Honeymoon Part 1 - Dubai

I’ve recently just returned from Dubai which was the first of 2 stops on our honeymoon! We were super lucky to be travelling Business Class with Emirates which was an absolutely amazing experience! Firstly we were chauffeured from home to the airport which feels so special. We flew out on the Airbus A380 and were handed champagne when we sat down, followed by a hot towel and then a Bvlgari toiletry bag as it was an overnight flight. But there was no chance I was going to sleep! I was so excited! If I did want to catch some zzz’s though, there is a fully flat bed and the crew will give you a mattress and blanket. Shortly after take off we headed to the bar for a cocktail which was incredible! Also, the lounge in Dubai airport is HUGE and they have several food outlets and bars and decent showers should you need to freshen up if connecting during a long journey. Definitely worth treating yourself to if you can! We stayed 6 nights at Le Royal Meridien in the Jumeriah Beach area. The hotel is simply stunning and the staff are so friendly and attentive. We arrived on a Friday and decided to go to the special Brunch they serve on this day each week from 1.30pm-4.30pm which is basically an all you can eat and drink buffet. The food was incredible and we had everything from beef wellington to fresh lobster from the BBQ! And they have live music and DJ’s on and the atmosphere is electric. I would highly recommend. We decided to opt for a Club Room at Le Royal Meridien which comes with some added benefits which I really think are worth the extra cost. The first benefit is that you get to have breakfast in the Club Lounge rather than going to the main buffet restaurant, which just has a nicer feel. They also do afternoon tea daily from 3pm-5pm which consists of a selection of sandwiches, toasties and sweet treats and of course hot or soft drinks. It's nice even if you just fancy getting out of the sun a bit and grabbing a coffee. And then the best part - Pre dinner Cocktails & Canapes in the evening! 6pm-8pm daily you can go to the Club Lounge and there's a wide selection of snacks, whether you fancy just grazing on some nuts or nachos or fancy some sliders and fries! And you can have any drinks you wish from cocktails to still or sparkling wines or beers. Drinks in the hotel were approximately £10 per drink so to have this included for 2 hours was brilliant. We will definitely be staying in a Club Room when we visit again. We also spent a day at Aquaventure waterpark located at the Atlantis hotel on the Palm which was such a great day! The world’s largest waterpark, with over 100 slides, attractions and experiences. My husband, being more daring than me, braved the Leap of Faith slide with it’s 60 foot vertical drop which takes you through a lagoon of sharks! Top tip – if you stay until the parks closing time like we did, the taxi queue was huge with not many taxis arriving. We decided to get the monorail from the Atlantis to the Palm gateway which saved us so much time. You can then get a taxi from there to your hotel or connect onto the tram like we did. We travelled during the Expo 2020 too so was lucky to spend a day here which was a great experience. It was absolutely huge! I think we managed to get around approximately 10 pavilions in the 5 hours we were there. Some really impressive displays of creativity and culture. We took the tram to and from the Expo which was super easy and a much more efficient way to travel around Dubai than taxis which are not only more expensive but more time consuming with the heavy constant traffic. Lastly, but certainly not least, probably my favourite experience of our time in Dubai was the ‘High Tea’ (afternoon tea) at the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Accessed through the Armani hotel, take the high speed lift to the 122nd floor where you’ll reach the At.Mosphere Grill & Lounge. Start off with a selection of the chefs finest finger sandwiches which not only tasted incredible but had the most impeccable details! Followed then by the main course of either chicken ballotine or seabass which were also delicious. To finish, a selection of fine pastries and scones which were beautiful! Also included is a bottle of sparkling wine (you can upgrade to champagne if you wish) and a wide selection of unlimited hot and cold drinks. I highly recommend the Mochaccino which was so tasty! The violinist there really set the mood perfectly and you can take your time while you take in the amazing views and enjoy the divine feast! I highly recommend the Jumeriah Beach area to stay and here are a few reasons why. Staying on the Palm Jumeirah is fine if you’re only wanting to go to Dubai and chill in your hotel’s facilities. But if you’re wanting to explore quite a lot, it can be quite far in a taxi or on the monorail to get off the Palm. Downtown Dubai is another good area, especially if on a budget, and although you are close to the Dubai Mall there which is handy if you’re staying Bed & Breakfast as there’s tonnes of food outlets, I really liked being near the beach and also right outside our hotel was The Walk. This is a popular promenade full of shops, bars and restaurants. So another great place to be if you love to stay Bed & Breakfast in your hotel and eat out on an evening. It didn’t take me long after arriving in Dubai before I decided I would definitely be going back in the future! And we’re even looking at going again in March 2022 so just 4 months after this trip. A great year round sun destination with something for everyone. If you’re thinking of Dubai for your next holiday, I’d love to give you even more of my top tips and recommendations so please get in touch. Next up - Part 2 of our honeymoon - The Maldives!