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An unforgettable safari in the Dubai desert

December 8, 2014 3 Comments

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dubai getaway

dubai tourism platinum heritage shangri-la hotel bloggerati australia 1001 events

This Bloggerati Getaway is proudly sponsored by Dubai Tourism

You can’t go to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, New York without seeing The Empire State, London without seeing Buckingham Palace or Dubai without going on a desert safari, as I was lucky enough to this week. A luxury desert safari, no less. Without a doubt, this was one special experience and the highlight of our trip so far.

Photo thanks to Be A Fun Mum. Click for details.
Photo thanks to Be A Fun Mum. Click for details.

I must admit I was a little anxious, understandably, at the idea of dune bashing while pregnant, but the lovely people at Platinum Heritage agreed to take me in a slow car which would take it very easy over any bumpy bits, and they did. I was so grateful for this as I would have hated to have missed out on such a great afternoon and evening. It started with donning headscarves, then into our vintage Land Rovers (they really look the part!) for a drive around the dunes. It truly was spectacular to be out in the middle of nowhere and what seemed like nothing but sand, sky and setting sun as far as the eye could see. It was so surreal and peaceful. We even saw a gazelle! I had to keep pinching myself.

Me sitting up front. Photo thanks to Melbourne Girl. Click for details
Me sitting up front. Photo thanks to Melbourne Girl. Click for details

We stopped for a falconry display where we sat on floor cushions, drank sparking apple juice and watched the sun go down and the moon rise. Again, you have to keep asking yourself is this for real?!

Photo thanks to Learn with Play at Home. Click for details.
Photo thanks to Learn with Play at Home. Click for details.

But it wasn’t over there. We continued, after dark, to a traditional Bedouin style camp lit with torches, for dinner and camel rides. We were welcomed with a sprinkling of rose water on our hands to wash them, and aromatic Arabic coffee. I avoided the camels. They have always freaked me out. Shudder. But the others sure had fun and the photo opportunities were great!

Photo thanks to Be a Fun Mum. Click for details.
Photo thanks to Be a Fun Mum. Click for details.

We dined on all kinds of traditional food on cushions inside tents, starting with lentil soup and bread, which we had watched being made, followed by an array of entrees which would have been sufficient on their own, then all sorts of meat, curries, rice and vegetables, including a traditional camel meat dish (no, I don’t want to eat camels either, so declined!). Later, I managed to squeeze in one deep fried doughnut dipped in date syrup. Delicious!

Trying to look the part, lippie and all...
Trying to look the part, lippie and all…

There was plenty of entertainment too: henna tattoos, shisha pipes to smoke (off limits for pregnant ladies too!) and traditional dancing. It was just lovely and all we could keep saying was โ€œhow amazing is this?โ€ And then it was back in our Land Rovers in the pitch black, then onto our coach. It’s only about 45 minutes drive from Dubai city to the desert.

This was definitely a very Dubai experience and one I will remember for many years to come. Feeling very grateful indeed!

–Being pregnant overseas makes me more aware than ever of the need to take out proper travel insurance. I also brought with me a letter from my obstetrician saying I was safe to fly as this can often be an issue with airlines. Thanks to Bupa for providing my travel insurance for this trip (make sure you are covered for obstetrics care if you’re pregnant and traveling and ask as many questions as you feel you need to) and check your airline’s rules on how many weeks pregnant you can be to fly. It is usually different if you are carrying more than one baby.ย Get a free worldwide adaptor kitย when you get your travel insurance through Bupa before December 31 2014 using this linkย or by callingย 1300 555 240. Conditions apply.

dubai getaway

dubai tourism platinum heritage shangri-la hotel bloggerati australia 1001 events

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Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

โ€œWe are very honoured to have been a part ofย The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,โ€ he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

๐Ÿ™Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! ๐ŸŽจ 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find ๐Ÿค—

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
๐Ÿ“ธ @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ N The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

โœ”๏ธ ventilation holes
โœ”๏ธ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
โœ”๏ธ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
โœ”๏ธ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
โœ”๏ธ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
โœ”๏ธ compact, sleek, European design
โœ”๏ธ 10 year warranty
โœ”๏ธ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
"Living rooms are important spaces where our publi "Living rooms are important spaces where our public and private lives intersect."

So says stylist @nataliewalton in her gorgeous new book Style, the Art of Creating a Beautiful Home.

"They are where we gather to welcome guests and entertain. But they are also where we decompress and relax at the end of the day. Increasingly, they are open-plan spaces and need to work within a greater scheme. Bringing all the elements together cohesively requires care and consideration. And, if you want a space that lives up to its true potential, make it personal and create with conviction."

Read an extract, the chapter on elevating your living room, on the blog today via link in bio.

Published by @thamesandhudsonau Pix by @chriswarnes 

#livingroomdesigns #nataliewalton #coffeetablebooks #designbooks #interiorsbooks #livingroominteriors #elevateyourspace
Kids and husband messing with my vignettes again๐Ÿคจ

PS. The coaster was RIGHT THERE ๐Ÿคช
#weatherforit ๐Ÿฅถ Need a new blanket? Look no fu #weatherforit ๐Ÿฅถ

Need a new blanket? Look no further than these gorgeous South African blankets from @baobabcollective, sustainably sourced, ethically crafted and imported by a Southern Highlands couple.

On the blog now via link in bio.
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About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

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Comments

  1. Avatararabiannightsafari says

    February 15, 2018 at 12:27 am

    A excellent article, a superb blog!

    Reply
  2. AvatarDesert Safari Deals says

    July 1, 2018 at 5:35 am

    Nice and informative post on Dubai Tourism, thank you such a nice sharing.

    Reply
  3. AvatarDesert says

    June 22, 2019 at 3:55 pm

    Awesome Article .

    Reply

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