November 5, 2017 by findingbackroads

Splash n Party: the newest kids aqua park in town

I’m going to make this post short – have you been to the kids aqua park in Jumeirah called Splash n Party?

I’ve heard of this place for a long time and seen pictures on social media uploaded by other bloggers but never really got to check it out with the kids because the invites were all on a week day and I have work.

We got another invite last week and luckily, the husband was off from work so I asked him if he can take the kids for Splash n Party’s Halloween Party. The mini water park looked promising so he drove the kids there and flooded my Whatsapp with photos.

Since the weather is getting really better and better, I think it’s a great place to take the kids. Our two kids had so much fun and didn’t want to go home even after almost 3 hours there. Splash n Party, located is a little far from where we live, was definitely worth the drive.

They were lucky to go last week too, in time for Halloween! Splash n Party threw a Halloween party with lots of folks in scary costumes!

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The mini water park is also available to book for birthday parties and other celebrations. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a kids birthday party here? What do you think?

General information

Location: Al Safa 2, Street 8A, Villa no. 1, Jumeirah, Dubai
Admission rates: AED100 on weekdays, AED140 on weekends (other admission rates)

We were guests at Splash n Party but as always, all opinions are my own.

March 21, 2017 by findingbackroads

Tuesday’s surprise: rain, in late March!

Photo credit The National. You can find more photos of the rain here.

After days of grey skies and wind and dust, we woke up to rain this morning. I know I heard some pitter patter at the break of dawn but didn’t realize it had been raining heavily outside. I mean, c’mon, it’s already March – though I am not complaining at all. I love the rain!

But I’ve lived in the UAE 11 years and never experience rain in late March. This kind of rain should’ve come in November like in 2012 where we had heavy tropical type rains sending people (including us) outside to literally dance in the rain. That’s what living in the desert do to people, it makes every drop of rain precious and a five minute rain, a carnival.

There was flooding everywhere this morning and this has to happen when my car is still at the service center. I had to wade in some floodwaters from home to the Metro station this morning and I realized, while looking around and seeing people running that really, not many people own an umbrella in Dubai. Some were just winging it with hoodies, shawls, some plastic material and for some, even toy umbrella, probably borrowed from their little daughters.

According to local newspaper, Gulf News,

After two days of unstable weather, UAE’s skies will stabilise on Wednesday giving way to partly cloudy to cloudy weather but only for a day. Forecasters expect another round of weather instability beginning Thursday.

I think I won’t mind a rainy weekend. Now to find a good book to read.

February 28, 2017 by findingbackroads

#DaycationBrunch at Lapita Hotel

Have you been to Dubai Parks and Resorts, the new leisure and theme park constituting 25 million square feet of land that houses Legoland Park, Legoland Water park, Motiongate Dubai and Bollywood Parks? I’ve been invited to witness the opening a couple of months back but didn’t get a chance to go since it was a weekday/work day for me.

Last week, we went to Lapita Hotel, a hotel inside Dubai Parks and Resorts that’s part of Marriott International’s portfolio to experience their new brunch offerings called #DaycationBrunch. It’s a long drive from where we live, nearly an hour away but it wasn’t hard to locate plus, a Polynesian-themed resort right in the middle of the desert? That got me curious.

Lapita definitely offers something new and unique. It’s really worth checking out. I can’t wait to stay here. But first, brunch! I’ve been to brunches in Dubai with one trying to outdo the other but Lapita Hotel’s #DaycationBrunch? It was insane. The buffet spread was so rich it’s hard to decide what to eat first because apart from the usual international favorites like cheeses, Japanese section, yummy desserts and seafood, there were live cooking sections for grilled meats, Sunday Roast with all the trimmings and Fijian food!

And of course, booze.

The #DaycationBrunch includes pool time in the package so even if we had overcast skies and scattered rains in Dubai last week, we couldn’t help but take a dip, it’s temperature controlled at 38C!

Lapita Hotel is a unique hotel – no, it’s a destination in itself. It’s basically aiming to make you feel like you’re on a tropical island. And you bet we really did feel it!

How family friendly is the brunch at Lapita Hotel?

