour off the western coast of the Peninsula. The island spa is designed with special structures to accommodate different treatments ranging from Chinese to Balinese and Malay. It’s the proper environment to freshen up the body from everyday stresses or simply to relax.

Going back to the city, the duo can continue with the relaxing aura of Malaysia and experience the country’s rainforest landscape by visiting the canopy walk at FRIM (aka Forest Research Institute of Malaysia) in Selayang, just over 15 minutes outside the city limits with over 600 hectares of exotic flora and fauna.

The KL local cuisine is a must-try. Other than the variety of luscious fruits available, the dishes one must try can be purchased from street carts, yes street carts. Enjoy the country’s national dish, Nasi Lemak with a side of some beef rendang (spicy meat stew) or Ikan Bakar (grilled or barbequed fish), ayam goreng kunyit (deep-fried chicken flavored with turmeric and other spices), ayam percik (grilled spicy chicken) or freshly barbecued chicken or beef satay with a side dish of condiments such as roasted peanuts and tiny fried sardine-like fish.

End the visit with a one-day pilot tour, where your mom can be the pilot of her own Cessna plane, of course with a trained and licensed pilot to guide her, no experience is needed. Mothers will appreciate the beautiful view from way up high for an hour.

The last destination and closest to home would have to be the Gulf’s central business, travel and shopping hub, the city of Dubai. The seventh most-visited city in the world, Dubai is the number one location to literally shop until you drop. With over 70 malls spread around the city, including the world’s largest mall, Dubai Mall, and a number of souks for a more traditional feel, with goods from the Far East all the way to the South American continent.

Want to spoil your mother on her special day? A visit to Burj Khalifa and enjoying the view of the city and nearby cities is magnificent. Before leaving, visit the 122nd floor and enjoy fine dining in the world’s tallest building. A visit to the desert is a typical tourist activity in Dubai, but if the touristy desert ride isn’t your mom’s thing, then try renting a 4x4 and head to the lovely natural rock pools of Hatta or Wadi Wurrayah, home of the United Arab Emirate's only natural waterfall.

Whichever location you chose to take your mother on her special day, you can make every day special just by thanking her and showering her with all the love she deserves. One piece of advice, a mother’s love is never bought, it’s the thought that counts most. Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there.

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