Travel Gourmande

Are you all excited for the weekend? As usual, ours started much earlier and I was amazed at how fast the time goes. In a couple of months, the birthday is on the horizon and I'm not ready for that yet. It's so funny how when we were younger, we were so in a hurry to celebrate birthdays. Now, I think the best part of birthdays is the day itself when it feels magical.

When I hit the 30s, when someone asks me-"how old are you?" I often have to pause. I swear I always forget. '

Speaking of birthdays, I dug up some pictures of last year. My hubby gave me a weekend getaway as a birthday gift. It was a surprise. He told me to pack my bags. He drove the car without telling me where we were going. On the way, I was trying to spoil the surprise by guessing. (My first guess was correct) but he pretended that it wasn't by detouring and changing the direction.

Finally, as soon as we entered Dubailand, I knew he was headed for my first guess' direction. We drove for 20 minutes from the centre of the city through a remote desert.
We were greeted by the lovely staff of Bab Al Shams . Bab Al Shams means Doorway to the Sun.

We went during the scorching hot summer. It was +40 degrees Celsius. Hotels normally offer special packages during the low tourist season from June to August. My hubby landed on a special package including a Couple spa treatment, buffet breakfast and stay for a very good price.

During the peak tourist season the hotel could be very pricey.

It is very refreshing to be in the water during a sauna-like afternoon.

Infinity pool and the sand. Watching sunset here is amazing!

The design of the hotel is based on a traditional Arabic fort. A lot of stone alleyways, courtyards, lush gardens and private balconies for every room.

There are a lot of activities you can do during your stay apart from lounging in the pool during the day.

Indulge yourself in a vast number of treatments and wellness consultations in Satori Spa.

Explore the desert dunes on a 4 Wheel or by Camel or Horse Riding.

Archery, Falconry and Croquet. A game of chess ?

There's Sinbad Kids Club and a children's pool to entertain the youngsters.

The most popular restaurant within the hotel is the Al Hadheera an outdoor Bedouin Style restaurant that offers a unique Arabian experience. Imagine dining under the stars! We didn't get the chance to try it but we've heard great reviews from friends and co-workers who went. It's a desert buffet of traditional Arabic cuisine with henna painting, belly dancing and folk dance entertainment.

We tried Al Forsan for dinner and breakfast which is an international buffet with live cooking stations.
Rating would be mediocre.

There's a great number of restaurants, lounges and bars inside the hotel resort to choose from including rooftop sheesha (hookah pipes) lounges overlooking the desert in tent style seating.

What I love most in this five star hotel are the lush gardens with trickling sound of water everywhere. I think the architect of this hotel is brilliant! The architect managed to stimulate the guests'senses in a very subtle way, even for those who are residents here. The whole experience is of peace and utmost tranquility.