Oasis of calm in the desert
Dubai’s hotels and resorts have added health and fitness to the luxury, finds Keira Black
Nothing starts the day quite like waking up to a panoramic view of Dubai’s palm-studded sprawl, the imposing Burj Khalifa tower puncturing the clouds like a gigantic needle. I’m treated to the sight from my sky-high room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers, a lavish 51-floor oasis slap-bang in Dubai’s flashy financial district.
Breakfast can be a minefield of calorific pitfalls, but at Mundo, the hotel’s dining lounge, a helpfully signposted ‘healthy area’ offers smoothies and omelettes, all freshly prepared. Breakfast fajita or falafel wrap? I eat well in preparation for the afternoon ahead – spa therapy can be so tiring...
If you’ve never experienced a floatation tank, the Madinat Jumeirah’s Talise Spa is the place to do it. Reclining in a bodytemperature bath filled with salt and enchanting essential lemongrass oils is, as promised, deliciously restful. I close my eyes and feel like I’m gliding through space, as soft jets gently rotate me.
How: The Floatation Bath costs AED 204/£43 for a 30-minute treatment.
Newly invigorated, I hit the beach. La Mer is an Americanstyle, relaxed, man-made strip, and a 15-minute drive from the hotel. After a brief paddle in the water, I head for Comptoir 102, an awardwinning interiors store and cafe in the charming Old Jumeirah area of the city.
The menu is a health buff ’s dream, with an all-organic spread, including seaweed hummus, vegan protein bowls and avo-everything to choose from. The grilled vegetable sourdough sandwich does not disappoint (DH 50/£10) – and neither do the beautiful lampshades made of recycled materials.
How: Visit comptoir102.com
After a sunset stroll through colourful design hotspot Alserkal Avenue, it’s time for dinner at Alta Badia restaurant on the Jumeirah’s 50th floor. Once the vertigo subsides, I’m overwhelmed by the city’s myriad lights blinking below me, as well as a strange Big Ben lookalike staring in the floor-to-ceiling window.
The Italian-inspired menu offers such delights as beef and black truffle tortelli and fresh seafood linguine, but I request a vegan surprise, a challenge which head chef Mansoor accepts with gusto. Fifteen minutes later, he presents me with the most delicious, freshly-made mushroom and caramelised onion ravioli I’ve ever eaten.
How: A three-course meal costs around AED 283/£57.
Day 2: The exercise bit
Health and wellness isn’t all about pampering; it’s also about highintensity leaping, lifting and sprinting in a dark room lit intermittently with LED lights. I get a fitness fix at Fairmont The Palm, located on the Palm Jumeirah, one of Dubai’s three artificial palm-shaped archipelagos.
Prama is the Fairmont’s take on the humble HIIT class. It’s similar to circuit training, but with neon lights leading you through the stations and instructor Richie ensuring you don’t drop the ball – literally – for a nanosecond. An excellent precursor to cocktails on the terrace later on.
How: The 45-minute Prama class costs AED 55/£11.50 for guests and AED 85/£18 for non-guests.
You may never have your fill of lavish poolside lounging, but an Abra boat tour at the nearby Madinat Jumeirah hotel is worth leaving your lounger for.
Whooshing through man-made canals with the impressive Burj Al Arab hotel rising from the sea before me, I feel a deep contentment that’s only heightened by the jovial disposition of our captain, Dilip. With a deep golden sunset enveloping the busy skyline as the boat docks, inner peace is inevitable.
How: Tours cost AED 75/£16 through the Madinat Jumeriah hotel. Visit jumeirah.com
Winding down? Do so beside the gently lapping ocean at one of the
Clockwise from main: yoga at Fairmont The Palm hotel; an Abra boat tour; one of Dubai’s beaches
seaside yoga classes on the Fairmont The Palm’s private beach. Not a yogi but a yog-wannabe, I set myself up with a mat and muddle through the copious vinyasas beneath the stars.
How: The 90-minute yoga classes take place monthly. AED 80/£17 per person, or AED 150/£32 for two.
The real fun of the evening begins, however, as you step foot into the Fairmont’s popular Little Miss India restaurant. It is devoted to the fictional character Mohini Singh, whose personal belongings adorn the interior to create an eclectic and enchanting wonderland.
With mouthwatering regional Indian dishes and an array of stunningly presented cocktails (the winner for me is the tropical, gingery Slumdog Millionaire), guests are taken on a culinary journey, all against the backdrop of the glimmering Dubai Marina. Just dreamy.
How: A three-course meal costs from AED 160/£34. Cocktails from DH 75/£15. n