Dubai International Horse Fair 2014

Today starts the 10th Dubai International Horse Fair in the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event goes from the 20 to 22 of March. Unfortunately you cannot register online any more but there is still at the door registration available. Entry is free. Definitely go if you are a horse enthusiast or just to want to gather more information on equestrian activities in the UAE.

Show timings:

Day        Timings

Thursday (20th)          11 am - 8 pm

Friday (21st)               2 pm - 8 pm

Saturday (22nd)         11 am - 8 pm

Performance Arena Schedule:

Thursday 20th March

11:30 am: Dubai Police K9 Demonstration

1:00 pm: Polo Chukkas / Polo Cross Class

2:00 pm: Farrier Demonstration

2:30 pm: Spanish Horse Performance

3:30 pm: Spanish Horse Performance

4:30 pm:  Spanish Horse Performance

5:00 pm: Farrier Demonstration

5:30 pm: Polo Chukkas  / Polo Cross Class

Friday 21st March

2:15 pm: Farrier Demonstration

2:30 pm: Polo Chukkas / Polo Cross Class

3:00 pm: Farrier Demonstration

3:30 pm: Spanish Horse Performance

4:30 pm: Spanish Horse Performance

5:30 pm:  Spanish Horse Performance

6:30 pm: Polo Chukkas  / Polo Cross Class

Saturday 22nd March

11:15 am: Auctions Presentation

11:30 am – 7.00 pm: Horse Auction

Let me know what you think of it. Have a great weekend.

link

Historical Al Ain

Unlike the rest of the emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates, the emirate of Abu Dhabi has two major cities: Abu Dhabi (our nations capital) and Al Ain. Far away from the coastal waters of the gulf, Al Ain is a border town straddling Oman. Popular for its designation as a "visa run" destination, Al Ain also boasts the impressive Jebel Hafeet and the lesser known Al Mubazzarah Historical Dam. Al Ain is popular as a summer destination for locals because of its cooler climate in the summer and in keeping with the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed it is wonderfully lush with greenery. On top of Jebel Hafeet is the Mercure Hotel where one can enjoy a meal out on the terrace restaurant overlooking the valley and desert below. Be sure to dress warmly, depending on when you go, as the temperature can be quite cool. The road which snakes up Jebel Hafeet is well maintained and has look out points along the way. Al Ain also has some old forts and museums which one can visit but be aware that on Friday they are only open from 15h00 to 17h00. The forts themselves are quite sparse as the below fort map will illustrate.

A rather sparse fort inside the city

Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain

looking into Al Jahili Fort

wall of the fort

Outside of the city on the way to Jebel Hafeet is the Al Mubazzarah Historical Dam which is located by a vacation village of small houses at the foot of Jebel Hafeet. There is a small sign explaining the historical significance of the site and is a good place to stretch your legs and let the kids explore around a bit it you have been in the car too long.

cliff face by the dam

on top of the dam

The Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet Al Ain Hotel  is a great, albeit only, option for the top of Jebel Hafeet destination. Having lunch at the terrace restaurant over looking the valley and desert below was a lovely end to the trip. The service as well as the food was excellent.

driving up Jebel Hafeet

driving up Jebel Hafeet

at the Mercure restaurant

Al Ain is easy to visit from Dubai as you only need to follow the E66 (Dubai - Al Ain Road). From Abu Dhabi simply follow the E22 (the aptly named Abu Dhabi - Al Ain Road). Once in Al Ain there are plenty of signs directing you to different historic sites and the like.

* as per the norm this post is not sponsored

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The UAE is home to many fine examples of architecture: Burj Khalifa, Burj al Arab, Emirates Palace and, the most stunning jewel in its architectural crown, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located in Abu Dhabi and can easily be reached from Dubai. The website offers maps for easy navigation. There is also plenty of covered parking at the mosque if you arrive by car.

Gulf News did a tour of the mosque which gives a nice overview of what you will see and expect when visiting Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

As the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a fully functioning mosque it is important to observe the opening times of the mosque if you are not a Muslim. The mosque is available for all religions to tour and there is no entry fee to visit.

General visiting hours are from Saturday to Thursday 09h00 to 22h00 and you may walk through on your own. The last entry is at 21h30.

NOTE: The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is closed for tourism activities (and open for worship) on Friday morning and opens again after 17h00.

When visiting the mosque you mus also follow the Islamic rules for dressing. There are abaya available for women who do not have the proper dress.

