cxl Egypt... Dubai? Oman? Abu Dhabi?
Discussion
Was looking fwd to a windsurfing / diving holiday in Egypt but given recent events: not going to happen.
I have been to Dubai 5 years ago and had mixed feelings. Bit Las Vegas. Been looking at a few hotels there for March: Royal Mirage, Jumeirah Beach complex (Mina A Salam, Al Qsar etc..), Meridien.
Also checked Oman: Shangri La resort.
Now someone mentioned Abu Dhabi would also be an idea: Emirates Palace Hotel.
Dubai is a bit fake in my eyes. I suppose I could do with a week there, but any opinion on the others would be appreciated..
I have been to Dubai 5 years ago and had mixed feelings. Bit Las Vegas. Been looking at a few hotels there for March: Royal Mirage, Jumeirah Beach complex (Mina A Salam, Al Qsar etc..), Meridien.
Also checked Oman: Shangri La resort.
Now someone mentioned Abu Dhabi would also be an idea: Emirates Palace Hotel.
Dubai is a bit fake in my eyes. I suppose I could do with a week there, but any opinion on the others would be appreciated..
Been to Oman twice, both times we stayed at The Chedi, although we ate at the Shangri La plenty of times and looked at the rooms in the Al Husn (the poshest of the three hotels in the resort) and it looked very nice.
Muscat is sleepy compared to Dubai but that suited us just fine and I noticed that it attracts more of a refined crowd than Dubai. There are a few shopping malls and some nice places to wander around, plus the mountains give a spectacular backdrop to the place. It's also one of the best Gulf countries to drive in as the Sultan is a stickler for rules (must be a hangover from his Sandhurst days) and the bonkers driving you see everywhere is is largely absent.
We hired a Hummer (gas is about 25p/litre!) and spent mornings lazing on the beach after a biiig Chedi breakfast of waffles and syrup and the afternoon out exploring. Tourism is still new here but there's enough to see to keep you busy for week. Wadhi Nakar, the Omani Grand Canyon is pretty cool as is a tour of the grand mosque with its 14 feet high chandelier.
Muscat is sleepy compared to Dubai but that suited us just fine and I noticed that it attracts more of a refined crowd than Dubai. There are a few shopping malls and some nice places to wander around, plus the mountains give a spectacular backdrop to the place. It's also one of the best Gulf countries to drive in as the Sultan is a stickler for rules (must be a hangover from his Sandhurst days) and the bonkers driving you see everywhere is is largely absent.
We hired a Hummer (gas is about 25p/litre!) and spent mornings lazing on the beach after a biiig Chedi breakfast of waffles and syrup and the afternoon out exploring. Tourism is still new here but there's enough to see to keep you busy for week. Wadhi Nakar, the Omani Grand Canyon is pretty cool as is a tour of the grand mosque with its 14 feet high chandelier.
erics said:
Thanks very much. Appreciated. This is the feeling I got from talking to people around me. My girlfriend seems to think Dubai could be a little more 'fun' for a short 5 days trip.
I'd be curious to hear what people have to say about abu dhabi.
AD is a little more upmarket than Dubai (at least that is what they would like you to think). If you are planning on staying at the Emirates Palace then I take it $$$ is not a concern. My choice would be Oman, stunning Country and some great driving tours to be done. Pretty sure the diving and windsurfing will also be good but have no experience of that.I'd be curious to hear what people have to say about abu dhabi.
Currently sat in Abu Dhabi but doing nothing more exciting than waiting to get into a Data Center.
Actually I am getting a deal of £2300 for two including transfers for 5 days at Emirates Palace on half board basis. It is cheaper than dubai's Jumeirahs resorts.
tuffer said:
AD is a little more upmarket than Dubai (at least that is what they would like you to think). If you are planning on staying at the Emirates Palace then I take it $$$ is not a concern. My choice would be Oman, stunning Country and some great driving tours to be done. Pretty sure the diving and windsurfing will also be good but have no experience of that.
Currently sat in Abu Dhabi but doing nothing more exciting than waiting to get into a Data Center.
Currently sat in Abu Dhabi but doing nothing more exciting than waiting to get into a Data Center.
Eric, you'll want for nothing at the Emirates Palace. Serious, total opulence. Too many people say that Dubai's just an expensive Benidorm these days and I'm not inclined to disagree. At the risk of grossly generalising (and PH is one of the last places were gross generalising is the order of the day), let me tell you that we flew from Manchester with Qatar Airways to Oman last time. There were plenty of footie shirted chavs on that plane, arsing about, getting pissed and generally making the trip unpleasant for everyone else and to a man and woman they all headed off to the Dubai gate once we touched down in Doha. At the Muscat gate was a small collection of people who were the very epitome of the Sunday Times travel section. Think pressed linen, Panama hats, reading a weighty travel guide about Arabia, you get the idea. I know who I'd rather share a holiday destination with....
bennyboydurham said:
At the Muscat gate was a small collection of people who were the very epitome of the Sunday Times travel section. Think pressed linen, Panama hats, reading a weighty travel guide about Arabia, you get the idea. I know who I'd rather share a holiday destination with....
I'm not sure, they both sound like the sorts of people that make any holiday a nightmare. erics said:
Was looking fwd to a windsurfing / diving holiday in Egypt but given recent events: not going to happen.
Where and when were you going? Aren't most UK airlines still going to the holiday places. Egypt's a big country, I'd happily head off to one of the Red Sea resort areas if I had a holiday arranged there.
no mobile phones, no internet. The travel agent I was using actually refuses to let people go there..
el stovey said:
Where and when were you going? Aren't most UK airlines still going to the holiday places.
Egypt's a big country, I'd happily head off to one of the Red Sea resort areas if I had a holiday arranged there.
Egypt's a big country, I'd happily head off to one of the Red Sea resort areas if I had a holiday arranged there.
erics said:
no mobile phones, no internet. The travel agent I was using actually refuses to let people go there..
There's both mobile phone networks and internet there at the moment and there are flights to all the red sea resort areas just as before. el stovey said:
Where and when were you going? Aren't most UK airlines still going to the holiday places.
Egypt's a big country, I'd happily head off to one of the Red Sea resort areas if I had a holiday arranged there.
Egypt's a big country, I'd happily head off to one of the Red Sea resort areas if I had a holiday arranged there.
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