It is somewhat fortuitous that our Wedding Anniversary this year coincides with a visit from my mum. If it wasn’t for this, our anniversary could have very easily ended up being celebrated at home with the boys rather than something rather romantic somewhere rather luxurious like this little interlude at Bab Al Shams.
Bab Al Shams, a desert retreat about a 40 minute drive from Dubai, is a hotel, spa and foodie haven, far enough from the city to be an escape, close enough for a night to feel like a get away.
Jason gets away from work a little early and we’re on our way. With Grandma left at the helm at home, we know there is nothing to worry about and I have been looking forward to this getaway for a while, having found myself somewhat trapped between work and the boys in & around the house all week. It’s a bit of a splurge but it seemed a worthy occasion for such an indulgence. Still, I am eager to arrive and make the most of our time and become agitated and impatient in the car when we have to wait an age in line to get petrol when we are already on a half hour detour to do so. I fidget and fret in the car on the way even though I know it won’t do any good.
Finally we arrive. We’re shown our room and it all has a very Bedouin feel although I’m sure the real Bedouins didn’t have an outlook onto the pool or quite as nice a stone bathtub.
It is still early enough for a cup of tea and we sit out on the little terrace. Jason has bought me a beautiful cuff bracelet and matching necklace and we make sure the champagne that Mum has bought us is on ice for later on. Then we change and hit the pool ordering cocktails and enjoying the luxury of a swim without the children hanging off us. Jason closes his eyes and I am able to actually read my magazine before another swim.
All too soon I spot some camels and check the time. I’m quick enough to throw my dress on and make it over for a camel ride and to admire the falcon, perched placidly on his trainer. Tame as he looks, I stay clear of that beak & talons.
Thoroughly enjoying my desert experience so far we amble back to our room to shower and change for dinner. The champagne is perfectly chilled and we toast ourselves with a glass on the terrace before heading up to the rooftop bar to catch the sunset over an aperitif. A man plays music on a small platform, completing the scene.
Now it’s dark and we opt to walk the few hundred meters along the little lamp lit path to Al Hadheera. I really feel like I’m in the desert now. The stars are bright where in the city there is only a dark haze visible at nighttime and breeze blows warm across the dunes. This is supposed to be a real highlight of the hotel, the traditional Arabic feast that takes part amidst music, dancing and tales of old. My excitement is barely contained as we follow carpets laid over the sand to our table in the starlit restaurant sunken into the dunes.
Hummus, olives and fresh balloons of Arabic bread are laid before us on the table and we order drinks, a little surprised that alcohol is available. Soon after our starters we gather ourselves to explore the offerings. I thoroughly browse the selections – salad, shawarma, grills, fish, seafood, za’atar and cheese manakeesh, Emirati dishes and I spot a whole lamb being carved – before making my choices. I realise I have delayed returning to the table. At 8pm the lights are turned off and the show starts. Tales of pearl divers and desert crossings, tribes coming together complete with horses, camels and goats on the horizon. Once the tanoura dancer is finished twirling and the music starts up, we steal away from the table to sample some desserts.
When we return to our room, I am delighted to find the bath filled with rose petals and lit with floating candles. There is a “Happy Anniversary” cake sitting on the coffee table. I can’t do much with the cake after such an expansive dinner but the bath cannot be ignored.
The next morning we lie in before attending the breakfast buffet. Jason reads the paper and I gaze across the lawn to the sand beyond the tended green patch. A morning swim and more luxurious lazing by the pool completes the experience before a walk around the perimeter, reluctantly returning to our room to pack and attend to our late check out.
It’s been just short of 24 hours in total but I can’t help but feel both refreshed and energized by the experience. The resort is not expansive but it has a roomy layout thanks to its location and is the perfect place to do nothing – whether that is nothing by the pool, nothing in the cafe, nothing but enjoying one of the bars or restaurants or nothing (that’s anyone’s business) in one of the cool, dark rooms decorated with traditional fabrics and finishes.
We wait for our car to be brought round and I know that our quiet time together is limited to the 45 minute car trip home. Still, this is both a celebration of our years of marriage as well as the life ( & children) that we have built together. Without returning from this luxury escape to that life which awaits us there is nothing here worth celebrating.
Would I Return?
Both Bab Al Shams and Al Hadheerha offer an experience that is unique to this region. I would return with that in mind, leaving the children at home if possible. Not only would they not appreciate it but it’s likely to undermine the experience in this case.
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