Dubai - First class
service
“So, what’s Dubai like?” I asked a colleague before heading
out for my first Middle East trip. “It’s hot” he said. “Gee. Thanks”, I
replied, “and let me guess, there’s sand too?” Before my facetious remark could
settle he was off into a meeting leaving me to ponder why he couldn’t have
spared another moment to describe Dubai a bit more. After spending a week there for business and
pleasure I came to understand that he may have needed more than just another
moment.
The holiday portion of my trip began after a 3 day
conference and I was certainly ready for some R&R. I met my wife at our
hotel around 10am expecting to store our bags for a check-in later that
afternoon but the hotel staff at The Address, Dubai Marina were well-prepared
to accept us and checked us in early. It was great to find that the outstanding
local service I had become accustomed to during the conference wasn’t limited
to big-spending businesses. Our room had a lovely balcony that looked over
Dubai Marina offering a view of the world’s tallest twisted building, Cayan
Tower. We were tempted to switch on the “do not disturb” button and rest the
day away in the comfort of our spacious room but adventures awaited us
elsewhere.
Before tiredness could creep in we popped our towels and
trunks into a bag and headed off to Aquaventure Waterpark at Atlantis, on The
Palm. Switching between a leisurely float along the circuitous rapids and the
park’s more thrilling rides was a great way to spend a day after the long hours
of a conference or, in my wife’s case, a long-haul flight. She did however opt
out of the park’s ultimate thrill - Poseidon’s Revenge (check it out on YouTube
or, in the words of their own website “step into a capsule and wait for the
moment when the floor falls out beneath you and you begin to plummet through a
waterslide at speeds of 60 kilometres per hour before the fury of Poseidon’s
revenge propels you upside down.”) I thought it was insanely fun!
For the following 5 days I was inclined to permanently set
up at our glorious hotel pool. I knew however that the sun would always be
shining and there would be plenty of time to enjoy a swim so we decided to do
some exploring. First up was a desert safari.
Our safari guide drove us less than an hour outside of the
city in a 4WD where we encountered a land of unending sand dunes. Before the
dune-bashing commenced we were treated to a spot of falconry and a photo with a
friendly camel. The following journey over the undulating dunes took us to a
bedouin camp where a wide array of local foods were on offer along with belly
dancing, camel-riding and a shisha under a multitude of stars. This really was
something quite different and it was a great experience.
The following day I was determined to show my wife the Burj
Khalifa at sunset. Our 20 minute taxi ride from Dubai Marina took us along the
main highway which is thronged by sky-scrapers. At this moment I came to really
appreciate the ambition embodied by these structures which aren’t just symbols
of the emirate’s wealth and recent growth. They are extravagant statements that
nothing is impossible, particularly when it comes to modern architecture, and
we were headed towards the grandest of them all.
Arriving in front of the world’s tallest building we were
struck by its futuristic curving tiers rising into space against the pink and
purple desert sky. For me it was an image of a galactic palace from another
world. My wife on the other hand has less of an appreciation for the subtleties
of science fiction and summed it up simply with an emphatic “Wow!” This was
followed by an “Oooohh!” as the graceful water and light show of The Dubai
Fountain began in the foreground. Our night was finished off with dinner at one
of the many eateries in the expansive Dubai Mall nearby where we also spent a
thoughtful 20 minutes gazing upon the vast population of sea life in the huge
aquarium.
Amongst our excursions we did plenty of relaxing in the sun
and pottering about the many shops but on our final day we made plans to do
Friday brunch with friends. Many hotels in Dubai hold these weekly
all-you-can-eat-and-drink events and they are particularly popular with expats.
I was quick to discover why.
Our chosen venue, the Fairmont Hotel Dubai, is reputed to
have been the first hotel to hold a Friday brunch and they have put the
intervening years to good use. They offer food from all over the globe and
while I am not a fan of buffet style dining, this was one of my most enjoyable
eating experiences. From the succulent wagyu beef roast to oysters on the half
shell, it was a foodie’s dream and the various cocktails on offer ensured a
merry atmosphere. Overall it epitomised the impressive quality of food, drink,
and service that I had grown used to during my stay.
With a sigh of satisfaction we returned to our hotel oasis
for one final swim and to contemplate our surroundings. I now knew that if my
colleague had actually taken the time to try and describe Dubai we may have
been standing at the communal urn for some time. It was also clear that any
brief description other than “it’s hot” would have been too abstract.
Impressive? Extravagant? Different? Unreal? Sure he could have used these
words, but without having been there I could not have appreciated what he
meant. Dubai is not London or Paris. It’s not Sydney or Hong Kong. Dubai is
Dubai. It is impressive, extravagant and different (and hot). It is all these
things and more, but to describe it simply in these words really isn’t enough.
It must be experienced.
