Fairmont Ajman

Oct 29, 2020Oct 24, 2020 vacaysandsunnydays

In the UAE, our lockdown was pretty intense. We understand it was a necessity, but it proved challenging at times. During mid-March through April we experienced our strictest time of lockdown. All gyms, bars, restaurants and clubs were closed. Almost everyone was required to work from home, except for the key sectors, and to go outside we were required to apply online via the government portal for a permit. These permits would allow us a trip for essentials such as medication, groceries, ATMs etc.

Ryan and I were still in our one bed apartment at this time, with two cats and both working from home at opposite sides of the dining table. But, we made it through. We may have gotten through a bottle of wine a day, but we made it through!

Some of the other Emirates in the UAE were slightly more lenient with the easing of restrictions following lockdown. For example, Ras al Khaimah and Ajman allowed alcohol consumption in hotels and around swimming pools / beaches. At this time, in Dubai, this was not yet allowed. The border to Abu Dhabi remained closed and so in mid-May, we decided to head down to Ajman for a staycay.

We set off early on the Friday morning, really early, as we had planned to meet our friends Emily and James. It was James’ birthday weekend and Emily had booked a round of golf for him so, as a surprise, we met them both at breakfast and the boys went off to play golf whilst Em and I had a girly pool day together.

It was the first time I had been out in the sun in over two months and it was delightful.

The Fairmont Ajman has two main restaurants, an Italian called Gioia, and a Turkish restaurant called Kiyi. We decided on the Italian for lunch, which was absolutely amazing and the Turkish for dinner – although I would have preferred to have returned to the Italian restaurant for dinner!

The hotel was great with implementing safety precautions for COVID, the hotel was only booked to 30% capacity, the rooms were sterilized following each occupancy and although the breakfast was buffet, you were served each time by the staff. Masks were compulsory at all times whilst walking around the hotel and restaurants.
Overall, it was a cheap and cheerful stay and we were very grateful for the sun, cocktails (and time apart for Ryan to go off to play golf)!

The Address Sky View

Oct 25, 2020Oct 22, 2020 vacaysandsunnydays

As most of you know from previous travel blogs, I ALWAYS travel for my birthday. It’s just what I love to do! However this year, as we were due to be going on our honeymoon at the start of April, only a few weeks after my birthday, I decided it would be best to spend this birthday in Dubai. It’s a blessing in disguise really, could you imagine if we had travelled and ended up like all of those other poor people stranded around the world!

Anywho, our honeymoon was sadly cancelled as a result of COVID, but, I digress. This post is in relation to the delightful staycation we ended up booking for my birthday! I have a hotel wishlist on my phone, which appears to be constantly growing! And I decided on checking out the then-recently opened Address Sky View Hotel.

Located smack bang in the middle of Downtown Dubai, the Address Sky View has uncomparable views of the Burj Khalifa and is a stone’s throw away from the Dubai Mall. As we entered the hotel we were greeted with the familiar “Address” scent, our luggage was taken and we were whisked straight to check in. We managed to get a great offer by booking directly on the Address website. Our hotel price included breakfast and we each received three vouchers for use across the Emaar facilities, this was a nice bonus. We chose vouchers for the Dubai Aquarium, Dubai Ice Skating Rink and Reel Cinemas. (We used the Aquarium voucher in the summer and it was a great experience, I didn’t actually realise how huge the aquarium is in the Dubai Mall!)

We left our luggage with the Concierge and headed out for some lunch at the restaurant around the pool. I have to admit, I was feeling quite sensitive (and sorry for myself) as I had been out celebrating my birthday with the girls the previous night.

Our room was ready early so we headed up for a quick change and then straight to the highlight of the hotel… the rooftop infinity pool.

We had access to the Lounge included in our room booking so popped there for a coffee and nibble before getting ready for our meal.

Ce La Vie
I was so excited to dine at Ce La Vie! For my birthday last year, we actually visited the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore and had lunch at Ce La Vie. I hope this has become my new birthday tradition…!

