travel arabia-may 2011
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The Leading Travel Magazine in the Middle EastTRANSCRIPT
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May 2011, Volume 7, Issue 76
Take the spa
journey from
Deira to Palm
Jumeirah
FESTIVALSThe Sharjah BiennialMorocco’s Rose Fiesta
Korea: Book your trip now to the land of celebrations
Ever been to Pattaya?Outside Arabia
ARABIAN OASESEXPLORE. CAMP OUT.
Leave your footprints in the dunes.
ChroniclesSix days in CyprusPleasantly idle in Fujairah
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Indeed. Oases are Nature’s way of reminding she loves you so much she provided a place should you be lost in the harshest and most in-hospitable land. In this edition, we came up with a listing of the most popular oases in the region with the thought that you might want to try a different destination this time around. It’s that getting-close-to-nature thing that has become popular these days.
* * * *Also in this edition, Travel Arabia has a special section on Dubai’s
top spa facilities for you to try—from Atlantis The Palm’s ShuiQi Spa & Fitness to The Address Dubai Mall’s The Spa. We actually took time to send our staff to these spas for them to file a report on how the treatment was. Check it out.
* * * *So who would be staying home idling from May 2 – 5? See how you
are! The annual Arabian Travel Market unfolds again, and this time on a
backdrop showcasing the Middle East as a region already being a top international destination.
Add to this is a report stating that the World Tourism Organisation has predicted that growth in the region’s tourism industry will be 50 percent higher than the world’s average by 2020.
So get off that couch and get to where the action is.* * * *
Pattaya. Ever heard of the place? It’s a lovely resort an hour’s drive from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok and is great for a long weekend with the whole family with activities ranging fro div-ing, feeding the crocs and riding the elephants. It has also become one of Thailand’s most popular tourist attractions.
Know more about Pattaya in this edition’s Outside Arabia.* * * *
Art over coffee is fast becoming the trend at hotel lobbies. Just recently The Address Dubai Marina launched an exhibit at its Kambaa lounge which featured the works of five female artists.
Also, two contemporary artists turn to ancient Persia and the Middle East for inspiration to create absolutely stunning abstracts and sculptures that went on show at Corp Executive Hotel Apartments Al Barsha, last month.
Details are in this edition’s Culture.
Jojo Dass Editor
Editor’s Note
out of the more than 1,000 events celebrated in Korea, 44 culture and tour festivals have been selected for 2011 by the Ministry of Culture, sports and tourism based on the festivals’ popularity, organization/management, uniqueness and development potential.
6 I Travel Arabia
Welcome to Munich! Let us welcome you at the airport with a range of exclusive services for travellers from Arab countries. Enjoy Munich with its unique combination of an elegant metropolis set against a backdrop of glorious green, natural scenery. Why not go shopping in the morning and enjoy the surrounding area in the afternoon? You can look forward to your visit here – we look forward to meeting you. Munich Airport – Best of Europe.
Let us offer you a warm welcome
Simply enjoyMunich’s hospitality
Stop off for a great spot of shopping
MUC: FLY TO HAPPINESS
www.munich-airport.comwww.bayern.by www.munich-tourist.de
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+ New + New + New +
For our Arab guests:
✈ prayer room
✈ Arabic-speaking staff
✈ Halal-certified dishes
on our menus
✈ Signs in Arabic
FMG_Anz_Happiness_220x280_e_110419_Service.indd 1 19.04.11 10:33
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May 2011, Volume 7, Issue 76
Take the spa
journey from
Deira to Palm
Jumeirah
FESTIVALSThe Sharjah BiennialMorocco’s Rose Fiesta
Korea: Book your trip now to the land of celebrations
Ever been to Pattaya?Outside Arabia
ARABIAN OASESEXPLORE. CAMP OUT.
Leave your footprints in the dunes.
ChroniclesSix days in CyprusPleasantly idle in Fujairah
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Arabian OasesOases are Nature’s way of telling she loves you so much she provided a place should you be lost in the harshest and most inhospitable land.
Contributed photo
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May'sSplendor
Contents May 2011
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EDITOR’S NOTE P.06WE HEAR YOU! P.10COVER STORY P.12CHRONICLES P.22
SPA JOURNEY P.24SPECIAL FEATURE P.30OUTSIDE ARABIA P.42CHECK THIS OUT P.50
HEALTH HOLIDAY P.60TASTE TRAVEL P.68MELTING POT P.70OFFROAD ADVENTURE P.82
on the cover80
PattayaA long weekend for the whole family.
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Great CoverThanks indeed for coming up with a spring travel advisory of sort for your April Cover Story section. From
“mind-blowing” Lebanon, to Morocco’s “crossroads,” Sri Lanka’s ancient cities and Turkey’s oiled-wrestling, your magazine pretty much covered it all, so to speak.Keep it up. We need more of this, certainly.
Sarah HeidemanJumeirah, Dubai
Dear Ms. HeidemanYou’re welcome
Editor
More fun it isThat’s good news for safari lovers like me—you’re Limelight piece about Lama Tours upgrading its fleet with 2011 Nissan Patrols.For what could even more thrilling than sliding down 90-degree dune slopes on a Patrol? I can hear the shrieks getting louder.
Ramesh Chander SinghKarama, Dubai
Dear Mr. Singh,Now that’s something else for your
weekend adventure.Editor
Not mistakenJumeira Rotana Executive Chef Pasquale Sipone must have had everything going for him when he put a little bit of this and a little bit of that on spare pasta to come up with what is now a popular dish.I’m referring to your Taste Travel mate-rial for April entitled, ‘The story of a mistake,” a humorous piece which really hit the spot.
Kate MasarAbu Dhabi
Dear Ms. Masar.Serendipity, you think?
Editor
Indeed!Shindig capital. Wow. You guys really never run out of words, huh. But it’s great. I agree hands down that Intercon Abu Dhabi’s The Yacht Club is one.We love the place—totally!
Maryann ShamilAbu Dhabi
Dear Ms. ShamilWe can hear the party from here.
Editor
We Hear You..www.travel-arabia.com
Publisher KGI
Address Travel Arabia Head Office Office G4, Building No.1 Phase One, P.O.Box 502408 Dubai Media City, UAE Tel +971 4 391 0410/1/2/3 Fax +971 4 391 6619 E-mail [email protected] Media House Indigo
General Manager Shaza Sharaffdeen
Editor Jojo Dass [email protected]
Staff Writers Jaganath
Contributors Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al ThaniElaine NettletonJulian Redman Maryam Jabbar
Photographer Maher El Zein
Creative Manager Karen Haroon
Designer Najeeb Hamza
Sales & Marketing Manager Syed Muhammad Arif [email protected]
Sales & Marketing Executive Crisna De [email protected]
Circulation Manager Ihab Abdallah
Distributor Jashanmal National Co. LLC
Travel Arabia Lebanon Office Riad el solh 11072070 P.O.Box 11-1197 Beirut, Lebanon Tel +961 3 435 780 Fax +961 7 762 104
Travel Arabia disclaimer All text and layout remains the copyright of KGI unless stated otherwise. Travel Arabia is fully independent, and its views are not those of any company mentioned herein.
No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.
All rights reserved.
© 2011 KGI
THIS MONTH READERS TAKE A BREAK, RELAX AND SPEAK OUT
10 I Travel Arabia
SOF TrvlArbia Ad 220x280 v1.indd 2 20/4/10 08:08:41
Cover Story
OasesArabianLeave your footprints in a sea of dunes.
Travel Arabia12
Oases are Nature’s way of telling she loves you so much she provided a place should you be lost in the harshest and most inhospitable land.
Travel Arabia 13
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One of the largest oases worldwide, Qatif oasis in eastern Saudi Arabia is also one of the oldest, dating back to 3500 BC in the late Bronze Age. It is most famous for its springs and palm trees. There is plenty of fresh fish to be found in the Qatif fishing port, being one of the largest in the region. One amazing sighting not to be missed for any weary traveler is the Tarut Citadel, built over 5000-year old settlements. Constructed around 1515-1521 A.D., the citadel with its hidden passages and high towers was used to protect the city against Portuguese attackers.
Qatif Oasis
M’zab OasisSituated in the Sahara, the Algerian oasis M’zab is a
10-km long valley, packed with 3,000 wells, which supply 270,000 date palms with water. Famous for its architec-ture, simple buildings and ornamentation, the Mzab Valley was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, being the perfect example for traditional human habitat well adapted to the environment. Designed for community living, the city’s architecture is an inspiration for today’s architects. If you’re looking to get a taste of Algerian culture or simply some fun in the sun, M’zab might just be your destination.
Al-Hasa Oasis
The biggest oasis in the world and probably the most fascinating is located in eastern Saudi Arabia. The Al-Hasa oasis has been inhabited since ancient times, being the only water source in a vast arid region. The oasis lies 65 kms from the Persian Gulf, having a surface of roughly 120 sq. kms. and a popula-tion estimated in 2003 of 600,000 people. The climate is fit for a relax-ing vacation in the heart of the dry land. Al-Hasa has a tropical climate, with a summer that can extend to five months and a cold winter. There is a lot of sand carried in, which ac-counts for the large display of trees around the area, adding a bit more shade and coolness to the area.
14 I Travel Arabia
Whatever you do this summer, do it at one of our hotels.
With sizzling hot hotel room rates across all our hotels starting
from AED199*, there has never been a better time to visit.
Look out for our special offer of the day on the website
where deals for luxurious spa treatments, gourmet meals,
and much more will be revealed every day during the
99 days of summer offers.
These deals will go like ice cream in the sun so book now at
www.millenniumsummer.com
Visit www.millenniumhotels.com
to discover what’s on offer at your
favourite hotel - and we look forward
to welcoming you soon.
Grand Millennium | Millennium
Copthorne | Kingsgate
* Standard double room only in Kingsgate hotel. Visit www.millenniumhotels.com for terms and conditions.
99 days of sizzling
hot summer offers
MH_SUMMER_TRAVELARABIA.indd 1 18/04/2011 15:46
Al Ain Oasis is a big date palm farm with a maze of intricate, at times confusing, routes located in the heart of the city. It highlights Bedouin culture and traditions. Many old-style houses, mainly used as storages and accommodation for farm workers; and mosques, restaurants, rest areas and narrow pathways are present-day features.
The plantations are walled off and irrigated by falaj, an ancient irrigation system of narrow waterways first used in 1000BC. The water comes from the mountains about 30 kilometres away.
The oasis has two forts built hundreds of years ago to protect it from invaders. Today, these forts house museums. The oasis opens at daybreak and closes at 6:30pm daily. No-body is allowed to enter after sunset.
Al Ain Oasis
Whatever you do this summer, do it at one of our hotels.
With sizzling hot hotel room rates across all our hotels starting
from AED199*, there has never been a better time to visit.
Look out for our special offer of the day on the website
where deals for luxurious spa treatments, gourmet meals,
and much more will be revealed every day during the
99 days of summer offers.
These deals will go like ice cream in the sun so book now at
www.millenniumsummer.com
Visit www.millenniumhotels.com
to discover what’s on offer at your
favourite hotel - and we look forward
to welcoming you soon.
Grand Millennium | Millennium
Copthorne | Kingsgate
* Standard double room only in Kingsgate hotel. Visit www.millenniumhotels.com for terms and conditions.
99 days of sizzling
hot summer offers
MH_SUMMER_TRAVELARABIA.indd 1 18/04/2011 15:46
Described by Lonely Planet as an absolute Moroccan gem, Figuig, like most other oases in the region, is a farmland of date palms the num-ber of which is a lot more than the place’s human inhabitants.
Figuig’s attractions include fortified mud-brick buildings, each divided by a complicated braiding of centuries-old irrigation channels. The oldest of these buildings is the Zenaga which houses a mosque and its 800-year-old minaret of rough stone.
“A long way from anywhere, Figuig is un-likely ever to be overrun by tourists, but those who make it are going to treasure the experi-ence,” Paul Clammer, Lonely Planet writer said in his review of the oasis.
Figuig Oasis Liwa OasisThe villages of Liwa Oasis are
the southernmost settlements of Abu Dhabi and of the United Arab Emirates. The southern border of Abu Dhabi with Saudi Arabia, which runs at a distance between 16 and 35 km to the Oasis, is a straight line in the Rub al Khali desert, which is largely uninhabited.
A modern, multilane highway connects the oasis area to the capi-tal, Abu Dhabi
The oasis is the place of birth of the ruling families of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In 1793, the ruling fam-ily Al Nahyan moved their residence from Liwa to the city of Abu Dhabi.
Liwa Oasis is also called “Empty Quarter” because it has the biggest sand desert in the world with its hundreds-of-meters-high dunes.
To book please call the retreat onTel +971 4 323 8888
email [email protected] andvisit www.desertpalm.ae
DESERT PALM
Desert Palm by Per AQUUM offers 36 exclusive rooms, suites and private pool villas together with LIME Spa.
Exquisitely prepared dishes from the show kitchen can be found at Rare Restaurant while Epicure serves all day dining
delights in a deli style ambiance next to the innity pool.
Watch polo on one of the four championship polo elds between October and April, enjoy Jewel afternoon tea on the
terrace or relax with a signature treatment in LIME.
20
The annual three-day Morocco Rose Festival is a magical event that usually takes place at the beginning of May, and
has become a favorite attraction and festival for tourists to attend.
A massive souk, is opened in the town of El Kelaa Des Gouna where tourists can find various fascinating items being sold, and musicians and dancers livening up the festival spirit. During the event, a Rose Queen is crowned and reigns over the successful harvest of fragrance.
El-Kelaa M’Gouna, hidden in the Oases of the Dadès Valley, is a Moroccan jewel known as the heavenly pink town, or more affection-ately referred to as the Valley of the Roses.
El Kelaa Des Gouna is the only settlement in the area, and is home to the two massive rose water factories of the region. Rose water is quite an expensive commodity in Morocco and is used not only for its fragrance but in traditional cooking as well. The reason for its price tag is because of the fact that the 4,200 kilometers of rose hedges can only produce 1,400 liters of the product. The process uses approximately 3,000 kilograms of rose petals to extract a liter of rose oil. Visitors to the festival therefore see tons of rose petals being transported to the factories to extract the pre-cious oils, leaving a trail of rose scent thick in the air.
The Rose Festival is an attraction that is a unique experience, and with such a large sup-ply of roses, it is no wonder that this region is said to be the best smelling destination in Mo-rocco. It is here where the fragrant rose oil and rose water is produced for the country, and the landscapes are a sea of pink Persian roses.
Their beauty and subtle aromas fill the air, and to farmers in the area, harvesting the pet-als of these delicate, yet perfect, crops is done with love and not seen as hard labor.
As with all festivals in Morocco, the annual
Rose Festival boasts delicious food alongside tra-ditional Berber local tribes singing, dancing, display-ing sword maneuvers and playing traditional musical instruments; plus a parade of floats with the nomi-nees for Ms. Roses who sit upon them.
