The antioxidant potential qualities of tea is a subject that has been discussed for many years. To reflect this, ’The Address’ in Dubai has introduced a Spring package at it’s Spa’s focused on all things Tea. The Spa treatment is called the ‘Tea of Spring Spa Package’ and focuses on:

White Tea’s regenerating effects
Green Tea’s Antioxidant qualities
Red Tea’s soothing effects
and finally Black Tea’s stimulating attributes.

The treatment includes: Nepalese Tea Exfoliation, a Singapore Massage, and a Green Tea Facial. It’s available at the Spa at three addresses in Dubai – The Address Downtown Dubai, The Address Dubai Mall and The Palace in the Old Town, Dubai. Let us know if you decide to experience this relaxing and rejuvenating spa treatment, we’d love to find out what it’s like!

Deira is located on the east side of the Dubai Creek and has many wonders and hidden treasures for its visitors to discover. Located opposite Bur Dubai, it is easily reached by water taxi from the west side of the Creek. Full of meandering narrow streets lined with small merchant shops and coffee houses, Deira is home to some of the oldest trading areas in Dubai, including the gold souk. Wander along the Dhow Wharfage and

Dhow Wharfage

watch the local merchants selling their wares to shoppers in an atmosphere which is reminiscent of what it would have been like in times gone by.

As you walk along the side of the Dubai Creek you will come across a number of modern buildings and properties. One such building is the impressive Etisalat Telecommunications building which has a large round object on the top of the building which looks like a giant golf ball! Another impressive building is the National Bank of Dubai which is known as the ‘pregnant lady’. The exterior of the bank is made completely out of glass which acts like a giant convex mirror when the sun shines on the building at certain angles.

Every visitor to Deira should take time to visit Dubai’s oldest market which is located next to the Deira Abra

Etisalat Telecommunications Building

Station. Merchants at the market sell a variety of goods, mainly household items. Then on to the Spice Souk where the intense aroma of the spices will have your senses working overtime. Here at the souk you will also find local healers and pharmacists who make their own special and traditional medicines. Probably the best known souk in Dubai is the Deira Gold Souk where you will find street after street of shops selling some of the finest gold collections in the world. A visit to the Gold Souk is a must do on your bargain holidays to Dubai.

Located close to the Gold Souk is Dubai’s first school which was established in 1912 and is among one of the many historical attractions in Deira. Three watch towers guard the city of Dubai. Burj Nahar is one such tower which is located in Deira. This beautiful tower stands in exotic gardens and makes the perfect backdrop for visitors to take some stunning photographs. Heritage House is home to some wealthy pearl merchants where visitors are offered chick-peas and tea, a traditional Emirati snack. The building itself is built from coral and gypsum and is built like an old bastakiya building with rooms looking out over a central courtyard.

Deira is an exciting place in the evening where visitors can wander around the streets and enjoy a nice meal at one of the many outdoor restaurants and coffee shops.

Deira City Centre

Diera City Centre first opened its doors in 1995. Covering over 115,000 square metres of retail space, the centre is home to retail outlets, restaurants, entertainment venues and a hotel. Entertainment venues include the popular Magic Planet where the whole family can enjoy the latest game simulators and theme rides, the 8-lane Bowling City and the 11 screen VOX Cinemas multiplex. The centre offers a wide range of dining venues from chic cafes to lively restaurants and an International Food Court. With over 55 dining outlets to choose from you will be spoilt for choice! The centre also features the 11-storey MAF Tower and direct access to the 5-star City Centre Hotel & Residence which is an 11-storey hotel with 318 rooms and 112 apartments. Located close to the Deira City Centre are 25 other hotels for you to chose from on your last minute holidays to Dubai.

Set in the peaceful grounds of a private polo estate, the Desert Palm in Dubai is the perfect choice for ladies who need to unwind, charge their batteries and have some fun. Located just minutes from the centre of Dubai, this stylish boutique property features 38 guest suites and pool villas and 10 two bedroom pool residences – the perfect spacious rooms for sophisticated sleepovers with friends. The property offers two

Desert Palm - LIME Spa

award winning restaurants – Rare and Epicure, an internationally acclaimed LIME Spa and an inviting bar which overlooks one of the four championship sized polo fields and the Dubai skyline beyond.