The food, service, drinks and view were all spectacular. It was by far one of the best meals we have had in Dubai.

We rolled out of the restaurant (I’m not sure if it was too much food or wine) but luckily didn’t have too far to go. When we got back to the room, the staff had laid rose petals on the bed, wishing me a happy birthday. It was a lovely touch and a perfect end to the day.

The following day we were able to extend our check out. The rooms come with a smart TV with Netflix built in so we decided to give in to all of the social media fuss and start the series Love is Blind. We all but finished the series that day!

I have to admit, this was the first Address Hotel that we have stayed in, but I cannot fault our stay from the service, cleanliness and overall experience. I would absolutely stay here again.

The Staycay Series

Oct 22, 2020Oct 22, 2020 vacaysandsunnydays

I have really missed writing my travel blog this year and I’ve decided that, even though we’ve been unable to travel abroad (so far…) we’ve still had a lovely year of staycays in the UAE! So I’ve decided to write this Staycay Series, giving a shout-out to all of the lovely hotels we have stayed at throughout the year.

It’s still not the quite the same as the excitement of researching and planning a holiday; the super early wake up call to get to the airport; the satisfaction of a full nights sleep on a red-eye flight; and the lists coming out of my ears to make sure I pack appropriately! Nonetheless, we are so lucky to live in the location that we do with the UAE’s versatile range of hotels, and looking back over the past six months, we have done a pretty good job of making the most out of them!

So here is a snapshot of what’s to come…

City Breaks
There’s nothing more relaxing than finding an oasis in the centre of a bustling, vibrant city. And we uncovered two of those this summer! Starting the year at the newly opened Address Sky View hotel with unbeatable views of the Burj Khalifa, it was a birthday to remember.

We then ventured into the narrow streets of Sharjah for our first staycay in the Emirate. The Chedi Al Bait is a hidden gem located in the middle of a busy street, but once you step inside the walls you’re welcomed by the calming sound of silence.

Beach Vibes
As soon as lockdown lifted in the UAE we headed straight for Ajman, the rules were slightly more relaxed, the hotel swimming pools were open and alcohol was being served so we treated ourselves to a cheap and cheerful stay at the Fairmont, Ajman.

Zabeel Saray – a hotel that has been on the hotel bucket list for a while! But we finally got to experience the hotel first hand (and yes, I did find an amazing deal).

A hotel that we have visited many, many times before is Le Royal Meridien but I was finally able to enjoy a one night stay! It was the perfect girly weekend full of sunbathing, wine, lots of wine, and fun!

Desert Dreaming
The one night stay that, I don’t think, will ever be beaten! Al Maha Luxury Desert Resort is exactly what it says in the name! The hotel really catered for our every need during our stay as well as the needs we didn’t know we had!

At the time of writing this post we also have one more staycation planned for a few weeks time for Ryan’s birthday as we are off to Sir Bani Yas Island. We have heard amazing things about this hotel so I can’t wait to experience it for ourselves!

I hope you enjoy the reviews to come, and hopefully by the time they’re finished, we will be ready to board a plane for our first holiday of the year… (please keep everything crossed for us!)

Anantara the Palm – the perfect staycay

Jun 4, 2019Jun 10, 2019 vacaysandsunnydays

We recently spent the weekend at the Anantara on the Palm for the perfect weekend of R&R. The 25th of May marked our four year Dubai-anniversary – four years of living in Dubai! We like to celebrate each year with a staycation and this year we decided on the Anantara.

We’ve visited the hotel previously for brunch but when we arrived and the hotel staff took our bags, I was so ready to make the most of the hotel experience. Anantara is a Thai hotel chain and we were greeted with the same Thai hospitality and warmth as you receive in Thailand. We arrived at 10am, even though check in wasn’t until 2, as we wanted to make the most of using the facilities so we headed straight down to the pool.