There’s a special section with so many staff supervising the kids and making sure they have a great time. They played a lot of games. I highly appreciate brunches that don’t leave children’s needs (and adult’s need of alone time with vodka LOL) and Lapita really does a great job at entertaining the kids. However one flaw – I wish there’s a designated area for parents near the kids’ corner so parents can watch the kids and know they are just there. I get worried whenever Benjamin scoots off from our table, though assuming he would be heading for the kids’ corner but who knows if he’d wander somewhere else. Just a little anxious so I or his older sister have to accompany him to make sure he goes there.

Now, now for the best bit: I know the weekend is only two days away but if you hurry, you could experience Lapita Hotel’s #DaycationBrunch where adults eat for FREE* this coming Friday, March 3rd! Please check out their Facebook page for details and terms and conditions or email them at lapita.restaurantreservations [at] autographhotels [dot] com or Tel +971 4 810 9999.

We were guests at Lapita Hotel but all opinions are my own and I am not paid to write good things about them, however, if you want to experience something new, they’re worth the drive and penny.

February 12, 2017 by findingbackroads

Ski Dubai snow penguins turns 5!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you must know by now that there’s a ski resort inside a mall in Dubai. Ski Dubai is the Middle East’s first indoor ski resort which opened in 2005. This massive facility has 22,500 square meters of indoor ski area where you can ski (of course) and do lots of fun in the snow. It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the world.

I must admit, I dread the idea of going inside Ski Dubai. After having experienced 10 winters in Japan complete with sub zero temperatures and snow while living in the mountainous region of Nagano prefecture, I am done with the cold.

However, snow will always be something that gets the kids happy and excited.

So, did you also know that aside from snow inside Ski Dubai, there are also…PENGUINS? Like, real ones? Snow + PENGUINS, oh yay!! That got me excited as well.

Ski Dubai offers Penguin Encounters with the Ski Dubai penguins – currently there are 28 resident penguins. At the start there were only 20 of them. The King and Gentoo Penguins at Ski Dubai reside in the most sophisticated habitat in the UAE. The enclosure consists of several areas including a private pool, a top deck area with rocks, and a private holding area.

My daughter Pristine visited the penguins at Ski Dubai five years ago when they were new so she’s so delighted to be able to see them again, and this time, with her little brother Benjamin! Our tour started as we made our way through a dark tunnel, complete with ice on the wall and snow under our feet. Ah, that familiar crunchy sound of fresh snow!

We were told that Ski Dubai is the only place in the world where the public are allowed to touch penguins and were given instructions on how to hug them (always from behind, to prevent a scratch from a sharp beak). Benjamin was hesitant at first but that’s understandable, if I were a five year old, I would probably freak out too seeing Happy Feet characters alive and moving right in front of my eyes!

Then we were led into the second enclosure to meet a King Penguin; the second largest breed of penguin in the world and pretty impressive with his bright yellow feathers. This was the bird we would be allowed to touch.

Normally, private photography is not allowed on penguin encounter sessions but for this event, they let us in with our phones and a staff helped take our photos.

We learned a lot on this penguin encounter session. The guide/trainer provided simple explanation and wonderful lessons for all age groups to help understand these birds, their habits, behavior, etc.

While I am not a fan of animals in captivity, I am a bit relieved to learn that there are strict rules in place for the penguin’s welfare and they are rotated so as not to be overwhelmed. Also, Ski Dubai regularly directs funds back into penguin conservation and research projects through the non-profit charity Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute.

After the penguin encounter, the kids played a bit in the snow. It was Benjamin’s first time to see a snow, however unreal. We’ll take it, for now. We had lots of fun at the snow park but after an hour or so, it was time to head outside. We can’t feel our fingers anymore!

P.S.

Please bring your own insulated gloves, hat and warm underwear as you cannot rent them there, only ski suits for the kids and long down jacket for adults. I had to sacrifice looking ridiculous with a kiddie beanie with a red braid just to warm my frozen ears!

We were guests at Ski Dubai for the penguin’s 5th birthday bash. As usual, all opinions are my own.

January 30, 2017 by findingbackroads

Dubai Creek Harbour

Last weekend, the kids and I went to “Rise”, a new outdoor entertainment on the Dubai Creek Promenade and could well be the coolest place to be in Dubai. Rise is open from now and every weekend from 2pm.

Think of a place with lots of bean bags and sofas to just sit back, lounge and while the time away gazing at the unbeatable views of the creek and the beautiful Dubai skyline against the afternoon sunset.