LIME Spa at Desert Palm is perfect for ladies to relax and revitalise from the moment they arrive on their last minute holidays to Dubai. Guests can revel in the incredible spa facilities looking out over the plush polo fields. Features of the spa include bespoke treatments from Parisian beauty experts Anne Semonin, as well as a range of facials from award winning Eve Lom.

For those who prefer to ride than relax there is an incredible Equestrian Centre and four championship polo fields which host the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge and the Desert Palm UAE Nations Cup. Whether it be a canter around the fields, a dressage or polo session, or just the chance to watch a championship polo match, the beautifully manicured gardens and polo fields

Desert Palm

add an exciting dimension to the Dubai experience.

A stay at the Desert Palm is a serene and luxurious experience which can be combined with some amazing shopping opportunities in the world renowned city centre malls just around the corner on your bargain holidays to Dubai. The Desert Palm offers a personal styling session with world class style consultant Marissa Wood and her team of experts for those who need a little extra help.

After a day of pampering or shopping at the Dubai malls you can enjoy a delicious meal whilst looking out over

Desert Palm Dubai

the polo fields and desert skyline at Rare, the signature restaurant which showcases succulent cuts of the finest steak, fresh seafood and creative vegetarian dishes. Before moving on to the bars of Dubai, enjoy a custom cocktail at Red Bar and Lounge. For a relaxed evening in, guests can float around the pool on a bean bag whilst watching their favourite classic films.

Dubai plays host to many festivals and events throughout the year. The following are just a few of the many events that attract visitors to this amazing city, there are just too many to mention!

January / February

Dubai Shopping Festival – Dubai is regarded as shopper’s paradise all year round with January being an excellent time to grab some bargains. Millions of people visit the city’s shops during the Shopping Festival which takes place throughout January. There are also firework displays, concerts and children’s entertainment which offer a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of the shopping frenzy.

Dubai Marathon – This is a charity fund raising event where participants pay a small entrance fee with the hope of winning a large cash prize. The event consists of three different races; the 3km fun run, the 10km road race for over 15′s and the 50km marathon for 18′s and over.

February / March

Dubai Tennis Championships – Consisting of an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the Dubai Open is held at the Aviation Club, attracting the best tennis players from all over the world.

Dubai Desert Classic – This is one of the most popular golfing events held in the UAE. Held at the Emirates Golf Club, the event attracts some of the world’s top golfers who participate for the chance to win large money prizes.

Dubai International Jazz Festival – If you love your Jazz why not attend this annual festival on your package holidays to Dubai. Past acts have included Jamie Cullum, Robin Gibb, Toto and Stanley Jordan.

Nad Al Sheba Racecourse

March / April

Emirates World Series, The Dubai World Cup – With a six million US dollar prize, this is the world’s richest horse race. Attracting the best jockeys, trainers and horses from all over the world, all the action takes place at the state-of-the-art Nad Al Sheba Racecourse.

Dubai Desert Rock – An amazing two day music festival which has featured such artists as Iron Maiden, The Prodigy, The Darkness and Megadeth.

Dubai Art Fair – Attracting the world’s best artists who display their works at The Madinet Jumeirah.

April / May

The Bride Show – Held at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, this wedding themed event attracts hundreds of exhibitors from all over the UAE.

Festival of Taste – If you love food, this is the event not to miss. Held at The Madinat Jumeirah, the festival runs for a whole week with the

Madinat Jumeirah

world’s top chefs preparing specialities for various social events whilst giving tips on cooking and presentation.

June / July / August

Dubai Summer Surprises – Designed to encourage tourists to visit Dubai at the peak of hottest part of the year. Spread over 10 weeks, the DSS (Dubai Summer Surprises) are split into different themes such as food, the arts, adventure and nature. Many of the hotels in the city offer special ‘shopaholic’ travel deals to attract more guests to Dubai.

September /October

Motexha Textile Show – Attracting exhibitors and visitors from across the region, this annual trade fair is the largest of its kind in the Middle East. Held at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, the show features more than 500 exhibitors covering all aspects of the clothing and textile trade.

