So my birthday present and mama time this year was a trip to Dubai. I got to spend some quality time with my two sisters, one who is a teacher and lives out in Abu Dhabi and the other who is also a working mama.

It was Good Friday and it was pouring down with rain as I got into my uber and headed for the airport. After an hour of journey I checked in and headed through security. My sister shortly followed through as her driver had decided to take the scenic route and she got there a few minutes after me. After a quick browse around duty free we headed towards our gate and boarded our Emirates plane. It was an early afternoon flight and once boarded I checked out the movie list. Lets see how many movies I can fit in seven hours of flight. I can say I managed three.

The flight was smooth with hardly any turbulence and once we landed we were supposed to be met by our limo transfer service Marhaba. But there was some confusion because my husband had booked it through the hotel and they didn’t relay our names. Once speaking to the lady at the customer service desk she quickly sorted out the issue and was swiftly taken through immigration without having to queue. A perk you get booking with them! We picked up a luggages and was met by our driver and headed to our Hotel.

We arrived at our hotel the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai at around 1.30am local time and check into our room. The room was spacious enough and the interior was very nice, the bathroom was the highlight of the room as it was spacious and elegantly decorated.

Saturday

We woke up a little later than usual as we went to bed so late. My youngest sister who lives out in Abhu Dhabi  came to meet us and get ready before heading out to Zero Gravity. This is a great place to go for brunch it is located right by the beach. The beach and pool is private, the beds by the pool get taken fairly quickly so go there as early as you can if you want one. I think they open around 9.00am, we arrived at around 12.00pm. You pay at the entrance and that entails food and drinks until 5.00pm.

The food is served as a buffet and there is plenty of variety. The beach is were we headed as the pool area was very crowded as you can expect. The music was ok not to my taste but thats fine, The whole atmosphere was very chilled and relaxed. They also have impeccable changing facilities with free towels, access to hairdryers, curlers, straighteners, showers and lockers. So you can get there and get changed into your bathing suit or bikini.

Once we got back to our hotel, it was time to get changed and ready to head out again to watch the last night time light display at the Burj Kalifa. Afterwards we searched for a place to eat as we did not book anything in advance. After looking at several places we came across the Kanpai Restaurant and Lounger Bar. They serve Japanese cuisine and we were all in the mood for some sushi. Such a beautiful setting and the interior was stunning and to top it off their music was on point and the food was absolutely delicious. We ordered way too much and could not finish everything, we didn’t realise how big the portions were going to be.

We had a slight mishap at the hotel as we needed an extra bed in our room and when they finally got it the bedding was not clean. After complaining at the front desk and speaking to the duty manager they gave my sister a room of her own for the night and then moved us into that room in the morning. This room was much larger then our previous room and had enough space for us all. They also went out their way to make the rest of our stay as comfortable as possible. Also throwing in a complimentary meal at one of the restaurants at the hotel. The manager of the hotel also met us and apologised and gave us a free nights stay. I know mistakes happen and it was great to see how they rectified that.

Sunday

So after breakfast we headed out to The Dubai Mall for some retail therapy. You have all your shops here from your designer ones to your high street. There is also an aquarium and an underwater zoo, Kidzania and an ice rink too. Great for the kids to enjoy, next time I come to visit I shall check them out with my boys. It was a short one as we needed to get back to our hotel. The Desert Safari company was picking us at about 3.00pm. Another quick change and then into the tour car. There was a couple from Malta who were absolutely adorable and so wonderful who were doing the tour with us. After an hour or so of journey we got to the desert. Waited for around ten minutes before getting into another 4×4 with another driver who obviously is an expert at Dune Bashing. All strapped in for an extraordinary dune bash across the endlessly vast desert landscape.

I can tell you this was absolutely amazing one of my favourite things to do. It is like being at a ride at an amusement park but even better. It lasts about 10-15 mins long. You have to hold tight as it can get very very bumpy. Myself and my younger sister found it extra bumpy as we sat right at the back. It was so much fun, I would highly recommend you try it out as it will not fail to disappoint. Stopping for a quick break in between so we could take some pictures, stretch our feet and take in the desert sunset views. Onto some more dune bashing and then headed back to the parking are.

Now it was time to head to the second part of the desert safari the Reyna Desert Camp for some entertainment, henna tattoos, camel riding and Shisha smoking. Followed by an appetizing BBQ dinner with vegetarian and non-vegetarian delights, together with a dose of genuine traditional entertainment like intricate Tanura performances and Belly Dancing. At around 9.00 we headed back to our hotel with our driver. The journey back is around an hour or so and we were all exhausted and retired early to bed.