GFDL/ Nevit Dilmen

Tired of roaming under the scorching heat in the sandy dunes of Dubai? Try sipping  an afternoon tea at any of the cafes on the streets of the city. The tea, that sounds like a basic drink comes  with a lot of delicacies that actually make your mouth water after doing some shopping inside the air conditioned malls or the sunlit streets. A seven course tea includes a glass of champagne, some sandwiches, sorbets, scones and salmon-en-croute followed by some petits or chocolates and French pastries along with a plate and a knife,  but no fork!

A few cafes offering delicious afternoon tea:

Ahlan Lounge

A cozy place situated on the Al Fahidi Street inside the Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa at Bur Dubai, Ahlan Lounge serves delicious tea along with some mouthwatering Starbucks, pastries, sandwiches and other snacks.

Address: Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa, Bur Dubai, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 351 9111

Al Fayrooz

Set on the Jumeirah Beach Road inside Al Qasr Hotel, Al Fayrooz hosts a lovely tea set along with some live music for  afternoon tea lovers. For  an unforgettable experience, try out the smoked salmon sandwich served here.

Address: Al Qasr Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 366 6730

Al Murjan

A simple yet stylish tea lounge located on the Al Sufouh Road inside the Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, Al Murjan serves carefully brewed tea along with delicious sandwiches, mini fruit scones, strawberry tart, pistachio torte, glazed pear flan and American chocolate cake.

Address: Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai Marina, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 399 5555

Dunkin Donuts

Decorated with melamine topped tables and black metal chairs placed in shiny grey tiled floors inside the cream and burgundy coloured walls hosting a shocking pink and orange logo, Dunkin Donuts is a place for all  members of the family. Serving some colourful delicacies topped with chocolate, double chocolate, apple, banana, blueberry, strawberry, lemon and coconut along with radiant yellow icing and bright orange or blazing green frosting in addition to brown smilies and stripes, the place is made to attract the kids.

Address: Karama, Trade Centre Road, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 397 9874

Lobby Lounge

With the late afternoon breeze swinging inside the cool and cozy ambience, Lobby Lounge is one of the popular places to enjoy afternoon tea with leisure.  Complete  with a beautiful view across the city, the place offers three deliciously different tea options, Arabic, traditional British and Chocolate, to choose from. Visit the place towards the end of the day to capture some stunning views of the sunset across the city.

Address: One&Only Royal Mirage, Al Sufouh Road, Jumeirah, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 399 9999

More

One of the most reasonably priced cafes located on the Al Doha Street inside the Dubai Mall, More is a famous venue for afternoon tea, business lunches and family get-togethers. The place also serves delicious brunch along with its hot tea and other food items on the menu.

Address: The Dubai Mall, Al Doha Street, Downtown Burj Khalifa, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 339 8934

Sahn Eddar

If you  stumble across this place, you are sure to spoil yourself! Located inside the magnificent Burj on the Jumeirah Beach Road, Sahn Eddar serves luscious and scrumptious tea along with a glass of champagne accompanied with some mouth watering delicacies that make your visit  worthwhile.

Address: Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 301 7600

Kambaa

Address: Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Marina, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 436 7777

Karat

Address: Dubai Mall, Al Doha Street, Downtown Burj Khalifa, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 438 8888

Leaves

Address: Grosvenor House Dubai, Al Sufouh Road, Dubai Marina, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 399 8888

Pearl Bar

Address: Le Méridien, Airport Road, Garhoud, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 217 0000

Raffles Salon

Address: Raffles, Sheikh Rashid Road, Oud Metha, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 314 9888

XVA Café

Address: XVA Art Hotel, Al Fahidi Street, Bur Dubai, Dubai
Tel. No: 04 353 5383

Always keep a sunscreen inside your handbag and if you are planning to work outdoors then it is advisable to apply it twice as the humidity and perspiration will diminish the effectiveness of the screen. Use Sunblock rather than sunscreen in a desert territory like Dubai, as it is stronger and offers protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Dermatologists recommend SPF 80 to SPF 100 for fairer skins whereas SPF 20 to 40 is adequate for children and dark complexioned people. Also, don’t forget the three steps to clean skin – Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize. This will help unclog the pores of your tired skin. It is a good idea to invest in a moisturizer that comes with a decent SPF factor.