Surprisingly, the weather in Dubai right now is still perfect and we’re not melting away just yet! It was lovely just laying out, soaking up the sun and reading. Around midday we went for a little walk along the beach front and checked out the over-water villas before heading down to Revo Cafe for a bit of lunch. (I say “a bit” of lunch, I ordered the southern fried chicken sandwich and it was about 15 inches long!)

We were able to check into our room an hour early which was great because we had booked a Premier Lagoon Access Room which meant that we had a terrace with two sun loungers and direct access down into the lagoon pool from our room. It was such a welcome break from the craziness that is Dubai and due to the location of the hotel on the palm, we couldn’t see any of the high rise towers so we really did feel like we were on holiday for the weekend.

The Beach House

The hotel has a great selection of restaurants (all of which are on the Entertainer as well which is a bonus) we were torn between Mekong, the Thai restaurant; Bushmans which is an Australian BBQ and grill or the Beach House which serves Mediterranean cuisine.

We decided to dine at the Beach House for our evening dinner as we won’t have the luxury of dining outside for much longer in Dubai – summer is definitely approaching! The restaurant is set on the beach which has a lovely view of the Marina in the background.

We shared the Beach house Antipasti to start, I had the grilled tiger prawns and Ryan had the seafood pasta – his pasta included prawns, mussels, clams, red snapper, calamari and crab! All of the portion sizes were extremely generous so you should arrive hungry! Our waiter, Nicholas, was extremely friendly and informative of the menu and we never had to ask for anything.

The lagoon access room is open 24 hours so when we got back from dinner the plan was to go for a a night swim. By the time I had my bikini on, Ryan had already fallen asleep on the sun lounger on our terrace! So I went for a little swim in the lagoon which was lovely and then proceeded to fall asleep on the other sunbed. It was so peaceful.

Breakfast

I am such a fan of a breakfast buffet. Lady in the street but a freak at the buffet – that’s me all over 🤣 the selection at this breakfast buffet was great, it had so much choice! I just get too excited and pile so many things on my plate that it ends up a bit of a mess. But everything was super tasty and fuelled us for our next nap out on the terrace!

Our second day was spent between the terrace and the lagoon, we wanted to make the most of our room so requested a later check out. The highlight of the lagoon was the little bar boat that comes along serving up cocktails whilst you’re in the lagoon! I chose a Malibu Coconut, it was heavenly!

We left the palm feeling super relaxed and as though we had actually left Dubai – even though the drive home was only 18 minutes!

Summer never tasted so good!

Jun 2, 2019 vacaysandsunnydays

Those of you who know me, know just how much I love my food! Whether it’s a breakfast date, brunch, cheap eat or fine dining I just love eating out! Since joining Privilee, we have had the benefit of enjoying discount at some amazing restaurants throughout Dubai, and food definitely tastes better with a discount!

So here are some of my favourite restaurants in Dubai with Privilee discount:

Bussola @ The Westin

OK, I’ll admit, I ate here twice in one week (oops). Bussola is split into two restaurants with the fine dining restaurant on the lower floor and the pizzeria up on the first floor. I love the pizzeria because of the relaxed atmosphere, the pizzas are HUGE and are cooked in a clay oven and come packed full of toppings. The fine dining restaurant serves a great selection of pastas, salads, meats etc. and have gluten free options for all of the pasta dishes.

As a Privilee member, you receive 25% discount from Bussola from Sunday to Wednesday.

Little Miss India @ The Fairmont on the Palm

I think this is my new favourite Indian restaurant in Dubai! From the moment you walk in the décor is so beautiful, from the large gate outside the entrance, to the vibrant painting around the bar and the elegant décor inside the restaurant itself. We ordered a selection of cocktails to start, all of which had their own Indian twist. When you enter the indoor seating in the restaurant the smell of the spices hits you instantly (I was salivating at this point!)