Salt Food Truck and Vida Hotel food trucks were among the foodie providers, as well as demonstrations from scientific cooking bods The Inventing Room. A roaming robot, virtual reality installations, arty water and building projections, audio-visual performances and some neat little Lego-style electronic toys for kids and not to mention, there are play areas for the little ones to enjoy made our visit so worth it.

Dubai Creek Harbour is a new community to be developed by Emaar, the same company that developed Downtown Dubai, the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa, the world’s biggest mall Dubai Mall and world’s largest fountain, the Dubai Fountain.

I remember when we arrived in 2007 and Burj Khalifa was just half complete and the whole area of the Dubai Mall and Downtown Dubai was still so dusty from all the construction. We visited the Emaar sales center at Downtown, saw the diorama and model houses of the future residential buildings and thought…it looks so ambitious, will these ever become a reality?

But alas, Dubai is a city that knows not the word impossible and the ambitious project of Downtown Dubai, Dubai Mall, Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa came to be.

And now, when I was standing at the promenade near the Dubai Creek Harbour Sales Center, I could see trucks and cranes working 24/7. Each roaring sound of the trucks is a sign towards all of these becoming a reality.

The promenade – I’m not sure if this is just temporary, is made just to give visitors a taste of what it will be like to be here, to see the sweeping views of Dubai’s iconic skyline at the distance and to marvel at the warm glow of the sunset amidst the tranquility of the creek.

Dubai Creek Harbour as a project will stretch around 6km – twice the size of Downtown Dubai – and will be a city unto itself.

The development include nine different districts, such as The Island District, Creekside 18, Harbour Views, The Canal District and The Sanctuary District. Situated adjacent to the Ras Al Khor Natural Wildlife Sanctuary, it will boast a world class yacht club, marina and harbour, 22 hotels, 6.79 million square metres of residential space and almost twice that in retail.

A very prestigious project is in the works too, a structure ‘just a notch’ taller than Burj Khalifa – Santiago Calatrava’s lily-bud inspired The Tower is an iconic monument that will be the centerpiece of the entire development, setting a new benchmark for engineering around the world.

When completed, Dubai Creek Harbour area is supposed to look like this:

More photos of The Tower here.

The Dubai Creek Harbour promenade is open from now and every weekends only Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Entry and parking is free. For more information about the upcoming events, please check out www.risedch.com.

November 28, 2016 by findingbackroads

10 Reasons why we love living in the UAE

Photo credit

In celebration of the UAE’s 45th National Day, here’s recalling reasons why we love living here. I was 30 when we moved here and now that I just turned 40, it meant we’ve been in this country for a DECADE. Please give me a moment to digest that. OMG, a decade.

I lived for a decade + a few months in Japan and living in the UAE will top that, soon.

Though I sometimes question why we’re still here, here are a few things why we choose to stay, “another year more”.

1. Security

Despite the stereotyped image of the Middle East, the UAE tops list of the world’s safest countries. I felt safe when I was living in Japan but I feel safer in Dubai – for one, alcohol is not readily available in the grocery or convenient stores (only in duty free shops at the airport or designated stores in the city and it requires a license to purchase) and drinking and caught being drunk in public entails tough fine and imprisonment means there are virtually no drunk people in the roads you’ll meet at night.

Alcohol is available in licensed restaurants and hotels and any adult can order.

Expats who dominate Dubai’s population at 80% compared to the locals come here to work and since punishment for crime is tough and almost always, instant deportation, crime is very low.

Important mention: the UAE is a gun-less society. Gun ownership is a touchy subject in many parts of the world (looking at you, US of A!) but there are actually countries who impose total gun ban or ownership with tough restrictions on citizens and work just fine, like the UAE or Japan, touted: A Land Without Guns.

Personally, I could never live in a place where practically anyone can get their hands on a gun.

(I have no time to argue so if you are pro-gun, you can keep your opinion to yourself because your opinion would not sway mine.)

2. Better work-life balance

One of the reasons why we left Japan and never looked back is the better work-life balance in the UAE. When we, working parents have energy to actually take out the kids and enjoy moments together because we are not too fatigued from a week’s work!

