RuBe’s Closet - Modest Fashion and Lifestyle: Dubai

Thursday, 5 February 2015

Dubai Summer Holiday

Hi readers,

I have had such a crazy schedule and to add to the crazy my internet connectivity decided to make things a little more interesting by refusing to work!

I’ve finally nailed down my Dubai post and decided that I would do the two cities separately since they were such different experiences.

I had been looking so forward to this break, 2014 was another insanely busy year and it’s also the first time in years that husby and I are able to take an extended break without the kids. I love travelling with my kids, but sometimes there are things (like shopping) I’d like to do and they’re not always keen.

Another really big bonus was that an old friend had assisted us with accommodation, ie booking etc and it made all the difference! We stayed at the absolutely gorgeous Jumeirah Beach Hotel (JBH), directly opposite the Burj Al Arab and with kilometres of uninterrupted private beaches. Since it was my second trip in a year to Dubai, I was sure that 5 days would be enough… Well I think we could have stayed longer all thanks to the awesomeness that was JBH!

Taken from our bedroom- simply beautiful

We had an amazing view overlooking the Burj Al Arab, the sunsets in the distance behind the Burj Al Arab, the luxury yachts docked in the basin and endless sea. We were instantly in chilled holiday mode when we arrived in our room, and took some time to rest up before meeting up with my pal for dinner.

Out first evening Dubai Mall selfie

Some of our dining highlights included Urbano restaurant in the Souk Al Bahar in the Dubai Mall. A darling Italian restaurant overlooking the dancing fountains. And secondly, at Pierchic based in Al Qasr, Jumeirah, a high end Mediterranean seafood restaurant. This is such a special place as the atmosphere is romantic, our company good and of course the food, excellent.

A nice touch added to our evening meal at Pier Chic

Pier Chic out in the middle of the ocean

We were lucky enough to enjoy pre-dinner drinks at Skyview Bar, Burj Al Arab, with the most breathtaking views. And the hotel itself? Well that was just pure opulence in pure Dubai fashion - it is afterall a 7-star rated hotel!

The location of Skyview Bar

En route to Sky View

Enough about the food, although I have to note that all out cuisine throughout the holiday differed greatly from when we travel with the boys. We also tried some scuba diving at the hotel, visited Ski Dubai and took a leisurely ride on the Abra (much like a gondola) along the canals in Al Qasr and Madinat.

The souks, didn’t disappoint either and I loved the authentic feel of the Madinat Souk. For a more contemporary shopping experience, we frequented Mall of the Emirates (mainly because of its proximity to JBH) and Dubai Mall… And boy did we enjoy the ‘part’ sales which is actually the sales before the festival starts. It was good enough for me!

Caught snoozing (haha) on the metro station

From top left: Hubby shopping at Bloomingdales, these Gucci sneakers stole my heart; Harvey Nichols and the gorgeousness of SJP heels; I love seeing the different window displays, my Isabel Marant sneakers in the Shoe Level District.

Golf cart selfie

The abra on the Madinat canals

Outdoor meals are the best… and with this view = perfection!

Madinat souk

Abra Station, shopping in hand

This is how we travel around the resort

Some souvenir photos

Hope you enjoyed the photos!

Caio for now,

RuBe xoxo

My taste of Dubai

Hello Lovely readers

I trust that everyone had a wonderful holiday, and even if you were working that you managed to take out some leisure time. Afterall, we live in a beautiful country with so many breathtaking sights.

Having said that, we decided to spend our break abroad, taking our boys on their first overseas trip. Every year we spend New Years out of Cape Town which is our timeshare week. The boys love our time at Pine Lake each year, but as they started growing up, other social events started happening back home. With this in mind, and the fact that my eldest, Ziyaad,will be turning 16 this year, starting a part-time job in December; we opted to do a special holiday to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Ziyaad (15) has expressed the need to spend some time with his buddies, so I have to accept the fact that this past holiday will be his last with us over our timeshare break. So onto the experience of Dubai….

Having only traveled to Europe and UK before, this was my first foray into an Arab country and I was genuinely impressed. My first impression is of a clean, safe and seriously organised country. During the following days, the city opened up like a beautiful bloom, exposing the impeccably clean streets, beautiful mosques and massive skyscrapers. My kids were overwhelmed and it was refreshing to see how my baby, Ihsaan (9), drank in everything he saw, touched and ate.

From sightseeing on the Big Bus, to Wild Wadi, The Dubai Mall & Aquarium, Burj Khalifa, there was so much to see and do. Whilst the food was rather pricey, especially when doing the conversion to ZAR, it was well worth being able to pick and choose since anything and everything was strictly Halaal. A far cry from my trips to Italy and France!

Of course we took in the sights at the Old Souks, and markets, engaging in the art of negotiating prices for goods. What an absolutely diverse city, with the Old Dubai (Deira Dubai) and the new, modern Dubai (Burj Dubai) one can really appreciate their amazing progress in a short 42 years.

After a week in Dubai, we moved onto Abu Dhabi where our first stop was Ferrari World. This was the highlight of the trip my kids had been eagerly anticipating. Some more shopping, and completing our Friday Prayers at the Grand Sheikh Zayed mosque ended our whirlwind visit through this great cosmopolitan city.

Even though we had a amazing time, it wasn’t without mishap. Ameer (13) landed in hospital and on a nebuliser by day 2; and losing Ihsaan (9) in Wild Wadi for about 45 minutes added a bit of drama never to be forgotten.

Hopefully the FEW pics will give you a taste of Dubai ….