The below are photos from the last time I was at the mosque.

outside the mosque

Looking towards the prayer hall

Inside the prayer hall

Reflection pools

As the sun slowly sets

Gorgeous symmetry

Ladies/Goddess Night at Oeno

Ladies night: almost as big a Dubai institution as Friday brunch. The past Tuesday saw me down at The Westin Mina Seyahi after we had completed what was to be completed (apologies for being cryptic) we saw that we still had a moment to drop by Oeno for its ladies night. Though there it is called Goddess Night and rightfully so. We are all a goddess in our own right.

Goddess Night is every Tuesday from 19h-23h00 and includes unlimited bubbles for the goddesses. The Oeno site will give you a break down of the different offers they currently have and a good one to also try would be the Wind Down Nights which is on Wednesday from 20h-23h00 and for AED195 there are 50 wines to try as well as various cheeses and nibbles to enjoy while listening to a live band.

I quite liked the atmosphere and interior design of Oeno. It was definitely edging towards more of an industrial look compared to the rest of The Westin. It is layed out over two stories and also has a terrace outside. When you enter there is a giant wall of wine along the right side of the room and the inside contains various seating options. Definitely come here if you want to  try out some of the wine offerings that Dubai has. Cheers!

link

Fortnum & Mason: The Dubai Edition

Only a couple more days to go until we can get our manicured little hands on the goodies at Fortnum & Mason here in Dubai. Though with one caveat; there will be no foie gras. Controversial but delicious, foie gras is not halal because of how it is produced. I am sure though that the rest of the goodies will make up for the lack of foie gras and maybe our waist lines and pocketbooks will be the better for it.

The new Dubai store is described as being a vast, three story department store. It is located between the Dubai Mall and The Address Downtown Dubai in a free standing location. The current facade around it was done by the brilliant Rory Dobner.

Link to original photo

Check out the facebook page of Rory Dobner for more of his work and some gorgeous and inspiring pictures.

Will let you know how it is as soon as I make a trip to Fortnum & Mason. Which will be soon. Very soon. Tah for now, dahling.

Saadiyat Island: Paradise at our doorstep

Living in the UAE means that we are absolutely spoiled when it comes to the coast line. Factor in the relatively warm winters and it is understandable that people not only want to live here but vacation here. Being quite loyal to the Dubai coast line I finally made the plunge and went to Saadiyat Island. Now I wonder why I have not gone before! It was gorgeous. White sand and turquoise water made a simple day trip into a vacation away to some faraway Caribbean paradise.

Entrance to the beach

 Entrance and membership fee information from the website:

• Basic entrance fee of AED 25 per adult and AED 15 per child over six years old. An annual membership fee of AED 500 per adult and AED 1,000 per family.
• Daily access fee inclusive of sun-lounging facilities is AED 50 per Adult/Child on weekdays and AED 75 on weekends. A six-month membership fee is AED 1,500 and an annual membership fee is AED 2,500. 
• There is free parking for up to 200 cars at the beach as well as a public bus service which stops there

Enjoying the beach

From the small restaurant

 As we did not bring snacks with us we opted to grab something from the small restaurant which was by the entrance. I went for the tabouleh and hummous. Both were well flavoured and cost AED22 each. There were other Arabic mezze, such as moutabel and Beiruty hummous, also for AED22. Sandwhiches and pizza, as well as some nice salads were also available to order and were around AED30-50. The prices were reasonable for the quality and quantity of what we ordered.

Looking towards the sun loungers

There are also changing, shower, washroom and locker facilities at the beach which are clean and well maintained.

After a nice day at the beach we headed across to the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas for a lovely Devonshire Tea at The Library which was AED70 per person. At first we decided to sit outside and enjoy the view but as we were not in the sun we slowly got rather chilled and moved inside.

Rose hip and hibiscus tea outside on the terrace

Delicious scone with clotted cream and cherry jam

Inside The Library

The Library was a cozy place to enjoy a Devonshire tea. I could imagine coming here even alone and reading one of the books they have on hand while eating scones and drinking tea or grabbing some girlfriends for an opportunity to just catch up. The service was excellent and because the scones (which are freshly baked) did not come in the time frame that was given to us we also received a glass of fresh orange juice.

Getting to Saadiyat Island is simple from Dubai as you only need to follow the E11 south bound and then you will find the signs to Yas Island/Saadiyat Island. From the Marina area to Saadiyat Public Beach it took us about 40 minutes with a stop at a petrol station.

Check out Saadiyat Island this weekend for an escape from the norm. 