October / November

UAE Desert Challenge – Starting off in Abu Dhabi and finishing in Dubai, this rally is the last race in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. If you love fast cars this five day event is for you.

Desert Rhythm – A fairly new two day music festival where such artists as Kanye West and the British singer/songwriter Mika have introduced themselves to the UAE.

November / December

National Day Festival – Dubai’s National Day Festival is celebrated every year, marking the Emirate’s independence from Great Britain. The city puts on many special events for the public throughout the day.

Dubai Exiles Rugby Club

Dubai Rugby Sevens – Every year the Dubai Exiles Rugby Club plays host to the first round of the IRB Sevens Series. This three day event sees 16 International rugby teams compete for the series trophy. Shows and events for all ages add to the fun of this exciting event.

Dubai International Film Festival – Aimed at independent and art-house cinema, this festival gives them the chance to show their work to large audiences with special guests.

Dubai is to host UAE Ballooning Championship festival in December 2011. Taking place on occasion of the UAE’s 40th National Day, the festival will depict the UAE’s rich history and heritage. Over the three day event the hot air balloons will light up the Dubai sky like a mass of fireflies as they fly past Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Khalif.

UAE Ballooning Championship

In honour of the UAE’s 40th National Day the hot air balloons will take to the sky every morning and evening which will be an amazing sight to see on your direct holidays to Dubai. This event is the first of its kind to take place in the UAE, promising to be a fun-filled event with lots of entertainment and attractions.

The following shows will take place at the Meydan Turf Lounge;

Night Glow
Late in the evening the hot air balloons will be grouped together in Meydan. The balloons will be inflated as if they are going to take off but they will not take to the sky but will be held down hence lighting up the sky like giant Chinese lanterns. This promises to be a spectacular sight as the balloons light-up the evening sky.

Mass Ascensions
Those taking part will be able to take to the sky in a huge group giving spectators an amazing view of all the balloons.

Sky Diving Display
The audience will be amazed by the sky diving display from one of the balloons.

Skylamps Release
At the Night Glow show the climax of the evening will be the mass release of all the balloons. This amazing spectacular will light up the evening sky and act as a symbol of Unity.

There are lots of package holidays available to Dubai throughout the internet so don’t miss this amazing event, book your holiday now and visit the UAE Ballooning Championship festival in December.

Dubai is a fascinating city offering a blend of old and new. It has taken less than a century for this once small fishing village to become a modern exciting city and popular holiday destination. Whether you are looking for travel deals for a relaxing break in the sun or an exciting shopping trip, Dubai has it all. The following are just a few of the many things you can do whilst visiting Dubai.

Dubai Hot Air Balloon Ride

Hot Air Balloon Ride
Take an early morning hot-air balloon ride across the desert. The view from the sky is amazing as you glide above camels and gazelles who wander freely below you, beautiful green oases and giant red sand dunes. The breathtaking views offer amazing opportunities to catch the beauty of the desert in pictures.

Seaplane Ride
Take a bird’s eye view of Dubai’s landmarks on a seaplane flight of the city. Take photos and marvel at such iconic landmarks as Dubai Creek, Port Rashid, Dubai Marina, the largest man-made islands The World and The Palm, Burj Al Arab Hotel Jurmeirah, Burj Dubai and the Jebel Ali.

4×4 Desert Safari
Explore the Arabian Desert during the day before relaxing beneath the stars over dinner. Travelling across the desert in a 4×4 gives you the opportunity to take amazing photographs of the surroundings and the beautiful desert sunset, maybe stopping off at a camel farm and even experiencing sandboarding.

4×4 Safari to Hatta
A safari to Hatta allows you to experience a variety of terrain including rocky mountain passes and amazing desert scenery. Dating back to the

Hatta Village

16th century, the village of Hatta lies on the banks of the Hatta Wadi (dry river beds). Depending on when you take your last minute holidays to Dubai and the rainfall, you may be able to take a refreshing dip in the beautiful water pools of Hatta.

