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An Honest Guide to Life in Dubai

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WHAT ARE THE BEST BITS OF THE UAE ?

There are 7 Emirates in the UAE, Abu Dhabi being the capital, but at the moment Dubai is more recognized as an all round holiday destination. What you do in Dubai is really weather dependent, so in the cooler months wander around Bur Dubai, Meena Bazaar, Bastakiya and take a trip on the Dubai Ferry. You could also see the Miracle Garden. Save the beaches, pearl museum, malls and eating indoors for when it's hotter. Realistically that's from the end of April till around the beginning of October.
Abu Dhabi has some great entertainment venues and luxury hotels and it isn't a long drive from Dubai. A must see is the Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque.
Al Ain is quite a green emirate and has some well known water parks.
Sharjah is very close to Dubai and has a growing cultural scene. It is more traditional than Dubai though. It has a very good wildlife park.
Um Al Qwain has a good water park and Fujeirah has long been known as a week end getaway destination, although Ras Al Khaimah is much nearer to Dubai and has the fabulous Waldorf Astoria that you must stay at!

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QASR AL SARAB

Welcome to Qasr Al Sarab in the Rub Al Khali

(via the Emirates National Auto Museum)

Qasr_Al_Sarab_Auto_Museum2

This post is the second part of our Abu Dhabi 2 night trip. The first was at Eastern Mangroves Resort and Spa.

Where is the Qasr Al Sarab hotel?

In the Empty Quarter or the 2nd largest sand desert in the world!

About 2 hours and 15  minutes drive from Abu Dhabi, into the Empty Quarter. The seclusion of the setting really adds to the whole experience of the trip. It’s not a difficult drive, but you mustn’t miss the E65. It is nothing like going to Bab Al Shams in Dubai. Qasr Al Sarab is a much grander and bigger affair.

Accommodation at the Qasr Al Sarab

Comprises of Arabic style rooms, suites, private and royal villas depending on your requirements and budget. We stayed in a terraced room. (These rooms can sleep 3 and have spectacular views of the desert scenery) I have come across pillow menus in luxury hotels, but this was the first time I was offered a soap menu too! Choose from Cedar wood, Vetiver or Ginger flower!

Qasr_Al_Sarab_Room_ViewP

Food at the Qasr Al Sarab

We had dinner at the Bedouin style set up Al Falaj. The atmosphere is just right for this type of setting but this dining area will close in the summer months as it is out doors. The meals come as a set package comprising of many little courses and are fairly good.   I thought the mezzes though should have been of a higher quality for this kind of hotel. There is a fine dining restaurant called Suhail on the rooftop that serves a very international menu that includes fois gras! I suggest you have a drink or 2 during Happy Hour here. An excellent deal for Dhs 30 that includes cocktails and very posh canapés. This fact isn’t well advertised around the hotel.

Activities at the Qasr Al Sarab

There are a number of activities you can get involved with during your stay here, paid and unpaid. The pool areas and very well equipped gym are free of charge, but other activities listed here must be paid for and booked as early as possible as they are very popular. We did the Falcon and Saluki dog show and it was extremely impressive but I think a little over priced at Dhs 310 per person. You could choose from Desert walking,  Archery, Dune Bashing, Falcon and Saluki show, Horse Riding, Camel Trekking, Fat Biking or even Desert yoga!

Qasr_Al_Sarab_Falcon

Areas for Improvement at the Qasr Al Sarab

  • Prices of some of the activities: We thought that Dhs 310 per person for the Saluki dog and falcon show was a little overpriced for what it was, especially if you had older children.
  • Roll away bed quality: This was better at the Eastern Mangroves according to our teenager!
  • Quality of the mezzes at Al Falaj: As mentioned above, could have been better.

Worth Knowing

  • Cocktails at Suhail Rooftop bar: Dhs 30 for cocktails with high quality canapes at Suhail is a fabulous deal.
  • The In room Soap menu: The Vetiver is one for the guys!
  • The Conquer the Dune Challenge in Conjunction with Operation Smile. Read about this ongoing challenge here:  Conquer The Dune

Worthwhile stops on the way to Qasr Al Sarab

The Emirates National Auto Museum. About an hour’s drive from Abu Dhabi, this museum houses around 200 vehicles belonging to Sheikh Al Nayahan of Abu Dhabi. The vehicles range from cars, jeeps, dune buggies, army carriers and desert rovers! This is a fascinating collection and has to be seen to be believed. The Rainbow motif appears alot on many of the vehicles and reminded me of the 60’s with all the multi coloured Mercedes Benzes.

