Staying in Dubai
An overview of Dubai, first impressions of the city and our hotel and a rundown of some other hotels in the immediate area and further afield, including Dubai's 7 star hotel - Burj al Arab. Everything you need to get upto speed.
Dubai in a Nutshell
So where is Dubai? What exactly is Dubai? What does Dubai want to be seen as? Most importantly for many, what does it offer to the holidaymaker? View a global map of Dubai, along with low level satellite images of Dubai's prestigious developments.
Where is Dubai? Dubai is a modern coastal city, located by the Persian Gulf in the heart of the Middle East. It is beautiful and sophisticated with a charm that is unique to the region. It is located at sea level (approximately 16m/52 ft above, at its highest point) within the Arabian Desert and is 4 hours ahead of GMT with an average flying...
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Getting to Dubai
Some argue the most important part of a holiday is how you get there, it sets up expectations for the rest of the stay. Here's how we got to Dubai.
As we approached Dubai, the light coming in through the plane windows was just starting to brighten enough for us to look down at the opal blue sea far below. It was difficult to appreciate just how far below it really was until we spotted a trickle of small boats on the water that were actually large dhows and the seemingly tiny wrinkles in the wa...
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The Al Qasr Hotel
Reading about Dubai hotels in a brochure or on the internet is a world away from seeing them with your own eyes, was ours to meet expectations? Maybe even to exceed them?
Half an hour after we’d set off from Dubai international Airport, we approached the Madinat Jumeirah just off Jumeirah
Road and for the first time, I spotted the beautifully curved, sail shaped structure now an icon of Dubai travel towering in the
background. The 321 metre high Burj Al Arab dominates the landscape and has been describ...
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Lazing on Jumeirah Beach
For someone as lazy as I am, no Dubai holiday would be complete without a thorough examination of the beach, luckily it was little more than a stones throw away.
Tea on the balcony overlooking the resort and a shimmering Burj Al Arab, accompanied by the soft regular ‘whoosh’ of breaking waves on Jumeirah Beach, marked the start of another day in the Al Qasr Hotel. We decided to take advantage of the free breakfast and made our way to the daily buffet (7 - 11 am) laid out one floor below the grou...
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Dubai Hotels near Jumeirah Beach
If like me you need to be staying in a hotel near a beach, a quick rundown of some of the available hotels in Dubai near one of its 'prime beaches', Jumeirah Beach, is essential. You can also read about our little trek to the most famous hotel there, the Burj Al Arab.
Burj Al Arab - Naturally enough the Jumeirah Beach is famous for what has become recognised as one of the best, if not the most stunning hotel in the world - the 321 metre high Burj Al Arab Hotel (translated to ‘The Tower of the Arabs’).
Two word sum this hotel up - ’unique experience’. The design features two ...
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Other Dubai Hotels
They say that a weekend away in the heart of Dubai's prestigious city district can be a truly stylish experience. With so many hotels and so many styles to choose from, it can be quite a task.
The Jumeirah Emirates Towers ’tower’ above the central business and commercial district with their clean, crisp edges slicing through the air, standing out amongst the Dubai skyline and are yet another highly visible contributor to “Dubai architecture”. The hotel’s uniqueness is underlined by its location, set am...
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