Dubai Experience.

I departed Manchester with my daughter Gemma for a 5 night trip to Dubai on Emirates overnight flight which arrived in Dubai early morning for our stay at the 5 star Al Qasr resort. Al Qasr means 'The Palace' and is the centre-piece of Madinat Jumeirah and is designed to reflect a Sheikh’s summer residence. Approached via a tree-lined avenue and adorned with beautifully sculpted Arabian horses, Al Qasr is simply breath-taking. It boasts a huge swimming pool and lots of choices of bars and restaurants. The staff cannot do enough for you and as we lay by the pool they would come round with cold flannels and fresh fruit which was so refreshing. The first evening we took an Abra (little boat) to the Souk which is part of the Madinat and has a selection of restaurants, cafes and shops. We ate at Toscana, an Italian restaurant serving a selection of pasta and pizzas. On the second evening we took a 10 minute cab ride to The Marina which is lovely in the evening, we ate a traditional Arabian restaurant and the food was delightful.

The night we decided to opt for The Dune Dinner where we were transported out into the desert and driven up and down the sand dunes before watching the sunset. We were then taken out to a camp where we relaxed on comfortable low cushions in Bedu tents and quenched our thirst, had our hands painted with henna designs, experienced a camel ride and enjoyed the aromatic shisha. All in all it was a very worthwhile evening and I would recommend it. The fourth evening we took a golf buggy to The Jumeirah Beach Hotel where we enjoyed drinks on the spectacular rooftop terrace before taking a Abra to The Souk for dinner at The Meat Company which is a steak house with every variety of steak on the menu that you can think of!

On our final evening we opted for a trip to The Gold Souk in the city which is definitely worth a visit. You can wonder round for hours and if you enjoy bartering this is the place! There are also lots of other shops selling a variety of items from shoes to electrical equipment and of course you must wander through The Spice Souk to experience the aromas that come from the different shops and stalls.

In my opinion Dubai has something to suit everyone.