Unique to this festival are the rose perfumed streets, Moroccan women wearing traditional head scarves decorated with bright colored velvety flowers, and boys and girls wearing rose-gar-lands. Floral decorated floats, camel-rides, and an excursion organized by the festival coordinators to take a bus ride from Ouarzazate to the Valley of the Roses are a few of the highlights avail-able to all.
The crowds at the festival are thick as a pink cloud; however, if you are a traveler you are in luck. Look for a spot reserved for tourists and dignitaries for the best views of the festival. Don’t for-get to look out for well dressed women in pink organaza and tulle and men dressed in white turbaned robes.
The purpose of the festival is for rose farm-ers to celebrate the year’s crops and to celebrate the beauty of nature. The Rose Festival is one of the prettiest and most popular celebrations in Morocco. Visitors come to enjoy breathing in the sweet scents of the petals as well as being surrounded by the natural beauty of the Drâa valley and the High Atlas Mountains.
The rose capital also produces other goods
made of eau de rose such as hand and body soaps, oil, crème perfume and dried flowers that are popular among Moroccans and tourists.
The Damask rose was brought to El Kelaa Des Mgouna in 1938 by the French. At that time El Kelaa Des Mgouna’s first rose water distillery was opened. Shortly after the first Rose Festival began and has been a tradition ever since.
Morocco’s Rose Festival
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22
A two-hour trip from the hustle and bustle of Dubai and Sharjah leads you to Fujairah, the smallest of the seven emirates also known as the UAE’s East Coast and best described as a place of flat sandy land coddled by towering hills.
Historical sites
such as ancient fortresses, the Al-Bidya Mosque, which dates back to 1000 BC; more archaeo-logical sites like the old fort of Fujairah, and the mountain dwellers’ ruins near the town of Khor Fakkan and Fujairah are a must to visit.
The mountain dwellers’ date palm grooves slope down into the Indian Ocean, which now has modern day entertainment such as jet skiing, parasail-ing and other water-related fun activities.
Fujairah is a pleasant place to spend a long week-end; a relaxing hideaway. Many hotel resorts are located on the outskirts as well as in the city proper itself.
Families can while away time sitting on their
roadside picnic spot, or on the bed of the hills enjoying their camping with the bonfires and barbecue, as children run around.
Heading to the city proper, hills stand tall like sentinels guarding distant secrets, staring down the road and showing you the way to an idyllic coastline of fishermen’s villages—a sur-real feeling of being transported in time.
To stretch our muscles from our long drive, we pulled over a roadside Friday Market, as it is called, which abounds with exotic, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Children enjoy shopping
at the toy shops as well as popcorn at the kiosks.
The place makes one remem-ber childhood memories of grilled corn, highlighting them with the most popular item of the place—the refreshing, cool coconut water.
A large number of people stop to buy carpets which come in machine-made and hand-knitted from Afghanistan. Of course bargainers have their own way to get a satisfactory price. Many plant nurseries are also set up in the market, in which one can find anything from seasonal flowers to implantable fully grown date trees.
It was already sunset by the time we reached the Fujairah downtown. The beautiful breath-taking scenic view of the sun setting behind the rigid hills with the long turning highways in the
foreground is a perfect screenshot for the visi-tors and thus well rewards the journey.
Contributed by Maryam Jabbar.
Chronicles
22 I Travel Arabia
The Country Club Hotel, Behind New Gold Souk, P.O. Box 118094, Dubai, UAE, Tel. +971 4 398 8840, Fax. +971 4 398 [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.countryclubdubai.com
Why go anywhere else… The Country Club Hotel is a four-star property that offers its guests hospitality with a touch of warmth and service of international standards. It is the perfect respite for tourist, business and corporate clients all over the globe boasting its 102 tastefully decorated, spacious rooms that include 18 executive rooms and 12 suites. For the luxury of comfort, coupled with gracious hospitality and stimulating entertainment, look no further than the welcoming doors of The Country Club Hotel. Nestled in the heart of the city, adjacent to New Gold Souk and in close proximity to exhibition/trade halls which is just 10 minutes away from World Trade Center and Dubai International Airport. It also enjoys easy proximity to varous pulse points of the city-malls, business avenues and touris attaractions, and is 5 minutes away from Jumeirah Beach. Savor the diversified dining experience at The Country Club Hotel over international flavors, culinary specials and gracious service that make you smile. Variety is the spice of life and with 5 restaurants, and a 24 hour coffee shop to choose from, it is easy to satisfy even the most discriminating palettes. The Hotel has a state of the art health club with an international spa. Our philosophy to entertain, exhilarate and exceed all expectations in hospitality and service is integral to us.
24A special treat or the ultimate birthday gift for your best friend
A quick after work pick-me-up.
Six of Dubai’s finest signature treatmentsFrom Deira to The Palm Jumeirah, we share our experiences
A peaceful Friday on your own.
A girly Saturday afternoon with your closest friends.
A sociable treat at the end of a day’s shopping with your best girl pal.
A great pick-me-up the day after a brutal gym session
Spa Journey
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The Spa at The Address Dubai Marina.Tucked away in a corner of the third floor The Spa
at The Address Dubai Marina is an unexpected haven of peace and tranquillity. Decorated with earth tones and soft candlelight it has a restful, welcoming feel to it setting the tone for the next few hours.
I was there on a Friday which I thought would have been busier but was pleasantly surprised to find that I had the facilities to myself.
After completing the usual questionnaire I was led to the changing rooms and shown to the Sauna and steam rooms where I enjoyed a deliciously sweaty 20 minutes before my therapist Rosemarie came to collect me for my treatment.
I plumped for the Arabian Oasis which promised 110 minutes of body, mind and soul purification.
Lying face down on the couch in the spacious treat-ment room Rosemarie placed towels under my ankles, adjusted the towels so I was completely covered and checked that I was comfortable before proceeding with the scrub, a mixture of fine grained olive pits, chamomile and frankincense.
This is a nice gentle scrub so is ideal for sensitive skin like mine. After removing most of the scrub mix a gel-like substance of Boreh, a traditional Balinese paste designed to hydrate thirsty skin, was applied and I was wrapped cocoon-like in layers of plastic and towels.
While gently simmering in blissful warmth I was then treated to a soothing rose based facial. The Spa uses Aromatherapy Associates products which my highly reactive skin seemed to like and my face felt beautifully soft afterwards.
A quick shower to remove the Boreh and I was back on the couch for a soothing massage with revitalising essence of rose oil which smelled lovely.
After the treatment I was shown to the relax-ation room where I snug-gled under soft blankets sipping warm lemongrass tea and nibbling on dried fruit and nuts.
The Arabian Oasis is AED 650 for 110 minutes.
Good for: A peace-ful Friday on your own.
Shui means water; Qi is the “energy flow of activity.” ShuiQi Spa & Fitness at Atlantis, The Palm is where you give your bone-weary body that gratifying sensation of re-invigoration from the serenity that water exudes—a subliminal, surreal experi-ence indeed!
My heart slowed down a bit; my body, tensed and stressed to the point of burn-
ing out, loosened up the moment I stepped into the spa and glided—seemingly—down its stairs illuminated only by a lazy light and candles whose silhouettes danced around me like inebriated souls in welcoming frenzy.
Piped music and the thick musk of burning aromatic oils add to the magi-cal splendour of being transported into the supernal realm.
The ritual started with a soothing rose petal foot bath—indeed, immersing my feet into the warm water sent a tingling, even some-what spine-chilling, sensation that almost sprung forth goose bumps of ecstasy. The warmth crawled up my legs to my head where, briefly, it felt like my hair was standing on end—nirvana!
Lying down in bed on my belly, I only
have to close my eyes and let my mind wander as the therapist’s expert hands worked their way on me, untying stiff mus-cle knots and, in the process, causing my circulation to be free like a river without the deadwoods that clog the water’s flow. It was so refreshingly good, the Qi massage as it was called, I could actually feel my blood gushing forth down my veins.
Capping it all was a facial, a reinvigo-rating massage that tightened pores and took away those ugly blackheads.
I was given the signature Shiseido treatment which was tailored by ShuiQi Spa & Fitness following partnership with Shiseido, a world-renowned brand provid-ing health and beauty solutions for over 130 years, to be the first spa in the region to offer Shiseido treatments exclusively. It should be on your bucket list.
Good for: A special treat or the ulti-mate birthday gift for your best friend
Sublime. Surreal. ShuiQi.Close your eyes. Let your mind wander into the supernal realm of sensual enlightenment.
Travel Arabia I 25
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The first thing I noticed as I entered The Spa at The Address Dubai Mall was the temperature. Many spas tend to have the air-conditioning set a little too cool for wandering around in a bathrobe but this was just right.
I had been recommended the Ultimate Rasul and Aromatherapy Ritual which is The Spa’s new signature treatment.
The treatment began with the traditional cleans-ing of the hands with rosewater and the washing of the feet with coconut milk.
The rasul is an Arabic detoxifying ritual that uses mineral-rich mud, heat and steam to nourish and soften the skin.
Stepping into the beautifully Moroccan tiled,
dimly lit rasul room my therapist Grace proceeded to apply a mixture of rasul clay and rosewater to my face and hair followed by a different mixture of rasul clay, amber and musk for my whole body.
I was then left to gently steam in clouds of mint scented mist for 15 minutes before Grace came back to scrub my body with the mixture before I was back on my heated seat under a gentle shower.
The final part of my treatment was an hour-long aromatherapy massage, which I have to say is probably one of the best mas-sages I have had in Dubai. The pressure
was just right easing tension without leaving me sore and bruised and Grace used a variety of techniques as opposed to the usual effleurage that is commonly used.
The Ultimate Rasul and Aromatherapy Ritual is Dhs 700 and takes two hours.
Good for: A sociable treat at the end of a day’s shopping with your best girl pal.
The Spa at The Address Dubai MallTreatment: Ultimate Rasul and Aromatherapy Ritual
Arabian White Musk treatment – The Taj Spa
The Taj Spa at Taj Palace Hotel Dubai, offers six treatment rooms for ladies and gents, and focuses on using organic products.
The spa itself is compact with a wet area offering sauna, steam and showers. The treatment rooms are spacious, soothing and well equipped. My spa journey took me to the 90-minute Arabian White Musk signature treatment.
My 90 minutes began with my therapist showing me a beautifully
decorated tray with the essential ingre-dients in the treatment and explaining what is going to happen. My feet were then bathed before proceeding to the treatment room.
First is the honey scrub to cleanse the skin. Honey is a well known anti-bacterial and antifungal agent which speeds up healing, smoothes dry skin and plumps up wrinkles. This was followed by a white mud wrap: white
mud also has healing properties and works as a detoxifier to stimulate blood flow and draw out toxins. There followed 15 minutes of being cocooned like a newborn whilst enjoying a soothing head massage.
Each treatment room has its own bath-tub and shower /sauna, so before shower-ing the mud off, I sat for 10 minutes in the steam. This makes the mud wrap easier to remove and leaves your skin feeling really soft and silky.
Back to the table for the Arabian White Musk Oil massage. The oil is actually a combination of musk, rose, patchouli and other ingredients such as frankincense, myrrh, cedar wood essential oil, vanilla essential oil and pure almond oil.
The treatments at the Taj Spa are excel-lent, not overly expensive. The relaxation area is, however, small, so would be better for solo visits. Cost of the Arabian White Musk Treatment is AED550.
Good for: A quick after work pick-me-up.
26 I Travel Arabia
28 I always wondered why anyone would drive out to Desert Palm for a spa treat-ment they could get closer to home – but now I know the answer to that one: It is divine, and actually not that far – only just beyond Mirdiff City Centre.
Entering the hotel feels like a veritable oasis – calm, cool and smelling great. Lime is more than just treatment rooms – greeted with delicious lemon mint juice and a cold towel, spa guests enjoying a 60
minute treatment or longer can use the infinity pool, the fit-ness studio and the sauna, steam, ice and plunge pool before treatments. So allow plenty of time to relax before your appointment.
Before entering, we had the usual questionnaire to complete, but this time we also had to advise ‘what colour we feel’. This then determines the music selection – we
felt ‘green’ today: “replenish your mind and embrace oceanic sounds to nurture...” and replenish & nurture it did.
The treatment we enjoyed was the 60 minute Evolve Hot Stone Massage. After having our feet washed in warm water
sprinkled with rose petals, we selected our aromatic oils based on mood and scent. We chose mandarin for its moisturising qualities and appealing aroma.
The therapist used her hands and hot basalt stones for the massage, together with refreshing ice crystal therapy to balance energy levels. The pressure was perfect and the hot stones certainly encouraged a sense of deep relaxation. The 60 minutes passes all too quickly, but the feeling of total relaxation continues when you move to the ‘hot seat’ – heated seats in the ‘wet’ area overlooking the polo field. There we were served tea and dates, and further relaxed to a game of sunset polo.
The Evolve Hot Stone Massage is AED 595 for 60 minutes / AED 735 for 90 minutes.
Good for: a girly Saturday afternoon with your closest friends.
Lime at desert palm dubai
With its earthy toned walls, hand-cut black stone floor and intricately carved wooden furniture, the Zaitoon Wellness
Spa has character and charm. Candles light my way and gently trickling water immediately soothed my stressed soul as I made my way to the reception where I was greeted with a warm smile and a hot herbal tea.
One of the spa’s many signature treat-ments is the Zaitoon Synchronized Thermal Massage and Swedish Touch Massage and I was eagerly looking forward to 80 minutes of relaxation after what
has been a busy week. My journey began with a number
of thermal pads being placed on various points on my body which are designed to warm the body, encourage blood circula-tion and release tension. Two therapists were on hand to deliver, what is, an incredible massage. Together they worked on the main pressure points to soothe and revive my tense muscles, which are plentiful, and I was soon completely relaxed under their expert touch.
This was followed by the Swedish Touch Massage which uses warm base oil mixed with Ayurvedic oils to help remove toxins and encourage healthy circulation. My therapist used a combination of light pressure strokes and some deeper knead-ing in the areas around my shoulders and upper back where I, like most people, tend to hold tension.
The massage ended with a gentle facial and neck massage and I was in a soporific
Zen-like state as was escorted to the relaxation room for a warm peppermint tea and some quiet down-time.
The whole experience left me in a bliss-ful state of relaxation and my shoulders and upper back felt a lot looser. My skin glowed and felt beautifully soft thanks to the oils used in the Swedish Touch Mas-sage.
Good for: A great pick-me-up the day after a brutal gym session
Zaitoon Wellness Spa at the Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa.treatment: Zaitoon synchronized thermal Massage and swedish touch Massage
28 I Travel Arabia
10 minutes from everywhere a fresh new look.
