Dubai with Etihad via Abu Dhabi

The collaboration of Dubai Tourist Board and Etihad Airways was to show us another gateway into Dubai via the award winning airlines hub airport in Abu Dhabi. Flying from Manchester we met some colleagues who flew from the other UK route Heathrow. The flight took 7 hours but really did seem like a lot less. The touch screen entertainment screens were different in so much as you could get camera views from the cockpit or look directly beneath the aircraft which is fun when landing. There were 42 films to choose from (26 current and 16 classics) which you can pause, rewind, fast forward at any time. The food was excellent with a choice of 3 main courses and a warm pudding served after this allowing you that little bit more space and comfort whilst eating also the main meal was perfectly complimented by quality wines, then about 90 mins before landing you could have a snack of a choice of hot soups or a hot chicken fajita washed down with another Wolf Blass Chardonnay – Excellent service throughout the flight.

We were greeted by a representative of Desert Adventures – our ground handler in the United Arab Emirates and we were hit by the 38 degree heat but were quickly ushered onto our air conditioned transport for the duration - our very own mini bus and surprisingly only a 50 minute transfer to Dubai

We stayed for 2 nights at the Pullman Hotel Mall of the Emirates which had only been open about a month. It is directly connected to the Mall which houses over 470 stores also connected was the Kempinski Hotel and Ski Dubai an indoor Ski Arena with real snow. The hotel is beautiful and the swimming pools, sauna and gym on the top floor were fabulous and a great way of working off the calories from the top notch breakfasts we had, which by the way we had on the veranda with a backdrop view of the Iconic Burj Al Arab. The standard rooms were very spacious and very well furnished and an exquisite bathroom.

During the stay we visited some other class hotels and were treated to lunch in a few, I list them here but for more in depth details just contact me. We had guided tours of the One & Only Royal Mirage, Madinat Jumeirah 2 hotels in one complex Mina A’salam and Al Qasr these properties were stunning and connected via waterways which transport people around on little boats called Abras. The beachfront complex also boasts its own Souk which is a traditional market place type bazaar. We also visited the old town and had a tour of The Palace after viewing the tallest fountain display we were treated to a sumptuous dinner. Also in the old town we were guided round The Address the new in place for corporate guests, both of these hotels within walking distance of the Dubai Mall with a staggering 1200 shops!

Our second host hotel was the Desert Palm which boasts complete privacy if required in its 2 or 3 bedroom villas, it has a fantastic spa and is perfect for being away from it all but near enough to pop back in to Dubai if required. The owners’ passion is polo and we were fortunate enough to catch sight of a game in progress. It is also award winning for best steak restaurant.

Aside from the hotel visits we also got chance to visit the downtown Souks which were lots of stores all tightly packed in selling their wares of Gold & Spices and any number of things you can imagine we also crossed the creek in the traditional way on an Abra just 1 dirham (20p) for passage, quite an experience. One evening was set aside for a Desert Safari and traditional BBQ dinner, also known as Wadi Bashing our very experienced driver took us on a ride to remember over the huge dunes and finally to a flat spot where everyone was able to get a sunset shot. The entertainment was traditional with Belly Dancing and a Henna tattooist, you could try smoking a shisha if you wanted and even dress up like a local,

On our return flight we upgraded to Business class and had use of the excellent facilities available in the lounge including complimentary spa treatments. The additional benefits of upgrading are so many to mention so please call me to ask more about it.