Qasr_Al_Sarab_Car_Museum_1

I LOVED the classic Mercedes Benz that are obviously not seen much now but still ooze style and panache. Note that costs Dhs 50 to enter the museum and they don’t take credit cards. There are toilets and a very good juice shop in the grounds, so a good idea before you continue on for another hour and a half or so to stop off here.

If you are filling up with petrol AFTER your stay at Qasr Al Sarab then I recommend you fill up at the first petrol station and buy some of their excellent quality Coffee Planet organic coffee to keep you going!

Coffee Planet

Has this post inspired you to stay at the Qasr Al Sarab?

Thanks Monica

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ABU DHABI LUXURY HOTELS

CRITERIA for choosing Abu Dhabi luxury hotels 

There are so many Abu Dhabi luxury hotels. How would you choose which one to go to?

  • Perhaps PROXIMITY to Dubai is important. Sometimes you don’t want to drive more than an hour or so.
  • Hotel SETTING is important. Abu Dhabi luxury hotels have settings that range from desert islands to autodromes.
  • UNIQUENESS of the property is also a factor.
  • Sometimes you may want to stick with a BRAND of  Abu Dhabi luxury hotels you know something about.
  • Or maybe you just choose based on what you READ on  Trip Advisor!

Which Abu Dhabi luxury hotels did we choose? 

Our first hotel choice for a two night break over half term was the Anantara Eastern Mangroves hotel and Spa.  It was an hour from Dubai and I had heard so much about the green Mangrove setting. Then we chose the Anantara Qasr Al Sarab because of the uniqueness of the setting in the Empty Quarter –Rub al Quali (Khali means empty in Hindi).

Stopping for a night at the Eastern Mangroves to begin our StayCation broke up the long drive and gave us an opportunity to see the Grand Mosque.

This post is part 1 of 2 posts reporting on an HONEST ACCOUNT of our Abu Dhabi luxury hotels (StayCation) experience. So you will read about everything that worked well and some areas that both hotels could improve upon.

Where is the Eastern Mangroves Hotel and Spa?

About an hour’s straight drive from Dubai along the E11. Very easy.

 

The HIGHLIGHTS of Abu Dhabi luxury hotels:

The MANGROVE setting

It is incredible how green this bit of Abu Dhabi is, just parallel to the Sheikh Zayed Road. The Mangroves in Abu Dhabi are all protected; thankfully this means there are no jet skis whizzing up and down like on some public beaches in Dubai. The water is 9 parts salt so stick to swimming in the hotel pool!  The walk directly at the back of the hotel is called the Eastern Mangroves Promenade which makes for a very pleasant stroll. We had a lunch at Cafe Blanc on the terrace adjacent to the water.

DoinDubai_Cafe _Blanc_ Abu Dhabi luxury hotels

 

There is also a small Waitrose in case you need to stock up before you head home. Apparently the Boa steakhouse and Carluccios in this development also serve alcohol. I was told this later but if I’m right please let me know in a comment. Husband and teenage daughter went on the kayaks into the Mangroves and LOVED it! A 2 hour or so trip with a guide for Dhs 160 was money well spent. You do have to book before hand and they only take small groups. The boats go out twice a day. I wasn’t tempted by the much more expensive wooden abra type pearl journey boat that was about 90 minutes long but cost Dhs 500.

 

DoinDubai_kayaking_Abu_Dhabi_Abu Dhabi luxury hotels

 

The SPA and TURKISH HAMMAM treatment

I was a little skeptical about this experience having heard all about being beaten with brush sticks and being left with raw skin. Nothing could have been further from the truth! This was one of the best spa treatments I have ever experienced. It comprises of 6 or 7 stages of washing, exfoliating and massaging all of which are carried out while you lie on a warm marble Hammam platform.

 

DoinDubai_Abu_Dhabi_luxury hotels

 

They do hot yoga here sometimes too so will have to come back for that class. My therapist from India was extremely competent, very well spoken and put me at my ease immediately. I literally fell asleep at one point in the treatment! Have any readers ever experienced a bubble pillow wash before?! Do ask for a tour around the spa, I loved it. This would be the PERFECT pre bridal party for a group of friends. If there are 25 of you, you can have the whole hammam and spa area to yourselves.

