Dubai is one of my favourite cities so when the opportunity came up for a 4-night trip with Emirates and Jumeriah Hotels I couldnāt turn it down.
Itās a very relaxed city and while food and drink can be expensive if you dine in some of the exclusive restaurants, there are many affordable options available. One of the things that does stand out
about Dubai is the level of service that you experience, and thatās whether youāre eating at your hotelās restaurant or simply grabbing a coffee at the local Costa.
It was only a quick 4-day visit, however we packed in so much it was an incredible experience. We went on a night-time desert safari, took a seaplane flight over Dubai and got to view Dubai from the observation deck on the world tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
Thereās way more to Dubai than just shopping. From the cultural highlights of the Creek, to the glitzy Marina, thereās plenty on offer. Ā We went Dune bashing in the desert, which was amazing, but you can also ride camels or go sand boarding. We got a great cultural insight with a Bedouin Camp experience where we enjoyed a full BBQ dinner in tents, we got fire dancers, and the sunset was magical.
Whilst on the Jumeirah Palm we made the most of the location. Itās got a boardwalk, tons of restaurants, beach clubs, and a pretty good nightlife. The whole area is quite high-end, but it has a relaxed feel with everyone walking around in shorts and flip-flops, although many of the restaurants in the evenings are more formal.
Anyone whoās an adrenaline junkie absolutely has to go up the Burj Khalifa. The lift up takes 60 seconds to cover 124 floors and the speed even makes your ears pop. Of course, a view always gets better with a cocktail and we got the chance to enjoy one at Gold on 27, the 27th-floor bar at the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. You might have seen this hotel on the BBC documentary. Itās considered the most luxurious hotel in the world. Staying here may not be an option, but Iād recommend visiting the bar as taking in the Dubai sunset from Gold on 27 is impressive.
We were also lucky enough to take in the Dubai panoramas from a seaplane, which as well as being an exciting way to see the city, it gave me a real sense of how quickly the city is being transformed, with skyscrapers going up in every direction.
I get asked all the time where people should stay, but it totally depends on what youāre after from your holiday. Ā If youāve got your eye on Dubai for a relaxing beach holiday, Iād recommend Jumeirah Beach or The Palm. Jumeirah Beach is more of a long, white-sanded strip with things to do (water skiing, promenades, great swimming) and itās a more central location. The Palm is more a cluster of beaches with resorts like the Atlantis. Both offer stunning horizons, plus endless drinking and dining opportunities. Thereās also Kite Beach and the wide-open walkways at the fancy new La Mer beach.
If you want to explore the neighbourhoods, Iād suggest checking out both the Marina and the Creek. The Marina is pretty amazing as a setting in itself. Docked boats are surrounded by loads of curved skyscrapers and glass, and the waterside cafes and restaurants provide really relaxing settings. Youāve got Skydive Dubai, Dubai Marina Mall, cinemas, and the Dubai Marina Walk where you can shop, drink, dine, and even get your daily Starbucks by the waterfront.
For winding walkways and the smell of spices, head to the Old Souk. This covered market has a real old feel, thereās a Gold, Textile, and Spice Souk, the locals are really friendly, and you can pick up stuff youād never find in the UK. My tip is to visit around 11am before it gets too crowded.
For the shopaholics, Dubai has everything from Gucci to cut-price Nike, with a mall for everything you could imagine. The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates are the most famous. These places arenāt just a couple of floors with shops. Theyāve got fountains, aquariums, human waterfalls, and even a 155 million-year-old dinosaur display at the Dubai Mall. If youāre in Dubai to shop, there are even hotels linked- you literally roll out of bed and shop. Cheaper shopping at the Dubai Outlet Mall is also great, and thereās endless food wherever you are.
Wherever you go (and whatever your budget), youāll be impressed. Standards are high in Dubai. Rooms are large, dining is superb, and attention to detail is the reason why Dubai has earned itās reputation as number 1 for luxury.
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2nd time booking with eShores and they didn't dissapoint. Following our amazing holiday (1st booking) to Malaysia/Borneo we contacted Dave with an initial enquiry for an Australian multitrip holiday; compared to others Dave and team offered great knowledgeable, experienced advise and delivered an itinerary fully reflective of our wishlist travelling with a great airline and…
Just booked a holiday for later in year. I have total confidence on Hannah arranging yet again. Fab service given.
Consultant so helpful and so knowledgeable
My experience with eshores has been very positive, even to the point of a late evening enquiry being answered and resolved before bedtime. The holiday itinerary and choice of accommodation was excellent and the eshores staff were lovely to deal with.
Really responsive and hard working travel consultant. We are a regular customer. The consultant accommodated varied requests from our large group booking. Always patient and willing to go extra mile
The holiday that we were looking for was communicated to Eshoreās and after a couple iterations we have a holiday which meets our requirements. Looking forward to a relaxing holiday on Sicily
We have used Eshores a couple of times now and I must say they are fantastic. In particular, Laura at Eshores, was ever so helpful and changed our itinerary at our request multiple times and gave us the best prices available. It was quite a complicated multi-stop holiday with our party departing from and arriving…
My experience with Nadine has been great! She is lovely, nothing is too much trouble and she is very quick when replying to emails.
From the moment we were in contact with Emma McDonough, we had the confidence to book witheShores. Even though we had to completely change our original dates all down to ourselves, nothing was a problem for Emma. She guided us through the complete booking and we now have a tailor made holiday exactly how we…
Always a pleasure to book with these guys. Got my requirements bang on and looking forward to a great holiday in South Africa.
Booked my trip to the Philippines with Eshores. Nick was great, I had a lot of changes which he always accommodated, he made sure I was 100% happy before booking. He gave me a lot of recommendations which was really helpful. Iād definitely book with them again.
Excellent response from initial contact made and throughout the process. Nadine was patient, informative and couldn't do enough for us..brilliant customer service!!!
I would like to express my admiration for Kadie at eShores, her excellent work and efficiency. I value her tremendous expertise and vast knowledge in travel planning. I will be only too happy to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for the highly professional and competent services, provided in both a friendly and accessible manner.…
A professional and experienced team that always deliver a quality service. Customer focused and willing to go the extra mile to help with planning the perfect trip! (Special mention to Michelle Porter - absolute star!)
Great service from Kelly - always spoke to same person and had her direct contact details . She tailored our holiday to exactly what we requested and within our budget. Kelly was able to answer lots of questions about the resists and included private tours and transfers. Highly recommended
Eshores was recommended to us by a friend and I am so pleased with the service. Booking our holiday and visit to family in Kenya has been made so easy and effortless. We will definitely by using you again and wish to say a big Thank You š
Emily has handled our Thailand holiday booking from start to finish ! She has been so accommodating and even with my constant tweets to the travel plans she has always been so helpful and reassuring that it needs to be just right ! Thanks to Emily I feel like we are now set and ready…
Shores were very easy to deal with, listened to what we wanted from our holiday and provided a very good travel package at a reasonable price. I would use them again and their representative, Dave, was never pushy or frustrated by any changes requested throughout the process.
Such an efficient service. I got in touch with a slightly complicated holiday request at quite short notice and the holiday was arranged later that day. Excellent price and very happy with all the arrangements so far
I was delighted with the quick response from Nick after enquiring about Island Hopping in Greece. Within 2 days he had got back to us with a quote for our holiday. All flights, hotels, ferries and private transport were arranged. Fantastic customer service and absolutely delighted with the standard of the hotels and the cost…
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