If you are planning to apply makeup then opt for some light translucent one that will   prevent sweaty skin and allow it to breathe. Applying an SPF foundation before putting on the rest of your makeup would be ideal for your skin. Use of a proper lip gloss will prevent your lips from drying and will also make you look good. If you plan to visit a water park or are going to come in contact with water, try using waterproof mascara to avoid smudges around your eyes.

For your hair, use oil or leave-in conditioner before entering the swimming pool. Deep condition your hair at least once a week to prevent dry shafts due to chlorine treated waters. Try applying some lemon juice and then combing your hair, this will give an attractive sun-streaked look by lightening out the strands when out in the sun. Avoid using a blow dryer as it will make your hair dry.

Apply an exfoliating scrub in the bath to keep your feet soft. Also, application of a foot cream before going to bed helps revitalize your feet. Avoid wearing flip flops and sandals as they render your feet to the callous rays of the sun, thereby making your feet dark and hard.

Also, eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables will do wonders to your skin and body, and drinking a lot of water everyday radiates a natural healthy glow on your face.

Just a walk inside any of the restaurants or cafés would offer you a sumptuous Easter lunch or dinner in the afternoon or late evening. For some swanky celebrations, hit the Easter market with your loved ones and you will discover some amusement for all the family. The enthusiastic kid’s zone offers all the enjoyable activities like making Easter cards, decorating Easter eggs or ceramic painting, based on the Easter theme, go on and get creative, the best ones even get a chance to meet the Easter Bunny! The Cheeky Bonbon is a new attraction and offers all the traditional English sweets to eat out there or take back home. Apart from this, there are more than 75 fascinating stalls exhibiting the latest summer fashion. So whether it’s original art, jewelry or other unique accessories you are after, you can find them all among the stalls erected inside the impressive Easter market.

A few of different options for kids are:

Kids Island Nursery:
For kids aged between 2-5 years old, Kids Island Nursery offers a beautifully creative fun filled ground for boys and girls. The camp includes a number of art and craft activities, storytelling,  as well as singing and dancing lessons.

Favorite Things:
Starts from 4th April to 15th April, Favorite things camp is situated in the Dubai Marina Mall. The camp offers a variety of interesting activities such as art and craft, puppet shows, story telling, magicians, cookery classes and different types of fascinating science sessions. The camp also includes free access to the play area and lunch.

Science Camp:
This is a place for kids who love science. This is a five days camp for children from 5 to 12 years, who would love to build a bridge or explore some crazy chemistry experiment. The camp starts from 4th April to 8th April. The second session is from 11th April to 15th April.

Active Sports Academy:
The Regent International School and Pharaoh’s Club attract kids for the participation of different activities such as arts and crafts, karaoke, painting, yoga, gymnastics, drama, swimming and lot more.

Football Camp:
Held at the Wellington International School, Football Camp is for kids who appreciate the game. Starts from 4th April to 8th April, all the coaching sessions are managed by EA Sports. Kids are made to concentrate on different skills, drills and competitions.

Clark Francis Tennis:
All the young tennis lovers can spoil themselves by playing their favorite sport in between 4th April to 8th April and from 11th April to 15th April, at the Aviation Club. The camp includes fitness training, lessons in coordination and team games. The very young players are also allowed to play matches. Children in between 4 to 14 years are allowed to attend the camp.

Finishing Touch:
Held at the knowledge village, the Finishing Touch camp concentrates in improving the kids’ confidence, body language and posture along with restraining rude behavior. Furthermore, the camp also teaches the kids how to eat with a knife and fork, to eat difficult food easily and quietly, and to address invitation notes or thank you notes. The camp starts from 1st April and lasts till 10th April and is for kids aged between 7-12 years.

