UAE information, guides

Considering taking your dog on your long term holidays in the glittering capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi? You may want to look elsewhere. In a society that doesn’t have a particularly high opinion of canines, dog fouling has lead to the establishment of dog-free zones in most key locations in the city. Beaches, shopping malls and centres, public parks and swimming pools are all out of bounds for man’s best friend. Abu Dhabi dog owners are going to find it particularly hard to keep the dog’s healthy and happy with just the streets to play on, and a new code on dog waste disposal will put them under increased obligation.

However, this isn’t a set of laws that will apply across the UAE, and the other major cities are exempt. So this will be welcome news if you like the area and want to go beyond simple all inclusive holidays to establish a permanent home for you (and your dogs!) in the region. The accelerated development that the city has seen in the last decade has lead to very cheap rental prices as well. The rental price of a villa in Dubai is now fourteen percent lower than in 2009, due to construction far outstripping actual demand.

Yet if you find anyone who has actually been on Dubai holidays will be extremely enthusiastic about the opportunities out there for both the casual tourist and the longer-term visitor. But what about the beer? You’ll often hear about the supposed prohibition of alcohol in Dubai. Good news is, it isn’t really true. Access to alcohol in the United Arab Emirates isn’t under any blanket prohibition, though it is subject to certain controls. In fact, until the recession hit in 2009, profits associated with Alcohol were soaring. And if we’re honest, the restriction and social stigma that surrounds alcohol use in the UAE makes for a healthier society, and stops certain western nations renowned for loutish behaviour from showing their true colours. Hotels have the majority of alcohol licenses in Dubai. This obviously links alcohol consumption to the tourists, but it means that hotels are the primary nightspots. It is also possible to purchase alcohol at an off-license, though you will need to have a special license to do so.

Dubai is really a city that has risen from the sand so a journey into the desert tops the list for that vast majority of guests, providing a mixture of exciting experience, ethnic insight and nature. Begin the expertise within the late afternoon to prevent maximum temperatures, fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a thrill-a-minute trip through undulating sand dunes. Sandboarding, a novelty comparable to snowboarding, may also be experienced within the desert, and also the mild camel rides are an easy-going delight for guests of all ages. Meal at desert camps, at the same time, is really a great buffet affair having a mouthwatering assortment of barbecued meats and conventional ouzi — roasted lamb on a spit, served with rice and Arabic spices — too as a full variety of Arabic mezze. An interesting belly dancer will start excited audience members within the hip-swiveling art for yet another entertaining and unforgettable photo chance. A few tour operators also provide the choice of staying overnight in the desert, but this should be organized beforehand. Still outdoors, but away from the desert, adrenalin junkies can get their kicks via a selection of aerial experiences. Take the air flow from 4,000 metres having a tandem freefall in Umm Al Quwain, much less than an hour’s drive from Dubai; or pop next door towards the go-karting track for a few laps nearer to the ground. You are able to also take flying classes in the nearby aeroclubs in Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain or, should you already have your pilot’s license, get in some extra flying hours via the Dubai Flying Association or Emirates Flying Association. Should you prefer to merely be a passenger then sit back again, relax and focus on taking the expertise on film having a sightseeing tour of Dubai by helicopter. Back again on terra firma, much more sedate adventurers could be at 1 with nature on a mountain trek in Ras Al Khaimah, which boasts panoramic scenery and some with the highest peaks within the country. Tailor-made trips for each beginners and seasoned trekkers are obtainable via a number of nearby tour businesses, but a fundamental degree of walking fitness is needed. A much less demanding alternative is really a day’s hiking within the foothills with the Hajjar mountains.

Located close towards the sleepy town of Hatta, it is sufficient activity to stretch those calf muscles but you’ll make it house in time for dinner at your hotel. Trek via the dry wadis (river beds) in the foot with the mountains and cool off in 1 with the several freshwater rock pools that fill up within the cool winter months. For that ultimate in five-star trekking, these may also be reached by four-wheel drive. The thrill of off-roading across unknown territory in a powerful 4X4 will satisfy the most hardened adventurer’s require, and is an excellent stress-buster. Ras Al Khaimah is renowned for its exciting off-road activity and it is an excellent method to explore the nearby environment and garner material for tales of derringdo for that folks back again house. Water-based activities (ideal for that summer months) variety from deep-sea fishing off the coast of Dubai to scuba diving within the crystal clear waters off the East Coast, exactly where the marine existence is really spectacular, and you are able to swim with baby sharks, turtles and stingray. The UAE’s West Coast has a variety of wreck dives for much more experienced divers, exactly where vessels have been deliberately sunk to form marine existence havens with depths ranging from 12 to 80 metres. You will find a variety of recommended scuba diving businesses operating on each coasts which provide scuba discovery courses too as PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification. Continue up the East Coast and into Omani waters and discover the imposing Musandam Peninsula with its soaring walls of rock, idyllic coves and plentiful marine existence. The diving here is unrivalled within the region and in winter you are able to watch the graceful antics of schools of dolphin. The mangroves of Khor Kalba, close to Fujairah, are the oldest in Arabia and house to a wide selection of plant and marine existence. A website for gentle canoeing excursions via the protected nature reserve, nature lovers – and birdwatchers in specific – will probably be amazed by the bird population that calls the mangrove forests house. Nearer to Dubai, the Ras Al Khor Nature Reserve in the end with the Creek gives the chance to see the migrating flocks of pink flamingos at initial hand, plus a wealth of other shore birds from the camouflaged bird hides – binoculars provided! So whether it is sand, sea, land or aerial adventures that grab your fancy, Dubai’s got it covered.