 

DoinDubai_Abu_Dhab_luxury hotels

 

The CLUB rooms floor

We stayed on the club room floor which like most hotels offered afternoon tea and drinks with canapes in the early evening. The canapes were much more generous and high quality than I have sampled in many hotels and the view again over the mangroves is extremely relaxing.

They have a well stocked library that is open till late at night, we had coffees here after our dinner at the Thai restaurant Pachalayan.

 

DoinDubai_Club_room_snacks_ Abu Dhabi luxury hotels

 

The Service and FRIENDLINESS of the staff

We all know that good service makes or breaks any trip. The staff here were exceptionally good. I was waiting for fresh Saj bread at Breakfast in Ingredients restaurant and didn’t realize the plate being prepared was for a staff member who then insisted I have her breakfast while she waited for another batch. The quality of food at Ingredients was excellent. The Mezzes I thought were on par with Dubai’s Wafi Gourmet.

Areas for IMPROVEMENT

My personal view was that some aspects of the Thai restaurant Pachalayan could be improved upon. The ambience in the evening (only open for dinner) is slightly lacklustre; compounded by the too dim tone of the lighting. While the food  the food was tasty the presentation was a little old fashioned in it’s use of lollo rossa lettuce and carved carrots for garnishing dishes.

In the impressive lobby I felt that purple and yellow colour combination for the flower arrangements was jarring and didn’t add to the ambience of the well proportioned and bright lobby. There were also some red rose arrangements left over from Valentines so the whole effect felt a  little un co-ordinated.

Special Deals at Abu Dhabi luxury hotels 

Stay on a Thursday or Friday night for Dhs 1200 per room (for 2 people) to include room, breakfast AND the excellent brunch worth Dhs 475 (including alcohol)

 

Must See’s while  you’re staying at Abu Dhabi luxury hotels

 

DoinDubai_Grand_Mosque_Abu_Dhabi_luxury hotels

  •  The Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque   (you will need to cover your arms and legs completely ladies if you don’t want to wear standard edition abayas. Also note TAKE your ID with you (I didn’t take anything other than camera equipment so had to wear a special coloured abaya for those without ID!)
  • The Yas mall if you need a quieter shop than Dubai mall. By the way the circular building that you see advertising the Yas mall houses the offices of ALDAR who own Yas Mall.
  •  We spent a very relaxing night at the Eastern Mangroves and after breakfast drove on to The Anantara Qasr al Sarab in the Empty quarter via another must see but lesser known attraction: The Liwa auto museum.

 

Did you know about the Thursday/Friday deal at Abu Dhabi luxury hotels?

Do share the article with friends and tell me what you thought in a comment.

Stay subscribed to read Part 2 of the Abu Dhabi luxury hotels (staycation)review in the mesmerising Rub al Qali.

 

If you’d like to look at a whole range of hotels in Abu Dhabi, then I think this Holiday ME’s link is pretty comprehensive.

Coming soon:

A review of Art Dubai 2015.

 

If you want more immediate updates then it’s easy to follow on Twitter and Instagram.

 

Thank you Monica

 

 

 

 

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WALDORF ASTORIA HOTEL RAS AL KHAIMAH

Welcome to the Waldorf Astoria in RAK

A perfect sort break destination from Dubai, we visited twice in Winter 2014 and here’s what makes this hotel so unique.

 

Waldorf RAK water feature

The Location of Waldorf Astoria RAK 

This branch of the Waldorf Astoria is located in Ras Al Khaimah, an Emirate about an hour’s drive away from Dubai. Getting there is so easy. Just follow the road literally straight from the Arabian Ranches towards Sharjah and then look for RAK signs.  We visited on a week day morning and there was barely any traffic.

The Rooms at the Waldorf Astoria RAK 

The rooms are some of the nicest rooms I have ever stayed in at a hotel in the UAE. The Waldorf Astoria has large, airy, well appointed rooms, most of which have clear views of the gardens or the sea or both ! The spacious bathrooms are all finished in a dark, Italian (I think) marble and are very luxurious. Many of the tiles and accessories are from RAK Ceramics themselves.  I loved the Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries used at the Waldorf Astoria in RAK. I don’t know if the Palm Jumierah property uses the same products?

