a client’s report on Maldives & Dubai –

Some of our lovely clients went to Dubai & Maldives last year, and this is what they had to say on their return –

‘Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu was a perfect choice for us – low key, great food, great for snorkelling, very much couples orientated. I think we might have only seen two or three children there the whole time. The evening buffet was up with the best food we have eaten anywhere in the world, and the choice was mind boggling.

I remember you told us it would be hot, and yes it was fairly hot, but we had a villa on the reef side of the island which had a constant breeze/wind and that made it nice and comfortable. The difference when we walked round to the lagoon side was massive – definitely worth remembering for the likes of us who don’t like it too hot.

And aren’t the people lovely? We loved the style of service, all the staff were genuinely warm and unobtrusively friendly, very softly spoken. Quite a contrast to the larger than life characters you get in the Caribbean. More up our street really.

So, the Maldives blew us a way, and so did Dubai. We checked in at the Grand Hyatt and were upgraded to a Creek View room! It was a nice boost after the hideous ordeal of getting through Dubai customs, but that’s another story and we’ll know what to expect next time.
I don’t know if you’ve been in the Grand Hyatt Dubai, but it definitely lived up to our expectations. The decor was suitably opulent, the room was luxurious (especially the bathroom) and the restaurants we tried in the hotel were excellent. A pity we didn’t get the chance to make more of the facilities really. We could quite easily have had three days of pure indulgence without leaving the hotel but with such limited time and a new city to explore we had to get the balance right. I think in retrospect, four or five nights would have been better for a first visit.

Anyway, since we had just two full days in Dubai, we decided to get the 48 hour hop on hop off bus ticket – not to spend two days on an open top bus, but we thought that would be a good way to get around between all the places we wanted to see. It worked out beautifully, as we used one day to explore the newer part of Dubai, and one for the old parts, and we were then able to take our time in the places we especially liked. I know the big bus tours are very touristy, but it really was a good way to get around Dubai, and of course you get the informative commentary while you are travelling between places as well.
Best wishes
Andrew & Rachel’