Ten minutes from everywhere and perfectly positioned in the heart of Dubai, in close proximity to Dubai International Airport, luxurious Wafi Mall, Dubai Healthcare City and Dubai International Convention Centre, the Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Bur Dubai offers modern accommodation, exceptional dining and gracious hospitality for both business and leisure guests.
255 newly renovated rooms and suites are available in the hotel with exclusive Executive Floors. 57 stylish apartments fully-equipped with entertainment system and kitchenette. When it comes to dining, you will be spoilt for choice with six eclectic restaurants and bars. Whether you are planning a dream wedding or an important business function, the impressive new ballroom can accommodate up to 450 guests in one dramatic room or three separate sections.
Mövenpick Hotel & Apartments Bur Dubai19th Street, Oud Metha
P.O. Box 32733, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Phone +971 4 336 60 00, Fax +971 4 336 66 26
MHABD Travel Arabia_Mag Ad_230111 Artwork size: 22 x 28 cm
www.moevenpick-hotels.com
MHABD_Travel_Arabia_Mag_Ad_200111.indd 1 1/23/11 10:18:15 AM
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Special Feature
Rixos Hotels continues its rapid growth
10 years and beyond
In 2000, a shining star of the Turkish tour-ism industry was born—Rixos Hotels.
Named after Rixos, one of the seven hero founders (B.C. 1000) of Perge, Rixos Hotels is best known for its all-exclusive, all-inclusive style.
It offers a package of first class holidays that covers every detail in a secluded and luxurious setting that shamelessly flaunts the spellbinding nature of what it’s like to be pampered hands down.
Rixos Hotels is the holiday address for anybody who desires to feel special, including world-famous stars, presidents, businessmen, and even royalties.
Known for its haut hospitality, attentive personal service and fine cuisine, Rixos Hotels
has received global recognition and top rat-ings from leading figures and travel associa-tions such as the American Five Star Diamond Award, Conde Nast, World Travel Awards and Great Hotels of the World.
The Rixos Hotels was founded in Antalya.Among the hotel brand’s properties are Rixos Premium Belek stretches over 405,000 m² of Calabrian Pine and pistachio tree forests with an exclusive kilometer-long sandy beach extending 100 meters inland.
In 2002 Rixos Tekirova and in 2003 Rixos Premium Bodrum came into service. These were followed by Rixos Premium Belek in June 2005, accepted as one of the most luxuri-ous hotels in the world.
Rixos Hotels is one of the world’s fastest
growing, luxury hotel chains. Dedicated to offering traditional Turkish hospitality and a unique spa experience in the finest surround-ings and luxury ambience, the Antalya based group currently owns and operates seven premium resorts and villas as well as five city hotels in countries as diverse as Turkey, Croa-tia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Libya.
Rixos Hotels is continuing its rapid growth with particular focus on Eastern and Middle Europe, the Mediterranean Coasts, North Africa and the Arabian Gulf region. The group’s vision and mission is to become a brand leader in the premium global hospital-ity industry.
For more information about the company, please visit www.rixos.com.
From Antalya rose what is now a household name for bespoke lifestyle fit for stars, royalties and icons. Hold your breath. Things just keep getting better.
30 I Travel Arabia
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do it at rixos premium BodrumThe most romantic marriage proposal
Rixos Premium Bodrum is drawing attention to the most extraordinary ac-commodation, offering romantic pack-ages for honeymooners including many surprises, marriage proposal package, superb packages for golfers and innova-tive family packages.
Indeed, a marriage proposal sets the tone for the most romantic wedding ahead. It needs to be planned well in ad-vance and as much in detail as possible; and it’s all about turning this occasion into one of the most memorable mo-ments in life.
Luxurious surroundings evoke the most romantic feelings and that’s exactly what makes the Rixos Premium Bodrum the ideal venue for this romantic mis-sion. In an idyllic bay location surround-ed by pine trees at the magical Bodrum peninsula, the hotel’s brand new look is the treasured destination for anyone to pop the question!
Rixos Premium Bodrum is now crowning future couples, making avail-able an amazing wedding concierge team, geared to attend to their every wish. Whether it’s on a small island with candles, on the beach accompanied by the sweet sounds of violins, or a breath-taking fireworks display, the Wedding Concierge can make it happen.
In case you would like to return on the happy occasion of the honey-moon, what is more luxurious that
Rixos Premium Bodrum’s Private Villas designed with an aura of the Ottoman era, offer an elegant haven of seclusion and privacy.
The hotel’s authentic baths, relax-ation areas, massage and therapy rooms are par with the world’s finest destina-tions for indulgence and pampering, in-viting the lucky couples to a real sanctu-ary where they can unwind and restore their energy and melt away tensions.
Rixos Premium Bodrum has intro-duced new “extra care” services for moms-to-be: a special organic diet, maternity pillows and dedicated mas-sages.
The hotel has intro-duced its new concept on bed and breakfast basis with exclusive offers and bespoke services specifically de-signed to cater to guests.
Rixos Premium Bodrum goes the extra mile—the hotel’s mis-sion is to get guests into the comfort zone whilst providing nothing less than the most outstand-ing luxury holidays.
Rix
os P
rem
ium
Bod
rum
- Is
land
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Rixos Premium Belek began hosting guests in 2005 and today offers a truly deluxe quality service; a comfortable five kms to Belek city center, the complex is just 50 kms to downtown Antalya and a short 40 kms to Antalya Airport.
The hotel was built with environ-mental sustainability in mind. Ev-erything has been considered for an ultimately pleasant, first-class holiday complete with trekking along lush green trails, rich foods and beverages, and a very wide range of sports and fun recreational activities.
Rixos Premium Belek is fully accredited by international standards organizations that testify to the ho-tel’s past success and certify its future achievements.
Every room at Rixos Premium
Belek comes standard with a more than adequate minibar, 28 inch plasma TV, satellite broadcasts, music channels, Internet connec-tions, direct phone lines in all rooms including bathrooms, central climate control (split air conditioner units in Troy apartments), safes, balconies, carpeted floors, WCs and bathtubs, vanity mirrors, hair-dryers, bath-robes, slippers, and various booklets and brochures with extremely rich content.
Rixos Premium Belek has a total of 769 units that include 730 rooms and 39 villas. It also has five restaurants including Mosaic, the main eatery where guests can enjoy a sumptuous selection of international cuisines served banquet style on the terrace overlooking the sea.
Rixos Premium BelekEnchanting
Rixos Sungate, besides its luxury archi-tecture, enables guests to discover a new life because it comprises a variety of places to be explored. Having all natural beauties of the Mediterranean, the hotel is located on an area of 250,000m2 surrounded with the fascinat-ing, tranquil, and noise-free atmosphere of Beldibi. In the natural beach of 720 meters, are two private piers and a marina along with
extra pathways to the sea. Construction of Rixos Sungate, a “hotel
within a hotel,” started in 2003. Efforts to “move Far East closer to Western customers” are reflected in small details such as the pref-erence of color shades and the materials used.
Teakwood, reflecting the Far East spirit, was used as the major material, along with natural by-products such as rattan, reed,
banana tree, and straw. By the abundant use of glass on the front parts, nature has been carried into the interior space.
The most assertive part of the project is probably the Port Queen entrance, giving the first impression for the whole hotel complex.
Rixos Sungate has over 1,000 rooms including 14 family suites, 67 terrace family houses, and 38 family lake houses.
rixos sungate Oneness
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Rixos TekirovaSerene
The address of peace and comfort at the heart of nature… Rixos Tekirova.
Rixos Tekirova, situated in Tekirova, one of the turquoise blue beauties in Mediter-ranean coast and on the side of mythological mountains surrounded by pine trees in its own bay, is awaiting you for an unforgettable holiday experience. Rixos Royal Spa, the most mysterious part of Rixos Tekirova, is present-ing you an exclusive spa treatment to crown your vacation as well.
Situated in Tekirova, this five-star hotel offers modern rooms with a seating area and
a private balcony. Facilities include an out-door pool with four water slides, three tennis courts and a spa.
The air-conditioned rooms at Rixos Hotel Tekirova are decorated with wooden furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows. All rooms have a minibar, satellite TV, and a work desk. Some rooms have panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea.
Rixos Hotel’s entertainment team or-ganises various games and sports activities during the day, such as water polo. During the evening, guests can enjoy live shows with
music and dance.
The children will love the Rixy Kids club,
which features a cinema, a playground, a
mini-disco and a children’s restaurant.
Sini Restaurant serves traditional Turkish
cuisine, including Gözleme (Turkish pan-
cakes). Guests can enjoy a variety of interna-
tional cuisine at the main buffet restaurant.
Tekirova Rixos Hotel is a 10-minute walk
from Tekirova’s shopping centre, and Kemer’s
touristic centre is a 15-minute drive away.
The hotel has 600 rooms.
With the different options offered to its guests which meet everyone’s vacation needs, the Rixos Lares is entering the season full force with its high quality and perfect service.
The Rixos Lares, which combines the terms peace, com-fort and entertainment to provide the opportunity to experi-ence the dream vacation, is only eight kms. from the airport. It is located in Lara, Antalya’s most beautiful region.
It provides services to guests over a wide area of 112,000 m2. The Rixos Lares, with its unmatched sea front location, has been providing the perfect vacation experience to its guests.
The Rixos Lares has the largest garden of the Lara region and combines the blue from the sea with all of the colors of nature in its landscaping architecture for guests to admire.
In its 54,000 m2 garden that reflects special moments with its colorful flowers and its hammocks under the shades of trees, the Rixos Lares invites its guests to an elite and unique atmosphere to relax and have fun.
The Rixos Lares provides service under the concept of “All Inclusive All Exclusive” to ensure perfect customer satisfaction. The hotel provides the comfort of fresh fruit and cold towel services at the beach and pool areas, a cinema, a wireless internet connection active throughout the hotel, and spa center activities to its guests where no substitute is needed.
Unique rixos Lares
Travel Arabia34
www.swiss-belhotel.com
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The Countdown has startedIstanbul luxury projects underway
The Rixos Istanbul luxury projects are introducing the serviced apartment model be-yond the traditional residence concept and have been favoured by individual investors.
A key component that differentiated the two Rixos projects versus the existing market schemes was the periodic rental service offered.
Fully furnished with the luxury and style of a five-star hotel, the rental service is expected to commence in May 2011 at Rixos Elysium
Suites Taksim and in October 2011 at Rixos Residences Bomonty.
Rixos Elysium Suites TaksimRixos Elysium Suites Taksim features a
total of 140 duplex 1+1 suites. The design was led by the renowned Turkish Architect, Ali Esad Göksel, and apart from the tradi-tional services such as car park, 7/24 security service, valet service and room service, the residents will enjoy a dedicated concierge service, state of the art sports facilities and iconic Spa with an indoor pool.
Rixos Residences BomontyRixos Bomonty, launched by Ayaydın
Group, Ipek-Cakirkaya, Maslak Construc-tion and Mertas investments in Bomonty, is a 42-storey tower on a 2.2 acre field. The interior design was led by Caglayan Tugal and the spaces vary between 84m2 - 94 m2 with the flexibility of increasing to 2+1, 3+1 or 4+1 thanks to its modular system.
The square meter price varies between USD 4.600 and USD 7.000 dollars and the biggest duplex is 470m2.
In Rixos Residence Bomonty, you may also
arrive in private helicopter ride landing on the residence’s private heli pad and stroll around its 5.000 square metres family friendly garden and its inviting common areas featuring an amazing 4.600 m2 space with restaurant, a cafe, fitness center, spa and an indoor pool.
The projects are a testament to the sophisti-cated holiday maker from the region who wishes to explore viable alternatives to the long-es-tablished 5 star hotel domina-tion, provid-ing a haven of luxury and convenience in hospitality and managed by the leading Turkish luxury hotel chain, Rixos Hotels.
taksim
LandmarkRixos Downtown Antalya
Rixos Hotels has taken over the iconic Sheraton Voyager in
Antalya, which will reopen as Rixos Downtown Antalya in July
this year.Rixos Hotels is the Turkish superbrand in tourism and
hospitality dedicated to first class service and unmatched qual-
ity. Rixos has recently added the former Sheraton Voyager to its
existing Antalya portofolio. The property was owned by Dogus
Tourism Group up until January 2011 and from now onwards
Rixos will operate the hotel under the name Rixos Down Town
Antalya.Renovation works will be completed by July this year and
the reopening is planned just in time for the summer season
2011.The hotel is located in the heart of the Antalya city centre on
44.000 m2. Its proximity to the Airport places Rixos Downtown
Antalya in prime location with only 18 km distance from the
airport. Rixos is now boosting more than 7500 rooms in Antalya and
has raised the number of its hotels to 14 with its newest addition
Rixos Downtown Antalya and Pera Royal Hotel in Istanbul.
Travel Arabia36
38
The Sharjah Biennial is one of the most established cultural events in the Arab world. It is hosted by the Sharjah Art Museum and supported by the Sharjah Art Foundation.
The Sharjah Art Foundation provides both national and international leader-ship in the production and presentation of contemporary visual arts.
The Sharjah Biennial Exhibition 10 presents major new work across disci-plines of visual arts, film, music, perfor-mance and publications over the course of the Biennial’s eight week run from March 16th to May 16th 2011.
Curated by Suzanne Cotter and Rasha Salti in association with the Sharjah Art Foundation, the exhibition this year was themed on the words engaged with Shar-jah such as Treason, Necessity, Affiliation, Corruption, Disclosure, Devotion and Translation.
These themes are portrayed through
concep-tual framework by various talented artists, filmmakers, performers, and writers from over 30 countries .The Biennial is spread over the sites and spaces from the Arts Heritage Areas to the Hamra Cinema and the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, involving all the parts of the city in a rhythmatic pattern.
A range of works by historic figures are presented in relative to contemporary artists presenting a podium for multiple conversations with a characteristically
Awakening inspirations:
The Sharjah Biennial 10
Some of the art works are really inspiring like Aisha Khalid’s “Pattern to Follow,” painted with gouache and gold leaf on wasli paper.
Feature
38 I Travel Arabia
It means a warm welcome, a unique holiday experience and a sophisticated style of living.
Marina View prides itself in exceeding customer expectations and is dedicated to setting a new standard in the hospitality industry. Marina View Hotel ranges from homely to luxurious, but you can always be assured of generous hospitality.
Marina View Hotel is a luxury residency located in the heart of Dubai Marina, fully furnished by high stylish decorations. The hotel’s modern architecture is easily spotted against the Dubai sky line with easy access to, Dubai’s key business hubs, leisure and shopping.
Welcome to the
Marina View Hotel Apartments
Marina View Hotel Apartments, P.O Box 454745, Dubai, UAEPhone: +971 4 4571000, Fax: +971 4 4570999Email: [email protected], [email protected]: www.marinaviewhotel.com
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global perspective .The experience begins with the Sharjah City Map and Info cart kiosk, that collected information about the city and developed into a map for the visitors.