Jumeirah Beach Park

Jumeirah Beach Park is the first beach park in Dubai and is one of best known beaches in Dubai with crystal white sand and turquoise blue water. Actually it’s a single soft unending carpet of sand dispersed with hotels, clubs and public access areas. The beach park is an ideal location for people of all ages as a picnic spot with kid’s recreation area, games area and restaurants / food courts jewelling the area. For a family picnic you can get together at the picnic tables, have a small barbecue, children can play at the kid’s area while you can relax or swim at the beachfront. Alert lifeguards, special swimming pools and showers are available whenever you are in the mood to swim. There’s even a small amphitheatre to showcase live musical or stage performances. Palm promenades and small wooden seats complete the picturesque view. If you want to visit this God gifted marvelous place, then Dubai government charges Dhs 2 per person or Dhs 20 per vehicle. The park is open from 8.00am to 9.00pm daily with Saturday’s and Sunday’s especially reserved for women and children.

Al Mazmar Beach Park

The conceptualization behind Palm Islands, World Islands have always surprised us and the same idea takes over behind the construction of the man made Al Mazmar Beach Park. An all-in-one beach projects its amusement, relaxation and pleasure all at one place. Covering 106 hectares its includes huge expanses of green coverage, an amphitheatre, numerous swimming pools, kid’s play areas, picnic and barbecue spots, lagoons and several beaches served by alert lifeguards and all the necessary luxury options. Al Mazmar Beach Park is not just about lazing at the beaches or playing watersports but also includes enjoying the different green zones, relaxing under the trees, laying out the picnic basket, flying the kites or playing football. Colors merge together at the Al Mazmar Beach Park which is open from 8.00am to 11.00pm daily except Thursday’s and Friday’s. Wednesday’s are reserved for women and children.

Apart from shopping, entertainment activities are also available in plenty where visitors from the nearby countries are expected to be a part of the live performances, regional events, Dubai International Jazz festival, etc. that are listed during this period.
By means of various main events at the festival, many cash prizes and Luxury cars can be won. Not only this, the Dubai Festival is believed to have a weight loss conference for the fitness freaks and a Fashion festival for all fashion enthusiasts.
During the festive period, you can relish the mouth watering food festival amid the best of regional and international cuisines, shop and witness Chinese Flying Poles, The Waterway of Lights, the Art of Fire and Human Canonball.

Here is the schedule of the major events of DSF in brief:

1) DSF Family Desert Camp by ‘Watani’: It is an outdoor event where families and visitors can rent tents for some days to enjoy the number of amusing activities planned during that phase, for e.g.: camel rides, quad bikes, horse riding, barbecue facilities, souks, handicrafts, and other traditional products. For children, the rides zone, entertainment shows and outing has been made accessible.
Date: 28th January to 28th February 2010
Time: 24 hours
Venue: Al Warqa 4 Area

2) Carpet Oasis: As the name suggests, here you can get the best of the carpets in the middle of the trade fair, which is indeed a must see for those with an inclination for culture and history. Spanned across thousands of square meters area, it exhibit products from places like Iran, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan.
Date: 28th January to 28th February 2010
Time: Saturday to Thursday: 10:00am to 10:00pm, Friday: 4pm to 11:30pm
Venue: Dubai Airport Expo – West Hall

3) Watani Kids Camp: It is particularly meant for children, kind of a special camp just for kids, where Watani supports fun and entertainment. It is a boon particularly for those who are on a travel to Dubai during this period along with their children. By means of this watani camp, their kids too can have some great experience, while they themselves can take pleasure in shopping and other activities.
Date: 30th January to 13th February 2010
Time: 8:30am to 1:30pm
Venue: Al Warqa 4 Area

4) Skywards Dubai International Jazz Festival: It is a festival that brings the local, regional, and international jazz artists together into two sub-events this year, where people with love for art and music can enjoy in the midst of some of the best known names in the jazz.

