As you know, the Kenwood Travel team are a globetrotting bunch who love nothing more than visiting the exotic destinations that grace our worldwide holiday portfolio. We even let our design team get in on the action! Graphics wiz Chris and his better half just returned from an eight-day trip to the Middle East, documenting their experience in words and photos as they went. Check out their exclusive Dubai travel diary below.
Day 1
And we’re off! Virgin Atlantic were kind enough to upgrade us to extra legroom seats, just because we asked nicely! Flight was smooth, watched a film, got some shut-eye and we were touching down in Dubai in no time.
Extra leg room and breathtaking views with Virgin Atlantic
Unfortunately we left our duty free bag in the over-head locker. No stress though; a friendly Virgin Atlantic rep’ soon reassured us, took our number and told us to expect a text message with a reference number to arrange pick-up. Simples. We headed to our hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, and checked out the lunch options. We chose ET Sushi, which was really nice and very fresh… then my phone buzzed. It was our Virgin rep’ already. A 10-minute taxi ride later we were at the airport picking up our bag.
On the way back we passed the Dubai Mall, so naturally we stopped off. The first thing we noticed was the huge aquarium, but we had dinner reservations at the Tokyo Tower restaurant so had to make tracks. I had the chicken teriyaki followed by lychee ice cream, then it was up to the bar on floor 51 for a couple of cocktails, and finally back to our room to bed. Busy day!
Fresh flavours at Tokyo Towers Restaurant.
Day 2
We explored Jumeirah Emirates Towers and found it has a beach club with pool and waiter service. These facilities mean it’s great just being around the hotel, or you can take the mall shuttle service to venture further afield. There’s an Ivy restaurant here (just like in London) and a Hakkasan. The corner suites are suitable for families and there are romantic couples’ tables at the point of the triangle. The hotel has a pool with surrounding palm trees and stunning views of the city. The Sheikh even has his offices close to the Emirates Towers, and his own house and stables are nearby too. Looking around the hotel a bit more, I was amazed by how green the gardens were and the gym looked very spacious.
There are so many famous sights in Dubai, but one in particular had really caught our imagination. A quick taxi across town and we were gazing up at the world’s tallest building! Taking the lift up the Burj Khalifa only took 60 seconds (It’s the fastest lift in the world), which was barely enough time to prepare us for the spectacular city views. Wow. Next we transferred to the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, where we enjoyed a lovely buffet dinner before heading up to our room. The rooms here are huge!
Naught to 2,722 ft in 60 seconds!
Day 3
Relaxing day on the beach. Why not?
Day 4
Started the day the right way – pancakes, bacon and hashbrowns for breakfast – before diving in the pool. The pool water is actually cooler than the sea so it’s really refreshing. Just as refreshing were the big ice buckets full of complimentary bottled water that line the pool and beach. There’s a waiter service too: they hand out fruit sticks and take your drinks orders. This is the life. In the evening we transferred to the iconic Atlantis, The Palm hotel and immediately headed to the water-park area to check in at Dolphin Bay. Swimming with dolphins is brilliant: hugs and kisses, posing for pictures, they’re really friendly. After a fun day it was time for dinner – the hotel has a different themed menu each evening. Tonight it was an authentic French-style buffet.
Chris hitches a ride with his new friends.
Day 5
We visited The Lost Chambers Aquarium, which is great to combine with Aquaventure Waterpark – all you need is your wristband. The rides are intense, you’ve got to try them – a must for any holiday to Dubai. Or you can just float along on the lazy river, which has different routes. You could steer yourself to the rapids or just let the water push you along peacefully, whichever you prefer. Next it was back to the hotel for a tasty Indian-themed dinner.
Day 6
Another day chilling out by the pool and beach, as you do!
Day 7
Same as yesterday! We could get used to this…
Day 8
Breakfast was very tasty as always. It’s really convenient that the restaurant opened so early, both for the early risers and also for the early departures, like ourselves. We had a smooth flight home with Virgin Atlantic. The service was faultless and the movie selection was excellent.
If you’d like to relive Chris & Feri’s day at Atlantis, The Palm, why not take an exciting virtual tour with our brand new interactive experience?
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