Incongruent

S2E3: Staycations

November 15, 2020 The Incongruables Season 2 Episode 3
Incongruent
S2E3: Staycations
Show Notes Transcript

Although we are still limited in our ability to travel overseas, there is still a wealth of experiences to enjoy here in the UAE. In our third episode of Season 2 we discover Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah... and Ajman. Be prepared for tales of daring do at the UAE Armed Forces Club, the new Bear Grylls survival camp in RAK, and maybe partake in the sport of kings at the Dubai Polo Academy.

Enjoy as the Greeks take over to lead us into Episode 3 of the Incongruent!

Hosted by Lydia Vourlidi: @lydia_vrl

With:


Lydia:

Staycations in Dubai. Secret places to visit in Dubai

Imnah:

Have we begun already

Arjun Radeesh:

No!

Imnah:

Okay.

Lydia:

Hello, everyone. Welcome to the third episode of the Incongruent, which is an episode on sectret places to visit in Dubai and all across the UAE. So I'm Lydia, your host today, and I'm in Greece, and I will be visiting Dubai in a few weeks. So I'm here with a team that will propose to us and me also different places to visit in Dubai and the UAE. So we start with Imnha, what are your suggestions?

Imnah:

So my staycation location is actually just on the edge of Abu Dhabi. So I'm thinking I'm Anantara the Palm (actually, Anantara Qasr Al Sarab Resort ed.). So I've come across this a number of times on Instagram on different articles. It was always rated at the top of the list. And it's just a really cool place. So it's a bit out into the desert. So they have a point where they pick you up from you got to come to that point. And you can either choose to walk all the way there or drive. Once you get there. It's been a bit of a secluded location. It's very Arabian. You can have a dinner out in the desert. And the quality of the hotel is absolutely beautiful. And yeah, their service is great. The food is great. And you can spend a night out under the desert stars. So I would completely recommend that one.

Lydia:

Wow, that is such an amazing place to be honest. So I've also heard that there's so many museums to visit in Abu Dhabi, like the Louvre Museum, which I never like thought that this could happen, you know, and there's so many beautiful beaches and places to visit. And so thank you so much for your suggestion. So moving on, Arjun, what is your place? What is your favourite kind of staycation

Arjun Radeesh:

The Armed Forces Officers Club and Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Okay, so I just stayed over there like for two days as part of an event. So it's so gorgeous like, okay, it is Oh, it was like the first time I getting into a hotel room and it was like huge when you're coming into the hotel they give you what mint candies. And these are like my favourite ones to be honest. There is so good food. So basically the this particular place actually provides meals during Ramadan, like from the officer's club kitchen bills are given for free to people during Ramadan. So the food is absolutely fantastic. It's not that we can only go for the traditional style that like different restaurants inside it, but with different different cuisines, but breakfasts are so good because they Okay, they customise omelettes for you. Wow. Yeah, seriously, there's like, it's sort of like they made an omelette in front of me. They look at why you want what you got. Why you why you need them that how you want it, or what seasoning you want it it looks so good. And it was unlimited photos are sort of like, Damn!

Lydia:

Yeah, so food is life. I agree.

Arjun Radeesh:

Yeah, definitely. And also the hotels. Okay, I'll call that aethstetics like the looks so great. It's really great that okay, you can take shots from any any point of the hotel, you can take a shot.

Lydia:

Well, thank you so much. We'll definitely visit when I come to Dubai. So...

Arjun Radeesh:

But you got to go to Abu Dhabi, it's sort of, a two and a half hour drive.

Lydia:

And it's very it's very close to Dubai like one hour road trip, right?

Arjun Radeesh:

I can't say that one hour could say as one and a half hours because Armed Force officers Club is like in the starting point. Okay, but you're going from Dubai, you first start with Yas and then go on this sort of like, really towards the moussafa side if I'm not wrong, I'm not sure, sure. But it's sort of like to what the extreme end of Abu Dhabi. So you got to drive quite a little more...

Lydia:

Got it. Thank you so much. So see what is your suggestion?

