An Emirati Kinda Wedding - 1/2

A destination wedding experience and an ultimate getaway. 

Got an Emirati wedding invites and didn't let it slip through my fingers as it might be the last opportunity I had to experience such wedding. 

That being said, I was provided with 2 nights accommodation at St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort inclusive of breakfast and any meals/beverages that aren't part of the wedding banquet – all paid by the bride and groom. A life no ordinary person would ever be able to afford.

The Hotel

The beach front hotel is located on the pristine beach of Saadiyat Island and framed by the prestigious Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi. 

St Regis is the most bespoke resort on the Saadiyat Island.

A buffet dinner with the bride and groom and their whole clan, I assumed it was a rehearsal dinner, was held the night before the wedding banquet, the first night on the island. It was set up near the hotel lobby lounge on the 3rd level, conveniently few steps from my room. The thing about dining in a posh place and rubbing noses shoulders with well off Emiratis IS you can't just whip out your phone and snap what's on your dinner plate.

The Room

Alone in the room, the feels of it evoked nostalgic memories of weekend hotel holidays, especially when I wanted a coffee and got no clue how Nespresso machine works, wish I had paid more attention when someoNe made me a coffee over a Nespresso machine. Anyway, let me tour you around my lavishly appointed room. 

Here comes my comfy bed

Behind the table is a door and a shoe rack facing the cupboard

the telephone desk where I call my Butler service

Below the TV is the mini bar and behind it is a spacious double vanity bathroom; left door to the loo; right door to the tub

the bathroom with Remède bath amenities, from the toilet side, Shower in the middle and Tub at the far end

The bathroom with Remède bath amenities; from the Tub side, Shower in the middle, and Loo at the far end

The Butler assigned to me was kind enough to make me a bubble bath a la St Regis

Had to do this, LOL

View from the bath tub

My room has its own private balcony, offering a glimpse of captivating views of the bluest sea and beyond while enjoying a cup of tea, couldn't make me a coffee coz you-know-why

view from my private balcony

for the love of salmon, I ordered room service

The Hotel Interior and The Beach

Buffet breakfast the best and my fave is located on the level one of the hotel with panoramic view of the ocean and beyond, it features cooking stations where staff await guests' every whim. It has indoors and alfresco options and a very relaxing dining experience with local, mediterranean, international menu... superb choices for anyone's taste to enjoy. Again, the thing about dining in a posh place and....

So let's roam around the hotel and beach, shall we? A certain mystique surrounds the hotel due to the Mediterranean architecture and contemporary interior design...

And I can't get over the hotel's turquoise ocean view... breathtakingly stunning! It was super blue and beautiful out there.

Up next: The Wedding Banquet

5 Days in God's Own Country (Kerala, India)

India. When we say India, we think about Taj Mahal, Gandhi, snake charmers, elephants... we could go on and on but God's Own Country? It's something new!

In Dubai, the place in India you keep hearing about is Kerala because most of the Indians here are from that place. Kerala is located in the southwestern edge of the Indian subcontinent and it's worth exploring.

Happy that I had the chance to visit this place for 5 days because 

"The deeper you go into the country, the further back in time. The REAL India, the way it is, not the way perhaps like to be or pretend to be."

Day 1:  The building in where I stayed and the views around it.

Day 2:  Somewhere in Ernakulam

 Day 3:  Fort Kochi and its Chinese fishing net; Portuguese-Dutch Palace in Mattancherry

Day 4:  Impressive views in Munnar - waterfalls, tea plantation, eucalyptus tree, mountains, lake and all things green. A step closer to nature.

 Day 5: Wonderla Amusement park in Kochi - all the thrillers, water or land based rides and everything's fun! 

 and me stepping closer to nature saying Namaste Hindustan! ;-)

Around the Globe in ONE night

How is that possible?

Remember, Dubai is known for making impossible things possible... so, voilà !

Since I didn’t get to travel on Eid holidays (wasted 5 days, I know..), I revisited the Global Village after 7 years. Went there at night of October 15. Changes are not so much but I got to experience riding an Indian rickshaw. I know my rickshaw driver was happy having me us his passenger, he didn’t need to put so much effort pedaling as my weight won’t add much to whatever he was “carrying”. I feel sorry for those with 4 or more heavy passengers... *sighs* C’est la vie.

Anyway, China and India pavilions still look fab and grand as they were before.. 

Le Me in rickshaw. Then the India and China pavilions.

And Egypt pavilion? The pyramids are stunning. While Afghanistan pavilion is beyond expectation (sorry no "decent" photo of it). Turkey pavilion made me miss Istanbul. I ended up buying and eating grilled kestane (chestnut) and süt mısır (milk corn)... it was actually the food stand outside the pavilion that made me miss Istanbul, LOL.

The façade of the Global Village. Then the Turkey & Egypt pavilions.

I got to see the display of fireworks at the Global Village. Oh and Italy, France, etc pavilions are nice too but I didn’t get to take photos that much. My phone wasn’t working that time and the one I was using for taking photos wasn't reliable at all plus the fact that I was with my sister fambam and her in-laws, in short, I was with an infant and some oldies so you know it was really quick visit..  

That's all for now... Later ;)