Some of the art works are really inspiring like Aisha Khalid’s “Pattern to Follow,” painted with gouache and gold leaf on wasli paper. The artist devises a modern-day approach to classical Islamic geometric patterns .Khalid manipulates the negative spaces to explore into the endless potential that these patterns form. Based on the concept of geometry and mathematics the kind of spirituality allude is very abstract and real.
The most inspir-ing piece of the exhibition was the assemblages on paper by Bahman Mohas-ses . The artwork was amazing but the mo-tivation of the artist and the spirit to keep going and following his heart was even more awesome. After his diagnosis of lung cancer he was unable to work with chemicals, but that did not stop him from creating mas-
terpieces. With
the burning passion to create excit-ing pieces, he started making pictures by combining magazine tear outs and creat-ing objects
with them in terms of using foreground and background and focus tech-niques. Inspiration-al pieces of cozy , well lit interiors to fantasy-oriented fishes are the main focus of his work. “I take the first step. Feel it. Will it work? If it works , I pro-ceed . If it doesn’t , I move on .It should
not be a struggle,” he said.Documentation of a performance in
digital prints named “Women’s Circles” by Ebtisam Abdulaziz in an interesting series
of frozen mo-ments. The circle around the women is used as a prop as well as metaphor for the state of women contained by set of actions and values that are clearly con-strained. Using the
color scheme of grey tones, the prints speak out loud about the concept and the feel the artist wants to present.
A series of documentaries, instal-lations and videos are also a part of the Sharjah Biennial 10 . Artists like Raed Yassin, Rania Stephen and many others depict a very strong statement through their work.
A video named “ My Mother’s Garden” brings back many memories for all the visitors. It is based on the artist’s memo-ries of her mother working in the garden and waiting for the flowers to bloom, taking care of them and feeling the happi-ness in return. These memories have been transformed into designed jewelry pieces for Christian Dior.
The installations are a must to ponder on; one that caught my eye was the instal-lation made by Anna Boghiguian entitled “The Simple Affairs that Move the World.” A combination of paintings, photographs , sound and models , depicting the changes in different parts of the world such as U.S.A, India and U.A.E . The economic, political situation as well as the trade sys-tem of these countries left a huge impact on what these countries are now. Through drawings about police , poverty , and mass culture, she connects these places with the relation to the result of trade ,imperialism and globalization.
The Sharjah Biennial hosts weekly per-formances of music and other films. These performances can be attended by visitors on weekends in different places of Sharjah.
The Sharjah Biennial hosts weekly performances of music and other films, followed on the theme of the exhibition. These performances can be attended by visitors on weekends in different places of Sharjah.
Contributed by Maryam Jabbar.
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Hampyeong Butterfly FestivalApr. 29, 2011 – May 10, 2011Venue: Jeollanam-do Hamgpyeong-gun Hampyeong Expo Park.
The luscious green pastures and stun-ning canola flowers of Hampyeong make the famous Hampyeong Butterfly Festival an irresistible gathering place for visitors and butterflies alike.
Damyang Bamboo FestivalMay 3, 2011 - May 8, 2011Venues: Jeollanam-do Damyang-gun Munhwa (Culture) Park. Juknokwon, Jughyang Munhwa Village and Korean Bamboo Museum area
The Damyang Bamboo Festival ex-poses visitors to the many uses of bamboo including food, spirits and other products.
Hadong Wild Tea Cultural FestivalMay 4, 2011 - May 8, 2011Venues: Gyeongsangnam-do Hadong-gun Hwagae-myeon Tea Fields in Ssanggyesa Temple, and the Jingyo-myeon Byeongnyeon-
ri Chatsabal Doyoji area.
Hadong, nestled between Jirisan Mountain and the southern coast, is most breathtaking during the Hadong Wild Tea Cultural Festival, an annual event show-casing the handpicking green tea leaves, participating in a traditional tea ceremony and making traditional tea bowls.
2011 Hi SeoulMay 6, 2011 – May 10, 2011
Venue: Seoul-wide
This year’s festival slogan, “The Gestures of Spring (Calling for Spring),” represents the celebration of the coming of spring through nonverbal communica-tion that transcends language, race and generation. More than 40 performing arts groups from 11 countries like Canada, Spain, Australia and China are expected
to attend.Homepage: www.hiseoulfest.org (Ko-
rean, English, Japanese, Chinese) Inqui-ries: +82-2-3290-7165 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) 1330 tt call center: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
Namwon Chunhyang FestivalMay 6, 2011 - May 10, 2011Venue: Jeollabuk-do Namwon-si Gwanghalluwon Garden, riverside of Yocheon stream, the plaza of Love, and Namwon tourist attractions.
This traditional folk festival is based on the fidelity and love of Chunhyang, the protagonist in Korea’s most famous love story,
“Chunhyangjeon.”
Chuncheon International Mime FestivalMay 22, 2011 – May 29, 2011
Venues: Gangwon-do Chuncheon-si Mime
House, Chuncheon Culture & Arts Center,
Bomnae Theatre and Festival Theater M
(Gongjicheon and Children’s Hall area).
The Chuncheon International Mime
Out of the more than 1,000 events celebrated in Korea, 44 culture and tour festivals have been selected for 2011 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism based on the festivals’ popularity, organization/management, uniqueness and development potential.
The country has over 1,000 celebrated events. Here are some of the must-sees
The land of festivalsKorea:Plan your trip now
Outside Arabia
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Festival is the leading performing arts festival in Korea, and its fame has now spread across the globe.
Ulsan Whale FestivalMay 26, 2011 – May 29, 2011Venue: Ulsan-si Nam-gu Taehwa-gang River and
Jangsaengpo area. Ulsan is home
to whale-related attractions such as the Bangudae Petro-glyphs (rock drawings/carvings), a whale museum and the Whales & Ocean Experi-ence Center. The only one of its kind in Korea, the event features whale watching cruises.
Haeundae Sand Festival June 3, 2011 – June 6, 2011Venue: Busan-si Haeundae-gu Haeundae
Beach.
This environment-friendly event showcases fantastic sand sculptures on the Haeundae Beach. With the concept of “seeing, feeling and enjoying,” the festival allows visitors to engage in activities using sand.
Boryeong Mud FestivalJuly 16, 2011 - July 24, 2011 Venue: Chungcheongnam-do Boryeong-si
Daecheon Beach and downtown area.Of the festival’s multiple events, the
mud bath, where visitors give themselves baths or receive massages
with quality mud from the Daecheon Beach and surrounding tidal flats, is the best known one.
Gangjin Celadon Festival July 30, 2011 - August 7, 2011 Venue: Jeollanam-do Gangjin-gun Daegu-myeon Goryeo Celadon
Doyoji area.
The Gangjin Celadon Festival, through its differentiated showcas-ing of the excellence and unique-ness of the Goryeo celadon, has been gaining recognition among visitors.
Andong Mask Dance FestivalSept. 30, 2011 – Oct. 9, 2011 Venue: Gyeongsangbuk-do Andong-si Hahoe Village, Talchum (Mask Dance) Park and downtown area.
Through such indigenous mask dances as Chajeonnori (men’s battle demonstration), Notdaribalgi (women’s “human bridge” reenactment),
Hwajeonssaum and Haeng-sangsori (a funeral ceremony demonstration), the festival seeks to promote the traditions and culture of Andong.
Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival Oct. 1, 2011 – Oct. 12, 2011 Venue: Gyeongsangnam-do Jinju-si Chiram-dong Namgang
Riverside area.
At the Jinju Namgang Yudeung (lantern) Festival, colorful lanterns parade along the Namgang Waterfronts across from Jinju-seong Fortress and Chokseongnu Pavilion to create a spectacular view.
Indigenous mask dances highlight the Andong Mask Dance Festival.
A plunge at the Boryeong Mud Festival At the Jinju Namgang Yudeung (lantern) Festival, colorful lanterns go on parade.
Inquiries: Korea Tourism Org. Dubai Office 04 3312288, [email protected], www.visitkorea.or.kr
Travel Arabia I 43
44This is the first of a 3-part series about the
“Three Faces of Thailand.” Learn more about
Chiang Mai in northern Thailand in the next
edition of Travel Arabia.
AdventureFor a more adventurous full day out,
try Flight of the Gibbon just 50 km from Pattaya; the largest canopy zip-line tour in the world with over 3km of lines and
26 platforms. Combine this with a visit to Khao
Keow Open Zoo to get up close and personal with some of the region’s best loved animals www.journeytothejungle.
Pattaya
Pattaya is a great destination for short breaks from the Middle East with a myriad of activities for everyone.
Only an hour’s drive from Suvarnabhumi International Airport Bangkok, Pattaya is a well estab-lished resort on the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand; a city by the sea offering great value for money and a host of exciting activities. From bustling beaches in the heart of town, to pristine deserted stretches of white sand and azure blue waters; local markets to glitzy shopping malls offering the latest brands and styles; street side food vendors to elegant five-star restaurants; and of course activities for everyone from 0 to 100.
A long weekend for the whole family.Dusit Thani Pattaya
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com For more genteel pursuits, Pattaya offers
a myriad of open air street markets where bargaining is expected for t-shirts, shoes, bags and many other items. Recently opened is the Festival Centre on Beach Road – a shopping mall to rival those in Dubai, with international and locally branded stores, restaurants, and beauty centres.
Spas abound in hotels, and even teenagers enjoy the Thai or foot massages to be found on almost every street – at a cost of around US$ 10/hour.
For the sporting members of the family Pattaya offers some fantastic golf courses, with
opportunities to play a round with like minded golfers regardless of handicap through www.ipgc.org
Fairtex Hotel Pattaya & World Class Sports Club, located just off the Beach Road, offers classes in Muay Thai or Thai Boxing, Rock Climbing, as well as an Olympic size swimming pool plus massage, spa treatments, detoxification and rejuvenation pro-gramme designed to relax, rejuvenate, enrich and heal the body and soul. Day passes are available, so the whole family can find something to amuse them www.fairtexhotel.com
Family affairUnlike Bangkok, Pattaya is easy to get
around making it possible to fit several activities in a day. Even diving can be a fam-ily affair with the non-divers snorkelling in the calm waters: Pattaya is the largest wreck diving destination in South East Asia and offers many options for the day out (www.wreckdivingpattaya.com.)
The Elephant Camp and the Million Year Stone Park (Crocodile park) are close to town and easily combined, with ample time to visit the city’s newest shopping mall afterwards, where you could be forgiven for thinking you were back in Dubai. You can even squeeze in a visit to Wat Sansuk (Heaven-Hell Park) for a photo opportunity before the sun goes down.
Also within the city limits is Mini Siam, where replicas of over 100 sacred places and important historical sites around Thailand and worldwide are displayed within a well kept park—great for children young and teen alike. Take a hat or sun shade as you do
need to walk around and allow 1-2 hours depending on how long you linger over each exhibit. www.minisiam.com
The Bottle Art Museum, opposite Mini Siam, is the only museum in the world dedicated to art in bottles, and holds a certain fascination for teens. Combine this with Mini Siam – all before lunch. http://www.pattaya.org.uk/attractions/bottle-art-museum.html
Spend the afternoon at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden – the largest botanical gar-den in South East Asia, and renowned for its impressive Thai Cultural and elephant shows four times daily. www.nongnoochgarden.com
Where to staySet on the Northern tip of
Pattaya Bay yet minutes from town,
with fabulous views and a private
beach is Dusit Thani Pattaya: a
luxurious 5-star resort accustomed
to catering to visitors from the
Middle East and offering a variety
of accommodation to suit all fam-
ily sizes. Dusit International also boasts
dusit d2 Baraquda Pattaya in the
heart of the city – a chic, trendy
hotel with pool, spa and offering
access to the beach at Dusit Thani
Pattaya. www.dusit.com for special
offers, packages and reservations
How to get there
Thai Airways flies
daily to Bangkok
from around AED
2695, and with
their Royal Orchid
Holiday packages, of-
fer great combinations
of flight, airport/hotel transfers, hotel
accommodation and activities for the
whole family.
Dusit d2 Baraquda Pattaya
Travel Arabia I 45
46
Six days in CyprusHaving decided we wanted a change of scenery, the next day we headed for the Troodos Mountains, less than an hour’s drive from Larnaca.
Arriving in Larnaca It is mid morning and a surprisingly
breezy 12 degrees when we step off the plane in Larnaca, cool by Dubai standards. It is still off season in Cyprus so the nor-mally bustling cafes and restaurants that line the pavements are very quiet. Most of the eateries along the sea front cater to the tourists so the fare is typically chips with everything. Be warned, though, the portions are on the generous size so small eaters will find themselves leaving half full plates as I did on more than one occasion.
Our hotel for this trip is the Amorgos Boutique Hotel a small hotel located just behind the main street, chosen because it is much quieter than those on the front which, while offering lovely sea views, are also very noisy because of the lively bars and cafes below.
Larnaca is a bustling little town that has a number of well-known high street stores including Top Shop, Next and Bershka. But we head for the older part of the town and to the 9th-century Byzantine Church of St. Lazarus which is reputed to hold the remains of the saint and spend a couple of hours wandering the narrow streets and admiring the quaint houses and old buildings.
Historic LimassolAfter a substantial breakfast at
the hotel, we head off to Limassol which is about a 45 minute drive from Larnaca. Parking close to the beach a short stroll takes us to Limas-sol Castle which was built in the 14th century on the site of an earlier Byzantine castle. According to tradi-tion, Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre and crowned her Queen of England here in 1191.
Limassol is a great place to shop, offering everything from sou-venir shops and high end boutiques as well as sprawling street markets
The Travel Arabia team recently explored Cyprus and came back with this report--Ed.
Chronicles
46 I Travel Arabia
Rising high above the fringe of Media City, Fraser Suites Dubai enjoys panoramic views over the sparkling coastline and stunning cityscape. Superb one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, magnificent lifestyle facilities including a
25-metre swimming pool, children’s wading pool, steam & sauna, kid’s club, tennis and squash court; relaxed dining in Aqua Café and the exclusive Awazen Spa - Fraser Suites Dubai has it all.
Add the award-winning Fraser Difference - renowned personalized service andoutstanding facilities to meet your every need. Welcome home.
Reservations: +971 (04) 4401400, Email: reservations.dubai@frasershospitality.comwww.frasershospitality.com
The Fraser CollectionBahrain • Bangkok • Beijing • Budapest • Chengdu • Doha • Dubai • Edinburgh • Glasgow • Hanoi • Hong Kong • Kuala Lumpur • London• Manila • Nanjing • New Delhi • Osaka • Paris • Seoul • Shanghai • Shenzhen • Singapore • Suzhou • Sydney • Tianjin • Bangalore (2012)
• Chennai (2012) • Guangzhou (2012) • Jakarta (2012) • Perth (2012) • Wuxi (2012)
By Frasers Hospitality
48
that jostle for space along the space-restricted streets. We whiled away a few hours along the pedestrianised cobbled street of St An-drews which runs parallel to the seafront and is a treasure trove of local handicrafts, inexpensive leathergoods and the ubiquitous souvenirs.
