Tag Archives: Expat mums in Dubai
SensAsia Urban Spa | Eve Lom Cleansing Facial | A little taste of Thailand in Dubai
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If you are in Dubai this July and August, and you have been reading our travel features in Phuket, you might want to treat yourself to a little taste of Thailand at one of SOTP’s favourite spa in Dubai, SensAsia Urban Spa.
What we tried: The Eve Lom Ultimate Cleanse
Time: 1 hour
Price: AED540
Therapist: Anna
Thoughts: I haven’t let anyone give me a facial in Dubai in 5 years after a horrific experience at a spa (we won’t name and shame them) that I haven’t been back since. I normally just have some botox at my husband’s clinic but since I am still breast feeding so that isn’t an option right now and my skin has been looking more tired and dull after 4 children. Looking for an alternative I decided to give my trusted spa a try. I think the quality of treatments at SensAsia Urban Spa are great, built on a strong foundation as the owner, Salina Handa, grew up in Thailand, and she has such a lovely and simple philosophy to her brand. The treatment was a lovely cleanse using Eve Lom products and a deep clean with 2 masks applied to the face. Anna was light handed and the treatment was relaxing.
Results: My dull skin after all the hormonal changes from having a baby was brighter and cleaner. It wasn’t a glow as such but my skin definitely looked better – I even got my plastic surgeon husband to judge it and it had his approval! Believe it or not, but I will be back.
Top tip: Ask for Anna – she is a really great and experienced therapist for facials.
Special offers: If a facial is not for you, you can treat yourself to a massage at 40% off the regular prices. A 60-minute Balinese massage normally priced at AED399 is only AED279 until 31 August 2015. These prices only apply to certain signature massages that are booked between 10am and 4pm.
SensAsia Urban Spa has four locations, The Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Golf Club, Souk Al Manzil Downtown Dubai, The Village. For more information about the spa and locations go to www.sensasiaspas.com
One&Only Reethi Rah | Maldives | Review No. 1 of 2
Travel to One&Only Reethi Rah
We were looking for a short break away from Dubai. Travelling with four children who are six years and below including our 10-month old baby, 4 nights and no extra help is a logistical challenge so to make things a little easier we chose a destination relatively close to Dubai.
We wanted quality time with the children with little stress, and we decided a manageable 4 hour flight from Dubai to Male, and a 40 minute boat ride was a trip we could survive. The relatively short travel time from the capital of Male to Reethi Rah made the Island a winner as we didn’t want to get on a seaplane with a 10-month old baby. After careful considerations, our preferred choice for travel with our young brood was to return to one of our favourite islands, One&Only Reethi Rah, an island famous for its beauty, service and its own A-list celebrity following.
One&Only Reethi Rah
Reethi Rah is the largest island in the Maldives, with the second part of the island built on reclaimed land when the One&Only group took it over 10 years ago. The Island recently celebrated its 10th birthday, and it saw the departure of their last GM, but with a new decade saw the welcoming of a new General Manager, Jean-Luc Naret, a popular decision, and it is believed that he will bring fresh life and innovative ideas to the island. Jean-Luc had been between 1990 – 1995 General Manager at the One&Only Le Saint Geran, and taken prominent roles with renown hotels in the world, and now has returned back to the One&Only’s group fold.
The Island is normally a sanctuary for my husband and me to escape to without the children, and this year we wanted to bring all four children to the island, and making the trip all about them. ie. no proper downtime, no lie-ins in the mornings but nevertheless we knew it would be fun.
Villas for families
We went in low season, which is more affordable for a family of 6, as our family combination requires two villas – which are currently not attached together (if you are a family of 4, one villa will be sufficient), and occasionally we did get caught out by the passing monsoons, but the children had fun with Mama in one villa and Papa in another villa running between the villas in the rain which is not a common phenomenon for us in Dubai. The joint villas have one swimming pool, and the villas allocated to us were located on one of the quieter bays so the children could swim safely. Rooms are well-kept and turn down service was great as we had managed to cover the room with sand during the day, and every morning our personal Butler would come to breakfast to give us the day’s briefing on the Island and to organise any wants or wishes.
Despite being low season, the resort was still busy creating a great atmosphere at meal times, and we still had to book our cabana on the beach everyday at ClubOne – an area of the island that we just loved where we spent the majority of our time.
Food
The service is impeccable – ordering for 4 children is always a challenge as we prefer healthy options if organic options are not always available. The children loved the food that they ordered as the menu is vast and the resort does go that extra mile to help us prepare foods to the children’s taste. The benefit of choosing Reethi Rah is the large island can afford to have more expansive room service menus and restaurants including their own Japanese restaurant Tapasake with private teppanyaki tables, an organic Chef’s Garden Restaurant, an outdoor pizza oven are just to name a few, and more importantly, a well-planned children’s menu including blended receipes for toddlers that mums can put together according to their choice and a kids’ corner for breakfast. To my delight there was also some organic offering on the children’s menu. Jean-Luc, the new GM previously held a role as Directeur General for the Michelin Guides Worldwide so we will be expecting even more exciting food offerings in the months to come.
Our favourite restaurant would be main dining for breakfast, lunch on the beach at Club One, followed by dinner in the Chef’s Garden, a locally and organically produced menu that is just delightful.
Check out our post on Reethi Rah about activities on the Island and what the children got up to.
For more information please go to the link One&Only Reethi Rah
Or book with Lightfoot Travel, a luxury travel operator that might get you an even better deal. www.lightfoottravel.com
Travel Ideas | Kids travelling in style with Beatrix NY
How to carry children’s stuff
Most mothers are getting jittery about what to pack, what to carry, and how to entertain kids on long travels. We love Beatrix NY because their bags are light weight, and foldable, and my children don’t mind having it on their backs. Beatrix NY is also a favourite with celebrity families such as Victoria and David Beckham’s daughter Harper and Katie Holmes’, Suri Cruise. We are heading out to the Far East so we need to ensure that the kids have water bottles in hand for the heat, and they can carry their own, plus one or two toys on board to amuse them at the airport. Also, when you are walking around the resorts/cities that we will also feature this summer, the bags come in handy for the children to stuff their choice of toys to term them to keep them entertained on car journeys and at restaurants. Then, come September these items are useful as part of your ‘Back to School’ kit especially the brilliant cozy can water bottles that look like cans which my children love the novelty of.
If you are in the mad rush you can purchase them online www.babysouk.com or instore at Hamleys UAE Dubai Mall and Mirfiff City Centre and all Dbabies Stores and Bumble Bee Dubai Mall.
What to stuff inside these bags
We have have started purchasing reading books for my soon-to-be FS2 daughter as she is keen just to blend a few words like ‘cat, sat and mat’, and Papa has the duty to do some Italian flashcards with the children. Usborne is a pretty recognised brand that produces affordable books and educational games to bring along on holiday, and these items can be purchased as Book World in Dubai Mall, Bookworm Stores, and Borders.