Weekend in Dubai
When I - and a contingent of international journalists - got an invitation from Louis Vuitton to spend a recent weekend in Dubai, I was excited about what I would find in this exotic destination in the desert. My first impression: the array of celebrities who were in Dubai, for one event or one reason. The day I arrived I wanted to see the tallest building in the world and found out Tom Cruise was actually up there doing a stunt for his next movie. Sophia Loren was at the mall promoting her jewelry line and the Queen of England arrived to talk about the fond relationship between the United Arab Emirates and England.
The rest of the weekend was no less eventful. While we were invited to attend an event featuring America's Cup sailors who announced their ongoing relationship with the prestigious Louis Vuitton Cup, I got the chance to venture into the desert where I rode a camel and dined on a fabulous meal. I also shopped and had a few other excursions including a party at the Palms Hotel. It was a great Weekend Away (five days is ideal to get over jet lag) but it can be done in less time...especially if one lives in Europe.
Here are just a few of the things I did in such a short period of time:
*Went on a group trip to the desert through Arabian Adventures which gave us the opportunity to travel for miles over desert sand with the mountains of Oman in the distance. As the sun started to set, our group was greeted by Bedoin nomads who traditionally train camels. The Bedoins led us on camel back to a site where we were treated to a dinner in an outdoor setting, sitting on cushions and carpets and enjoying live instrumental music followed by belly dancers whose stage was made up of Persian carpets and the desert night.
*Spent an afternoon on the Louis Vuitton yacht where we watched the final day of yacht racing after being treated to a three course lunch; beyond luxurious.
*After a day on the water, we went to the Arab Emirates and Dubai malls with dozens of UAE families out for an evening of shopping and ice skating, visiting the indoor aquarium and even skiing. A concert along the beach in front of the Westin hotel ended the night.
During five days of glam and luxury. Louis Vuitton was a generous host - offering the journalists a real taste of Dubai and the surrounding desert.
Best time to go
When traveling to Dubai, the best time of year to go is in the late autumn when the weather cools down to a pleasant 80 degrees. The water is warm and the air is dry and the afternoon heat is comfortable not unbearable.