East Coast Coach Trip
Take a coach trip along Dubai’s east coast, through the Al Dhaid oasis which is renowned for its fruit and vegetable plantations to Masafi, the Hajar mountains, the small port at Dibba, numerous fishing villages where you can enjoy a relaxing swim in the Indian Ocean, Al Badiyah where you will find the oldest mosque in the Emirates, Fujairah with it’s renovated fort, the old citadel of Bitnah and not forgetting Masa where you can enjoy looking around the market.

Garden City of Al Ain

Sightseeing Tour of Al Ain
Take a trip to the beautiful Garden City of Al Ain. Located in the Hajar Mountains your trip should include a visit to the museum and the recently renovated Old Palace of H.H.Sheikh Zayed who was the late ruler of Abu Dhabi and the late President of the United Arab Emirates, the Hili Gardens which are famous for archaeological excavations from 300BC and the largest camel market in the UAE where you can watch dealers from all over the Gulf buying and selling racing camels.

Hop-on, Hop-off Tour
This is a great way to see all of Dubai’s popular sights at your leisure. All you have to do is buy a ticket which allows you unlimited travel on the open-top double decker buses which travel around the city.

Dubai offers lots of different dining establishments from top-class to mid-range to budget restaurants. The following are just a few of the choices on offer to visitors on their holiday deals to Dubai.

The Verre Restaurant

The Verre – Hilton Dubai Creek
Gordon Ramsey’s exquisite Verre restaurant is located in Deira. Offering good value meals this restaurant serves imaginative seafood and meat dishes. Try the salmon with a fricassee of peas and horseradish, your taste buds won’t be disappointed!

The Traiteur – Park Hyatt
A funky restaurant in Dera which is set on two floors connected by a long metal staircase suspended from the ceiling. Serving French cuisine the restaurant offers an impressive wine list.

The Rib Room – Jumeirah Emirates Towers
This chic classy restaurant serves fresh seafood and succulent steaks with a fine selection of wines.

The Pierchic – Jumeirah
Located in Jumeirah, the Pierchic sits on the end of a wooden pier that stretches out into the Gulf. With amazing views of the sea this sophisticated seafood restaurant offers fine seafood dishes with a Mediterranean influence. Although very classy, the restaurant has a

The Pierchic Restaurant

minimalist decor appearance.

The Wox – Grand Hyatt
Located in downtown Dubai, the Wox is reminiscent of the street stands of South-East Asia but with more upmarket surroundings. The menu here includes noodle dishes and spicy cuisine.

The Al Hadheerah – Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa
The desert setting of the Al Hadheerah gives diners a unique dining experience. This open-air traditional Arabic restaurant serves a buffet of regional specialities including lamb kofta, stuffed vine leaves and delicious Um Ali which is a bit like a bread pudding. While diners enjoy their food they are entertained by dancing whirling dervish, belly dancers, musicians, falconry displays and henna painters.

Spectrum on One – The Fairmont
Known for its decadent Champagne brunch, the Spectrum on One serves Indian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Middle Eastern and European cuisine which is prepared in eight interactive kitchens. Diners also have the option to eat in a private dining room.

The Seville – Wafi Rooftop Gardens
This Andalucian tapas restaurant is full of warmth and charm. The menu includes a wide selection of hot and cold tapas, seafood paella and other Spanish specialities along with some fine Spanish wines.

Bussola Restaurant

Bussola – Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina
This delightful middle of the range restaurant is located on the beach near Dubai Marina. The ground floor offers chic dining with a seafood menu while the upper floor offers a trendy alfresco pizzeria and bar.

The Paithai – Madinat Jumeirah Resort
Set on the waterside of the Madinat Jumeirah you will need to take a water taxi to get to the Paithai. This romantic, peaceful, secluded restaurant serves classic Thai cuisine with a modern twist including the delicious roast duck in red curry sauce.

Spice Island – Renaissance Hotel
A good value restaurant for all-you-can-eat and drink option. Located in Deira, the Spice Island offers buffet dining with dishes from around the world. Dishes include Arabic, Indian, Mexican and Chinese.

The Boardwalk – Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club

The Boardwalk Dubai

Overlooking the marina and the Creek Park across the water the Boardwalk sits on a patio on the creek in Deira. This is a casual budget type restaurant with a good menu, including a special children’s menu.