The waiter recommended the lamb chops to start, I would never have ordered lamb chops as a starter but four pieces were served in a jar with smoke funnelling out of the top! The meat literally fell off the bone! For our mains we shared a butter chicken, lamb Rogan Josh, pilau rice and lots of bread! I would highly recommend this restaurant and with Privilee you can enjoy 20% off the total bill (including the wine and cocktails)!

Bounty Beets @ Le Meridien Mina Seyhahi

Has anyone else ever chosen a breakfast spot just because it looks cute on the gram?! Well I did and I’m so glad that the food was just as lovely as the décor. Bounty Beets is located in the ground floor in Le Meridien (next to the Westin) and is the perfect place for a girly breakfast date! The restaurant was very quiet when we visited so the service was great and the interior / fit out is lovely. The best thing about it though, is that with Privilee you receive 25% off the total bill!

Thiptara @ The Palace Downtown

The Palace Downtown is home to one of my favourite restaurants in Dubai – Thiptara. Not only does Thiptara serve some of the best Thai food in Dubai, it also has breath-taking views of the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountains. Thiptara is a must when we have friends and family visiting on holiday and Privilee members get a lovely 20% discount off the bill!

The Atlantis

The Atlantis houses some of my favourite restaurants in Dubai including Nobu, Seafire, Breadstreet Kitchen and Privilee provides its members with 20% discount in each of these restaurants (and more)!

Privilee has an exclusive deal that’s valid for 72 hours only!! For AED 1499 you will receive a 3 month Privilee membership plus an extra 2 weeks for free so you can enjoy your EID holidays with Privilee as well. That’s less than 15dhs a day! You can find out more information on their website: https://www.privilee.ae/summer

What to expect during Ramadan in Dubai

May 15, 2019May 11, 2019 vacaysandsunnydays

When we first moved here in 2015, we moved three weeks before Ramadan started. We didn’t quite know what we were getting ourselves into with the hot summer and we really didn’t know what to expect during Ramadan so we just kind of thought well, if we make it through Ramadan and the summer, it’s only going to get better!

I’ve received a few messages lately from people who are visiting Dubai during Ramadan and aren’t quite sure what to expect or what rules etc. they should abide by. So if you’re travelling to Dubai during Ramadan this year and have any questions about what to expect I’ve written this blog to hopefully answer some of those.

Some background on Ramadan

The holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and lasts for around four weeks. Ramadan moves slightly earlier each year, by approximately 10 days, and the start and end date is confirmed by the sighting of the “new moon” by the Moonsighting Committee. Throughout the month of Ramadan, Muslims must observe several rules including fasting during the hours from sunrise to sunset; praying regularly and abstaining from sex and smoking (although smoking is allowed after Iftar). Charity is also a core element of Ramadan as a time for helping those in need and giving back to the community.

Eating and drinking in public

One of the core requirements of Muslims during Ramadan is to fast during the hours of daylight. That means that those who are fasting (in Dubai) are required to wake up around 4am for Suhoor (the first meal of the day) and they cannot eat or drink until breaking fast at Iftar at around 7.10pm.

As a result, consumption of food and drink in public is restricted. The malls in Dubai have worked to accommodate this and have sectioned off areas specifically for children and non-Muslims to eat and drink at any time of the day and you can find all the normal food chains in there.

Clothing

It is advised that people dress respectfully during this time, especially when in public places such as the malls where you will be surrounded by people who are fasting. It is recommended that individuals refrain from wearing extremely tight clothing and should cover knees / shoulders.

That being said, the public beaches remain open, as well a hotel swimming pools and beaches, and sunbathing is allowed.

Beach clubs / alcohol

During Ramadan the beach clubs don’t play loud / live music in the day and the majority don’t serve alcohol during the day. However, some hotels can obtain special licenses during Ramadan to serve alcohol. At sunset, you will find that the majority, if not all, bars and restaurants will begin serving alcohol – this is usually around 7pm.

