A week of luxury in Dubai
Trip Start
Oct 08, 2008
1
Trip End
Oct 15, 2008
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
On stepping off the plane I've never known heat like it, even a previous trip to Vegas wasn't this hot! We quickly got into the air-con taxi and headed to our hotel the Madinat Mina A'Salam. On arrival, you know you're heading somewhere special, when you see people glammed up; with celebrities and sports personalities just strolling about. I did feel a little lower class and under dressed for the occassion
Hotel Reception
! We were escorted in by the doorman and had our bags immediately taken to the room; they treated us like VIP's! The hotel itself was jaw dropping in every aspect, certainly the most luxurious I've ever stayed in! The attention to detail by the staff was immense and they were eager to look after you at every minute (or so it seemed) like their life depended on it. It was almost too close at times when every door was opened for you, shoes polished, cocktails handed as soon as you had an empty glass etc. I wasn't used to be treated like royality and felt a little uncomfortable that I was!
The hotel is connected by a series of canals in which you travel in abras (water taxi) to where you need to go! The hotel is themed in an old arabian style which works well with polished marble floors, oak panelled doors, arabian style furniture. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, souqs (shopping), theatres, spa, nightclubs, pools; basically this hotel had everything! I could go on about the quality of the Madinat all day but think the pictures would do it better justice.
On the face of it Dubai is very materialistic with a strong divide between rich and poor but beyond that there is plenty of culture to be had away from the luxury resorts
The Beach
. During our stay the highlights were:Burj Al Arab (Dining) - If you want to experience high class dining (at a price) visit the Al Mahara seafood restaurant. It has to be the best seafood I've ever eaten and the setting was surreal; an underground labyrinth with gold pillars, silver walls, the dining area is dominated by a giant aquarium of tropical fish!
Burj Al Arab - Sky Bar - Amazing views of Dubai from a sky bar in the 'wing' of this iconic landmark.
Jumeirah Beach - Bar 360 - A bar/club which is located at the end of a long pier in the Arabian Gulf. Amazing night views of Burj Al Arab which dominates the Skyline.
Desert Safaris - Dune basing is a must, fun and exciting with ssanboarding chucked in! Beware it gets extremely hot! It was 45 degrees when we went; go early morning or late evening.
Dubai Creek and Souqs (Deira) - The commercial port of Dubai with souqs (markets) sellling a variety of goods; the real Dubai
Madinat Mina A'Salam
.Mall of Emirates - Brand new shopping centre that sells everything, fully air conditioned with its own ski slope!!
Waterparks - Wadi Wadi waterpark is a fun day out!
Bahri Bar - Mina A'Salam - Good setting to relax and take in the views of the Burj Al Arab.
Dubai is not really comparable to Las Vegas; its more luxurious and the attention to detail is second to none. The only vision they share is in their amitious construction projects but Dubai are the true innovators....
ps - take plenty of money!