Stephen King:

So I have been to the Armed Forces club and lots of really good memories of that place. Back in the day, in 2003, 2004, 2005. There were only two hotels that you could organise big events in of any quality. One of them was the Beach Rotana which is next to the Abu Dhabi Mall. And the other one was the Armed Forces Club. And so we would do a number of different corporate events, financial annual general meetings, product launches and things. That was... was literally the only option apart from the Beach Rotana so it's a beautiful place. I'm really glad that Arjun managed to go there. I love the Anantar hotels as well. They're across the UAE they're brilliant. I've stayed in pretty much all of them. I think there's one which is on this island, which I think which is what Imnah was talking about this of doing this the same one but there's a one which is two hours south of Abu Dhabi. You actually have to take a boat or plane to get onto it. It's a Sir Bin Yas Island. It's a bucket list destination for me. I really want to go there. But closer to home and in Dubai. Lydia, I think you have to go to the Dubai Polo Club. The Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club is the most relaxed, chilled out location you can find just up by Motor City, up Hessa Street so from the university it's about 15-20 minutes from the University of the up towards Arabian Ranches. And it has so much greenery so much nature. It has a lovely restaurant, lovely coffee shop, great place to do good Wi Fi. Great place to work from great place to do study from. You've got all the horses wandering around the stables. You can you can sit out on the balcony on the veranda and watch people if it's early morning. You can see people playing a chucker running the horses around and it is by far is is beautiful place on the weekend, they have a really nice lunch menu and a Saturday brunch menu photo you can do your horse riding. And then you can come and have a really good meal and just just it's it is really nice. There's so much to do that they have a desert hack experience. So if you're qualified rider, or even a starter, I suppose. But they can go out onto the back of the dunes upon al Qudra road. And there's a beautiful drive there. If you have the money, you can learn polo. And this costs... it costs anything from 150 to $200 a lesson.

Lydia:

Mm hmm. Okay,

Stephen King:

Depending on what you want to do. And then there's also have the they have writing lessons and the question school for different age groups. And they have the show jumping and all the different kinds of question type of activities going on. It's not too far out of town. And it's it's a really beautiful, it's a great place to connect with nature, and just chill out and forget that you're in Dubai.

Lydia:

Wow, definitely will visit it sounds really nice and amazing, has lots of different activities to choose from, which I like. So yeah, thank you so much, Steve, for your contribution. So moving on, Hashim, do you have any suggestions for Dubai or across the UAE?

Hashim:

Hey, can you hear me all right?

Stephen King:

Yes, and we're dreading what you're going to say...

Hashim:

No, worry not today's an easy day. I'm not much of a hotel guy. I'm much of a... like I go out to specific places and I book the same room. I'm more of a, you know, on the fly guy. So I like to go... Two things that I like to do is to try the same hotel, but in different Emirates. I tried this twice. With three of my friends just so you know, the check doesn't shock us as much. So we split it by three way. And then we tried to go to Ras Al Khaimah which is you know, it's two Emirates across over here. And we just you know, I don't know if it's an experiment, we were just kind of bored. So we check out how it's different. And really, it's it's not the same. It's pretty different across the Emirates for also Kayla, I think because they have less eyes looking at them. So they they kind of take more chances. They got a live violinist. Once in a restaurant, we were there. And at night, they do like a light show at the pools It was really insane. And you're in the middle of the desert. So there's no one around you. So they have they have more flexibility to do you know, weird stuff that you might you know, Enjoy.

Lydia:

Thank you so much for your suggestion. Definitely seems you know, it's a different experience and a different choice, but I really liked it. And I was surprised that none of you guys suggested the safari in Dubai or the Atlantis Hotel with a dolphin show.

Arjun Radeesh:

You can actually go and hug the dolphin. At Atlantis to be honest. You can hug the dolphin.

Lydia:

Yeah. Isn't it cute? Isn't it nice?

Stephen King:

Have you done that? Have you hugged the dolphin?

Arjun Radeesh:

No, I haven't had the dolphin because I haven't stayed in Atlantis. But I have seen, but I've seen...

Lydia:

They're the friendliest mamals.

Stephen King:

They are, Arjun is also very friendly.

Arjun Radeesh:

Hashim, you raised your hand...

Lydia:

But he's not an animal though he's a human.