Recommendations for Iftar / Suhoor

If you are visiting the UAE during Ramadan, I would strongly recommend visiting one of the traditional tents to experience an Iftar or Suhoor meal. The atmosphere at the Iftar tents is warming and so lovely to see families and friends together during this special time. So here a few recommendations of my favourite Iftar tents to visit, all of which offer a selection of traditional Arabic food, juices and shishas:

Majlis at the Madinat Jumeirah
The Palace Downtown
Atlantis the Palm
Dubai Opera Theatre (our company Iftar was held here last year. The setting was absolutely beautiful however the buffet offered a more continental range of food rather than traditional Arabic cuisine.)

Ramadan Mubarak

(Blessed Ramadan)

Our first month with Privilee

May 11, 2019 vacaysandsunnydays

We have just finished our first month with Privilee and it’s fair to say it has had a huge impact on our spare time for the better! Not only have we been able to make the most of the 5* hotel facilities on the weekends, we have also been making the most of the gym access during the week days (it’s taken a year but yes, I have finally gone back to the gym!)

Here are some of the highlights from our first month on Privilee:

W Hotel Dubai Palm

W for “Wow”! Upon arriving at the hotel it definitely has the wow factor of a 5* hotel. The Reception staff were really helpful and guided us to the separate Privilee desk which allowed for a seamless check in of our Privilee cards. We headed up to the first floor to visit the gym and were blown away by the view from the outside training area. The gym has views of the W Hotel pool and beach area (which is breath taking on its own), as well as views of the Atlantis, the soon to be Royal Atlantis, the Palm and the Marina. The equipment in the gym is high-tech and the treadmill had access to news channels, Youtube and many more channels. We also loved the kettle bells which were designed to look like gorillas!

We still couldn’t get over the views from the outside training area so decided to do some abs workouts outside whilst taking in the view – honestly the views actually motivated me to train for longer! We showered and changed before heading down to relax on the beach. The only downside of the gym facilities would be that the changing rooms are relatively small and there is only one shower in the changing room.

The pool area was pretty busy by the time we got down there, approx. 10.30am but this may have been due to the fact that the top pool was closed for brunch and also with it being opening weekend on Privilee. But there were still plenty of sun beds down the beach and we managed to get the last cabana. The hotel staff came over instantly with two complimentary bottles of water and apples!

We opted for sandwiches and chips for lunch, I had the chicken and avocado sandwich whilst Ryan had the Whole Cow (hard earned from the earlier workout) and the food came quickly, fresh and very tasty. We were pleasantly surprised with the bill at the end of the day, appreciating the Prviliee discount of 20% on food as well.

Overall, we had a lovely daycation at W Hotel and felt like it was the perfect way to escape a busy week in Dubai. This is definitely a hotel we will recommend to friends and family – along with the Privilee card.

Address Hotel Dubai Marina

Sticking with our weekend gym routine we decided to visit the Address Hotel Dubai Marina on Saturday morning to take advantage of the gym facilities (as we heard that this gym also has a great view) and we were not disappointed. The gym itself is much bigger than we expected with the 5 treadmills, cross trainers, bikes and rowing machines lined up along the windows with excellent views of the Marina.

The staff were friendly and helpful by showing us where to exchange our Privilee cards for access cards. Sadly the weather wasn’t great so we didn’t stay to make the most of the pool facilities but, having caught a glimpse of the, we will definitely return!

Waldorf Astoria the Palm

When I first arrived at the hotel the staff were extremely helpful with signing in and swapping my Privilee card for a hotel guest access card. I headed down to the gym for a quick cardio and abs session before showering and beelining straight to the beach!

I really did feel like I was on holiday for the day. The Waldorf has such a relaxing, family holiday vibe that I pitched up on the beach with a book and barely moved for 7 hours!

The hotel offers a large family friendly swimming pool which was a buzz of activity with children playing. They also have a separate adults only pool with a Jacuzzi which was a lot calmer and more relaxing.