The Troodos Moun-tains
The next day, hav-ing decided we wanted a change of scenery, we headed for the Troodos Mountains less than an hour’s drive from Larnaca.
Apart from breathtaking vistas from some very high
view-points and some very scary narrow
mountain roads, the area is blessed with many churches and monasteries and, while we didn’t venture inside, we did take plenty of pictures of the impressive architecture. Perhaps the most famous monastery in the area is the Kykkos Monastery 20 km west of Pedoulas village. Founded in 1100 it possesses one of three icons attributed to Saint Luke. The icon, covered in silver gilt, is in a shrine made of tortoise shell and mother-of-pearl.
Paphos and grilled sardinesStaying at sea level after yesterday’s
hairy day driving narrow mountain roads, we took a scenic drive along the beach road to the popular town of Paphos, having to stop many times to take pictures of the beautiful aquamarine sea views and of course Aphrodite’s Rock.
Incredibly peaceful and scenic, Paphos is a charm-ing fishing harbour that is always popular with British tourists and retirees. We dis-covered a number of open air cafés overlooking the ocean all serving excellent food and the ubiquitous catch of the day and so sat down to admire the views and a long leisurely lunch of grilled sardines and sweet orange juice.
Aya Napa and the Cap-tain’s Table
A visit to Cyprus is not complete without a visit to Aya Napa. Known
as the party capital, Aya Napa is chock full of restaurants bars and souvenir shops. Arriving there around lunchtime we stopped to eat a traditional Cypriot lunch of mezze and fresh fish at one of the beachside restaurants before wandering along the sea front to soak up some sun.
On our way back to Larnaca we passed Waterworld, Europe’s largest themed waterpark with over 22 attrac-tions, which was unfortunately not yet open for the season but which will definitely be on the itinerary for our next visit.
Deciding to head out of Larnaca for dinner that evening we headed to Zygi. We had eaten at the Captain’s Table there a few years ago and wanted to see if it was still as good. The restau-
rant has been completely renovated since our last visit and was just as good as we remembered it with some of the best fish mezze on the island.
Buying lace in Lefkara One of the most interesting days
we spent in Cyprus was in the village of Lefkara which is famous for its lace. Just a short drive out of Larnaca Lefkara is cur-rently being restored to its original condi-tion. It is a sleepy little village with narrow cobble streets and honey-coloured houses where women sit outside making lace. There are a few shops to purchase these exquisite lace items as well as silver gifts and all the retailers there speak very good English so language is not a problem.
Photos by Andy Nettleton.
48 I Travel Arabia
50 Lootah Hotel Management (LHM), the leading company in family-oriented and Sharia’h compliant hospitality in the UAE, will open the first Jawhara resort in the Maldives.
The $120-million project, which is comprised of 50 luxury villas with private swimming pool and a private beach, a restaurant, a recreation center, a spa, a
marina and yachts is scheduled to open in 2013.
LHM has signed an agreement with Kalaidhu Investment pvt, Ltd. in the Mal-dives regarding the undertaking.
LHM is the hospitality arm of S.S. Lootah Company. Currently, it manages Al Jawhara Group of Hotels & Apartments which consists of
three properties in Dubai. These proper-ties comply with international standards and are recognized by international certi-fying bodies ISO 9001:2000, and HACCP (Food Safety Management System).
Al Jawhara Group of Hotels has won Halal Journal Award in Malaysia and was recognized by Dubai Quality Appre-ciation (Government of Dubai) under patronage of H.H.Sheikh Mohamed Bin
Rashid Al Maktoum. Also, it has been awarded as a Leading Islamic Hotels at the Arab Investment Sum-mit which was held last year in Abu Dhabi. Moreover, Al Jawhara has won a Halal Friendly Hotel Rating from Crescent in Singapore.
LHM promotes family-oriented hospitality management, and is a full service hotel management company. Management services include initial consultation, pre-opening and ongoing management contracts. Al Jawhara has assembled a driven and qualified team to manage hotel properties efficiently, evaluate the product and develop a plan for maxi-mizing market potential and profitability.
Market penetration, operating efficiency, and customer satisfaction have given Jawhara an enjoyable reputation in the market-place.
LHM can take over any existing, running or new hotel project for manage-ment.
First Sharia’h compliant resort to open in the MaldivesLootah Hotel Management to have 50 villas with a private beach, a marina and yachts.
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Conveniently located in the heart of the city, on Dubai’s prominent Sheikh Zayed Road, Towers Rotana Dubai boasts some stunning views of the Arabian Sea as well as easy access to all major destina-tions in this thriving metropolis.
Towers Rotana Dubai has 360 newly renovated rooms and suites. Decorated with comfort and elegance in mind, each room epitomizes awesome serenity and relaxation convenient for business and leisure.
Business can also be a pleasure when you stay in one of our new Club Rotana rooms, which come with a vast array of
deluxe in-room amenities such as three telephone sets, computer and high speed internet connections and complimentary limousine service to and from Dubai International Airport, Terminal 1, with access to a full fledged Club Rotana
lounge.
Bodylines Leisure & Fitness Club
Bodylines, our state-of-the-art fitness centre is equipped with the most up-to-date machines, sauna, steam room and outdoor Jacuzzi.
Cool off from the hot Dubai heat by diving into our
outdoor swimming pool. Located on the top floor, it offers a tranquil refuge from the bustling city.
RestaurantsAmong Towers Rotana Dubai’s res-
taurants are Teatro, an award-winning a la carte place which features a fusion of Indo-Asian and European cuisine. Teatro offers five different cuisines ranging from Japanese and Chinese to Thai, Indian and Italian. It also has an open kitchen partitioned by a glass wall.
The glass encased walk-in wine cellar is a unique feature with a stock of a large variety of exquisite wines from across the globe.
Another place to check out is the Flavours on Two all-day dining restaurant where you can bring your family and friends for an all inclusive buffet themed dinner with its spread of a tasty array of food.
Longest barStill another restaurant
is Long’s Bar. As its name suggests, it is rumoured to be the longest bar in the Middle East at 22.5m long, with an authentic “Raffles” look for an informal dining experience and a menu that features good old-fashion pub specialties.
Long’s offers everything you need for a great night out, from good food and a grow-
ing selection of beverages to a relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff, and a dance floor with a DJ playing your favorite music. The Long’s Bar Friday brunch and Monday’s ladies night are favourites with the regular patrons.
Wraps, for its part, is a typical Eu-ropean style café where you can enjoy Wraps sandwiches—delicious Califor-nian-style flour tortillas wrapped around a variety of fillings—fresh hot and fast. A variety of salads and light snacks are also available throughout the day, as well as an assortment of coffees, teas, fresh juices, pastries and cakes.
Pool snack bar
Aquarius, the pool snack bar serves sandwiches and light refreshments around the pool area either at the sun recliner chair or at wooden deck chairs and tables. An exotic array of fresh fruit and iced cocktails will keep you refreshed in the midday sun or perfect for a sun downer. Regular daily specials are also available.
towers rotana dubaiBold and Beautiful
52 I Travel Arabia
HEAD OFFICE
FOR BOOKING&
INQUIRIES
PLEASE CALL
HOTEL APARTMENTS DUBAI
Emirates Stars is a modern furnished hotel apartment Conveniently located near to Dubai International Airport, City Centre, Shopping Centres, AI Mamzar Beach. Easy access towards Sh. Zayed road via Al lttihad road.
Each apartment offers a spacious living and dining area, fully equipped kitchenette for your comfort and convenience. Emirates Stars commits its promise into bringing you a warm hospitality service with privacy of a home whilst on business or leisure to Dubai.
HOTEL APARTMENTS SHARJAH
Luxurious Hotel Apartments in the heart of Sharjah. Just minutes away from the heart of the city, and walking distance from Sharjah Aquarium. The Emirates Stars Hotel Apartments Sharjah, Offers luxury address defined by its location and quality service. From its beautifully decorated rooms and suites, enjoy the spectacular views of both, the Al Khan and Khalid lagoons. Experience the culture and traditions of the city in true tranquility. Come and stay with us.
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Email: [email protected]: www.emiracesstars.ae
54
Gateway ArabiaMunich Airport makes Arab visitors feel at home
Royal palaces, grand monuments and art collections, world-renowned classical music, appealing parks and gardens, top sporting events and fabulous shopping - not to forget the convenient proximity to the Bavarian Alps. This all makes Mu-nich worth a visit. The region is well served by Munich Airport (MUC) which won the “Europe’s Best Airport” title in the Skytrax World
Airport Awards 2011. Europe’s most convenient hub is at the same time an “airport city” with spa facilities, hotels, public events, 200 shops and restaurants. Flight frequency
Due to the increasing number of flights, Munich Airport has turned into an important gateway to Europe and the Alps for passengers from the Middle East. Etihad Airways oper-ates daily from Abu Dhabi, Emirates serves Munich twice daily from Dubai. Oman Air offers flights from Muscat four times weekly, and Qatar Airways now operates 11 weekly flights from Doha to Munich. The German carrier Lufthansa of-fers daily flights from Dubai and three flights weekly from Riad to Munich. Royal Jordanian has just increased
to three weekly frequencies
from Amman to Munich and Tunis Air
serves Munich twice a week from Tunis. Egypt Air serves Munich daily from Cairo. Onward connections within Europe and beyond are available for all flights from the Middle East.Arab-speaking staff
Munich Airport puts great effort in welcoming Arab-speaking passengers and aims to make Munich Airport the so-called “Gateway Arabia.”
It has Arabic announcements to guide passengers. Arab-speaking staff helps out with any request. Grab an airport guide in Arabic while waiting at baggage claim.‘InfoGates’
Newly installed interactive Info screens in Terminal 1 and in the Munich Airport Center help passengers find their way. These so-called “InfoGates” connect passengers directly with airport staff via video conference. To make a culinary experience at the airport truly delightful for Muslim guests, all eateries in Termi-nal 1 (Hall C) and the airport’s brewery “Airbräu” have marked their menus - identifying vegetarian dishes and all meals containing pork. Prayer rooms
Prayer rooms are the airport’s newest highlight. A smaller one is located in the public area of Terminal 1 (Hall C). A more spacious one is located inside the non-public area.
To improve intercultural under-standing, immigration officers are being trained on the demands of Middle East passengers.
Welcome to Munich! (www.munich-airport.com)
From Arab-speaking staff to interactive info screens in Arabic, and even prayer rooms, the airport puts great effort in welcoming passengers from the Middle East.
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New hotel in Old Dubaideira gets first new international five-star hotel in a decade.
After over 10 years, Dubai’s com-mercial hub, Deira finally has its first new international five-star accommodation with the opening of the Mövenpick Hotel Deira.
Michael Nugent, general manager, said the 216-room property is already filling a demand for affordable upscale accom-modation by business executives, as well as destination travellers and inquisitive shoppers.
“While Dubai has been on a building boom, Deira’s five-star hospitality sector has been somewhat stagnant and we mean to fill this void by bringing in some new energy,” he said.
The hotel is located at the heart of Old Dubai’s early commercial district on the north side of the city’s arterial waterway, Dubai Creek—a brisk 20 minutes’ walk from the hotel.
“Deira houses many official depart-ments which remain key stop-off points for those who have earmarked Dubai as part of their business playing field. They are all a short car journey away from the hotel – indeed some can be reach by foot,” Nugent said.
He also noted that Deira is home to many of Dubai’s destination highlights making it a great rendezvous for inquisi-tive holidaymakers, destination travellers and shoppers.
“We also give you a beach,” said Nu-gent. “A private beach club, Oceana Beach Club and a New York-influenced Grill and Bar, West 14th, are located on The Palm Jumeirah for a taste of the sun, sea and surf.”
A complimentary hotel bus shuttles to and from the beachside rest and relaxation haven throughout the day.
The Mövenpick Hotel Deira is also thoughtfully equipped with seven meeting facilities designed with daylight features for private meetings and events for up to 90.
Instant Wi-Fi on log-in throughout the hotel’s public areas gives swift global connectivity.
As the global hospitality industry continues to ponder the pace of business,
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, in partner-ship with real estate developer, Seven Tides, prepares for the opening of more than 1,200 rooms over four properties in Dubai, UAE. This includes the 216-room Mövenpick Hotel Deira which opened in January 2011.
The Mövenpick Hotel Deira has three dining options comprising two restaurants and a bar. Jigsaw is open daily, offering a la carte and a buffet selection with a differ-ence. Wok In represents the spirit of the Far East with interactive cooking in the contemporary Asian restaurant.
The hotel also has an outdoor swim-ming pool and a fully equipped fitness centre. In-house guests also have access to the hotel’s private beach club on The Palm Jumeriah.
Travel Arabia I 55
56
Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi to showcase growing portfolio at atM 2011
‘Our participation in ATM in the past years has been extremely successful.’ —Moine Kandil, General Manager.
The Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi consistently strives every year to present a strong presence at Arabian Travel Market, one of the main and well-established leading travel and tourism events in the region.
ATM has witnessed phenomenal growth over the past years which is a reflection of the major significance of the UAE in the world. It is also an impor-tant platform for hotels to explore and enhance business opportunities.
“We are on the track with the strategy of the UAE capital and in tune with today’s travelers, introducing our brand in essential corners and renewing our efforts to promote both our property and the UAE as a destination,” said Moine Kandil, hotel general manager.
“To continue to create awareness, Millennium’s participation in ATM pro-vides a perfect tool for us to support the tourism industry and Abu Dhabi , which has plenty tourist attractions like cultural landmarks, natural beauty, archeological sites as well as rich history.
“This makes it the world’s fastest growing market,” Kandil added.
Such an event is an important me-
dium for the Millennium as it will not only provide an utmost unique chance to showcase the hotel but also to meet with counterparts and industry leaders, visitors, the general public, customers, airlines, travel agents, tour operators and attend seminars. The event is seen to ignite discussions and debates, increase business interactions and create network-ing opportunities.
“Moreover, we seek to develop new revenue streams by developing exist-ing contacts and working on new ones where the hotel illustrates its potential to foster greater business development and enhance knowledge and capabilities,” Kandil said.
He said all this is in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Tourism
Authority and Etihad, key contributors to the advancement of tourism in the Emir-ates and shape together the future of UAE tourism industry.
“Our participation in ATM in the past years has been extremely successful as we achieved substantial mileage with respect to the promotion of the Millen-nium which is a testimony to the strength of our high brand visibility as well as the hotel’s status as an emerging hub and an essential venue for travelers,” Kandil said.
