Rediscovering Dubai in the midst of a pandemic
Ilike to be a bit more calculated about where I travel amid the pandemic. Being safe is not just about me, as I’m with my daughter. I, therefore, chose Dubai, as they have strict Covid-19 protocols in place.
No visit to Dubai is complete without going ‘At the Top’ of the Burj Khalifa, and while I really appreciate the stunning skyscraper as I had booked us for the first leg of our stay at Manzil Downtown to see it to our heart’s content, there is certainly not a lack of new things for me to explore. Our much-loved fresh discovery on this trip was the budding art district, aka the Al Serkal Avenue, just behind the tangible fascia of a bunch of warehouses in Al Quoz. Between checking out kimono style abayas and El Seed’s calligraffiti, we grabbed some handmade almond milk smoothies at the much talked about vegan café, Wild & The Moon, and then headed to the historical neighbourhood of Al Fahidi. Set within the sun-baked Bastakiya alongside the Dubai Creek is a coffee sanctuary, which could naturally be flawed for an old-fashioned villa, but as we enter the low door, we are in an altered world of rich aroma… of coffee! We wanted to stop here for a whole day, explore in detail, but we were hungry. Lunch was at the quaint Arabian Tea House. Some hot and cold mezze and a lot more of walking around, we got back to our hotel to change, for it was Showtime at Dubai’s most spectacular show, La Perle. We were still discussing the show when a little walk brought us suddenly to
La Me Beach, a rather large beachside full of restaurants. We’re in heaven, maybe? Luckily, our night cap, Rove La Mer, was right next door, so we had enough time to grab some mint tea at Zou Zou and a burger at Salt, before calling it a day!
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author’s personal
FROM FASCINATING CALLIGRAFFITI TO COLONIES STEEPED IN HISTORY, DUBAI HAS GOT IT ALL