Bounty Beets Breakfast Spot

Has anyone else ever chosen a breakfast spot just because it looks cute on the gram?! Well I did and I’m so glad that the food was just as lovely as the décor. Bounty Beets is located in the ground floor in Le Meridien (next to the Westin) and is the perfect place for a girly breakfast date! The best thing about it though, is that with Privilee you receive 25% off the total bill!

Habtoor Grand

We had such a relaxing day at the Habtoor Grand, the hotel is lovely and the pool area is large with slides in the pool which is great for kids. We, however, headed straight down to the beach to switch off and unwind. This end of JBR beach is lovely because it’s much quieter and you can take in all of the amazing views of the Marina / JBR skyline.

Playa Nomade

This was my first time visiting Playa Nomade and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. We arrived at 10 (when it opened) but it didn’t get busy until around 1pm. So we chose a bed by the pool (with easy access in as it was quite hot) and chilled for the day. We treated ourselves to a pizza for lunch and some strawberry daqs in the afternoon (all of which tasted even better with 25% off!)

Fidelity Fitness JLT

Fidelity Fitness is the newest gym to be added to Privilee’s ever growing list of partners. It’s located in Almas Tower in JLT which is few minutes walk from the JLT metro stop which is perfect going on the way home from work. The great thing about Fidelity Fitness is that all of their classes are free to Privilee members! They have a huge timetable of spin classes which run throughout the day every day of the week. I decided to try out the TRX class which was a tough workout but I really enjoyed it. The gym itself is huge and is spread over three rooms and has a swimming pool!

Now that the weather in Dubai is heating up and we are just about to enter Ramadan, I plan on using Privilee to the maximum on weekends and making the most of the pools (and spas) throughout the summer months!

Cheers, Privilee

Exploring Old Dubai

Feb 22, 2019 vacaysandsunnydays

I used to save taking a trip down to Old Dubai as something to do with guests when they’re over on holiday. But lately, it seems I have swapped Friday Brunches, for Friday adventures – and I like it!

Dubai is such a vibrant, advanced and modern city to live in, but I love heading down to the Creek to experience the “old Dubai” and see some of the amazing variety of culture that this city has to offer. So, if you are planning on taking a trip down to the Dubai Creek soon, here are some of my favourite things to do there:

Gold Souk / Spice Market

Obviously this has to be first on my list, because diamonds really are a girl’s best
friend! I love visiting the Gold Souk to window shop and also barter on jewellery to haggle the price down. I recently visited to search for my wedding jewellery, albeit some ambitious wedding jewellery, but it was still fun!

Just around the corner from the Gold Souk is the Spice Market. All of the shops sell a range of local and imported spices at great prices (I should copyright that slogan).

Abra across the Dubai Creek

Previously, if someone told me I could purchase something in Dubai for AED 1 (=£0.20 / $0.27) I would not have believed them. But you can take one of the small abra boats across the Creek for AED 1 for a return trip!

Visit the Iranian Mosque

When I visited the Iranian Mosque I saw just how beautiful it was from the outside, but sadly, we hadn’t planned the timing of our trip very well and arrived at prayer time on a Friday! So the mosque, and car park, was actually packed full to the brim so we were unable to enter and explore inside.

I would therefore advise visiting the mosque on any other day of the week and also try to avoid prayer times! One important thing to note is that when visiting this mosque you should be sure to cover arms / legs fully. I was also advised to take a headscarf to enter the mosque – but sadly didn’t need to use it on this occasion!

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood allows you to see what traditional life was like in Old Dubai hundreds of years ago. You can walk around the narrow streets which are full of pop up shops, cafes, art galleries and even a boutique hotel.

