Family short break in Dubai
After a 30 minute transfer out to the Palm we arrived at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray and were greeted by a truly wow factor hotel lobby and with it’s private beach, fabulously huge infinity pool, sumptuous spa and 10 restaurants this amazing hotel was hard to leave each day!
Our bedroom was huge with 2 double beds (plus an extra bed), sitting area, large balcony and still with space to spare….we were overlooking the roof of the palatial Talise Ottoman Spa and had a view of the sea but also with the port and mainland in the distance.
Our 5 days in Dubai were all about the food and waterparks!
We were on a complimentary half board offer which meant we could choose to eat in over 40 restaurants in the Jumeirah group and with the hotel providing a complimentary shuttle bus getting on and off the Palm was not an issue.
After much discussion and advice from colleagues, we actually decided to eat in 5 of the Zabeels’ restaurants and were not disappointed with either the food or the service: The buffet breakfast at Imperium (a French style brasserie complete with chandeliers and gilded columns) was spectacular and possibly one of the best I have ever experienced. Exotic fruits freshly cut and served to your plate, freshly squeezed fruit and veg juices and the most delicious muesli….I could go on; ‘The Rib Room’ – Steaks the size of the dinner plates and delicious sides, starters and suites; Abid and his team at ‘Amala’ helped us choose the tastiest selection of North Indian cuisine and at ‘Al Nafoorah’ (rightly earning its reputation as one of the best Lebanese restaurants in Dubai) we were treated to an amazing meze of salads, dips and kebabs chosen by the knowledgeable waiters. We had calamari for lunch at the Plaj restaurant overlooking the beach and sandwiches round the pool….we positively rolled back to the airport!
On our last night we ventured out of the hotel and spent a while wandering around the Madinet Jumeirah Souk (bit disappointing having been to the real thing in Marrakech the previous year to be honest but a nice evening!) before taking the water bus (complimentary to Jumeirah guests) to ‘Tortuga’ a Mexican kitchen in a delightful position overlooking the canal.
The Osmond family love a waterpark….and Dubai gave us the opportunity to try two! We enjoyed both Wild Wadi (at the Jumeirah beach hotel) Water Park and Aquaventure at Atlantis the Palm. Again the shuttle bus dropped us at Wild Wadi and it was a quick 5 minute taxi ride to Aquaventure from the Zabeel Saray. Both parks offered a variety of rides from thrilling record breaking rides to children’s play areas for younger visitors but we felt that Aquaventure perhaps offered more choice for teenagers and adults. Having said that the unique Master Blaster at Wild Wadi, a gravity-defying ride that sends you up-hill, made a refreshing change!
Of course our visit would not be complete without a wander around the awesome Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall and being whisked up 124 floors to the Observation deck of the Burj Khalifa. The daily fountain display at the foot of the Burj is well worth hanging around for too. We did find some time to relax and read by the fabulous infinity pool but did not have time to visit the gym, cinema or the Musichall.
Geoff and I did manage to squeeze in a few hours at the Talise Ottoman Spa, which boasts 42 individual spa rooms and suites, an indoor swimming pool and 3 authentic Turkish Hammams.
After a fantastic few days in Dubai we were ready to move onto Mauritius……