Arjun Radeesh:

All humans are social animals.

Stephen King:

Anyway, Hashim you put your hand up? Why don't you put your hand up? Have you hugged a dolphin?

Hashim:

Naa I've never hugged a dolphin but i i'd rather much hug a dolphin than hug Arjun. That's that just you know, just for my safety. But I wanted to say the safaris are really fun to the Safari, especially if you're the one with the bellydancer at the end. That's that's a great finale. I mean, belly dancing in the middle of the desert. You know, you think you've seen everything...

Lydia:

Yeah. And I think that anyone that hasn't visited Dubai or an Arab country, a safari is a great option, a great option. Yes Steve?

Stephen King:

I'm not a big fan of the desert Safari to be perfectly honest. It's a bit like a very typical stereotypical point of view. The best experience I've had of Arab culture is in Ras Al Khaimah, again, actually, I actually love Ras Al Khaima, Imnah is gone and she talked about Abu Dhabi and here are us praising ... I love Ras Al Khaimah, I do find the hotels to be very nice, but also I was able to visit a friend's date farm. So I got a chance to visit an authentic date farm is beautiful. You see the majlis, you see how the Emirati culture is, has brought up to to produce all of the beautiful dates that are here. And it is it's so much nicer, you see a real house, you sit out and you talk and you walk through the orchards. And it is it is a phenomenal it's a phenomenal little experience. And I thought that is a bit more authenticly Arabi maybe I don't know maybe more than versus these get the henna on your hands. I suppose you can like

Arjun Radeesh:

Yeah. I would like to add one more place. Also, like this is like the best recommended place I would say. Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. That is luxury. That is luxury. redefined. Because, because you are actually the hotel is right next to the presidential palace of the United Arab Emirates. Okay, that's now open the public called Qasr Al Watan, okay. It's the island itself is called the Presidential Islands. And this is the hotel stands right next to it. Okay, it has all the features. And literally when I went I have seen at least what 15 percentage of the things in that hotel is with gold, pure gold. Because Okay, the emblem of that particular hotel is gold plated. You want to take photos, there are so much photos, you can sometimes even call it as a luxury haunted house because they're like so much stairs, there are so much stairs with n one there. And so much ca pet with no one there. But i's sort of like really, what hen you go over there, like nyone can go as public, if you re not staying also, you can go nd visit there, like see all th stuff and all those things. nd it's sort of like when you ge into the hotel, you will see li e a big Rolex clock, which i sort of like I have only seen t at in Dubai Airport, Rolex Mar gold plating, okay. And you can like ride horses over there As like one side is line and a

Stephen King:

And they concerts there as well. So they had they used to have all the big concerts. At the back. I've been to see elton john there. I went to see who's the guy from N-sync, the famous one that came up on his own [singing]"everybody...", the Justin Timberlake, wherever he was from, so he was there I think. And the trick I used to have was this little coffee shop right at the back. And the cheapest thing you can buy is a donut. So you can just have one donut and go into the hotel and sit and enjoy the hotel. Because otherwise you just there's nothing you can afford inside. It's so expensive. But if you just buy if you just buy these little small little doughnuts, you can have a little sit for a bit because the hotel itself is huge to walk around. At least you can sit there it's the most cheapest thing.

Lydia:

Feels like I'm in a sci fi sci fi sci fi movie. Yeah. Yeah. Like this seems like out of this world.

Stephen King:

What What else did you like what else you came you came here a couple times. What else did you like? Lydia?

Lydia:

Yeah. I basically had visited Dubai for a few times. I only once went to Abu Dhabi. I basically went to the palace in Abu Dhabi. That's the only thing that I visited but in Dubai, I went to the Pointe to the Atlantis, safari, obviously. Because I love the four by four jeeps and I love speed. So that was a very nice activity. I've also went to Ski Dubai because skiing is my favourite kind of sport. So I enjoyed shopping along with going for skiing. Um, what else have I done?

Arjun:

Have you stayed in the Kempinski?

Lydia:

Yes, I have stayed there. Um, yeah, for... so I visited Emirates Mall, Dubai Mall, which I love. I love the fountain. I love the fountain show and the movement of the water with

Arjun Radeesh:

Music fountain.

