Joanne Spencer from Tropical Sky also spent some time in Dubai recently.  Here’s her take on how to get the best out of the experience…

I have spoken to some people who say that the UAE is not for them when they haven’t been.  I find this a really strange statement as there is certainly something for everyone. You have the beach, the mountains, the city, the desert, the restaurants and bars, amazing service, great shops and you can even go skiing! Really what is missing from that? Perhaps the area is lacking slightly in history but it is certainly setting the standard for the future.

Going all inclusive does have advantages.  I certainly felt very smug when I signed a bill for around £115.00 to my room. I was on “all inclusive” and didn’t actually have to pay for it, although I think the supplement was about that price anyway.   That bill was just for a few hours drinking by the pool – at this point I hasten to add that I wasn’t drinking alone!  Don’t be put off either by the fact that the all inclusive supplement usually only covers only one restaurant. It really is worth it just for the drinks alone and you do get a credit to eat in the other restaurants. I did just that and would highly recommend it. The Asian Fusion cuisine especially was incredible!

So you’ll certainly save some money by doing an all inclusive package in Dubai. But I think that going all inclusive would be much too restrictive really.  There is such a lot to see and do, not taking advantage of the dozens of opportunities, places and activities that are open to you in the UAE, and Dubai in particular, would be criminal. During the day the building work in Dubai is quite apparent, but not too intrusive. However at night you can’t always tell the finished and unfinished ones apart. They are all beautifully lit up and then all of a sudden they resemble the famous New York skyline. Another great thing about the tall sky-scraping hotels of Dubai is the views you get. They really are breathtaking!

Just arriving into the Jumeirah area is an exciting event. Seeing all the massive shiny new buildings, one after the other and then getting the first glimpse at the Burj Al Arab and the Burj Dubai. Both are amazingly impressive and unlike most famous buildings or landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty, these two actually look bigger than you thought they would!

Take Fujairah on the other hand.   The only thing to do there is just appreciate your surroundings from the comfort of your sun lounger. The mountains behind the resort make a perfect backdrop, so maybe the all inclusive deal would be good here if all you have in mind is relaxation. Sometimes on holiday you feel ever so slightly guilty because you know you should absorbing the culture and taking pictures of buildings that you will never print out.   After a couple of years, you have no idea what part of the world it is because, let’s face it, water is water and mountains are mountains!  So at the Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort that guilt is lifted. Fair enough you can take a picture of the beautiful mountains, but after that it’s “job done” and back to relaxing. There is nothing else to do, so embrace the relaxation that is on offer to you, and have a couple of all inclusive drinks!

To combat the guilt the perfect combination would be to spend a few nights in each destination. It’s not too far between the two (about 90 minutes).   I would get the longer transfer over and done with and stay at the Miramar in Fujairah for a few nights and then go over to Jumeirah Beach for the remaining nights. This also gives you a bit more of a lie in before the early flights back to the UK.

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