ME and MY ITCHY FEET

4/4/11

Le Meridien Al Aqah Resort Fujairah

Le Meridien Al Aqah. From Deira, Dubai (or from the airport) was a scenic 2 hour drive. We left the house at 11:35 and followed the signs to Fujairah via Sharjah. It was my first time to go to Fujairah so i was really amazed seeing the magnificent hajar mountains, for me it was like seeing yet another side of the world.

It's barely a month after our wedding day so this trip still feels like a honeymoon :)
We reached the hotel before 2pm. Check in time was 3pm and according t the receptionist we have to wait until the room is ready as there were other guests who came before us, but they did the check-in process and was served fresh orange juice and cold towel, then gave us access pass and were told that we can now start using the hotel facilities like the beach and the swimming pool. We were also offered to keep our things in the luggage room but we opted to just bring our things as we take around the resort.

THE STAFF: The reception staff didn't fail to give a welcoming smile, the valet attendant, astros bar crew and everyone were all nice. Over all I give them all an above the passing mark.

queen bed

The room we were given was not the same as what we reserved. We reserved for a queen sized bed but was surprised to see a twin bed instead. So we had to ring the reception and the housekeeping staff came shortly and put the single beds together.

Room amenities: Tea-coffee-choco making facility/bedroom slippers, bathrobe, complimentary bottles of water a day and a welcome fruit and brownies, iron, hair dryer.

Le Meridien Al Aqah has 218 rooms & suites as well as functions and meeting hall.

Souvenir shop in the lobby side area

Lounge, a view from the 12th Flr

12th Floor, Hallway

Superior Room with Balcony with view of Sea and Pool

Located on 230 stretch of unspoilt golden beach and nestled between the Hajar mountains and the Indian Ocean.

way to the beach

Beach front sunbeds

At 7am, the sea was calm and beach area was still empty but lifeguard was already on duty. Guests started to flock at about 10 am. So if you want it to be all yours, better wake up a bit early. But it never really gets too crowded as the pool is huge too and sunbeds are plentiful. There is also a snack bar called Gonu Bar and Grill if you feel hungry. Watersport and diving for the active ones will keep you busy. Karaoke for those who love to sing

A beautifully landscaped garden

Huge Swimming Pool

The swimming pool was clean and well maintained. The temperature was just perfect. We were the first to swim in the morning while other guests were still having their breakfast.

The Astros Sports Bar located on the 20th Floor offers the perfect view of the sea.

eg price: Peachberry Mocktail 30dhs, Beer 32 dhs

complimentary welcome fruits and brownies :)

bedroom slippers

Opt for a package with breakfast buffet

The resort at night as seen from our balcony

Off the road to Fujairah

We were off the road to Fujairah from Deira, Dubai at 11:30 am. From the busy city with skycrappers and buildings of different shapes and sizes to the vast desert of sharjah and a few lined palm trees lead us to the the hajar mountains of Fujairah after two hours of driving. The scenery was indeed different experience, it was breathtaking!

FUJAIRAH is the youngest of the 7 Emirates that comprise the UAE and is located at the easternmost part.

As the city is still not much developed, going on an excursion on the nearby beaches would be the best thing to do in Fujairah. 30 km far from the city is Dibba, a good choice to have a swim or play water sports. As we approach the le Meridien Al Aqah hotel and resort, we saw fruit stands and carpet market.

8/23/10

ATLANTIS, Aquaventure

Atlantis, The palm is a billion-dollar waterpark hotel in Dubai which opened in September 2008, amidst the global financial crises. It was the first resort to open at The Palm Jumeirah, the revolutionary man-made island in UAE. Atlantis is composed of: a luxurious hotel, boutiques, dining facilities, a huge aquarium and a waterpark.