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The 4-star hotel with a 5-star lookso how does holiday inn—dubai al Barsha assume this tag line and live up to such a strong reputation? here’s what the team says.
Reda MoukhtarGeneral Manager:
“That’s very easy. Our 310
rooms including 95 suites are very
spacious, equipped with the latest
facilities and tastefully decorated
to meet guests’ needs. The guests’
comfort is truly valuable to us and
we give service, the kind of what is
expected from five-star hotels—24-
hour room service, the piano and
fountain lounges to lull in, up-to-
date business centre facilities, state-
of-the-art gym and to finish off, the coiffure
at our much-talked-about Salon. Priceline is an opaque channel and
factors like brand, amenities, or location have no influence in setting
rates thus ensuring that they are competitive against other hotels
whilst not compromising our excellent services. In this fast changing
world, we have to think in a groundbreaking manner to ensure that
every customer’s needs is met in a unique, creative way.”
Rouxshin Vajifdar Asst. Director of Sales
“Holiday Inn Dubai AL
Barsha is indeed a talked-about
destination in New Dubai. With
a variety of room and suite types
on offer; the luxury of business
and holidays are catered for at
an affordable price; this makes
Holiday Inn – Dubai Al Barsha
a direct competitor with other
5-star hotels in and around the
area. This is strongly endorsed
by our PCR loyal members, who “Stay Pampered and Spoilt “at our
hotel.“Being 25 minutes from the airport and a five-minute walk to
the Mall of the Emirates and the Sharaf DG Rail Station on Sheik
Zayed Road, we are indeed a threat to the rest of the hotels in our
area. Try us and you won’t regret it, as you will be accorded a five-
star service in a 5-star ambience at 4-star prices.”
Subhash Kumar Asst. Food and Beverage
Manager “Our customers are
spoilt for choice. The large
atrium houses fine dining
restaurants—The Royal Budha
for Thai Cuisine; Gharana for
authentic Lucknowi, Hyderaba-
di, Jaipuri and Punjabi cuisine
with live Bollywood music; Al
Sarab – Lebanese cuisine with
live belly dancing and singing
shows; sports and cocktail bars and a Shisha Terrace.
“Moreover, for any discerning diner we have specialty
nights—Mexican, Italian and Seafood nights weekly in our all day
dining—The Gem Garden as well as a Japanese Sushi Bar.
“I believe this diverse dining experience gives us the edge over
the normal 4-star hotel.”
Kezia Da RochaMarketing Manager
“My drive is to take the message as outlined by my peers
to the man-on-the-street
through out-of-the-box
ideas and by being innova-
tive. Hence, I am a premier
leader in marketing. How-
ever, my job is easy—when
the customer hears our tag
line, and understands the
value for money being of-
fered, the referrals to others
come thick and fast. Hey
readers – call me and I will
make you an offer you can’t
refuse.”
Roxana JafferResident Director
“What more can I add to what my team has said? I am proud of my team who think out of the box, take
this tag line seriously, and deliver to make Holiday Inn-Al Barsha stand out from the competition.
“The proof of the pudding on how our tag line that is so strongly upheld is that within two years of
opening, in Nov 2010, The Holiday Inn- Dubai Al Barsha has been accorded “The Quality Excellence Award”
by the Inter Continental Hotels Group from 700 Hotels worldwide to only a few winners. – So guests you
now NOT only get a 5-star hotel, but an award winner at a 4-star price when you visit us.”
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Indeed, as the India Tourism Office put it, the country is one of countless destinations so much so that a lifetime is not enough to see them all.
And here’s another reason to visit this exotic land of the maharaja: less expensive high-end medical treatment.
India is best known for its beaches, majestic palaces, refreshing hill stations and more. With the current trend in medical tourism, vacation-ers can now enjoy a rejuvenating holiday and, at the same time, avail of world-class medical treatment of different sorts.
India is one of the leading developing countries that provide outstanding medical tourism facilities. Using modern technological diagnostic equipments, excellent infrastructure and top class medical expertise, leading Indian hospitals provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities.
India has much more expertise than say Thailand or Malaysia. The infrastructure in
some of India’s hospitals is also very good. What is more significant is that the costs are much less, almost one-third of those in other Asian countries.
Tourism
Medical Tourism India is a developing concept whereby people from all over the world visit India for their medi-cal and relaxation needs. Most common treatments are heart surgery, knee transplant, cosmetic sur-gery and dental care. The reason India is a favour-able destination is because of its infrastructure and technology which is at par with those in the U.S. and the U.K.
India recorded an esti-
mated 5.37 million inbound tourism traf-fic last year—a 5.6-percent increase from 2007—with maximum growth rate noted for Oman at 54.9 percent and UAE at 44 percent. Foreign exchange earnings from tourists in 2008 was US$11.75 billion—a 9.5-percent increase over the previous year. Total travel market for India, includ-ing domestic tourism, is seen to reach US$ 26.1 billion this year.
The GCC countries, particularly UAE, is being noted as a major source of tourist traffic to India. In light of this, various efforts have been launched to further tap into the market.
Par excellenceIndian corporate hospitals excel in car-
diology and cardiothoracic surgery, joint replacement, orthopedic surgery, gastroen-terology, ophthalmology, transplants and urology to name a few.
The various specialties covered are neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, rheumatology, endocri-nology, ENT, pediatrics, pediatric surgery, pediatric neurology, urology, nephrology, dermatology, dentistry, plastic surgery, gy-necology, pulmonology, psychiatry, general medicine and general surgery.
The various facilities in India include full body pathology, comprehensive physi-cal and gynecological examinations, dental check-up, eye check-up, diet consultation, audiometry, spirometry, stress and lifestyle management, pap smear, digital chest X-ray, 12 lead ECG, 2D echo colour doppler,
gold standard DXA bone densitometry, body fat analysis, coronary risk markers, cancer risk markers, carotid colour doppler, spiral CT scan and high strength MRI. Each test is carried out by professional physicians, and is comprehen-sive yet pain-free.
Health holiday
One more reason to go to IndiaWith the cost of various medical treatments a lot cheaper than in the U.K. or U.S., a ‘medical holiday’ in the land of countless destinations is certainly tempting.
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Some renownedmedical centers
Apollo Hospitals India, which offers car-diology and cardiothoracic surgery, cosmetic, plastic, critical care medicine, and diabetol-ogy, among others.
Artemis Health Institute which covers renal, cancer, heart and vascular treatments as well as neurosciences, orthopedics, surgi-cal oncology, joint replacement and bariatric and minimally invasive surgery.
Columbia India Hospital, which provides orthopedic surgery, neurology, physiothera-py, urology, internal medicine, and vascular Surgery. It also has a dialysis center and of-fers organ transplant—liver and kidney.
Group of Fortis Hospitals, India has 39 hospitals across the country specializing in over 48,000 surgical methods thereby making up the largest healthcare provider in India.
Max Healthcare is India’s leading provider of comprehensive, seamless and integrated world-class healthcare services. It has treated over 1 million patients of over 80 Nationalities so far. It has a department called International Patient Services which takes care of all healthcare related and other requirements of patients and their compan-ions from abroad.
ComprehensiveThere is also a gamut of services ranging
from general radiography, ultrasonography, mammography to high-end services like Mag-
netic Resonance Imaging, Digital Subtraction Angiography along with intervention proce-dures, and Nuclear Imaging.
The diagnostic facilities offered in India are
comprehensive to include laboratory services, imaging, cardiology, neurology and pulmonol-ogy. The laboratory services include biochem-istry, hematology, microbiology, serology,
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64
histopathology, transfusion medicine and RIA.All medical investigations are conducted on the latest, tech-
nologically advanced diagnostic equipment. Stringent quality assurance exercises ensure reliable and high quality test results.
No waitlistAs Indian corporate hospitals are on par, if not better than
the best hospitals in Thailand, Singapore, and other Asian countries, there is scope for improvement, and the country may become a preferred medical destination. In addition to the increasingly top class medical care, a big draw for foreign patients is also the very minimal or hardly any waitlist as is common in European or American hospitals. In fact, priority treatment is provided today in Indian hospitals.
To name a few, the Apollo Group, Escorts Hospitals in New Delhi and Jaslok Hospitals in Mumbai are internationally established names. A list of corporate hospitals such as Global Hospitals, CARE and Dr. L.V. Prasad Eye Hospitals in Hydera-bad, The Hindujas and NM Excellence in Mumbai, also have built capabilities and are handling a steadily increasing flow of foreign patients.
Smile designing
Metal Free Bridge
Dental Implants
Porcelain Metal Bridge
Porcelain Metal Crown
Tooth impactions
Root canal Treatment
Tooth whitening
Tooth colored composite fillings
Tooth cleaning
* These costs are an average and may not be the actual cost to be incurred.
-
-
-
1,800
600
500
600
350
200
100
Cost in US ($)*
General Dentist Top End Dentist Top End Dentist
Cost in India ($)*
Dental procedure
8,000
5,500
3,500
3,000
1,000
2,000
1,000
800
500
300
1,000
500
800
300
80
100
100
110
25
75
Heart Surgery
Orthopedic Surgery
Cataract Surgery
30,000
20,000
2,000
8,000
6,000
1,250
Procedure Cost (US$)United States India
Open heart Surgery Cranio-facial Surgery and skull base Neuro-surgery with Hypothermia
Complex spine surgery with implants
Simple Spine surgery
Simple Brain Tumor -Biopsy -Surgery
Parkinsons -Lesion-DBS
Hip Replacement
4,500
4,300
6,500
4,300
2,100
1,000 4,300
2,100 17,000
4,300
Treatment Approximate Cost in India ($) *
Cost in other Major Healthcare Destination ($) *
Approximate Waiting Periods in USA / UK (in months)
Nature of Treatment
18,000
13,000
21,000
13,000
6,500
4,30010,000
6,50026,000
13,000
9 - 11
6 - 8
12 - 14
9 - 11
9 - 11
6 - 8
9 - 11
9 - 11
India compared to the U.K.
India compared to the U.S.A.
64 I Travel Arabia
Conveniently located in the heart of metropolitan Dubai.
Deluxe Studio, One & Two Bed Room Apartments24 hour Housekeeping, Security and Laundry Services Fully equipped kitchen with washer and dryer
Digital safe deposit box in all rooms Wireless internet access in all rooms
24 hour Coffee Shop Valet and Covered parking facility Airport transfers and visas available on request
Tour Packages and car rental services on request
Gymnasium, Rooftop Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, Sauna and Steam
66
The Khatt Springs Wellness & Spa is located at the Golden Tulip Khatt Springs Resort & Spa in Ras Al Khaimah at the foot of the Majestic Hajjar Mountains
Spread over an area of 2,000 square meters, the day spa is designed with peace and tranquility in mind having separate areas for ladies and gentleman and an aura of intimacy. Fourteen treatment rooms offer a wide range of treatments from deluxe packages like the “four-hands massage,” the hydro indulgence package, Cleopatra
treatment to barbor body peeling, beauty baths and back to nature packages.
Khatt Springs Wellness & Spa also has the signature precious stone therapy that combines elements from the gemstone therapy, the traditional Chinese medicine, reflex zone, aroma, sound, color and light therapy, con-ducted by a team of experts
and renowned therapists.
Of course there also are the Hydropools, sauna, steam, ice grotto, snail showers and warm beds.
An extension to the day spa is the Harmony Ayurveda centre, the Ayurveda is a 5,000- year-old
authentically recorded science of life. It is known as the traditional natural healing system of India. It is a therapy and also a philosophy of living life in a meaningful healthy and useful way. It has a wide range of herbal and mineral medicines and treatment procedures (pancha karma) for main-taining health and curing diseases of both body and mind like Abhyangam, siroabhyangam, sirodhara and many others done under the supervision of a certified doctor present at all time.
The Ayurveda Center is also where the only natural hot springs in the UAE are, enriched with mineral water at a constant temperature of 40 degrees, the water are said to have medicinal properties which help with skin, rheumatic and muscular disorder. Apart from these therapeu-tic qualities, the natural hot springs pools with their enjoyable warm water stimulate the senses and create an atmosphere of relaxed well being.
Packages that combine spa treat-ment and a night’s stay are also avail-able to encourage guests to discover the beautiful area and scenery.
Tranquil Moments
UnwindDesigned with peace and tranquility in mind, Khatt Springs Wellness & Spa is the place to do so.
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Stay in Style
Refreshing plunge
The exclusive RAMADA Continental Hotel – Dubai is renowned for its impressive range of accommodations, restaurants and meeting space. Set in the vibrant business district just 7 minutes from Dubai International Airport.
This 4-star luxury hotel in Dubai offers inspired touches on a grand scale. Spacious accommodations are furnished to meet the highest standards, while the 27 elegantly designed suites and 165 rooms provide superior luxury and exclusive services.
Dining transcends expectations of Dubai hotels with a tempting choice of 8 restaurants and bars. To unwind, the RAMADA Continental Hotel Dubai offers a refreshing rooftop pool and fully equipped health club. For a superior meeting and conference in Dubai UAE, let our classical event venue beautifully accommodate your event.
For inquiries and reservations:Tel.: + 9714-266 2666, Fax : + 9714-268 9830E-mail: [email protected].: www.ramadacontinental.comP.O.Box : 31999, Deira, Dubai United Arab Emirates
Leave the rest to us
Elegance, Luxury and Comfort
Relax in serenity
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Taste Travel
AsadoThe eye-sparkling magic of Argentinean barbecue.
What was first a practice of preserving meat by the indigenous people of the Ca-ribbean in the days of yore—sun-drying, and then later on, putting them on racks atop low fire to have the smoke keep bugs away—has now become a universal social event where people gather to watch the roasting, tell stories and eat.
Argentina has, over time, developed its own style of barbecuing which has now become a popular household name—Asado.
And at The Palace – The Old Town, Asado, is that lively Argentinean restaurant serving premium cuts on a parrilla, or open grill, while guests sit back in dolce far niente—pleasant idleness.
Making it even more exciting is the regular barbecue class held on weekends by none other than the man himself, Asado Head Chef Nor-berto Palacios, who takes pleasure in explain-ing the nitty-gritty of barbecuing—from slice sizes to the amount of heat and time needed for that cut to turn into a perfect golden brown, juicy chunk of meat melt-ing in your mouth.
Taking time out during one of these sessions, Head Chef Norberto shares his barbecue secrets with Travel Arabia: “It’s in having a really good quality charcoal or wood,” he says, adding, “Of course, the meat should be of ex-cellent quality.”
Marinat-ing helps but it doesn’t do the trick, the head chef says, explaining that it is only “important if you cannot get a really good steak.
“In Ar-gentina, it is all just a nice piece of steak; marinat-ing is not so
important.”Eager to learn more? Check in to Head
Chef Norberto’s weekend class at 04 428 7971 or [email protected].