The Facilities at the Waldorf Astoria RAK 

Waldorf_Astoria_Rak

There are 2 pool areas, some gorgeous gardens which have an almost tropical feel to them and large well manicured lawns. There is also a wide expanse of private beach that borders a calm sea. However the sand isn’t the golden or white coloured sand of tropical beaches, it’s slightly more greyish. But that shouldn’t deter from your enjoyment of the sea and beach facilities. There is also a kids club for children aged 3 to 12.

Spa_Waldorf_AstoriaBut the highlight of the facilities for me was the spa. I didn’t try any of the treatments but did spend some time in the Thermal Lounge. This is complimentary for hotel guests and is a must try.

The Food at the Waldorf Astoria

We visited for a large Indian wedding, so many of our meals were not standard hotel fare. However the breakfasts were of a really high quality and so well presented. A large variety of fresh fruit, juices and jams were very much in evidence. I loved the fresh grapefruit juice and all the selections of breads and cheeses. I even took a tiny  pot of Alain Milliat jam home with me to have on some toast! I suggested fresh papaya as an addition to the breakfast buffet and was amazed to see it appear the next morning!

Waldorf_Astoria_RAK_Breakfast

What’s worth knowing about the Waldorf Astoria RAK?

The Clock at the Waldorf Astoria is an iconic feature of the lobby. But this clock is different to most in that it has a special mechanism that indicates the 5 prayer times for Muslim guests. It has actually been programmed for the next 10 years to accurately indicate what times prayer should be undertaken! In fact CNN were so fascinated with this clock that they made a whole programme  on it!

The Waldorf Astoria is a merger of both the Waldorf and the Astoria hotels and the general manager of the hotel told me that originally the 2 New York hotels were connected by an alley. This alley became a place for society gentlemen to literally hang out and preen like peacocks so the ladies at the time named it Peacock Alley!

Art at the Waldorf Astoria RAK

The name Peacock Alley has stuck and in commemoration of this, members of the ruling family of Ras Al Khaimah, headed by his Royal Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, organised the design of a piece of art that reflected this peacock. The result is a stunning piece made entirely of black and white diamonds, sapphires and lapis lazuli. Luckily this was then very generously gifted to the  Waldorf Astoria by the ruling family. The bejewelled peacock even has real peacock feathers that have been shed by peacocks resident in the grounds of the Ruler’s palace in Ras Al Khaimah. It takes pride of place in the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria and is an exceptional piece and very appropriate reminder of the hotel’s history.

Waldorf_Astoria_RAK

A South African designer has very cleverly incorporated a number of Islamic verses within some artistically printed tiles that hang either side of the lobby. These look like artistic geometric patterns, but are in fact easily read by those who are familiar with Arabic script.

Waldorf_Astoria_RAK_art

Should you try the Waldorf Astoria RAK?

Yes definitely, an easy journey from Dubai and an exceptionally high standard of hotel. The location on the beach adds to the relax factor. I will be going again soon! Apparently RAK is a few degrees cooler than Dubai so do remember to pack a shawl or two for the evenings. The hotel offers something for all ages and is located right next to the Al Hamra golf course and shopping mall.

The Website

Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah

There are Christmas Carols in the lobby of the Peacock Alley on the 23rd of December from 5pm to 7pm where they will be serving mulled wine and Christmas treats! You don’t have to be a guest at the hotel to attend this community event. Oh and do remember to look at their Ginger Bread house, made using 1 whole ton of gingerbread!

Don’t bother looking at any other hotels in RAK, just stay at this one, it’s fabulous ! To read more about the intricacies of the design of the hotel have a read of this very comprehensive Design Fact Sheet

Design Fact Sheet Waldorf RAK

Happy Holidays from Monica at DoinDubai!

 

UPDATE 26TH JANUARY 2015

The winner is Helen Hume! Well done Helen, your voucher is on it’s way!

Update 4th January 2015

WOW Thank You Waldorf Astoria RAK !

Who says Christmas is over? This gorgeous hotel has given DoinDubai a generous prize of dinner for 2 at the very classy Lexington Grill restaurant. Another EASY COMPETITION for my subscribers..

COMPETITION
Just like DoinDubai on Facebook
Make sure you’re a subscriber (it’s free) to DoinDubai
Then answer this question:
What is the name of the sister property next to the Waldorf Astoria in RAK that is in the same overall hotel group?
Answer via the comments section below. I’ll let the Random Number Generator call this prize on the 26th of January.
A perfect Valentine’s day present. Prize valid till the end of March 2015. HINT Take a closer look at the Google Map !

 

 

 

 

 

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