If you are statying at ATLANTIS, you are given free access to AQUAVENTURE waterpark, or if you wish to just visit the park like we did, a AED 200 entrance fee for adult/165 (for children below 1.2 m) is good for the whole day. I suggest that you bring your own towel if you do not want to pay 30 for towel rental. For the safety of your belongings, lockers are charged 40 per unit. For the four of us, we rented only 1 locker and squeze everything there.

Things to Do at Aquaventure: Water Slides, Rides, Beach...

The Beach

Shark Bites Restaurant grab!

Snacks at Shark Bites: Hotdog sandwich 29, Cheeseburger 39 Softdrinks and coffee about 12 each

The Observatory Bar and Restaurant

Seated by the window overlooking Dubai Marina

MY boyfriend and I had our dinner anniversary here. Its was my first time to dine here although I have heard so much about this restaurant before. It offers a superb view of Dubai Jumeirah at 52nd floor! Romantic indeed, be sure to be seated by the window to enjoy the view. The waiters were friendly and restaurant supervisor as well as the chef came to our table to check on us. They explained each and every order that they served to us, being it our first time maybe? The ambiance was warm with a little lighting, it has two sides, the restaurant and the bar side. We came at about 7pm and there were just few people yet but according to the waiter they have a big group reserved for the night, so i think we were just on time to have the place not so crowded. Upon the suggestion of the waitress, we ordered rasberry mojito (vodka, rasberry with mint leaves) mocktail and it was great. Then they served us a basket of bread with cheese. For main course we had Giant prawns (4 prawns grillled per order), Seafood canolloni a pasta dish with white sauce rolled into two pieces and spread with seafood bits inside, really nice one. Mashed potato for side dish and salmon fillet with orange appetizer. The chef also served us another fresh salmon appetizer which I forgot the name but equally delicious.

Seafood Canalloni

Salmon Fillet with Orange Slice

Giant Prawns

Me at The Observatory

The Bill For Two:

Giant Prawns- 115
Seafood Canalloni- 65
Salmon Fillet Appetizer- 50
Raspberry Mojito Cocktail-
Basket of Bread and cheese- complimentary

Location: Dubai Marriott Hotel, al sufouh rd. Dubai Marina, Jumeirah

Cuisine: International

Contact no: (+9714) 319 4000

8/13/10

SOY

It was 7:30 pm and yet the sun was still up. We drove to watch a movie in the nearby Deira City Center and after lots of rounds looking for a parking space, we gave up and decided to just eat out somewhere which is not inside a mall. Friday, being a weekend in UAE means lots of people are out specially in the malls and since summer here can get up to 55+ degrees high, most people go out only when the sun is to set.

SOY

Located at the Jumeirah Beach Residence, the walk (JBR) strips of restaurants, i was almost put off as we had to take a very unlikely way up, (like a service elevator?) to the second floor of Amwaj. The place was very small, then I found out that it was more of a take out resto.

SOY serves chinese, mongolian and thai cuisine. The serving was good for two. Like in most chinese restos, it serves you crackers while waiting for your order. Average price for an ala carte is 50 aed.

Prawn fried rice - 37.00
Hamour in black pepper sauce- 57
Chile Prawns- 68
Jasmine tea- 14

3/13/10

City Of Merchants

Day 1 in Dubai: For our first morning in Dubai, we prepared our own breakfast and enjoyed the beautiful and very relaxing view of the sea from the 27th floor. We wanted to set up our breakfast in the balcony but it was a very cold February morning. At 11am, we took the complimentary shuttle service to visit the Mall of the Emirates and headed back to the hotel to catch our City tour pick up at 2:50 PM. I booked a City of Merchants Tour through the Arabian Adventure desk in the hotel lobby priced at 145 each.

------------------Arabian Adventures-----------------

UAE's top travel agency that aranges tours and safaris.

Since it’s my family’s first time in Dubai, I thought it was great to start our 4-day trip learning about Dubai’s history and seeing the old and new Dubai on our first day. Our tour guide was a German lady named “Elitha”. The bus was full, about 45 of us there. The tour was in German and English. Our guide said that it’s the first time that the German’s (or maybe the non-English) out-numbered the English participants.

