Let's Talk About Dubai ☀
Hello, again...
Happy New Year to you, my Jilux family!
I’m writing to you after an extended – albeit accidental – hiatus. Last October when I traveled to Tulum, I had it in my head that I'd provide a full recap on the amazing experience I was sure to have while traveling. This is the danger of building expectations before a trip – and while I usually pride myself in managing expectations, somehow this trip got away from me. I thought: I’d be traveling to a beach destination with my boyfriend and it would be so romantic and I’d planned the whole itinerary so everything would (and had) to be perfect.
Reality served me a slice of humble pie.
While there were certainly highlights of the trip, from my boutique accommodations to one of our first dinners (and the spicy margaritas!), to lounging beachside while the Northeast leaves turned over to autumn, the perfect was quickly overshadowed by the perfect storm.
When I returned from Tulum, I wanted so desperately to share my experience – but without tarnishing the destination’s reputation entirely, especially when I knew what I encountered was, to some degree, freak. But then again, I didn’t want to be dishonest in promoting the location. This led me to stew on the newsletter and what I was sharing with you all – even though I write about luxury destinations, I think it’s imperative to share authentic experiences just as much as sobering realities as experiences that can – but won’t necessarily always – occur when you travel. I want you to trust me through the good, and the not so good.
To this end, during my pause from writing to you, I decided I wanted to share about what happened on my trip. That, however, will be in the next issue as I want to start 2022 off with positivity – something I think we all need an extra dose of right now.
So, let me take you to Dubai – a destination, truthfully, I knew little about besides boasting overwhelming opulence at every turn and an airport I spent many a layover in.
Laying in bed in a jetlag haze, I listened to the morning call to prayer. I smiled and rolled over to glimpse the foggy indigo peaking through my curtain clearing and knew I wouldn’t get back to sleep.
I reviewed my itinerary for the day and couldn’t wait to get started – Friday brunch (basically the Middle East’s rendition of New York City’s bottomless offering on Saturday) and an afternoon at the World Expo 2020. Though it may sound mundane or unexceptional, that’s exactly what Dubai is about – taking something as routine as brunch and elevating it to the most over-the-top experience you’ll ever have. As I was told numerous times during my trip, “Dubai doesn’t do anything half way.” And it lived up to this tale.
With the city snagging superlatives all around from the tallest hotel in the world to the tallest building, the longest metro and largest hotel suite in the world it’s easy to quickly feel belittled and perhaps even to start brushing off the titles as they fire at you fast and furious – and appear before your eyes one after the other. On many of our drives through the city – expect a lot of car time as this city is sprawling – I reminded myself to take it all in, and not to overlook the architectural feats, even if they aren’t classified as “the tallest” or “best”; their designs and magnitude speak otherwise.
It’s also a city of international allure that is so profound, you never really quite know where you feel like you are. In a city that revitalized the desert using techniques and buildings that seemingly worked for cities across the globe, Dubai’s sense of place is disorienting, yet, after a few days under the world’s most enticing skyline, remarkably you understand your global orientation, and either love it or hate it. As the nearly 90 percent expat community living in Dubai, I loved it. I never thought Dubai was a place I would actively vacation but this trip changed that. There’s so much more to discover, but on my short trip there (I think six days was too short even though friends told me three days would be enough) here are a few snippets to seek out.
Accommodation
Located in its own sub-city, Al Habtoor City, Habtoor Palace (a LXR Resort) borders the business district and downtown Dubai (where you can find the famed Burj Khalifa and the largest mall in the world, The Dubai Mall). With a finger on the pulse of the city, it’s simultaneously a refreshing bubble to the hustle and bustle in other areas of the city – one you’ll surely appreciate after a day of sightseeing, or if you’re a business traveler, after a day in the meeting rooms and not wanting to travel elsewhere for an impeccable meal – there are seven restaurants in the complex, covering global cuisines from Latin American to French to American steakhouse and even relaxed bar bites (though caviar is always an option to assimilate to the ultra-luxe culture).
The rooms range from a deluxe room in residential style to the Winston Churchill Suite which is over 8,000 square feet of living space, including a personal pool, terrace and donated memorabilia from the archives of Sir Winston Churchill. In the middle, guests can still feel royal by booking an Empire, Ambassador or Grand Suite, of which start at over 1100 square feet of living space, with dressing areas and spacious tubs. No matter how long you’re planning to visit, I’d recommend booking an extra day and reserving it for enjoying the spa facilities and oasis of a rooftop pool – it may sound silly to spend a day at the hotel, but once you experience it, you’ll thank me later.