At The Palace – The Old Town is an award-winning restaurant where the head chef engages guests to a session on the secrets of roasting meat on a parrilla.
Asado Head Chef Norberto Palacios, centre, and his team.
Barbeque demonstrations are offered on Fridays or Saturdays at Asado Restaurant.
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Melting PotA CORNUCOPIA OF THE GOOD TIMES AHEAD
May’s splendorthai food. roasted Cantonese duck. Lebanese cuisine.it’s all on the table this month.
Jumeirah Wild Wadi WateparkSummer PassDiscounted rate of AED 150 for General Admission and AED 125 for children below 1.1m every visit when they come with you (maximum of 4 per card holder).The offer is valid for a limited number of passes only, so get yours soon!10:am – 7pm AED 850 for General AdmissionAED 650 for Children below 1.1mInquiries: +971 4 348 4444, or [email protected] Ladies NightThursdays8pm – 12amAED 170 per adultAED 135 per child below 1.1m Inquiries: +971 4 348 4444 www.wildwadi.com
Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Abu DhabiCHI, The Spa at Shangri-LaPamper yourself with any CHI massage and get 50% off a Chi Harmonising Facial or a Detoxifying Coffee Scrub. Valid from Sundays to Thursdays only. Inquiries: 02 5098900/8907 or email [email protected].
Hyatt Regency DubaiThe Kitchen SundaysAsian delicacies from China, Thailand, Indonesia and Lunch buffet: AED135 per person, including soft drinks (12:30pm to 3:00pm)Dinner: à la carte (7:00pm to 12:00 midnight)Inquiries: +971 4 317 2222 or visitMiyakoJapanese Lunch and Dinner TraysAED75 for lunch or AED85 for dinner.Inquiries: +971 4 317 2222 or visit www.restaurants.dubai.hyatt.com.
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Pick-up & drop-back facility included Timing: Pick up: 3:00 - 3:30pm - Drop off: 9:00 - 9:30pm
Proud to be SAFARI LEADERS
E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.opdubai.com
24 Hrs. Reservation
ISO 9001:2008 Certified
Dune Bashing Sand Boarding & Camel Riding BBQ Dinner - Arabic Tea & Coffee Soft Drinks & Refreshments Photograph in Local DressHenna Painting & TattoosEnchanting Belly Dancing ShowSheesha (Hubbly-Bubbly) & lots more entertainment throughout the evening
Per PersonDhs. 200/-
Dhs. 300/- Per PersonTiming: 8:00am to 2:30pmTransfers from all the hotels & residences in Dubai & Sharjah
Programme Includes: Red Dunes Safari & Sand Boarding - Sight Seeing to various scenic locations Visit to Carpet Market & Heritage Village - Hatta Mountain Safari - Chance to Dip or Dive in fresh water pools - Lunch at 5 Star Hatta Fort Hotel
Programme Includes:
Programme Includes: Continental dinner, Soft drinks, Tea and Coffee, Soft Music in cozy ambiance, Fully airconditioned lower deck, Open air upper deck,Pick-up and drop-back facility included (Deira & Bur Dubai Only)
Dhs. 150/- Per Person
SPECIALIZED IN ORGANIZING SOCIAL & CORPORATE GET TOGETHERS, BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES.
E n j o y t h e t h r i l l a n d f u n o f
DESERT SAFARIDESERT SAFARI
Cruising Time: From 8:30pm to 10:30pm
DHOW CRUISE DINNER
HATTA MOUNTAIN SAFARI
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InterContinental Abu Dhabi The Yacht ClubLate Lunch offer Fridays. 2pm – 6pm.Unlimited exotic drinksAED 165 Bubbly Wednesday welcomes ladies with unlimited bubbly all night long. Sunday dinner deal with unlimited dishes. 7pm –10pm. AED 165 per person. Special a la carte dinner by Master Chef Koji Kagawa. May 11 – May 13. Inquiries and reservations: 0800-IC-DINE or [email protected]
Majestic HotelElia 6pm till midnightAuthentic Greek cuisine pre-pared by celebrity chef, Chef Yiannis Baxevanis.Inquiries: 04 5012690/ 0501688389; or [email protected]
Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach Rococo Italian Restaurant New chef, new menu, new experience. Italian Chef, Vladimiro Gadioli, has prepared a variety of Italian specialties for every taste to leave you perfectly satisfied. Inquiries and reservations. +971(0)4 448 4860
The Country Club HotelAqua BarThe newest Rus-sian bar with feet tapping entertain-ment. The Player’s Lounge Traditional Eng-lish pub with live sports & live British band to entertain you, themed nights & much moreTiya MariaA True place to unwind with excellent and authentic Filipino food & live band entertainment25% off on the total bill on food and beverage (A&E) brands.Promo starts from 1st May 2011 onwards Inquiries: +971 4 314 1187
Arabian Dream Deluxe Hotel Apart-ments Celebrating summer with Arabian Dream Deluxe Hotel ApartmentsTopping Dubai’s summer heat, Arabi-an Dreams Deluxe Hotel Apartments (ADHA) offers an exclusive Summer Package. For every two nights spent, guests are entitled to a complimentary night’s stay. The package also includes
surprises along the way! ADHA organizes (on request) exciting sightseeing, shopping and adventure tours. When you want to take a break from the excitement that Dubai offers the roof top pool offers ample op-portunity to unwind and relax taking in the breathtaking view of the Dubai Skyline. You can also pamper yourself at the steam room and Jacuzzi. The 75 apartments including studios, one and two bedroom suites are fully furnished boasting high speed wireless internet, international direct dialing, cable television and electronic safes for the convenience of our executive travel-ers making ADHA your home away from home!Strategically located at the heart of metropolitan Dubai, ADHA provides travelers quick access to Dubai’s business and shop-ping districts making it ideal for jet-setting business and leisure travelers. To make your stay more comfortable ADHA offers a rent-a-car service in its lobby. Spend two nights, get a complimentary night’s stay. The pack-age also includes surprises along the way! Roof-top pool. Steam room and Jacuzzi. Inquiries: 971 4 398 3888 or [email protected].
Beach Rotana Abu DhabiPrego’s Azzuri Nights Every Sunday and Monday.7pm – 9pmYour new place for fine feasting and sparkly sipping. Ladies wearing something bold, and beautiful yet definitely blue get free bubbly. Inquiries: 02 – 6979000 or +971 (0) 2 697 9125 / 175Benihana For the sake of sake Come over and experience why drinking sake is elevated to an art form in Japan. Inquiries: 02 - 6979000Benihana Restaurant: +971 (0) 2 697 9122
Mövenpick Hotel & Apartment Bur Dubai Fountain Restaurant Luncheon special. 12pm – 3pm Tempting appetizers, salads, main courses and desserts on the kitch-en buffet complemented with selected dishes prepared ‘a la minute’.AED 75.Inquiries: www.moevenpick-burdubai.com or call 04 3104320
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AL FARIS 1 HOTEL APARTMENTS
In the center of ancient Bur Dubai one cannot miss the hustle & bustle around the Dubai Museum, the traditional Abra (wooden boat), International Banks, the textile souq, mouth-watering eateries, the electronic outlets and the famous Meena Bazaar. AL FARIS-1 hotel apartments is the “KNIGHT” of this vibrant mini-city offering 36 spacious Studio and 3 Suites for the tourist and business traders who can experience the traditional hospitality and strike some great bargain deals.
AL FARIS 2 HOTEL APARTMENTS
Ideally located on Rolla Street Bur Dubai, close to Al Khaleej Shopping Mall, the Musalla Tower, the bank street and the IT hub is our newly renovated AL FARIS-2 Hotel Apartments offering 12-One Bedroom and 18-Two Bedroom elegantly furnished apartments which fits very well with the verse “home away from home” as it caters to the needs of long and short term guests equally, whether the stay is for pleasure or business.
AL FARIS 3 DELUXE HOTEL APARTMENTS
Prominently located in the heart of modern Bur Dubai is our Deluxe hotel apartments situated right opposite the famous Lamcy Plaza Shopping Mall. Healthcare City, ENOC House, American Hospital and numerous other leisure and business centers are all within a short stroll. Dubai Exhibition Center, “Burj Khalifa” the tallest building in the world, Business Bay and the Sheikh Zayed road business avenues are just a few minutes drive from AL FARIS-3 Hotel apartments which has been elegantly designed with excellent craftsmanship finished in stainless steel and mahogany. 36 spacious Studio and 12 luxurious One Bedroom apartments with facilities like swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, gymnasium, coffee shop and internet cafe’, is the perfect place to stay for one and all.
AL FARIS 3Tel: + 971 4 3366566Fax: + 971 4 3355626Oud Metha, Karama
AL FARIS 2Tel: + 971 4 3935847Fax: + 971 4 3936980Rolla Street, Bur Dubai
AL FARIS 1Tel: + 971 4 3933843Fax: + 971 4 3938315Raffa Street, Bur Dubai
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Around 19 tourism boards participated in the mini-road show organized by Al Rais Holidays at Raffles Hotel Dubai on Apr. 16, 2011, an event attended by some 900 eager travelers and highlighted by the tour agency’s launching of its destination brochure.
Based on a Travel Arabia survey of the tourism boards present at the event, the following are the facts and figures about travelers from the Middle East.
Top destinationsal rais holidays launches brochure.
“We definitely think there’ll be an increase this
year. Bookings have started for the season before
Ramadan. One of the main reasons is nature—
there are 5,000 lakes all with drinking water
quality.” – Charlotte Newby, Austrian National
Tourism Office
Austria Most visited places:
• Vienna
• ZellamSee
• Salzburg
• Tirolstate
“We had a 16-percent increase by March this
year compared to the same period last year.
We are expecting over 55,000 arrivals from the
Middle East this year.” –Vassilis Theocharides,
director, Cyprus Tourism Organization.
Cyprus Most visited places:
• Lemesos
• Pafos
• Larnaka
• Ammoghostos
“We estimate a 10-percent increase in the number
of travelers from the Middle East. In 2010, 300,000
of total visitors were from the Gulf; of this,
180,000 were from GCC.” Tuan Razali Tuan Omar,
director, Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board.
MalaysiaMost visited places:
• KualaLumpur
• Penang
• Langkawi
“Turkey has become a very hot destination for
travelers from the Gulf. We are expecting a good
increase this year.” –Ola Halawi, Bedir Tourism
TurkeyMost visited places:
• Istanbul
• Bursa
• Yalova
• Abant
“San Sebastian is where Spain’s monarchy
spends time for vacation, Middle East travelers
love to go there. We are expecting more visitors
from the Gulf this year.” Edurne Zubiaga, Span-
ish Embassy.
Basque, SpainMost visited places:
• SanSebastian
• Bilbao
• Pintxos
“We had 150,000 visitors from the Middle
East last year, a 20 percent increase from 2009
figures.” Jason Ong, area director, Singapore
Tourism Board, Middle East and Africa.
Singapore
LimelightINSIDE THE TOURISM WORLD
Continued on page 74
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76“In 2010, we had almost 140,000 tourists from UAE; there were 500,000 travelers from the Middle East that year. This year, we are aiming for
a double-digit growth.” Zeid Malhas, marketing manager, Tourism Authority of Thailand.
ThailandMost visited places:• Bangkok• Phuket• Pattaya• KohSamui
“We are seeing a year-to-year growth of 20-per-
cent from the Middle East. The GCC arrivals in
2010 reached over 8,600 compared to over 5,300
in 2009. We are optimistic that the numbers will
jump even further. ” –Shafiq Ibrahim, marketing
manager, Korea Tourism Office.
KoreaMost visited places:
• Seoulandothermajorcities
“There was a 20-percent increase in 2010. This
year so far we are seeing a 45-percent increase in
the number of travelers from the Middle East.”
–Aiveen Ryan, Tourism Ireland.
IrelandMost visited places:
• Dublin
• Belfast
• Kerry,Galway
“Gemany is the second most visited country. Sixty percent of Gulf travelers go to the major cities.” Antje Roeding-Boudier, German National Tourism Office
GermanyMost visited places:• Munich• Frankfurt• Dusseldorf• Berlin
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Various gov’t. tourism offices, airlines to attend RTF
Some 14 government tourism organizations and three major airlines have so far registered to participate in the Third Riyadh Travel Fair to be held May 23 – 26, 2011 at Riyadh International Exhibition Centre, organizers said.
These are India Tourism, Jordan Tourism Board, Lufthansa, Ministry Of Tourism Syria, Swiss Air, Greece National Tourism Organization, Saudi Airlines, Tunisia Tourism, Korea Tourism, Egypt Tourism, Oman Tourism, Turkey Tourism, Tourism Malaysia, Indonesian Ministry of Culture &Tour-ism, the Ras Al Khaimah government in the UAE, Austria National Tourism Office, Moroccan Government Tourism Office, TTN Middle East & Middle East Interiors, Tourism Ireland.
According to organizers, this year’s RTF will be held on a backdrop showing that there were 4.5 million Saudi nationals who went abroad for their summer vacation last year, spending US$33 billion. Of this number, 74 percent said in a survey that they plan to travel every year.
Some 45 percent of Saudi tourists tend to travel to Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, while 30% tend to travel to west European countries like Switzerland, Austria, and France. The United States of America, especially states of California and Florida, comes second in rank, followed by east Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. Tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia depends on common family travel conception, while 18 percent prefers individual travel.
Moreover, 70 percent travel for entertainment, while 3 percent to 5 per-cent travel for medical purposes.
There were 130 exhibitors from 28 countries last year—a 56% increase on 2009. Organizers see a bigger attendance this time.
The third RTF 2011 represents a global forum for travel and tourism agencies and a market place for identifying products, services and tourism investments offered by the largest tourism and travel agencies in the world.
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L . L
Entente Cordiale delivers Bigger Bus Tours
As both firms prepare to celebrate 20 years of independent operation, sightseeing businesses Les Cars Rouges and The Big Bus Company have announced the merger of their international tour bus organisations.
This “merger of equals” will be branded “Big Bus Tours” and will focus on operations in Europe, America, the Middle East and Far East. It comes after a fantastic year for both companies with record levels of patronage across their respective destinations.
With over 800 staff and a combined fleet of 300 open-top buses welcoming more than two million customers each year, the merged businesses will be offering the perfect intro-duction to some of the world’s greatest cities including London, Paris, Rome, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Washington, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Plans are already underway for further expansion and acquisitions in both the USA and the Far East.
Both organisations commenced trading within a six-week period in 1991 and will commemorate their respective 20th anniversa-
ries with celebrations this summer. Joint Chairmen Richard Maybury and
Abdallah El Azm have declared their intention to maintain the very best aspects of both busi-nesses to maximize the new company’s quality standards and profitability. Said Abdallah “We are joining together two long-estab-lished, suc-cessful, family businesses to create a single entity with a diverse cultural heritage and synergies that will make us both stronger. I truly believe that that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts”.
