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Al Ain Trip – Rotana, Jebel Hafeet & Trader Vics

Oh Crap! I missed a Saturday post last week and I knew I would.

Many things are currently happening in my personal and work life. Well everyone has things going on but you know when a lot of things just suddenly happen at the same time well that’s what is currently happening to me.

For Tim to have an enjoyable long weekend, I booked a standard room for a 1-night stay at Rotana Al Ain. We usually arrive 1 or 2 hours before check in however this time we decided to check in on time but on that day, we were so unlucky that the hotel had a lot of guests so because of the delay we checked in after 2 hours. As curtsy, the hotel upgraded our room to a 1-bedroom suite with a living room and dining table. In addition, they offered a late check out.

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You can skip my mini story and continue to Hotel Review….

Story Time:

As soon as we got to our rooms, we changed into our swimming suits and went to the pool. I have a weird and funny story to tell you. As Tim and I were sitting by the pool, kids from the ages of 4 – 7 years were jumping in the adult pool. So the signs say clearly no jumping, no diving and kids must be accompanied by an adult. Anyway we were getting splashed a lot by those little kids and Tim just got up and looked at the life guard without even saying a word.

The life guard approached the parents to tell them that their kids have to swim in the children’s pool and that they are disturbing hotel guests. The mothers started shouting at Tim for no reason and we did not even make eye contact with their kids or even shouted at them.

Anyway some drunk man sitting next to me starts shouting at Tim and making hideous comments in Arabic and that’s where I come in place. I started an argument with the man in Arabic which made him speechless because he didn’t expect me to speak Arabic. After few minutes, he comes to us and apologises for his action and we became friends. He even asked the mothers to apologise to Tim but obviously they did not. He even told us that we taught him a lesson to not speak in Arabic in front of anyone.

Anyway he took us to Jebel Hafeet (mountain) to view the city from the top.  The view of the town was amazing and the drive was adventurous but dangerous. Here is the funny part, the drunk guy insisted to take our photo at the mountain and this is how it turned out.

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Hotel Review:

Although they checked us in really late, I would still recommend the hotel. The fact that they upgraded our room and even provided late check out, that says it all. While waiting to check in, Tim and I sat in the private lounge where they served free coffee, juices, tea and croissants. The hotel is not that expensive for a 5 star. The pool is reasonably big and also has a mini Jacuzzi for the adults.

Tim and I had breakfast at a restaurant called Zest that serves buffet throughout the day. The hotel also has a pool bar, a Lebanese restaurant and a Latin, Caribbean and Asian Fusion restaurant called Trader Vics which is well known in Dubai. We went there at 10pm and there was a live band performing Latin music. The food was delicious and the setting makes you feel like you are on an island. We really enjoyed our time.

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Wokyo – Japanese Noodle Restaurant in Dubai

Wokyo serves the best Japanese noodles in Dubai. They are located in JLT, Cluster J. Tim and I must have visited that place more than 3 times already and tried all kinds of noodles and sauces.

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It’s very similar to the concept of Subway but instead of Sandwiches, you are getting NOODLES. YES!!!! YOU READ RIGHT. NOOOODLESSSSSS

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The staff are very friendly and the service is prompt. The restaurant sells Japanese products as well as has Japanese board games and books to entertain yourself and of course origami.

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The place is worth visiting and you can go for a nice walk around the area after finishing your meal. It’s one of the best Japanese casual restaurants that Tim and I enjoy going back to.

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Under the Sea – Dubai Aquariums

Tim and I have seen the best two aquariums in Dubai. The first one we visited is located in Dubai Mall which is one of the top 5 biggest aquariums in the world and is located in the biggest mall in the world. The place is called ‘Dubai Aquarium and Under Water Zoo’.

http://www.thedubaiaquarium.com/en/Default.aspx

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The second aquarium is called’The Lost Chambers’ and is located in the Atlantis. It’s one of the best resorts on the Palm Island. I PERSONALLY LOVE THAT PLACE. The aquarium has really awesome interiors and you’ll feel like you are in a Sci-Fi movie. The resort also has an amazing water park and offers an experience of a lifetime, swimming with dolphins which I will blog about separately.

https://www.atlantisthepalm.com/marine-water-park/lost-chambers-aquarium

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I highly recommend you visit both, there are activities such as diving with sharks, feeding fish and many many more…

There are other aquariums located in the UAE however those are the best ones so don’t miss it if you visit Dubai.