Dubai Dreaming

Like I mentioned in my last post "Singapore Celebrations", we were stopping back in Dubai for a few nights on our way home from Singapore. 

It was my second time in Dubai but Mr B's first. I'd been once before with my best friend from school on a girls trip (I'll post about this again). 
I absolutely love Dubai! It's one of my favourite places to go and can be used as a stop gap, a long weekend or an all out holiday. 

Dubai was just what we needed after a hectic five days in Singapore. Dubai's airport is the hub for Emirates so when you fly with them, you are in your own "wing" of the airport. It's a pretty spectacular airport as you may need to catch a train to get from one flight to another. 

Travel tip: My husband suffers from serious motion sickness so when we stopped in Dubai, we ran to the pharmacy. I can honestly say he picked up the most outstanding motion sickness tablets he's ever tried. Even flying in business class with a bed, he was being sick. After he's used these tablets, he can do just about anything and feel perfect. If you suffer from travel sickness, get these! They are the pharmacists advised ones.

We were swept into one of the waiting Mercedes at the entrance ready to whisk us off to our next hotel (again, this is all booked through Pure Destinations). The heat that hits you when you exit Dubai airport is like nothing you will have experienced. It's dry and around 40c. 

Travel tip: If you can put up with 40c, go to Dubai on the fringe of Ramadan or in Ramadan. Do not be put off by any stories of restrictions and strictness. This is not true - you should have respect whenever you visit another country but the rules for Ramadan for tourists are not as harsh. The hotels are considerably cheaper and normally include half board. 

We were staying in the Atlantis resort on the Palm. It is seriously impressive and just as iconic to Dubai as the Burj Khalifa. We had booked a beautiful, ocean themed palm view room. The palm view rooms face the city which is such a sight to behold, day and night. I'd also advise staying in the west wing of Atlantis as this is closer to the restaurants and main pools. If you stay at Atlantis, you will get free entry to the Lost Chambers water park which is well worth a visit. The water slides are amazing as are the attractions you can visit within the park. You can swim with sharks, sting rays and turtles. The lazy river is pretty good considering thousands of people visit the park every day. It never felt too busy.

In Ramadan, you cannot drink alcohol in the day until the sunsets. This was totally fine for Mr B and
I as we aren't big drinkers. We'd lay at the Royal pool in the day topping up our tans and venture to the amazing restaurants by night. Ossiano is a particular love of mine in Dubai and I truly believe everyone should go when they visit. It is the underwater restaurant you see all those instagram posts of. Again, this was my second time in Ossiano and the service was just as good as the first time. 
You walk down the spiral staircase into a huge dining room, in front of the giant aquarium. We always ask for a table right in front for an unobstructed view - book well in advance!
The food is incredible and so are the drinks. You will see many people popping champagne or drinking cocktails but there is no pressure to spend like a millionaire. We enjoyed a few courses each with a good view glasses of wine/cocktails. Don't get me wrong, Ossiano is pricey but if it's a special occasion, why not!

Nobu also lives at Atlantis. We have visited a few Nobu Restaurants and this was one of our least favourite, unfortunately. The service is stifling. If you put your glass down, someone is already at your side, topping it up. Sometimes you just want a nice, calm meal - alone with your other half. It isn't for a romantic vibe. It's a good restaurant to go to before a big night out though as the dishes are light and the ambiance is lively. 
Do make sure you visit Atlantis' Chinese restaurant - Yuan. You wouldn't know this place is there if you didn't look for it as you have to go outside Atlantis to go in. The vibe is so chilled and the food is incredible. Really good prices for an upscale oriental restaurant. The box of macaroons they bring around after dinner is enough of a reason to visit anyway. 

Dubai has amazing nightlife and the Dubai marina is a great place to go- make sure you really dress up as this side of Dubai is super glamorous. Dubai Mall is incredible place to find your outfit for a night out but make sure you set aside a full day to get around it. I'd love to get one of those buggies to take me around. They have every designer you could ever imagine and some absolutely incredible monuments. It is also home to a huge aquarium.

Our stay was short in Dubai and we used it to completely zone out. I did quite a bit of sight seeing with my friend when we did our girls trip so I'll advise some great day trips within that post.  
Such a fabulous time to celebrate not just my birthday but our engagement! 
L xxx