Maybury added, “I think this represents a great move for everyone in both businesses, enabling us to take our established ethos of excellent customer service and tremendous value for money to a wider audience across the globe. This merger will create a market-leading brand that our customers can choose with absolute confidence”.
Big Bus’ Chief Executive, Pat Waterman, is very clear about the benefits offered by the merger. “This opportunity to double the prof-itability of the business, share resources and increase the critical mass in a new organisa-tion makes this an obvious, excellent choice for both companies’ shareholders”.
The merger was formally completed on May 1st , 2011. Integration processes have begun immediately in preparation.
Big Bus began operation in London on the June 8th , 1991 with Les Cars Rouges starting just six weeks later in Paris on July 27th . The new Big Bus Tours business will be domiciled in the UK.
Top officials following the merger.
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L . LAre you a frequent traveler?Then Al Nawras Hotel Apartments is the place for you
Frequent travelers prefer reasonably priced accommodation whether for short or long term stay.
“And that is what we exactly offer,” said Tarek Lotfy, Al Nawras Hotel Apartments general manager.
“Al Nawras Hotel Apartments provides guests with a high standard of service which makes them feel they’re at their
second home. And with the special qual-ity of services and facilities the hotel has, guests will always be happy to come back,” he added.
According to Lotfy, the coming summer and winter season will be very promising. “We are ready and prepared to meet our customers’ top expectations and offer them all the comfort we can give,” he said.
Al Nawras Hotel Apartments is the ideal choice to mix business with pleasure, and relax while
shopping, said Lotfy. The property consists of stylish one- and two-bedroom suites, fully furnished apartments, with a high standard of furnishings.
“The property was designed to match all the needs of the travelers whether they are on business, tourists, families, sports activities and groups,” said Lotfy.
Lotfy said the hotel is currently pro-moting summer packages, family packages, swimming pool activities, themed dinner
nights and shopping activities with
shuttle tour in addition to beach facilities.Al Nawras is a deluxe hotel apart-
ment in the heart of Dubai. The attractive location of the hotel matches what all the travelers look for. The premium location of the hotel is near major business, residential and shopping areas of Al Qusais. The hotel is only seven minutes’ drive to Deira, eight minutes to Al Mamzar Beach and only 10 minutes to Dubai International Airport.
Al Nawras is a deluxe hotel apartments located in the heart of Dubai. The attractive location of the hotel matches what all the travelers look for. The premium location of the hotel is near to the major business, residential and shopping areas of Al Qusais.
Al Nawras Hotel Apartments is the ideal choice to mix business with pleasure and relax while shopping at the same time.
Mix business with pleasure...
P.O. Box 88189, Amman St. Al Nahda, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTel No. +971 4 607 9000, Fax. +971 4 607 9111E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.alnawrashotel.com
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Two extraordinary contemporary art-ists—Kate Toledo and Katerina Smoldyre-va—turn to ancient Persia and the Middle East for inspiration to create absolutely stunning abstracts and sculptures that went on show at Corp Executive Hotel Apartments Al Barsha, last month.
Titled, “Echoes of Old Persia and the Middle East,” the exhibition was supported by Dubai International Art Centre and sponsored by Al Shafar General Contracting (ASGC) and Hospitality Management Hold-ings (HMH). On display were 15 acrylic paintings by Kate and over 12 sculptures by Katerina.
Aamir Pervez, general manager, Corp Executive Hotel Apartments – Al Barsha, said the two “radically challenge assumptions about the works of local artists.”
Ayesha Chen McKeever, manager at Dubai International Art Centre, for his part, said the latest exhibi-tion at Corp Executive Hotel Apartments “of-fered a magical combi-nation of abstract and sculpture, an aesthetic feast.”
Toledo show-cased her Medieval Persian and Arabian
Doorways Collections. Smoldyreva’s vocation is figurative sculpture and the medium of her choice is ceramic clay.
Katerina Smoldyrev and Kate Toledo.
CultureThe Address Dubai Marina
Echoes
launches ‘Kambaa – Where art works’
The Address Dubai Marina recently showcased the works of five local women artists.
The exhibit, dubbed “Kambaa—Where Art Works,” was held at the hotel’s lobby lounge and attended by enthusiasts. The show depicted the diversity of the region.
Hotel guests, artists and art lovers enjoyed the colours, as well as flavours of the season which were captured through various afternoon tea treats.
Antony Treston, The Address Dubai Marina general manager, said the event, an addition to the lifestyle choices of the hotel “will add a truly creative touch to the guest experience.
“The addition of a new window displaying contemporary arts will further increase the artistic appeal of the hotel for guests and visitors.”
Artists who presented their works as part of the inauguration of the art lounge at Kambaa, included Helen Ellinas, a renowned glass artist; Carrie Wareham, who is inspired by The Majlis and Middle Eastern fairy tales; Stephaine Neville, who brings memories of South Africa onto her canvas; Mar-ian, who includes aspects of mixed media; and Judy Roberts, who is inspired by UAE’s fauna, flora and cultural heritage. The lounge also featured masterpieces by local artists, reiterating the hotel’s com-mitment to support the growth of local art.
The Address Dubai Marina is a modern lifestyle and business destination offering easy access to the entertainment and other lifestyle components of Dubai Marina.
Noted artists exhibit at Corp Executive Hotel Apartments
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PatrolMeticulously honed off-road trendsetter.
Nissan’s flagship large SUV model enjoys a rich heritage in the Middle East.
The Nissan Patrol is a name syn-onymous with ruggedness, a legendary off-roader capable of going anywhere, anytime. Meticulously honed for over five decades, the Patrol is Nissan’s flag-ship large SUV model and enjoys a rich heritage particularly in the Middle East that dates back to the 1950′s. This off-road trendsetter was one of the first dedicated four-wheel-drive vehicles in the climati-cally demanding Middle East region, and boasts the notable distinction of also being the first vehicle to successfully cross the grueling Simpson Desert in Australia back in 1962.
Under the banner of “The Hero
Comes Home” the Patrol is back as an all-new seventh generation model, building on its impressive history, but at the same time, incorporating a new platform, a radical new design direction, significantly enhanced interior comfort and luxury, powerful new V8 engines, a 7-speed automatic transmission and a new 4WD system.
“We paid special attention to the needs of current Patrol owners, and their passengers, and so focused on creating first-class levels of comfort for the whole family. Heightened luxury, a roomier cab-in and a quieter ride combine to achieve this goal, while maintaining Patrol’s supe-
rior off-road heritage” stresses Hiroyuki Fushiki, project head and Segment Chief Product Specialist.
Tested to the limitWanting to build the best possible
Patrol, engineers first tuned and tested 200 prototypes for dynamic evaluation at the company’s Motegi, Oppama and Tochigi proving grounds before sending them to the Middle East where they were exposed to every imaginable challenge; desert, rocky surfaces, highways and inner-city traffic. “By the time we came around to adding the new body and interior, we had virtually completed our reliability and du-
Offroad Adventure
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rability testing and perfected all of the new technologies,” says chief vehicle engineer, Takashi Fukui.New exterior more sophisti-cated but still rugged
After extensive market research, especially in the Middle East, the design team concluded that for the Patrol to beat its main competitors, it needed not only a brand new design direction but class-leading engine performance, greater luxury and comfort and a smart mix of new technolo-gies that enhanced the total driving experience. Product design director, Taiji Toyota, tells us that the all-new exterior
design is like a breath of fresh air. “Not as edgy and hardcore as its predecessor, the softer new surfaces are
beautiful and add a sense of modernity to the design equation, while still maintain-ing a ruggedness and commanding road presence” he said.
According to the design director, one design element that expresses ‘Patrol’ and had to feature strongly was the angled-strut motif front grille. It was meticulously proportioned to deliver a sense of conti-nuity with past models but give a touch of newness while enhancing the car’s status level.
Focus on roomier, more luxurious cabinFeaturing generous amounts of
leather, polished aluminium and wood grain paneling, the Patrol’s interior too has been significantly upgraded. Given that most customers only go off-road no more than 15% of the time, designers wanted to create a better, higher quality interior for the whole family.
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And keeping with the Patrol’s mission to deliver more comfort and more room, the new Patrol delivers seat dimensions that outclass all competition. Boasting wider, higher and deeper front seats, the Patrol offers over 100mm more legroom for second row passengers, and a roomier third row of seats as well. Employing double the lateral rigidity over the outgo-ing model, the new Patrol sits on a revised platform that now offers a more robust
construction with a low vibration
body.
All-new V8 engine leads array of segment-beating hardware
The new Patrol is now the most powerful vehicle in its class. And the key technology achieving this jump in performance over the predecessor’s 4.8 litre power plant is the newly developed ‘VK56VD’ 5.6-litre V8 engine with VVEL (variable valve event and lift) and DIG (direct injection gasoline) technologies
that generate 400hp and 550Nm of torque on the top specification version of this new engine.
Every component has been redesigned for maximum perfor-mance and smooth response, while a new 7-speed automatic transmis-sion with a wider range of gear ratios than its predecessor,
gives the off-roader the ability to deliver power faster.
Comprehensively upgraded 4WD system sets new standard
In a world-first for Nissan, the new Patrol employs a Hydraulic Body Motion Control System (HBMC), which keeps the car flatter with less body roll during lane-changing and cornering, while delivering a comfortable ride in city driving and su-perb stability on rugged and sandy tracks. Another crucial part of handling equation comes from the new suspension system, which now employs 4-wheel independent suspension, upgraded from the previous rigid axle setup. Nissan has completely redesigned the vehicle’s suspension from the bushes to the links. The combination of HBMC and the new suspension system
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with its longer suspension stroke de-livers significantly improved handling and stability on both on- and off-road terrain.
The Patrol also employs a newly devel-oped ALL MODE 44 system incorporat-ing a variable 44 mode package. It allows the driver to quickly switch between four drive modes: sand, on-road, snow and rock, with the flick of a switch. In sand mode, owners are able to drive safely, quickly and skillfully in sand and dirt, just like professional rally drivers.
In addition, the Patrol also offers a new Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control which can also be selected easily with the touch of a button. With Hill Start Assist, if a driver stops on a slope and steps off the brake pedal, the system keeps the vehicle stationary – with no roll back. Hill Descent Control uses the brakes to main-tain a constant downhill speed of 7km/h in 4H mode and 4km/h in 4L mode.
The new model employs a revised Tyre Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) with tyre inflation indicator which beeps the horn softly to inform drivers that a suit-able tyre pressure has been reached.
A revised,
more effective brake system also provides the best braking performance in its class thanks to its new hydraulic brake booster and a 4-piston opposed front caliper setup with larger 358mm front discs.
More world-firstsNissan designers paid special attention
to the second row seat passengers by not only significantly expanding legroom, but by also fitting a new multi-screen DVD entertainment system, a first form Nissan. It boasts two rear-facing TVs; one 7-inch monitor embedded into each front seat headrest.
Fitted with six airbags for top grade, the Patrol also comes with a totally revised climate control system boasting another world-first – the curtain vent. Curtain vent
has several small but highly effective vents mounted in the ceiling above each side window to blow a strong current of cool air down forming a curtain of air that acts as a barrier to heat penetrating the cabin.
Yet another impressive Patrol feature is the cool box mounted in the centre con-sole between the front seats. Incorporating a unique double hinge design, the lid of the cool box can be opened easily from either the front or second row of seats to access the six 600ml drink bottles inside.
With its fresh new styling, superior packaging, powerful but economical V8 engine, clever off-road technologies and higher levels of luxury and comfort, the all-new Patrol is now a true segment leader.
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Whistle stopThere’s something to be said about where you call home. Often, tourists visiting the place know it better than you! Is it because perhaps some of
us take for granted what is around us and forget to notice the beautiful natural landscape, the local history and character that we pass every day? I would like to think I am guilty of this on occasions, but moving out to the Middle East and meeting my wife, Didem, who is from Turkey, I
guess we became those tourists back in my home land. So let me take you on a whistle stop tour of my home England!
Text and photos contributed by Julian Redman.
From here, we went to Bath,
Oxford and The Cadbury Factory
in Birmingham – a true chocolate
delight!! The latter was such fun,
a real look into how Cadbury
not only made chocolate but also
shaped modern day marketing and
human resource management!
In Bath we stayed in a fabulous, if not slightly scary hotel
on the outskirts which allowed us to view the rolling hills and
early evening Hot Air Balloons from our bedroom windows. The
amazing thing about Bath is that every single building was ancient.
Wonderful stone architecture, cobbled streets and traders from a
bygone era! Traditional Ice Cream, Fashion Museums and memo-
rabilia shops were the key attraction to this stunning city!
Oxford is larger and more diluted with modern day buildings
and commerce, where Bath left a memorable impression for its
almost 100 percent historic building, it was only really Oxford’s
University Area riddled with bicycles and students that was an at-
tractive part of the town.
If you are visiting that area a must to stay in is “The Crazy
Bear” – a boutique B&B found on MrandMrsSmith.com – truly
memorable experience for us.
Bath’s Baths
Cadbury’s World Birmingham trinity College oxford
I won’t bore you
with the long, long his-
tory, but it is a remark-
ably “mature country”
– dating back hundreds
of years, England has
not only some of the
most historic towns in
Europe, but also some
stunning countryside
and coastlines.
Next stop was
London, the bustling
capital city that excites
and delights every
time I go there – from
Covent Garden to
the Soho district and
especially Portobello
Road on a Sunday
- the colours, lights,
sounds and smells are
always a firm favourite
to explore. Strolling
along the Embankment
along the famous River
Thames and watching
the myriad of people
jogging, walking and
idling through the day
is a great spectacle.
portobello road London
London st James palace
outisde Buckingham palace London
Having lived on the glorious White
Cliffs of Dover in Kent – the county
named “The Garden of England” for its
lush green fields, (yes the UK is famous
for its rain!), I took “The Tourist”
through a medley of historic buildings
and country public houses.
One favourite example is The Grif-
fins Head, a 14th Century Building
(Tudor Period) where these exposed
wooden beams are a common archi-
tectural feature during this time, and
during the first Sunday of the month
customers gather in their Classic Cars
displaying their collection and meeting
fellow enthusiasts.
the Griffin Kent
the White Cliffs st Margarets
If I had to sum up England in a short piece like this, my favourite places would be the Lake District, Devon, Cornwall, Bath and of course
my home place, the White Cliffs of Dover! These places have beautiful landscapes, lakes and waterways, and history dating back centuries.
So if you ever get the chance to explore the UK, I would include Bath, Stratford, London, Dartmouth (Devon), and the Lake District on
your travel itinerary!
Happy Travels!
Cornwall Lands end
CornwallLake district
shakespeares Birthplace stratford
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