“Why did I want to become a chef? That’s a good question!” chef Andrea Strim smiles while sitting in the beautiful surroundings of Carnevale, Jumeirah Beach Hotel’s fine-dining Italian restaurant (Dubai restaurants). “I think you could put it down to my love of cuisine. I’ve always had a passion for cooking and eating food,” he says. Whipping up delectable treats in the kitchen since the tender age of six, becoming a chef was the only career Strim ever considered.

Andrea Strim, executive sous chef at Jumeirah Beach Hotel

When I was a child, I used to run home with a piece of cheese or sausage and savour it,” he adds. Growing up in Italy and surrounded by the highest quality produce, he had plenty of opportunity to indulge his passion. Strim took the traditional route of attending culinary school at the age of 13, where he was to remain until he was 16 years old. Summer holidays were spent working in a variety of restaurants and although he is quick to point out that it’s a tough and by no means glorious experience, it’s also one that he thoroughly enjoyed. “You need a positive attitude to be a chef.

When I was at culinary school, I trained in the kitchen doing smaller tasks like peeling carrots, chopping potatoes, dicing onions and so on. It’s not like now when people go straight into the kitchen. There was no way we could touch a pot or a pan. We only did the basic jobs,” he reminisces. On finishing school, he immediately put his training to good use, participating in several projects. One of these was working for the Italian national football team on their trip to the 1996 World Cup. “That was my opportunity,” he recounts. “I began to work my way up the ranks, from chef de partie to sous chef and so on.

By the age of 20 I was head chef of a five-star restaurant in Italy. Some might say I was too young for so much responsibility, but I relished the challenge.” Nothing was out of Strim’s reach. Although he was in a position that most would have envied, he still wanted more and in 2002, he took part in an international cooking contest in Verona. “All the best chefs competed. I won the title of Chef of the Year ‘Chicco d’oro’ – it was amazing,” he enthuses. Circumstances were working in his favour. Strim’s culinary skills and flair had caught the eye of the president of the competition’s judges, who hailed from Japan.

One and a half years later, he called Strim to ask if he wanted to move to Japan to work in The Hamilton Hotel, a five-star property. “Imagine that – I was 23, from a small village in the mountains and I was being offered the chance to fly to Japan,” he laughs. “I worked in Tokyo for a while. From there I moved to Kyushu and after two and a half years I moved to Jumeirah Beach Hotel (Dubai hotel), where I’ve been for four years.” And yet, he’s still in love with the job. “Chefs have one of the best jobs on the planet because we make people happy. Well, we do if we’re doing it right,” he adds. “If you make people happy, it makes you happy.” It’s that simple then? Strim hesitates, “You have to find a balance between yourself and your job – a balance between your professional life and your home life. If you do this, you can find happiness. There’s so much to be motivated by, especially working in Dubai. You don’t just create food, you consider the aesthetics of a plate, look at current trends and what you can do to continually improve the outlets.” A staunch advocate of Jumeirah Hotels, he’s quick to emphasise that the group is a hospitality leader in Dubai.

This comes about from not always following the latest trend, but building up a loyal fan base from across the world who recognise the team’s dedication to what they do. Strim is also pragmatic about the future of the dining scene in the emirate and what’s necessary for continued development. “Dubai needs to explore more creativity without losing focus of the traditional heritage of food. We’re lucky here because we’re in a very good location for sourcing ingredients from all over the world – so why not experiment with things a little?” And does this experimentation extend to his kitchen at home? “I love cooking at home,” he says with a smile. My wife is Russian and will rustle up speciality cuisine when we fancy, but around 80% of the time, I’ll do the cooking.” Just more proof that as the years pass, Strim’s enthusiasm only increases, leaving us eager to see what this culinary achiever has up his sleeve for Jumeirah in the future.