Japan is a work-centred society which centers on, what else but work. Both our working hours at the office were long and the seemingly normal overtime culture was making us miserable, tired and depressed. Many people question our choice of remaining in the UAE all these years with, “Japan is so nice, why don’t you live there?” side comments. Living in Japan with both of us working and with a small child, having no help from family or otherwise wasn’t easy and it was definitely not for us – had we not moved out, it was either I quit working (which wasn’t possible financially at that time) or I quit the marriage. That tough.

(I am glad that Japan for us is just a place we go to if we like to, stay long enough to enjoy it and leave before we dislike it again.)

Also, the chance to hire a live in house help in the UAE greatly contributes to better work-life balance for working mothers/families in general here. I don’t know how I’d live without our trusted house help, especially I am single parenting nowadays, most times of the year.

3. Blue skies 330 days of the year, on the average

It only rains in the winter months, mostly between December to February. On other days, we have unbroken blue skies and bright sun. It will (almost) never rain on your parade.

4. The amazingly great beaches

So many tourists come here for the beaches and we live just a few minutes from it! When we were new here, you wouldn’t find us home on the weekends, we were always at the beach!

5. The cool, not cold winter

No need for thick jackets. We can get away with a light cardigan during day time. No numb ears! Winter is the time to actually go out and enjoy outdoors! Dubai winter is park time.

And no need to scrape off ice from your car in winter!

6. Dubai is very convenient for travel

Dubai is a wonderful gateway to the world.

A flight time of five hours and under will take you to must see places in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and many more! You take your pick.

Add a couple of hours and you’ll be in beautiful Europe.

With a homegrown budget airline (Fly Dubai) that often goes on sale with their flights, long weekends is always a chance to visit a new destination. Last year, I managed to squeeze in a visit to Austria (flight time: 6 hours 30 minutes) during the Eid Al Adha holidays (+ a couple of days leave from work) and in December, my daughter and I had our first Christmas market experience in Prague around UAE National Day holiday.

7. The multi-lingual environment

More than 80% of Dubai’s population is composed of expats from more than 200 countries. It is interesting to see so many people speak different languages. The kids are learning French and Arabic in school. I love it when I hear them speak or read something that I do not understand.

8. Shopping malls and restaurants and food from all over the world

I know we complain of another mall being built, yada, yada, yada but admit it, we are lucky to have such places for entertainment, especially during the hot summer months! Our lives here are never boring because of the malls. We are spoilt for choice. The groceries at the malls offer almost everything from Japanese food to hundreds of spices. In one shopping mall, you could even ski.

The food scene – With expats comprising most of the population, Dubai is a gastronomic adventure! From budget to fancy, from local shawarmas to authentic Indian staples to Spanish paellas and Peruvian ceviches, everything is in Dubai.

9. Leader with a vision

The UAE is blessed with leaders who believe that ‘anything is possible’ – thanks to leaders with visions of progress, this country only moves forward. There are several projects not just for tourism (we should check out the newly opened Dubai Canal) but to make lives of people, locals and expats alike become better and better: construction of new highways to ease traffic, more green spaces for families.

10. Tax-free salary

…that enables us to save while we live and work here.

*****

Life in the UAE is not perfect, but as does life anywhere else. But for us, this is our home right now so we make the most of it. I could follow up this post with “Things I hate about living in the UAE”, for balance. Will you be curious what’s on that list?

November 8, 2016 by findingbackroads

World’s first Hyperloop coming soon to the UAE!

I must admit, even with exciting things going on and being built in the UAE’s capital city of Abu Dhabi, the at least 2 hours drive gets to me. There’s a public transport (bus) but not really an option for many people and as of this writing, there is no railway system that connects Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

But who needs the usual railway system when there’s the option of The Hyperloop One!

Today Hyperloop One announced a historic agreement with the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai to study high-speed routes that reduce travel time between Abu Dhabi and Dubai to 12 minutes. Here’s a video to see it in motion.

The nitty gritty details of the Hyperloop

Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at 740mph (1,200km/h) between distant locations.
It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes – half the time it takes a plane.
It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum.
The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes.
Passengers would sit in either individual or group pods, which would then be accelerated with magnets.
Capsules carrying six to eight people would depart every 30 seconds.

The Hyperloop One is a very futuristic transport system that promises BIG – Dubai to Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes instead of 2 hours! I like it! I know that sounds like a scene from a science fiction movie but in this part of the world where the ‘impossible’ is always challenged…you know what will happen next.