World of Jazz
Date: 3rd to 9th February 2010
Time: 8:30pm & 10:30pm
Venue: The Walk at JBR

Jazz Festival
Date: 10th to 19th February 2010
Time: 10th February to 16th February: 8:30pm – 11:00pm, 17th February to 19th February: 6:00pm to 12:00 midnight
Venue: Dubai Media City

5) Gulf Bike Festival 2010: You can enjoy free style bike demonstrations and stunt shows at the Gulf Bike Week during the jovial period of the festival on two wheels. The event provides an ideal lifestyle environment for music fans, sports enthusiasts, and thrill seekers of all ethnicity and age group.
Date: 4th to 6th February 2010
Time: 4th February: 2:00pm to 11:30pm, 5th to 6th February: 12:00pm to 8:00pm
Venue: Dubai Festival City

6) The 9th Traditional Poetry Forum: The forum is infact a great platform under the Patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, where the poets can get pleasure from the Forum chiefly designed for them, that will certainly bring cultures together.
Date: 13th to 18th February 2010
Time: 7:30pm onwards
Venue: Dubai International Convention and Exhibition – Parking C

7) Kuwaiti Play ‘Bu Sara Fe Al Omara’
Date: 25th – 28th February
Time: 8:30pm – 11:30pm
Venue: H.H. Sheikh Rashid Auditorium – Indian High School

Visitors on the Costa Cruise can bathe inside the natural pools at the Hatta, a halt before Al-Bastakiya district. Also, the cruise boosts a tempting Trattoris Buffet inside its beautiful terrace. The other excursions of the Costa Cruises include a tour of the main centre of Dubai, the Dubai Heritage tour and a boat spree to the artificial Palm Islands. Furthermore, the adventure lovers can hop into the 4X4 Dune Drive Safari. Costa cruise features stylish rooms adorned with warm colours and cozy bedrooms that ensure a comfortable living. On entering, the Costa Classica you will be welcomed by a grand statue created by Arnaldo Pomodoro. There is a Piazza Navona dedicated for socializing and meeting and the Puccini Ballroom is a fantastic dancing room. Evenings can be spent inside the Colosseo Theatre that ensures a complete entertainment.

Relaxation during your holiday can be achieved inside the Dubai Dhow Cruise. The dhow is generally made of wood and is used mostly for fishing. An evening on the cruise with the cool wind and the silence spread across the creek is sure to calm down the stress and relax your mind. The boat operators take you to a beautiful spot where a stunning contrast between Deira and Bur Dubai is recognized smoothly across the water strip of the Dubai Creek, wherein one side boosts the modern side of Dubai while the other side preserves the calmness of the Arab land. Also, the belly dancing performed by the belly dancers is sure to entertain you.

If you wish to hire a cruise from Dubai to explore Muscat, Bahrain or Abu Dhabi then Costa Luminosa, Costa Deliziosa, Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas and Panorama are a few of the options. Generally a 2 nights stay over, the cruises start and end at the marvelous city of Dubai. The route followed is first Muscat, then Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and back to Dubai. Travel from Dubai to Muscat on weekly basis can be enjoyed by the passengers of the Arabian Sea Cruise.

The Jewels of the Emirates Cruise and Dubai and the Emirates Cruise offer 7 nights’ cruises taking you to a trip to Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain along with a night in Dubai at the start and end of your journey. Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas also boosts a 7 night trip around Muscat, Oman, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, starting and ending at Dubai. The Costa Classica also offers a 7 night trip. The tour includes a halt at Muscat, Oman, Bahrain, Fujairah and Abu Dhabi along with 2 night’s stay in Dubai. A 10 night trip around Dubai can be enjoyed in the Silver Whisper by SilverSea Cruises. You can enjoy a trip to Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Muscat, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.

Almost all the cruises start from the Dubai Cruise Terminal at the Port Rashid. The best time to enjoy the Dubai Cruises is in winter, though autumn and spring are also at hand.