---------------------The iconic, Burj Al Arab-----------------

Said to be one of the world's most luxurious hotels, burj al arab stands on a reclaimed land that is designed to resemble the sail of a dhow. You need to have a reservation to enter this hotel the cheapest is to book an afternoon tea at 250 dhs.

The assembly point was near the Burj al Arab, so our cameras begun rolling here. There were like 3 Arabian adventure buses convoy.

-----Jumeirah Mosque-----

A modern Islamic architecture

Our guide was talking all the time, pointing the different places we were passing through. She was very accommodating in answering if there are questions raised. Then we stopped at the Majilis, The Barasti, Jumeirah mosque, Sheiks Palace, Dubai Museum and then we crossed the creek with a quick abra ride and the last stop was in Spice Souk and Gold Souk. We were given 30 minutes to look around freely and told gather back at 7:30 pm. Those who wish to buy and stay some more may take the taxi back to their hotel. At almost 9pm after dropping all other guests in different hotels, we retired that night very tired…

------The Barasti--------

Wind catcher from the old times in Dubai

--------Dubai Museum------

*There is a 5dhs entrance fee to enter this museum.

----------------------Ride an Abra ---------------------

*at 1 dhs to cross from bur duabai to deira side or vise versa

-----------The Gold Souk------------

Most shops here are open until 10pm.

*if you are not part of the tour

3/12/10

Dubai Marriot Harbour Hotel and Suites

The Dubai Marriot Harbour Hotel and Suites is situated in Al Sufouh Rd Dubai Marina, Jumeirah.
Lined along the tall buildings in the marina area, standing with 52 floors, we arrived here at about midnight via an airport taxi that cost us 82.50 dirhams (including the airport surcharge of 20 dhs) after 30 minutes of travel from Emirates Terminal 3.

Check in at Dubai Marriot Harbour Hotel and Suites was fast but I was surprised when the security stopped me from shooting with my handycam in the lobby and at entrance of the hotel. The concierge, “Chico”, a Vietnamese guy, brought our luggage up and showed as around the huge 2 bedroom-apartment suite on the 27th floor. It was well equipped and fully furnished. Very spacious, great kitchen complete with all kitchen utensils. A washing machine and iron and ironing board, a balcony with a fantastic view of the palm! Another guest-room with a single bed is there (more like a maids- room, without a window). The master’s bedroom has a 42” LCD tv and a king-size bed, while the other room has two single beds with its own toilet and bath too. I loved the bedding! So soft and comfortable. In total, the apartment suite has 4 toilets (ensuite). There is a book shelf in the living area with lots of reading materials. Swimming pool was small and nothing to rave about but since not much guests come so you can have it t yourself most of the time. Gulf news is provided every day. A small store on the second floor is available otherwise Spinney’s grocery is about 5 minutes walk and lots of cafes lined in the marina area and yachts all over. The observatory bar and restaurant on the top floor was also worth a visit with a 360 degree view of the palm island. A signature spa is also available and few restaurants inside. The Hotel is very good for families specially for those who intend to self cater. We prepared our breakfast and sometimes lunch too, somehow it helped us with our budget. Besides, our otherwise plain breakfast is made special because of the beautiful and relaxing view of the sea. I highly recommend this hotel.
--------------------------------------Spacious Living and Dining area------------------------------

-----------------Twin Room-----------------

--------------------Master's Bedroom with huge windows overlooking the Palm-----------------

We often find ourselves just looking outside the window admiring the calm sea each morning. Mama said she feels sleepy looking at the sea outside and it just seemed like a picture coz nothing seemed moving. Lots of yachts parked, still empty private beaches (we could see Le Meridien Mina Seyahe from our balcony and Habtoor Grand). But as the day progresses, we enjoyed watching parachutes landing, sea plane taking off and then occasionally the yachts moving and some water sports in the nearby resorts.