When we arrived in the UAE in 2007 and the Dubai Metro was still under construction, we vowed not to leave Dubai until it completes. The Hyperloop One is said to be realized in five years time – I guess we’ll be staying till then?

October 4, 2016 by findingbackroads

Here’s to more fun weekends with Privilee!

Nothing more timely than a treasure of information about Privilee flashing in front of me on a random day last week when I was scratching my head on where to take the kids for the weekend. The weather in Dubai is getting better and better and that means we’d like to go back to enjoying the outdoors! So happy with my new Privilee card – it’s more pool and beach time for us!

WHAT IS PRIVILEE?

Privilee is an exclusive membership club giving you access to the most pristine private beaches and luxurious leisure facilities at fabulous resorts, hotels and beach clubs across Dubai.

Not only that, but also huge discounts at a wide selection of award-winning restaurants and preferential rates at the member hotels.

A membership with Privilee lets you enjoy unlimited access to beach clubs, spas, gyms and sports facilities at the following Dubai hotels and resorts (current list, many to be added in the future):

Conrad
Double Tree by Hilton
Dubai Polo Club
Fairmont The Palm
Habtoor Grand
Grand Hyatt
Waldorf Astoria
Kempinski HotelPalm Jumeirah
The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi
Le Meridien Dubai Mina Seyahi
Shangrila SZR
Sofitel
Riva Beach Club
The Address Dubai Marina

Newly added, in Abu Dhabi:

Saadiyat Beach Club
St. Regis Abu Dhabi
Ritz Carlton Grand Canal

I think whoever thought of this brilliant idea is a genius! And so perfect for those who want to enjoy Dubai’s luxurious offers and not sacrifice family or personal budget.

We first used our Privilee card at the Grand Hyatt last weekend and the kids enjoyed the massive pool area with dedicated pool for kids, complete with mini slides and lots of facilities for fun water play (even I enjoyed it a little too much).

Considering that the access to enter the pool area on a weekend/public holiday is AED200/day for adults and AED100/day for each child (x 2 kids for me), we could’ve spent AED400 but got free access thanks to our Privilee card.

And that is only by visiting one of the hotels in one weekend! Another visit to a beach club next weekend and the card pays off by itself.

Didn’t I tell you this membership is awesome? In case you are wondering:

Are there any limitations on how often I can use my Privilee card?

No, you can visit the beach clubs, spas and gyms at all partner hotels all day, every day, on weekdays and weekends. Now you do the Math on how this gives value for money for your weekend getaways! Oh, and you can also go to the beach clubs, pools or gyms EVERYDAY if your schedule allows you to!

COST

A Privilee membership is a single membership that starts at AED599. Each membership covers for one adult member and depending on the hotel, up to 2 children under the age of 15. You can contact Privilee directly to inquire about other membership plans that suits you (you’ll be surprised the prices are too good to be true).

There’s no affiliate link here – I just really want to spread information about this wonderful membership and together make our weekends a little luxurious!

TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OUT YOUR PRIVILEE MEMBERSHIP

Call first to check availability (the hotel can’t take reservations)
Come very early to get sun beds at the exact location you want to
Spots are limited for Privilee members in some resorts, so you might think of going early if it is the weekend or public holiday

Parting words about Privilee: I wish I’d known this sooner! But better late than never. I can’t wait to hang out at all these awesome and cool luxury places with the kids using our Privilee membership.

ALSO – Since Privilee gives you not only access to the beach clubs and pools at resorts but also gym access, I would recommend Privilee instead of a gym membership if you are not the type of person that commits to one gym – plus on top of that you get pool/beach access! How’s that for motivation?

So here’s to more cool hang-outs for lazy days in the sun, fine dining options and a rejuvenating break from the hustle and bustle of the city thanks to Privilee!

If you have any questions about how to be a member, you can contact them by email at info@privilee.ae or use the contact form at their website. You can also shoot me an email and I’ll try to answer as much as I can based on my experience being a Privilee member.

