WITH a fame for sparkle, sunshine and extra glamour, it’s no shock that blingy Dubai is sometimes called The City of Gold.
Known worldwide for its luxurious procuring centres, epic skyscrapers and £12billion synthetic palm-tree islands, this blazing jewel of a metropolis in the center of the desert is THE place for a luxurious getaway, however it won’t break the bank to get there.
It’s a straightforward seven-hour flight from the UK, which means no jet lag on arrival, and you’ll step out into shimmering warmth.
Even in its coolest month (December) iridescent Dubai is 21C on common and for my go to in October the temperature was up in the thirties.
Sunnies on, what higher method to take in that superb warmth than with cocktails by a rooftop pool?
I used to be staying at the 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central, one among the latest openings, and its traditional-meets-modern flavour was the excellent mixture of genuine and alluring.
Sitting proper subsequent to the International Financial Centre, with enormous glass home windows all over the place, and nice views of the spectacular Museum Of The Future, the hotel had a pleasant and relaxed however funky vibe that it calls “urban nomad”.
I’m not solely certain what which means, however what I can inform you is that Chanel or Converse would each slot in equally nicely right here.
My Bedouin-themed room was beautiful, with mosaic tiles, unbelievable views and an epic rainfall bathe (actual downpours being one factor you aren’t prone to expertise in Dubai).
Others have themes that vary from glamping, with moveable audio system, to Artist Village suites with quirky design options similar to hammocks.
The show-stopper Hakawati suite even boasts a sheikh-sized triple mattress, do you have to, ahem, occur to want one . . .
There’s additionally 5 eating places, a library, a stunning luxurious spa and even the metropolis’s first mixed-gender outdoor sauna (fairly an enormous deal right here in what, for all its extra easygoing and visitor-friendly vibes, continues to be an Arabic metropolis).
It would have been simple to spend the complete vacation shuttling between the hotel, the well-known shopper emporium the Dubai Mall 5 minutes away, and the close by golden sands of La Mer seashore.
But I used to be eager to see extra of Dubai and from as many angles as I may.
After a lazy afternoon topping up my tan and having fun with the get together ambiance at the Drift Beach Club (driftbeachdubai.com) — assume gems, bikinis and desk service by the infinity pool — I set off on a ship tour of the Arabian Gulf shoreline however with one twist, it’s excessive pace.
The Hero boat ocean tour was a hair-raising 50km sightseeing dash, taking in must-see landmarks like the Atlantis resort, man-made Palm Jumeirah island and new Ain Dubai huge wheel.
Pretty damp however tremendous exhilarating, this jetski-pace boat journey was a complete blast and a extremely attention-grabbing option to expertise the metropolis.
Be ready to get your hair moist, although.
BE A DAREDEVIL
Sticking to dry land (nicely, nearly) my subsequent must-do was a gander at one other of Dubai’s latest and most dizzying points of interest, the Sky Views Observatory edge stroll (skywalkdubai.com), up on the 52nd degree of Address Sky View Hotel.
If you’re a daredevil sort who likes the buzz of being up in the clouds, then that is for you.
For those that have the nerve, you’ll don a Challenge Anneka-style jumpsuit and be tethered to an exterior slim ledge to do a head-spinning stroll which supplies you epic views of Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa skyscraper.
It’s one to keep away from when you don’t like heights, with particular shades of trying like an I’m A Celebrity problem.
You won’t miss out, although, as the views are first rate sufficient from the security of inside, by means of the home windows.
Of course, you possibly can’t come to Dubai and not expertise the procuring, or the famously boozy all-day brunches.
I went to the fabulous, all- inclusive Ce La Vi (celavi.com), which serves a combined menu of black truffle risotto, burrata salad and grilled Spanish octopus.
But for my remaining day I needed to get a style of the extra genuine aspect of Dubai, so selected to get away from the towering buildings and get pleasure from a final dinner at Sonara Camp in the desert.
The sundown eating — amongst conservation-area sand dunes surrounded by gazelles, but only a 40-minute drive from my hotel — felt like I’d stepped into one other world, bathed in golden mild and the place unbelievable French delicacies meets Middle Eastern.
The icing on the cake was a camel experience by means of the golden panorama, whereas the solar set past the sandy horizon — one thing that I’ll bear in mind eternally.
GO: Dubai
GETTING THERE: Emirates flies from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Newcastle Upon Tyne from £559pp return. See emirates.com.
STAYING THERE: Rooms at the 25hours hotel value from £127 per night time. See 25hours-hotels.com.
OUT & ABOUT: The Hero boat tour prices from £169 for 2 individuals. See hero-dubai.com.
A Sonara Camp Sunset and Dinner Experience prices £211 together with dinner, tender drinks and a camel experience. See nara.ae/sonara/ebook.
For extra data visitdubai.com.
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