Asian Travel Blog

It is said that Emirates Palace was and still is the most expensive hotel ever built, and here are a few more interesting facts about Abu Dhabi’s wonderful iconic landmark, which will make you want to stay there for a few days, and enjoy some time in the United Arab Emirates:

The building has over 114 impressive domes that rise up to 60m in the air and glisten in the sun, resembling pure gold. Additionally, 35,000 square metres of thirteen different types of marble have been used from all over the world.

Talking of gold, 5kg of 24 carat edible gold is used every month on decorating Palace pastries and chocolates. This includes Delice du Palace, and 400 slices of this famous chocolate cake are consumed on average every day!

The Emirates Palace has a magnificent 1,002 Swarovski glittering crystal chandeliers, and 20,000 roses are used everyday to decorate the hotel to perfection.

Sayad is the first restaurant in Abu Dhabi to introduce Pacific Rim cuisine, that unique combination of food inspired by the techniques and flavours of the countries that make up Asia, and the other countries that border the Pacific Ocean.

“Gateway to Arabia” is the most popular spa treatment at the Anantara spa within The Emirates Palace. It is an indulgent celebration of the Moroccan hammam, and costs around £175, lasting 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Emirates Palace employs around 2,600 members of staff who are members of approximately 50 different nationalities. This means that there are around 3 members of staff per guest!

The hotel pampers its guests with a vast array of little luxuries such as ‘bath caviar’ and Prada beauty products in all suites.

See you in Abu Dhabi!

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Lying off the southern tip of India, the romantic chain of coral islands known as the Maldives, offer aquamarine waters, with gentle waves lapping at soft white sand, and the ultimate in relaxing get-away-from-it-all holidays.

So if you are in need of exactly such a retreat, this month saw the opening of The Beach House on the small holiday island of Manafaru, a beautiful five-star Maldivian resort, which offers privacy, luxury and service.

The lush, green island of Manafaru is at the most northerly tip of the Maldives, in the lagoon-ringed clear waters of the Haa Alifu Atoll.

The Beach House is composed of sixty-eight beautifully designed contemporary thatched villas, offering style, elegance and simplicity, as well as up-to-the-minute technology, such as iPod hookups, high speed internet, LCD TV’s, espresso bars, and luxury in the form of king-size beds, private pools and rather magnificent open air bathrooms. Each villa also has an outdoor dining area, and there are even water villas with glass-panelled floors, and beach villas where you get your own heavenly private beach.

And as well as swimming and relaxing, there is a club house where you can enjoy a 32 inch LCD TV, games consoles, a golf simulator, and even an amazing bungee trampoline where you can jump to incredible heights. Naturally, being on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean you will probably want to try out some of the watersports available, so take your pick of wind surfing, catamarans, canoes and pedal boats – all non-motorised to maintain the island as a peaceful retreat. But if something a bit more motorised is you thing, then fear not, you can be whisked across to another island for a spot of jet skiing, water skiing, wake boarding and banana boat riding. Really, you can’t fail to have fun here.

The Beach House also has its own spa where you can ease the stresses and strains away with caviar and pearl facials, and host of other healthful and invigorating treatments.

On top of all this, let’s not forget food - The Beach House has three gourmet restaurants, and its very own wine cellar.

Tempted? If you are in the UK, Abercrombie & Kent offer 7 nights at The Beach House at Manafaru from £1,779 per person, based on B&B in a Beach Villa with Plunge Pool, and that includes economy flights with Sri Lankan Airlines, return airport transfers and all taxes.

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Located along an idyllic sweep of beach looking out onto the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin has been a resort for well over a hundred years, and much loved by generations of Thai royalty.

Many of the old buildings from the 1920’s have been preserved, and there is a delightful antique, wooden railway station, and row upon row of white villas. The town centre has a distinctive feel all its own, because the original charm of the place has been retained. By the shore there are original wooden fishermen’s piers, which give the place a feel of almost stepping back in time.

Don’t forget to try one of the town’s most famous noodle shops, Jeak Peak, which was established more than sixty years ago. Here you can get generous bowls of seafood noodle soup and plates of delicious pork satay.

Hua Hin has an abundance of top hotels: the Hilton, the Hyatt Regency, the Marriott, and many more. Most of the hotels run spa treatments as well, offering massage, saunas, jacuzzis, and holistic health advice.

And Hua Hin is not without its festivals. Every September is the rather novel King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, with teams coming to the town from as far away as Sri Lanka and Europe. This event raises money for the National Elephant Institute, and also includes parades and other activities. In June, it’s the Hua Hin Jazz Festival which provides three nights of local and international jazz on several stages on the beach. In March the skies dramatically and beautifully fill with colourful kites at the annual Kite Festival.

With its old world charm, Hua Hin is a Thai resort not to be missed.

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Dubai has changed drastically in the past ten years, and is still changing – it is fast becoming one of the most modern and upbeat centres of Asia, attracting attention as a world business hub, and becoming an increasingly popular spot for tourists, boasting magnificent five star hotels and a cornucopia of shopping with top brands, fine products and enviable prices.

The city is also developing a reputation for vibrant nightlife and top-quality restaurants – the pinnacle of which must be Gordon Ramsay’s refined Verre, which is a delight of white china, white linen, simple silver cutlery, and some truly gastronomic refined cusine.

Warm and sunny all year round, Dubai is a great place to jet off to for a bit of sunshine if you live in parts where the winter is cold and grey. At my time of writing, in January, the temperature in Dubai is twenty degrees Celsius. Summer gets a little sweaty, and if you feel the need to cool off, then what could be better than heading off for the slopes of Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East.

The only possible problem with being in Dubai is that there is building work going on all over the place – but it’s a growing city and so inevitable. You might bear this in mind when choosing your hotel, and it is advisable to do a bit of research. One place which is currently unaffected by building work is the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, which is particularly good for families and has its own private beach. Another hotel of the same group, which is not close to any current building work, is the Madinat Jumeirah, which is cleverly constructed in the style of an ancient Arabian city, and is threaded by waterways, with cafés, restaurants and its own souk.

For the ultimate in a luxury holiday, it just has to be Dubai.

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