Online Cruise booking is available at TravelAgents.com

All the shops are open from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 5:00 pm till 7:00 pm, except for Thursdays and Fridays when they are open in the afternoons as well. The best time to turn up here is in the late afternoon when the souks are jam-packed completely, but if you are interested to ought some leisure shopping then these evenings are to be avoided.

Gold Souk

Gold Souk
People with fondness for gold can shop along the narrow streets of Dubai lined with glittering windows, where 22 and 24 carat gold is offered in plenty. One can easily get confused where to begin as the whole market is crammed with dazzling gold shops. Be it gold brooches, ear rings, bangles, rings or necklaces, one can find each and every window adorned with gold ornaments and artifacts. None of the jewelry is less than 18 carat and the prices offered here are much lower than most other parts of the world.

Souk Madinat Jumeirah
A rich and brightly colored market, Souk Madinat Jumeirah hosts a bazaar-like atmosphere in its zigzag and roundabout paths. You just bounce in the lively trade and interactive culture that no doubt gives you an altogether different shopping experience. Popular for unique brands and crafts you can hear women and craftsmen at work along with tempting coffee aroma, coming from the various cafes and restaurants, while strolling off the souk.

Spice Souk

Spice Souk
Toss up into a variety of spices and fragrance from the shisha and frankincence to the different herbs used in South Asian and Arabic food inside the souk market that houses a collection of spices commonly used. Also, textiles, rugs, incense and other artifacts are also sold here. Bargaining is something that you ought not to forget to do here!

Fish Market
A worth trip for a few clicks to show it out to your loved ones, the Fish Market features a variety of seafood options. Market smell herein is filled with fish sellers that trade and bargain over the prices of fresh fish and spices too. A seafood restaurant and museum is also there inside that caters to the tastes of fish lovers.

Textile Souk

Textile Souk
Stroll off through the trove of textiles, shades, dyes, textures, knits and laces inside the textile souk adorned with gleaming threads, velvets and silks. There is a never ending choice for the shoppers and the prices are negotiable. Also, sales are put up on frequent basis.

Meena Bazaar
A popular place among the tourists, Meena Bazaar is filled in with ladies and gents clothing, jewelry and fashion shops. The market also has a few restaurants, takeaways and much more.

Perfume Souk

Perfume Souk
Fling yourself into the aroma of local and international perfumes available at the variety of shops in the Perfume Souk. Incense sticks and oily scents are also available there in abundance.

Souk Al Bahar
A perfect blend of the old and new, the Souk Al Bahar showcase crisscross passages, big pergolas and calm spots that overlook the tallest Burj Dubai.

If at all you are new in Dubai, do not worry as most of the taxi drivers here know the souks and can drop you there at a reasonable fare. And if you have lots of time and want to wander around the city then hire an available public transport .

DDF Airport Shopping

If Dubai well known in the tourism industry that is because it of the tax free shopping benefits it offers to its visitors. Dubai Duty Free is one such shopping sanctuary that caters to all kinds of shoppers with its wide-ranging quality products from leather goods to electronics.

Located at the Sheikh Rashid Terminal of Dubai International Airport it covers a huge space of 15,000 square meters doubling the retail space, which the airport previously proffered. Since its establishment in 1983 it has received more than 150 global awards and amongst them the prestigious ones are ‘Best Duty Free Shops’ from Business Traveler magazine, five time winner ‘Airport Retailer of the Year’ presented in Cannes and the one from Global Traveler Award in 2008.

Recently in 2008, it celebrated its 25^th anniversary on 20^th December which was a testimonial to its business that grew from 20 million USD in 1984 to 1.1 billion USD in 2008. The anniversary was celebrated in a variety of ways including the publication of its book ‘Fly Buy Dubai’ (its motto) which delves into the intricacies duty free shopping industry. It doubled up its retail space by inaugurating the new Emirates Terminal 3 in 2008.

Shopping at DDF (Dubai Duty Free) is an extremely enthralling experience due to the highly optimistic rates it offers on its quality products which no other retailer in the world is known to propose.

