Mini Break: U.A.E

  My parents recently moved to Abu Dhabi leaving me a fellow "Doha Orphan", so the boyf and I booked ourselves a little trip over to see them last weekend.  With the flights being astronomical to Abu Dhabi, it worked out cheaper to fly into Dubai and stay over for a night... well it did work out cheaper until we factored in our shopping costs, which is obviously essential whilst in Dubai!!
BYE BYE DOHA! Obligatory Scary Airport Bear Photo



 We stayed in the newly opened Armada Blue Bay Hotel in Jumeirah Lakes Towers in Dubai. It was in a great location very close to the marina, and with it being brand new, we were the first people to sleep in the sheets!  The room price (which was very cheap at QR320) included a breakfast buffet in the morning; which was a little limited, but with not many people staying there, this may be due to the fact that they didn't want to produce too much waste.  Best part of the breakfast, there was an egg station preparing freshly cooked....scrambled omelet!
Typical room: ours was just like this
 At the risk of sounding like a Moaning Myrtle... there were a few teething problems.
1. The pillows were a little on the hard side. (but hey you might like that)
2. The shower didn't have a curtain or door so the water went er'where!
Lovely modern bathroom: but no shower door
 But all in all, a short but sweet stay.  The pool area looked great, but we didn't get a chance to use any of their facilities.

Pool Area

RATING
ENVIRONMENT:♥♥
STAFF:♥♥
  VALUE:♥♥♥
TOTAL:♥♥♥

On the Wednesday night after we had checked into the hotel, we headed over to Le Meridien to Barasti, which is one of my choice locations to visit whilst in Dubai. The environment is very relaxed, it's nice to sit by the beach to have dinner and a few drinks.  It was fairly busy for a "school night", but we didn't have to wait too long for a table.  There was a live acoustic performance playing inside, but the speakers allowed us to sit outside and still enjoy the music. It is things like this you take for granted whilst living in the UK, live performances are hard to come by in Doha!

After checking out of the hotel the next morning, we ventured on down to Dubai Mall.  It is my fave mall in Dubai, you can literally get ANYTHING, in fact you don't even have to shop.  There is an ice rink, a tour that takes you up the Burj Khalifa, an Aquarium and underwater zoo as well as a theme park! So if shopping isn't for you, there are plenty of other activities to keep you busy! Ali wanted to see what all the fuss was about... and rightly so he was amazed.  It makes you realise how great shopping can be, and hopefully Qatar isn't too far behind and will get some decent shops soon! In the picture below I am wearing the Bank two piece that I have previously mentioned, and the Topshop shoes as well come to think of it. 

At the Aquarium

After wasting a lot of time loving every second wandering around Dubai Mall, we hopped into a taxi and began our journey to Abu Dhabi. It took around an hour and cost just under QR200 for the trip, so not such a bad way to do it.

It was really lovely to spend time with my parents and my brother after not seeing them since before the summer, after the guided tour around their amazing villa, (again, I've not seen anything like it here in Doha) we spent the day eating, drinking and having a catch up.  In the evening we headed out to Stills Bar in the Crowne Plaza on Yas Island for a few social drinks, Stills had free ladies drinks until 11pm, although I swear it went on a little later than that, so the "few social drinks" quickly escalated to us all getting a little para! Needless to say, the next day was a bit of a write off!
Ali, Me & Jax (Mumma)
I wore a mesh insert dress from Rare. Find a similar one here.
Me & Mumma
Albert (Pappa), Elliot & Jax making a disgrace of themselves!
 After a hearty breakfast the next morning, lots of water and some paracetamol we decided to venture out of the villa and in an attempt to blow away the cobwebs, ride the fastest roller-coaster in the world!

Me & Ali at Ferrari World
 I would have to say that the roller-coaster, which goes 0-240kph in 4 seconds, is well worth the DHS240, that it costs to enter the park, alone!  There were literally no queues and so we rode this one twice, we even got my mum on the racing coaster!  There are loads of simulators if the scarier rides aren't for you, which are fairly decent, and loads of cars to look at if you're into your motors.. I've got to say... I was there purely for the 0-240 ride!

Now you see us
Now you don't
  Tips for future Ferrari World goers, its fine to wear strap tops and shorts, but it is a "Hell No" to crop tops! I had to cover my midriff by tying a polyester scarf around me for the entire day!  It was a sexy look!  The kimono I am wearing in the pic above will be one of the designs I will be selling in the boutique.  Keep your ears and eyes out for more details!

Time went far to quickly and on the final day of the mini break, I woke up hating the fact that I had to leave so quickly!  But we made the most of the day by heading to Souq Qarayat Al Beri, the Souq is on the water surrounded by quaint canals and boutiquey shops.  There is a great view of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is a must see whilst in Abu Dhabi, I'll have to do that next time!! We had a bite to eat in Meat Co, which I would also highly recommend.

Me & Ali at the Souq

Me with the parentals at the Souq

I cannot wait to head back to Abu Dhabi to do more of the touristy things and for much needed catch ups.

Have you ever been?  What do you recommend doing whilst you're there?

Much love,
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6 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Awww I think so too! She will love that comment thank you Marianna!
      x

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  2. Looks like you had a fab time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Melanie, it was really great to catch up with the family and to see their new home! =)

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  3. Wow, that hotel room looks amazing! Looks like you had a great time.xx

    Eärendil (Previously Beauty and a Blogger)

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    Replies
    1. It was really lovely, and so cheap I couldn't believe it! =) Had a really lovely time thank you!
      Really like your blog, you have a new follower in us! =) xx

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