Luxury in the Desert!

'You can’t build a house on sand', they say, so how about building a series of 5 star luxury hotels on sand islands artificially reclaimed from the sea!  Well that’s exactly what they did to create the Palm Islands of Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira off the Persian Gulf coast of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

I’m not totally sure how we ended up here on vacation because we were trying to decide whether to go for a city break or a beach-based adventure holiday.  However, after a lot or research, we decided that Dubai offered us all of the above.  We therefore booked a 5-night trip in April, staying at the 5 Star Fairmont Palm Hotel (https://www.fairmont.com/palm-dubai/) on Palm Jumeirah.

Getting there was fairly easy with direct flights from the UK taking around 7½ hours.  We flew with Emirates Airlines and would definitely recommend them, as the quality and service was as good as we’ve ever experienced.  We’d also reserved a transfer from the airport, which is 26 km from Palm Jumeirah, but the value for money was excellent, especially as the taxi was luxurious and we were the only two passengers.  In fact, getting around anywhere in Dubai proved to be relatively cheap, as the taxi rates were comparatively cheap (but best to use the official city taxis than the chancers who approach you at the attractions).

The Palm Jumeirah was the original Palm Island, completed in 2006, and the palm tree design is still one of the most iconic images in the world.  The Fairmont Palm is located on the trunk of the palm and whilst you would probably categorise it as primarily being a business class-type hotel (Dubai is also the business hub of the Middle East), it also caters very well for families and leisure travellers.

If you read my previous post on the Maldives, you probably picked up on the fact that we do not like paying over the odds for anything.  A 5 star hotel on Palm Jumeirah would not therefore be somewhere that you would normally expect to find us.  However, Dubai (as well as the neighbouring city of Abu Dhabi) is extremely focused on quality and tourism. 

When virtually every hotel in the area is a 5 star quality, there is a lot of competition for your booking and as a result, you are able to secure very reasonable short breaks.  These also quite often include free upgrades from the standard bed & breakfast basis to half board (dinner inclusive) basis and that is what we booked for this trip.

The design, quality, facilities and service at the hotel were the best that we had ever experienced.  As an example of this, the hotel had a choice of restaurants, comprising the main buffet restaurant, a high quality modern Asian restaurant, a fun Brazilian ‘Churrascaria’ restaurant (where up to 15 types of meats are carved at your table, one after the other, until you raise the white flag and admit defeat!) and a local Seafood restaurant.

Not too uncommon, I might hear you say, but with most hotels that offer free half board upgrades, you are limited to the main buffet restaurant.  However, in this hotel, you are welcome to eat at any of the restaurants, on any evening, at no extra charge.  They also had an authentic Japanese tea lounge, a bar/lounge area, a small take-away patisserie and ‘The Cigar Room’ offering fine malts and exceptional cigars from around the world!

The hotel was located on a beautiful (man made) beach and other facilities included outdoor swimming pools, spa facility, health club, kids club and various water sports.  The one additional point that I would make about Dubai, in case you didn’t know, is that it gets VERY hot at certain times of the year.  Going in April, we thought it might be cooler but temperatures still rose above 30°C and it can get above 40°C between June & September.  So this is definitely something you need to consider, especially as the dry arid heat of the desert makes it feel a lot hotter than it actually is. 

Away from the hotel, we managed to visit a number of the amazing attractions that Dubai has to offer.  These included a ride to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, with the 160 floors reaching a height of 828 metres (2,716.5 feet).  To put this in perspective, it is three times taller than the Eiffel Tower and almost twice as tall as the Empire State Building.  The elevators travel at 10 metres per second and reach the 124^th floor in under a minute!

Another key attraction, especially for you retail addicts, is the Dubai Mall (24 km from hotel), which is the 2^nd largest shopping mall in the world, with 1,200 shops over 4 floors.  It is also located next to the Burj Khalifa, so you can easily combine a visit to both attractions.  Other attractions within the Dubai Mall include Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink, Dubai Fountain, Hysteria Haunted Attraction, Emirates A380 Air-Bus Flight Simulator, Reel Cinemas and Virtual Reality Park etc etc….😎

I would also recommend a visit to Souk Madinat Jumeirah (15 km from hotel), which includes a bazaar that has been created in a traditional Arabian style, with 75 stalls, shops and restaurants under a wooden covered arcade.  There are a number of adjacent hotels and there is also a network of canals, where you can take a ride on a traditional Abra boat.  I would recommend a night time visit, as the Souk comes alive with a variety of music acts and activities, and the atmosphere is therefore enhanced.

We did not have time to do much more but other activities that are available in and around the city include desert safaris (camels, quad bikes or 4-wheel-drive vehicles), skydiving, hot air ballooning, indoor skiing (it would have to be!), sailing and go-karting.  So, if you’re looking for a vacation that gives you sun, sea, sand, luxury and a big dose of adventure, then you need look no further than Dubai.  

              

The 2L Travel'Tours to Dubai and Abu Dhabi currently on offer include a lot of the above, and more, with options to add additional nights and activities, as required.  With the tours being offered during October and November, this also represents the best time of the year to visit the UAE – so what are you waiting for!