The count down to love day

And the count down begins for both the RAK Half Marathon and Valentines Day. Both of which are on the 14th of February. Convenient that the 14th is a Friday which in the UAE means weekend! I was listening to the radio and an advertisement for a local jewelers came on where they asked a question which was something along the lines of "what do women want most from the man in their life?" And then it went on to say that we as women want to hear "I love you". According to this jewelers you can say it with a teddy bear, flowers, jewelry etc. Spare me the teddy bear. Even as a child I was not so much into plush toys. I had two that I loved, had those since birth and I have no love for any other plush toy. Flowers should not just be delegated to just Valentines day or special occasions. What about bringing flowers as a surprise, as a "the weather is not nice pick me up" surprise. Regarding jewelry it all depends on whether or not you can afford to give your lady love (or man love, equal opportunities) some jewelry. So there you have it, worst case scenario all three options are not viable, what is a girl/guy to do?

1. A muy romantico picnic in the park: Dubai in the "winter" is fabulous for staying outdoors. A park pick nick can be as expensive or as cost friendly as you want to make it. You can either pick up some gorgeous take away foods or make your own. Invest in a beautiful vintage style pick nick basket and blanket to set the scene. Bring proper cutlery, decorative napkins and nice glassware and plates. Take along a mini selection of luxe desserts. This is the time to splurge on macarons from Pierre Hermé, Perrier water, special cheeses and meats, bread from Le Pain Quotidien, desserts from Paul, the list is endless. Make it personal, bring some flowers and enjoy sometime with one another eating lovely foods, and talking under the warm sunshine. 

Source

2. S'mores in the desert: Dubai is, as you may have noticed, surrounded by natural beauty. The desert is a vast and magical place especially as the sun rises and sets. Heading out into the desert can be a great Valentines option for couples that are more outdoorsy. Firewood can be purchased at most petrol stations in the UAE, to be prepared like the boy/girl scout that you are, have that sorted a couple days before and bring plenty in case you intend to see the sun set and rise. Newspaper and matches to start the fire are also important. I know people who use lighter fuel to start the fire but I would be wary about the fumes. Like the first option also make sure you have a blanket for sitting on or bring folding chairs for more comfort. As the desert is still quite cool in the evening bring some extra clothes; a warm jacket/ sweater is still needed in the night. You could even gift your love a matching toque/ glove set (double points for having a small message embroidered somewhere). S'mores are easy to make: bring a box of graham crackers, assorted chocolates (mix it up with a varying assortment from Lindt Excellence) and of course marshmallows. You will also need a long stick or skewer for roasting the marshmallows on; these can be found in most grocery stores in the outdoors section. Carrefour has a great selection for outdoor pick nicks etc. Bring as well a thermos with hot chocolate and tea to drink through out the night. Cuddle up and enjoy!

Source

 3. Dinner a casa: Dinner at home on Valentines day does not have to be a death sentence. Au contraire mon ami/ ma amie! It could very well be a swoon worthy event. If your lady love/ man love works on a Friday this could be such a wonderful "welcome home after a day of work" thing. But! And this is a big but. Do not dress like a slob just because you are at home. Men wear nice slacks and a dress shirt, ladies dig into the dredges of your closet and take out that gorgeous figure hugging cocktail dress. Wear an apron if you are worried about making a mess while cooking (this goes for the men as well). Or of course you can save yourself cooking and order in or get some lovely items from The Lime Tree Cafe or Eataly. But make it thoughtful. Unless your other half is craving AED 2 schwarma, keep it classy. Decorate with candles and flowers, have some soft music playing in the background, prepare a welcome drink. Candles are super inexpensive escpecially at places like IKEA. Floating candles inside a nice glass bowl make the light bounce. For a beach vibe add some sand to the bottom and sea shells. Nicely set the table with glassware, cutlery, plates and decorative napkins. Essentially you are bringing the restaurant atmosphere inside your home. A quick google search for "romantic dinner at home" will bring up images and ideas to help you on your way.

Source

If you want to gift your lady love/ man love something make it something personal. What do they like? Wherein lie their interests? Are they a vinyl fan? You can gift them a new vinyl from Virgin Mega Store. If they like poetry an old book with a hand written message from you is adorable. If you have a mutual interest like horse back riding or diving make a handmade voucher for diving and a beach lunch or a sunset desert hack. We all have interests and there is nothing nicer than having something take an interest in said interest.

Valentines day is an opportunity to show someone how much you love and care for them. So even if you are a single on this very much couple orientated day so something fun with friends. All of the above can also be done as a group, pick nick in the park, s'mores in the desert and a nice dinner at home can become a friend or family event.

Enjoy this Valentines day and cuddle up. And for all you RAK Half Marathon runners good on you and see you at the finish line!