The Expo
If you plan on traveling to Dubai before March 31, book your Expo tickets in advance, especially for those destinations you don’t want to miss. Postponed from 2020, the Expo emphasizes three sub-themes: sustainability, mobility and opportunity. There are 191 countries exhibited in one expansive area just outside the main city, with exhibits ranging from immersive experiences to exploratory movies to educational seminars – though we weren’t able to access these tents, the most highly recommended were South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Russia and UAE, as well as the Al Alif Pavilion. If you book your tickets last minute like we did, not to fear, a morning or afternoon of walking around the Expo is a memorable one, regardless.
Restaurants & Dishes to Try
Dubai isn’t internationally renowned for their local cuisine, but rather it is renowned for a plethora of international offerings. Seriously, hotels compete for hosting the superlatives of restaurants in the city, making reservations a must, and dining experiences dependent on what world-acclaimed chef’s concept you want to indulge in (Nobu Matsuhisa, Massimo Bottura, Akira Back, Daniel Boulud and Gordon Ramsay are among the celebrity chefs with a presence in Dubai), or what setting you want to dine amidst (The Atlantis offers underwater dining at Ossiano, there’s the world’s highest restaurant at Burj Khalifa’s At.mosphere, and local Emirati cuisine and show at Al Hadheerah).
During my trip, I realized where you eat is likely to be limited to where you’re staying as the majority of hotels offer premier dining experiences that are worthy of experiencing, especially when that means you don’t need to travel far – unless you seek out one of those aforementioned venues.
World Cut Steakhouse is located on the second floor of Habtoor Palace. Exhibiting its name, the steakhouse offers sirloin from Australia, South African tenderloin, USA Prime short ribs, and beyond. Their Friday brunch includes a butcher’s block of meat cuts to share, as well as a raw bar platter of mussels, crab, smoked salmon and even local oysters. If you choose to join the Friday brunch, plan that as your meal for the day! Otherwise, you can order a la carte any evening of the week, including their famed Tomahawks on #TomahawkTuesday.
Whenever I travel, I compile a list of regional specialities I want to try. While I didn’t get to all of them this trip – here are a few to seek out: Luqaimat (fried dough dumplings with date sauce usually served as a dessert), Margoogat (a tomato-based meat stew with spices like cumin and turmeric), freshly prepared Arabic bread (Khubz) with mutabal, smoky eggplant dip.
Activities
Brunch: As mentioned a few times, this isn’t your traditional brunch – and you can’t just expect brunch on any given day. What you can expect is plenty of Champagne, oysters, live entertainment and hours at the table. Book your trip around a Friday brunch and you won’t regret it.
Spend time in the marina: Reminiscent of Miami, this skyscraper-lined bay is an artificial canal city packed with expat residents, as well as luxury shops and restaurants. It’s worth more than a simple walk about, though. Spend a morning here, sit and have a coffee in the shadows of twisting buildings, or use it as a starting point to hop on a speed boat or yacht for a different vantage of the city.
Experience rooftop culture: Whether you’re drinking, dining or daybedding at a rooftop venue, you’re already a little more ‘local’ than you think. The emphasis on outdoor living spaces among the clouds reminded me of Bangkok, which is undoubtedly what the city had in mind when replicating these extravagant sky-high bars, restaurants, lounges, and pools.
Get out of the city: Many visitors to Dubai take a day trip to Abu Dhabi or sign up for a day in the desert. We opted for the latter, which included dune bashing (slightly terrifying but exhilarating), sand-boarding and the option to ride ATVs or you can do a half day tour that includes riding camels. For a less contrived experience, I suggest choosing ATVs and opting for an extra private experience so you can completely tailor the day and enjoy the sunset surrounded by nothing but dunes and your party.
Go to the top: It's difficult to define a trip to Dubai without a visit to the top of Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. Visitors can book a simple walk around the observatory or splurge on a VIP experience like tea at the top (currently suspended because of Covid) or dinner on the 122nd floor). If you're really into it, you can even experience sunset at the bottom of the tower, then head up for a second sunset on the same day (yes, it's that high!)
Best time to visit
I’d like to say I planned it, but I didn’t – December is in fact the best time to visit as temperatures wane from 100 degree days, filled with humidity, to a local’s definition of “chilly” at 75-83 degrees F. January is also popular for the same reasons.
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Xo,
J