DDF Tobbaco Store

Some of the products that DDF is known best for:

1. Liquor and Tobacco
2. Perfumery
3. Ladies Designer Clothing:
4. Sunglasses
5. Men’s Designer Clothing
6. Sports Wear
7. Food Items
8. Gifts
9. Tapes, CD’s, DVD’s
10. Crystal ware
11. Leather Goods
12. Toys
13. Books

DDF constantly promotes Dubai tourism through a series of events that not only provides visitors a chance to participate in world class celebrations, but if luck favors they could also win various prizes that runs into millions of dollars.

DDF horse racing

Upcoming events for the year 2009 are:

DDF Shergar Cup 2009 (jockey championships)
8 August 2009 – 8 August 2009

Dubai Duty Free UGA Seniors Cup (golf championships for elders)
5 September 2009 – 5 September 2009

13th Dubai Duty Free International Raceday (Raceday sponsored by Dubai Duty Free)
18 September 2009 – 19 September 2009

Dubai Rugby 7s (rugby championships)
3 November 2009 – 5 November 2009

Dubai Airshow 2009 (air show with aviators displaying flying skills)
15 November 2009 – 19 November 2009

MEDFA Conference (Middle East Duty Free Association conference)
23 November 2009 – 24 November 2009

17th Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup (golf championships at The Montgomerie and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club)
25 November 2009 – 26 November 2009

Dubai Ladies Masters (golf championships for ladies)
7 December 2009 – 13 December 2009

6th Dubai International Film Festival (Film festival)
9 December 2009 – 16 December 2009

DDF GRand Prix-Offshore Powerboat Race (powerboat race championships)
11 December 2009 – 12 December 2009

Dubai Duty Free 26th Anniversary (DDF’s 26the anniversary celebrations)
20 December 2009 – 20 December 2009

Contact DDF at:
Tel: +971 4 2162453
Fax: +971 4 2244164
Toll Free: 8004443 (UAE)

The Sony Ericsson building at Dubai Internet City (CC/Sujit Sivanand)

Today, Dubai Internet City has become centre stage for the IT industry with every known IT company having its head office or regional branch located here. That’s because of the strategic location of Dubai, Middle East which is easily accessible from all corners of the earth and has very young and vibrant population that is equally learned and technology savvy. The potential growth for IT sector in Dubai is enormous due to the construction of Dubai Internet City. More than 600 IT companies employing about 11 thousand staff have their branches in Dubai Internet City making it the largest managed body in the world that encompasses most of the global ICT companies under one roof. Companies like mobile manufacturing i-Mate have moved their entire operation from Scotland to Dubai. Even companies like Fujitsu Siemens have profited by opening their regional offices here.

The Dubai Internet City was inaugurated in October 2000 to create a common base where various ICT companies from wide range of sectors, could operate from. The campus has been developed in such a way that it creates ample opportunities for networking and channel development between partners and probable partners with a chance to develop new ideas and explore newer grounds.

Dubai Internet City is a free trade zone which incorporates Dubai Media City and Knowledge Village all within close proximity to each other. Dubai Media City has been specially established for media related businesses while Knowledge Village is a learning community. A free trade zone presents unique opportunities like 100% ownership, 100% tax free, Capital Mobility, Easy Licensing, Cyber Regulations and Protection of IP which every IT company dreams of.

If companies just want to test the settings of Dubai Internet City then they could hire a temporary office with all available facilities. A fully serviced package includes temporary offices, office services, free research data, IT/Telecom services, conference facilities, trouble free licensing and quick visa processing. Dubai Internet City offers technology that is above par then the rest of the word including smart buildings, IP telephony, Call Centre solutions, LAN/WAN technologies, Broadband internet, leased circuits, VPN and Wi-FI and Frame Relay & ATM Hosting. Other support facilities like world renowned restaurants and branches of global banks  encourages team bonding within the company and outside partners alongside providing all necessary facilities at a near reach.