August 11, 2016 by findingbackroads

See the beautiful sights of Dubai from the sky

Dubai
Dubai, luxury, private jet, private tour, tour, Travels
3 Comments

Taking a break from posts and features of my recent trip to the Philippines, here’s another way to see Dubai…

Known as the city of luxury shopping, futuristic architecture and energetic night life, Dubai has even more to offer than originally thought. As exciting as the city is from land, it’s even more spectacular from the sky with its man-made islands, a hotel in the shape of a sail and the world’s tallest building in its city centre.

Palm Jumeirah

When it comes to man-made islands, nothing quite compares to Palm Jumeirah. It’s shape of a palm tree makes it truly unique and instantly recognisable as a signature feature of the city. The island holds hotels, resorts as well as private homes that can be easily accessed via the Palm Jumeirah Monorail. The best way to see the full shape and magnificence of this structure is from above, whether you fly over it in your private jet or while skydiving.

Burj Al Arab

Further down the coast sits the unique sight of the Burj Al Arab, the third tallest hotel in the world located on an island of reclaimed land and connected to the mainland by a bridge. It was built to resemble the spinnaker sail of a J-class yacht with the hopes that it would be become an iconic symbol for Dubai. The hotel is no doubt best viewed from above via helicopter or private jet hire, where you can get a perfect 360-degree view. Here in Dubai, you can rent a private jet with Air Charter Service to discover a whole new side to Dubai from above.

World Islands

Located 4 kilometres off the coast of Dubai in the Persian Gulf, the artificial cluster of 300 small islands was constructed to represent a world map. Each little island is made up of sand dredged from Dubai’s shallow coast, and are currently uninhabitable. The islands are difficult to get to, so the best way to view the whole landscape is from above.

Dubai Fountain

If you’ve seen the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas and you thought they were spectacular, just wait until you’ve seen the Dubai fountains. Situated outside the Dubai Mall, it is the world’s largest choreographed fountain system, illuminated by 6,600 lights, 25 colored projectors while shooting water as high as 500ft into the air. The fountain is also accompanied by a range of classical, contemporary and Arabic music. It’s one incredible show that would look spectacular from above.

So next time you’re flying over or even landing in Dubai, remember to look down and you might catch one of these breathtaking views from the comfort of your seat!

June 21, 2016 by findingbackroads

Beach time during Ramadan in Dubai

Ramadan, the holy month in the Islamic calendar, started last June 6 and with it, the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims fast from dawn to dusk for the next 30 days. During this period of fasting and prayer, followers of Islam will abstain from eating and drinking until they break their fast each evening after the sun sets.

This is our 10th Ramadan in the UAE.

Wait, let me think about that for a while. TENTH Ramadan in the UAE. Didn’t we plan to be here for “only a couple of years”? But just like thousands of expats who came to Dubai with that in mind, we are still here and we love the holy month of Ramadan. Why?

What does Ramadan mean to non-Muslims in a Muslim country like the UAE? Most, if not all companies in the UAE have shortened working hours to all, Muslims and non-Muslim employees. At my work place, we get to work for only 6 hours instead of 8. I work from 8 am to 2 pm only, for the whole month!

Ah, how I wish it was like this for the whole year. And I wish we lived near the beach.

Ramadan is that time when I am so happy to be able to go home earlier than usual to be with my kids. We take afternoon naps or do things we can’t usually do because I have very limited time with them after my usual 6 pm work end (I get home around 7 pm then dinner, home work check and bedtime at 8:30 or 9 pm max).

There’s a little disadvantage of the shortened work times though, it means work load piles up quickly – so it meant I had to work on a weekend for half day last week to cope up. Because I am currently single parenting, it made me doubly guilty so to make up to them, I drove them to the beach later that day.

I thought it was already impossible to linger at the beach at this time of the year with summer in full swing. But during the golden hour, the beach was perfect. The weather was warm but not too hot as I thought it would be, the water was not like a hot tub. It was really just as I like it – a little warm.

And indeed, golden.

I wish we lived near this (it’s around 30 minutes away by car) so I could take them every day from late afternoon till sunset. It was a bit tough since I can’t drink water in public because it’s Ramadan (kids are excused). But our beach trip was so worth it. The kids loved it so much and it was relaxing for me as well. The extra hours I have after work during Ramadan is truly blissful.

On the way home, Pristine said “sorry mom, the car is full of sand now.” I told her, I don’t care as long as there are happy kids in it.

Finding Backroads

Get out of the tourist trail

Category / Dubai