The Noodle House – Jumeirah Emirates Towers
Another budget restaurant which is always busy. The restaurant serves good South-east Asian cuisine including curries, prawns and exotic lychee pine cocktails.

The More Cafe – Sheikh Zayed Road
This casual no-frills cafe is a great meeting place where people can catch up over lunch or dinner. The broad menu offers something for everyone to enjoy in a relaxed and cosy atmosphere. The More Cafe is a great place for the whole family to chill-out on their cheap package holidays to Dubai.

Dubai is an amazing holiday destination for the whole family to enjoy. Offering a vast array of things to do and see, one of the most exciting activities for children and adults alike is swimming with dolphins.

Experiencing a dolphin encounter at Dolphin Bay at Atlantis the Palm Dubai is a memory that you will stay with your whole life. Dolphin Bay is set in a lush tropical setting which covers four and a half hectares and is modelled on the dolphin’s natural habitat. There are three huge lagoons where the dolphins live and swim in conditions as close to their natural habitat as possible. Confident swimmers of 12 years and above can swim out to the depths of the lagoon where they can swim, pet and experience the dolphins as they jump overhead. Interacting with the dolphins is both educational and fun. Dolphins have an extra sense called echolocation. Working very similar to sonar in submarines, the dolphins use this extra sense to avoid danger, locate prey and to navigate in all types of conditions, even in the dark and in dirty water where visibility is minimal.

Dolphin Bay at Atlantis the Palm Dubai

British Dolphin Trainer Ben Fowler works with the dolphins at Dolphin Bay and says that one of the best things about working with animals is that every day is different. The dolphins here live in a pristine environment and are fed the best quality food. Ben’s day begins with a physical examination of the dolphins to make sure they are in tiptop condition. The rest of Ben’s day is spent interacting with visitors and dolphins, cleaning and preparing the many buckets of fish needed for the day.

Whilst on your last minute holiday deals to Dubai you may even bump into a celebrity or two visiting Dolphin Bay. David Beckham, Hugh Grant, Kylie Minogue and Roger Federer are among the celebrities who have already experienced a meeting with the dolphins here.

Apart from the dolphin encounters Dubai offers many more opportunities to meet and interact with animals.

Watch the turtles at the Jumeirah Rehabilitation Project as they are prepared to be released into the wild. In June 2011, in celebration of World Sea Turtle Day, 101 critically endangered hawksbill turtles were released back into their natural habitat after spending several months of

Hawksbill Turtle

rehabilitation at Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah. Set-up in 2004, the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project is based at the Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah and is run in conjunction with Dubai’s Wildlife Protection Office.
Experience a cage dive with the sharks at the Dubai Aquarium. Non-divers can experience cage snorkelling where they will come face to face with grey reef shark, cow nose rays, fan-tail rays and giant groupers.
Marvel at more than 65,000 marine animals as they swim gracefully around the , The Palm. Visitors can drift into another world as they live out their fantasies in the maze of underwater tunnels and halls.
Encounter the amazing marine life which lives in the Arabian Gulf on a diving expedition.
Be amazed by a falconry display in the desert where you will also be able to look-out for the Arabian Oryx. Falconry has been practised as a sport for over 3000 years and has been regarded as the sport of kings for many years. The beautiful Arabian Oryx has been battling extinction and is regarded as the inspiration for the mythical legend of the unicorn.
Enjoy camel cuddling at Jebel Ali’s Al Sahara Desert Resort. Here you can get up close and personal and learn all about these amazing

Arabian Oryx

creatures.
You can even swim with horses at the Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa whilst on your holiday packages to Dubai. In the cool early morning you can take your horse to the beautiful private beach where you can splash about and have fun with your steed in the crystal clear water.

The Dubai Airshow takes place from 13th – 17th November at Airport Expo. The airshow is now in its 22nd year and is the fastest growing airshow in the world. Billed as the foremost aerospace event in the Middle East, the Dubai Airshow is also a key event on the international aerospace calender.

Taking place every two years, the Dubai Airshow is dedicated to connecting buyers and sellers of the aerospace industry’s leading companies.