You can find out more about it here: https://dubaiculture.gov.ae/en/Live-Our-Heritage/Pages/Al-Fahidi-Historical-Neighbourhood.aspx

Lunch at the Arabian Tea House

I’m getting hungry just writing this part of the post! The Arabian Tea House is located in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood so it’s a great place to stop and refuel. The food at the Arabian Tea House is traditional Emirati food so you can be sure to find a selection of breads, hummus, meze, biryani, shawarma and grilled meats. The food is delicious and really reasonably priced but, because of that, the queue is out of the door! If you are able to make a reservation here in advance, I would definitely advise doing so.

Ride on the Dubai Metro

This may seem like a strange one, but Dubai Metro is one of the top things to do in Dubai on Trip Advisor… I live in the Marina and a taxi up to the Creek would cost around AED 90 whereas the metro is AED 10 (in Gold Class or AED 5 in normal) so it’s a no brainer! If you’re looking for a cheap day out then I would definitely advise jumping on the metro. You can use the Journey Planner to help plan your trip.

Beach Days in Dubai

Feb 6, 2019Feb 6, 2019 vacaysandsunnydays

I absolutely love the beach, I have done my whole life. Growing up in Lowestoft I really took for granted the fact that we had the beach right on our doorstep. In the summer holidays my friends and I would bike down to the beach and spend all our time there. It was only when I moved away to uni that I realised we had been so lucky throughout our childhood.

In Dubai, it’s even better because we have the amazing beaches as well as the amazing weather, so here is a list of a few of my favourite beaches to visit:

Kite Beach

Kite Beach is slightly further away from my apartment in the Marina but still only a 15-20 minute taxi ride. I’m not really sure where Jumeirah Public Beach ends and Kite Beach starts but the beach is huge and stretches from the Burj Al Arab right the way up the Four Seasons (which would take around 2 hours to walk)! I prefer this beach because it’s a lot quieter than JBR. It doesn’t have as many restaurants or facilities but it does have SALT Burger (amazing) and also loads of parking which is free on Fridays for those who drive.

JBR Beach

This is probably the beach I go to most often because it less than a 10 minute walk from my apartment. JBR is great because it has a good selection of restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a spacious sandy beach to plonk down for the day. There are sunbeds and umbrellas available to rent for the day at AED 110 (which I think is quite pricy) so I literally head down there with my towel, a book and a bottle of water and set up on the sand for the day – or a few hours depending on how hot it is! JBR can also be quite busy with tourists and families so I tend to walk to the far end where it is a bit quieter.

La Mer

La Mer is one of the newer public beaches to open in Dubai and is located the opposite end to the Marina (so heading back towards the airport). It is owned by the Developed as JBR beach so it offers a great range of restaurants and cafes but the best part about La Mer is that it is licensed for alcohol.

The Fairmont, Palm Jumeirah

This is actually one of my favourite hotel beaches to visit for the day. They often have deals on Groupon etc. for beach and pool access with a two course lunch for around AED200. This beach has gorgeous views of the Marina and there’s a great choice for sunbeds either down the beach or around the pool. It’s nice to feel like I’m on holiday just for a day at the weekend!

Atlantis The Palm

Another favourite pool / beach day of mine is at Nasimi Beach at the Atlantis. They have recently started a new deal on Saturday’s where for AED 149 girls can receive a sunbed and towel, unlimited wine, cocktails, beer and soft drinks from 12-4 as well as a token for lunch! It’s an amazing deal and a great way to show guests the Atlantis.

Zero Gravity

Although Zero Gravity is better known for the pool rather than the beach, it’s great to chill out during the week and then livens up during the weekend for their weekend brunches. On Tuesdays, ladies can join the guest list and spend the day around the pool and the beach free of charge.

Barasti

Barasti is another beach club I recommend to guests when they visit on holiday, mainly because it’s one of the only free beach clubs in Dubai. It’s great because there’s no entry fee for men or women and they have sunbeds / beach cabanas that are also complimentary. They also have a pool which opened last year some time. I have to admit though, I haven’t been here for a beach day in a while because I don’t like the music! If you want a chilled beach day this probably isn’t the best option.