anexpatabroad

“To travel is to live.” Hans Christian Andersen

Hotel Brett has been at full capacity over the last few weeks and I am practically on first name terms with the girls at the laundry, who have a little giggle as I haul yet more bed linen through their door ‘More visitors, ma’am?.” Things have quietened down over the last few days as it’s just the eldest here now on his month-long post university vacation before the real world beckons and his full-time working career starts in late July (eek). His partner in crime (mate and uni housemate is probably a better description), lets call him M for short, came for the first ten days, returning to the UK on Sunday after a whirlwind, non-stop visit hitting the tourist trail, hard, fast and continuously. They pretty much smashed the Brett Tours itinerary to pieces and added in some age appropriate highlights of their own (pool parties, quad biking etc).

 The first of many selfies on the plane from Heathrow to Abu Dhabi

If M thought his holiday would be a peaceful affair staying with his friends parents, he was quite mistaken and on the night they landed we hit the rooftop bar Skylite at the top of the Yas Viceroy Hotel for cocktails under the stars and things just continued on in that vein really. There was pool parties, sunrises on the beach, many boat days (wakeboarding added to his skill set), Dubai trips, tallest towers, posh hotels, aquariums, a water park, gym sessions, shisha, beach days, F1 track cycling, Desert Tours, camel riding, quad bikes, belly dancing, cocktail hours, Brazilian meat feasts, panoramic views, Ibiza-esq beach parties to name a few as well as different cuisines (even a bit of home cooking in between the madness) thrown in for good measure. Here’s a snippet of their trip in photos and **warning** there maybe a selfie or two!

Boat Days

Think there was some fluorescent paint flying about at the Liquid Rain Pool Party at the Aloft Hotel

Souk Madinat Jumeriah with a backdrop of the Burj Al Arab Hotel

Dubai Tourists 

Under the shadow of the Burj Khalifa at sunset in Downtown DubaiTrying out the new Fortnum and Mason and its vista across Downtown Dubai (Read more here)

Relaxing at the Sandbar near Bahrani Island

Cycling the Abu Dhabi F1 Track at Train Yas

A quick photograph break in-between Dune Bashing in the Desert 

Shameless Dune Selfie

Camel Riding

Thursday night Mojitos at the Havana Club in the Emirates Palace Hotel

Posing at the Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE Pool/beach Party

Final boat day selfie before another meat feast at local authentic restaurant Lebanese Flower

Cuddly Camel Souvenirs 

The view from Hotel Brett courtesy of M

I can safely say that M has definitely gone away with some new sayings courtesy of the other half and our Kiwi friend and the feeling that Abu Dhabi was undersold but massively over delivered! Sign of a good holiday I would say and he has gone home for some R & R! Bless his cottons, his departing gift was a fabulous bouquet of Mamma B’s favourite flowers, what a sweet boy!

Beautiful bouquet of Thank You flowers

Unless otherwise stated, all photos on this page © Jo Brett 2014. All rights reserved.