Two weeks after the Dubai Airshow the United Arab Emirates celebrates its 40th Anniversary. This year the airshow joins in the build up to this historic celebration which marks the signing of the UAE constitution which took place on the 2nd December 1971.

Dubai Airports owns and operates both of Dubai’s airports, Dubai International and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International, the cargo only airport. Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International is due to start passenger services for direct holidays to Dubai in 2012.

The Dubai Airshow started life as Arab Air 1986 and was a small civil aviation trade show at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The first Dubai Airshow took place at Dubai International Airport in 1989. By 1991 the show had grown rapidly in size. Because of this rapid growth the purpose built exhibition centre Airport Expo was built in 1999 and has been the home of the Dubai Airshow ever since. Doubling its size in just eight years, the 2009 airshow hosted 890 exhibitors from 47 countries.

Dubai is a fascinating and luxurious destination with lots of late deals for holidays to this amazing country.

Located in front of Dubai’s Burj Al Arab, the amazing Wild Wadi Water Park offers more than 30 rides and attractions for the whole family to enjoy. The park is themed around the tale of Juha, an Arabian folklore character. It is written that Juha used to sail to distant lands until one day his ship overturned, marooning him and his family on an enchanted island where there were fresh water streams and beautiful waterfalls. The story goes on to tell how Juha’s daughter Leila and son Ali wove palm trees together to ride on the rushing water. Soon people of all ages came to the island to have fun together, just like they do at Wild Wadi Water Park.

Wild Wadi Water Park Dubai

The Wipeout and Riptide Flowriders offer an amazing surfing experience. One of only four such rides in the world, the Wipeout Flowrider was the first barrelling wave to be built in the world. Designed by the American surfing fanatic Thomas Lochtefeld, the Wipeout shoots out more than seven tonnes of water a second in a thin sheet across a moulded foam structure. This produces a life-like wave effect which is perfect for knee-boarding and body-boarding.

Breaker’s Bay is the biggest wave pool in the Middle East. Waves of 1.5 metres, in five different configurations are produced in the pool.

Tantrum Alley is the latest Wild Wadi ride, incorporating two large downhill waterslides and three amazing tornadoes. A four-person tube takes the riders downhill where they enter the first tornado where they circle around

Tantrum Alley

in the eye of the storm before hitting the second tornado, eventually splashing out into the pool.

Jumeirah Sceirah is a 33 metre speed slide where the riders travel at up to 80kms an hour.

Burj Surj is made up of two large sections of downhill slides and ‘the bowl’. Up to 5 riders sit on a tube and travel downhill to the bowl where they are thrust into a two spinning spirals before dropping onto the slide that takes them for a ‘splash down’ in the pool.

The Master Blaster rides are a series of high-powered water jets that take riders on an aquatic roller coaster ride. Riders are rocketed 15 metres above ground level starting in in White Water Wadi or Flood River Flyer. Flying Falls, Falaj Fury, Jebel Lookout, Wadi Leap, Hos’N'Hurler, Falcon Fury, Rushing Rapids, Thunder Rapids, Wadi Basher, Wadi Twister, Tumble Falls and Tunnel of Doom are also Master Blasters.

Flood River circles the Flowriders and features sudden surges of 100,000 litres of water which creates waves of more than a metre high and sudden river rapids.

Juha’s journey is a lovely relaxing ride along 360 metres of lazy river. This ride is great for all the family to enjoy together as it has a very gentle current.

Lazy River

Breakers Bay wave pool, Juha’s Journey lazy river, Juha’s Dhow and Lagoon childrens play structure and Flood River are ideal for smaller children to enjoy whilst visiting the park on their holiday deals to Dubai. Life jackets are available free of charge for visitors who are not confident swimmers and children should be supervised by an adult at all times.

Visitors are not allowed to take food and drink into the park. The park offers several different dining options including two main restaurants Julshan’s Kitchen and Sinbad’s Galley, Ali’s BBQ, Leila’s Stand for healthy eating options and drinks, Leila’s Oasis for snacks and delicious fresh juice and smoothies and Shahbandar’s Cafe for quick-serve snacks.  

Every Friday in July the park stays open until 10pm. Take advantage of the late closing time on your family holidays to Dubai.