oN YoUr travelS
place to cool down! The Caribbean themed park offers thrilling rides and slides such as the Red Baron, the spinning-coaster, the Action Arm, Lazy River and Surf Hill. Wonderland is a great way to spend the day with the family and a must for children of all ages. Wild Wadi Water Park on Jumeriah beach is one of the most advanced water theme parks ever designed; the five-hectare (12-acre) water park at Wild Wadi offers families and thrill seekers hours of fun, relaxation and adrenalinpumping action. Designed like an Arabian wadi (oasis), the park has an Arabian folklore theme.You will also find a dolphinarium, children’s city an educational park and Ski Dubai in the Mall of the Emirates. Dubai is also known as a shopper’s paradise and the world largest shopping mall opened in November 2008, Dubai Mall is home to around twelve hundred retailers. It is the size of more than fifty football pitches and features an ice rink, a hotel, and is the gateway to the Burj Dubai; the tallest building in the world. The mall is home to a number of the world’s best known stores including Bloomingdales, Marks and Spencer and Montblanc. Designers such as Stella McCartney also have outlets in the complex and world famous jewellers Tiffany & Co. have a branch located there. No trip to Dubai would be complete without an outing to Dubai’s latest shopping spectacular.
Having been to Dubai myself I have first hand knowledge of this exciting destination, I fell in love with Dubai and all it has to offer. I stayed at the Jumeriah Beach Hotel and can only say that you will not be disappointed if you stay here, the breakfast buffet was the largest and most diverse I have ever seen and the attention to detail was amazing. The staff greet you by name on arrival and the service continues to wow you throughout your stay, with 23 restaurants, 6 bars, 6 pools, a marina, private beach area and 24 hour golf buggies to drive you around the complex – this hotel will blow you away! I would highly recommend an excursion into the desert for the sand dune 4 x 4 driving followed by camel riding then a visit to a Bedouin village and ending with a traditional Arabian barbeque under the stars, with a show of belly dancing. This was a real highlight on my holiday and gave you a taste of Arabia. It rarely rains in Dubai so you can visit anytime of the year but please bear in mind that the temperatures in July and Aug can reach 50 degrees, so you need to be able to take the heat. A nice time to go would be in our spring or towards the latter part of the year where it is a cooler 30 degrees. During Ramadan it is considered disrespectful to eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours, although this isn’t a problem in the hotels.You will find prices more favourable during Ramadan as it is out of season.
iF YoU FaNCY a taSte oF araBia... then give Mel a call at Off Broadway Travel on 07932 154240 or email melanie@offbroadwaytravel.co.uk September 2011
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