The little t guide to… Holidaying in the Emirates (Part 1)

I’m thrilled to have some peeps coming to see me during my break at the end of term.  Usually, when it comes to holidays, I’m all about letting others do the planning.  It’s because I’m surrounded by people who are infinitely better at it than I am.

Not this time.  This time, you see, I have an insider’s knowledge of the destination.  I could even call it home.  So this time it’s different.  I’ve found a way of channelling the brimming excitement I’m feeling as I count down the weeks into becoming an organised, all-researching, all-scheduling, reservation-making planning machine.  I am considering an actual itinerary.  This is so not me.

As long as I’m experiencing this burst of energy,  I thought it might be fun to share little snippets of what I have planned -  it can act as a teaser for my guests- giving them some things to look forward to (don’t worry, there will still be some surprises), while also serving as a travel guide for anyone planning a vacation in the UAE.

My guests are staying for 10 nights and we’ll be spending 7 of those nights in Dubai and the remainder in Abu Dhabi.  If you’re planning a trip, I  would recommend a similar split.  The cities are about an hour apart and easy to travel between but contrary to what you have been lead to believe by Sex and the City, Dubai is where it’s at (I know, I know, usually such a reliable source…).

I’ve booked 2 Deluxe Suites at the Corp Executive Hotel Apartments for our stay in Dubai.

This hotel is in the Al Barsha area, right beside the Mall of the Emirates.  When you are looking for a hotel, location is not as important as with other cities – Dubai is a quite a dispersed city without a real ‘centre’, there are no ‘dodgy’ areas and it is reasonably easy to get around by taxi or metro.  Close proximity to the metro is a definite plus (the nearest metro station to this hotel is a 2 min walk).

I like the idea of hotel apartments- extra living space, being able to fix your own breakfast when you’ve slept in past the hotel’s serving times and having a base to retreat to for a nice cup of tea before your next activity.  Added selling points for this place were the gym (if you’re into that kind of thing) and the rooftop swimming pool and Jacuzzi!