Lydia:

Yes. One thing that I haven't done which I really wanted to do was go to the top of Burj Khalifa, which was like a dream, but I didn't have time. So yeah, that's one of the things I really want to do Burj Khalifa. Yeah, and I love the lighting on the building. It's amazing. And I love how Dubai has so many buildings and you get lost, like in order to go from one place to the other, you spend so much time because it's you know the skyscapers...

Arjun Radeesh:

Skyscrapers...

Lydia:

Okay. scrapers? Yes Sorry. It's my bilingual mind sometimes. Okay, so yeah, and I love the architecture ... Oh, I love Arab culture in general because it's different from Western culture and what I've been used to so far so it's nice and I love the perfumes Yeah, the perfumes oh my god in every hotel you go everywhere you go you have this distinct Arab perfume which I love. gonna say this about the UAE?

Stephen King:

The oud is one of the key elements of what they have. So the the Pointe that you mentioned now has the world's largest fountain. They just launched that a couple of weeks ago.

Lydia:

Yeah. And it's a new creation like in 2018 I think it's not an old one.

Stephen King:

So they just felt it was being built for the past few few months because we've been popping up and does have a look at it. I think we're supposed to launch before summer, but obviously they got postponed. So though it's no it's up and running and they just are announced it a couple of weeks ago. It's the Hashim, Hashim how many Emirates is Ras Al Khaimah from us

Hashim:

Ahhh. Sharjah, that's the first one...

Stephen King:

Yes it is

Hashim:

Then... what's it called? The one does besides Sharjah?

Arjun Radeesh:

Khorf Al Khan?

Stephen King:

Khorf Al Khan isn't an emirate that's part of Fujeirah.....

Hashim:

No no. Umm Al Quwain.

Stephen King:

Umm Al Quwain is there and...

Hashim:

What else that's two, what else do you want?

Stephen King:

I don't know, Ajman I think the people Ajman would probably want Ahman to exist you probably as their you got charged right and then you get to Ras Al Khaimah and Fujierah is somewhere in the area that as well so it's up there but the reason I brought that in in Sharjah you have this beautiful wheel you have this beautiful architectural shopping area with on the new Cornish area which is which is

Arjun Radeesh:

Kasbah, it's called Kasbah

Stephen King:

Thank you. It's a beautiful place to want to visit if you if you get the chance if you moving up into Umm Al Quwain area you have the Dreamland, Dreamland Waterpark, which is great. Dreamland is perhaps the best waterpark in the UAE. Better than the Atlantis.

Arjun Radeesh:

I think it's the oldest waterpark too.

Stephen King:

Yeah, its all chilled out. It's it's right on the beach. It's proper real beach, and they have some great rides and you can just sit and at the restaurants in the pool and I find that the Dreamland is just awesome. Arjun's looking like what....?

Arjun Radeesh:

No, I got there. I gotta go there. That's the thing because I myself has only gone to the Atlantis Aquaventure Iceland in Ras Al Khaimah.

Stephen King:

And then we also got to in Ras Al Khaimah, you've got Torreverde, which is up at Jebel Jais. Now there's a huge tourism campaign for extreme sports. So you can go camping and glamping in Ras Al Khaimah and you can also go on the world's longest zipline there's a bear grizzly Bear Grylle. This guy from the UK some sort of adventurous creative adventure theme park there. So they've done tonnes of they're doing amazing things in Ras Al Khaimah and as you mentioned before the Abu Dhabi is good for its museums, Dubai's got some really nice hotels and attractions. And then there are other Emirates as well. Especially Ajman we love Ajman.

Arjun Radeesh:

We are not isolating Ajman!

Stephen King:

Anyway, Lydia do you want to close this down? And let's Hashim do you want to make any other insightful comments?

Hashim:

No, but I just have a wish that the podcast might have been sponsored Ajman. So we lost all chance but no, that's it. That's my two cents.

Lydia:

Thank you so much, guys. Thank you for your suggestions. Thank you for listeniners for tuning today's podcast. Please follow our page follow our Instagram page, and subscribe in our podcast page. Thank you so much for tuning in. See you next week.