Travel Tips
Enjoy the Sky in Dubai
TRAVEL
Sands of Time
The vibrant vistas of the Gulf region get more attractive
every year. Oliver Robinson looks at new and traditional
ways that the area continues to entice a growing
number of visitors looking for a destination of relaxation
Clockwise, from above:
Spending time relaxing
and chatting to the locals
gives a fascinating insight
into the country's heritage;
kick back with a soothing
cup of rich Arabic coffee,
prepared on a hob in a
special pot callled a dallah
14 ASCOTT LIVING
Photos: Corbis
A hidden gem that has much to
discover, the exotic charms of the Gulf
region provide an ideal place to kick
back and relax, to rediscover a sense
of wellbeing and recuperate. Whether
your path to wellbeing is slow and
meditative or adrenaline-fuelled, you’ll
find it all here in an area of affluence
and activity; where skyscrapers
and spas spring from the sand on a
daily basis and restaurants open at a
frequency not seen anywhere else.
Dubai remains the jewel of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) when it
comes to holidays and high times. In peak season (November to March) the
sun-soaked emirate is inundated with Europeans and Russians in search
of rejuvenating winter sun and complete relaxation. Young Saudis are also
partial to a road trip across the border to Dubai, taking advantage of the
emirate’s more relaxed attitude to, well, more or less everything.
Before you get pulled into the frenetic hubbub you might like to take
stock with a little rejuvenation of your own. A morning trekking around
Dubai’s best galleries is the perfect precursor to an afternoon of R&R in one
of Dubai’s many luxury spas. The Oriental Hamman in Dubai Media City
is a great place to start. The spa i