With the temperature quickly rising, I often find myself thinking about new summer destinations. It has been only a month since we had a beach getaway in Thailand, but discovering what UAE has to offer other than the popular choices like Jumeirah Beach and Jebel Hafeet excites me. And last weekend, we found a perfect summer hideaway.
Ed and I had a sweet escape in Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort. Where? Jebel Dhanna in Al Ruwais. Huh? Well, that's actually me when I first heard about the 5-star resort in the Western Region. I immediately googled and check its location on the map. Gosh! It's 4 hours away from Dubai by car. Since we don't drive, we should take the inter-Emirate bus and that would take us around 5 hours to get there.
But that's the beauty of it. It is nestled in a land far far away... far from the city, far from the noise, far from my workplace, far from anything else that matters in my daily grind. Sounds like a superb escape plan, right?
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Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort is a 5-star propery with 800 meters of pristine white sand beach located off the beaten track. It is in a sleepy town of Al Ruwais, a boat ride away from the wildlife of Sir Bani Yas island.
We arrived at the resort after enduring almost five hours of road trip; 2 hours in the bus to Abu Dhabi and 2.5 hours in the hotel transportation from the capital's main terminal. I can't describe how happy I was when I finally heard the driver said "We're here!".
We arrived at the resort after enduring almost five hours of road trip; 2 hours in the bus to Abu Dhabi and 2.5 hours in the hotel transportation from the capital's main terminal. I can't describe how happy I was when I finally heard the driver said "We're here!".
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| Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort |
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| Who would have thought that this property was built 10 years ago? It is well-taken care of! |
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| Stylish, contemporary and decked with lovely paintings! |
Two hours after, I found myself in the beach thinking about nothing else but how blessed I am to be there. It is totally worth every second of the long journey!
So, here's a reminder: If ever you take the off the beaten track to Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort and you feel quite bored along the way, here are 11 things to look forward to.
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1. The Warm Hospitality
Customer service is impeccable at Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort. A staff offered cold towels and welcome drinks as soon as we arrived at the reception. It was just what I needed! Then, we were pleasantly surprised when we were escorted to our room right after check-in. Most hotels in the UAE don't do that, or maybe just the ones we have been to. The hotel staff are authentically friendly rather than merely polite. Everyone's smiling, and for me, that's definitely the best way lighten up the mood of the guests.
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| refreshment while checking-in |
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| the welcome fruit platter |
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| Cheers to a happy weekend! |
2. Spacious Room Offering the Utmost Comfort
Ed and I spent a night in a deluxe room with a dream-inducing king size bed. It is so snuggly that we'd rather sleep than watch the sunrise! A big bonus is the pillow menu. Cozy pillows are provided, but to ensure comfort, guests are given alternative options like Feather Pillow and Hypoallergenic Pillow. The mosaic-tiled private bath is spacious and complete with amenities. The toiletries, by the way, are organic. So, that's another plus point!
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| The Deluxe King Room |
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| One neck support pillow please! :) |
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| vintage meets contemporary |
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| organic bath set |
3. The Stunning View
All rooms in Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort are facing the glorious Arabian Gulf. Our room has a window that opens towards the ocean, offering stunning view of the white sand beach, the manicured garden, and the outdoor pool. I often find my husband standing by the window with his camera. I couldn't blame him. The view is so beautiful not to capture.
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| There he is... by the window time and again! |
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| unobstructed view of the beach from our room |
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| I couldn't think of other words to describe it than "stunning"! |
4. Quiet Time at the Pristine Beach
I found serenity at Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort's 800m private beach! I wasted time walking in the powdery sands, frolicking in the clear blue waters (the clearest I have ever seen in the UAE), and lazing in the sun bed. But as they say, time wasted at the beach is time well-spent. :) The resort has a lot of activities for the guests, hence there were moments when we had the beach for ourselves, and that made us more oblivious to the world.
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| frolic in the sun |
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| where I'd rather be as I type this blog post ;) |
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| private and pristine |
5. Barbecue Lunch by the Sea
For our weekend lunch, we went to an idyllic beach cabana serving fresh-off-the-grill meat and vegetables along with a good selection of starters and desserts. I devoured richly-flavoured lamb chops and saucy bbq chicken in a table meters away from the lapping waves. How perfect is that?
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| Barbecue feast! |
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| lunch buffet by the shore |
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| Barbecue. Beach. Beyond compare! |
6. The Golden Sunset
I have this thing for sunsets. When the sky turns golden, I am left without a choice but to succumb to the calmness... and the romance! The privacy that Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort offers made our sunset viewing more exceptional. It has a very intimate setting - no crowd, no noise, just me and Ed and few guests who were taking stroll along the shimmering coastline. That moment was beautiful. I must say, Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort is an ideal destination for sweet escapes!
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| Sunset and Sweet Escape is a perfect combo, isn't it? |
7. Indoor and Outdoor Fun
Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort has a recreation club that offers fun activities for guests of all ages. Indoor, there's a fitness center, steam and sauna rooms for the adults and a play area for the kids. Dotted around the property are outdoor activities - a squash court, a temperature controlled swimming pool, a giant chess board, a playground, and non motorized water sports. We went kayaking for the first time and we had a whole lot of fun! If only we had enough time, we could have asked the resort to arrange a trip to Sir Bani Yas island. Well, maybe next time.
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| Kayaking! Ed did all the work while I sat pretty! :) |
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| giant chess board |
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| kids play area |
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| a well-equipped fitness center |
8. Relaxing Massage at Body & Soul
A relaxed vacation is incomplete without a therapeutic massage, hence almost all types of massage treatments are available in Body & Soul - Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort's spa and wellness center. Ed and I had the a 30-minute special back massage. My weary muscles was gently unknotted by a well-trained therapist. Her strokes were on point; not light, not painful either. It only lasted for 30 minutes, yet it was soothing .
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| Spa Time! |
9. The Colorful Breakfast at Tides
I was impressed with the breakfast choices at Tides. I have never seen a breakfast spread as complete and as colorful! Other than the morning staples (sausage, eggs and the works), there were sushi and maki, a wide variety of main dishes, and sandwiches brimming with crisp vegetable fillings. The fruit counter, which the husband forced me to visit, was exceptionally inviting as well. There, I had fresh slices of dragon fruit, grapefruit and plums!
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| vibrant breakfast choices at Tides |
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| an inviting array of fresh fruits |
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| my breakfast plate: Smoked Salmon with Japanese rolls |
10. Romantic Italian Dinner at Zaitoun
Zaitoun is such a wonderful surprise. First, I thought it's an Arabic restaurant because of its name. Zaitoun, which actually means "olive", is a contemporary Italian restaurant. Second, I was expecting it to be empty as the families we have seen in the beach would likely prefer the kid-friendly dinner buffet at Tides. Little did we know, it is a well-loved dining venue in the town of Al Ruwais. Hence, there were already a few couples on a date night and a group of friends having a good conversation over dinner when we arrived. Third, the romantic setting never crossed my mind. Zaitoun has a very sophisticated ambiance; low lit and rustic. To top it all, our 3-course dinner was elegantly presented, in generous portions, and genuinely Italian!
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| Date night at Zaitoun |
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| a one-of-a-kind Insalata Caprese for starters |
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| delicious Spigola - pan seared sea bass with lobster potato hash |
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| classic and creamy Tiramisu |
11. Music and Drinks at L'attitude
L'attitude, Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort's entertainment lounge, definitely knows how to cap off a long fun day with music and some drinks! We settled in the bar, quite far from the live entertainment and the dance floor, yet the right spot for us non-smokers. The staff were accommodating. The bartender happily granted my request of Strawberry Frozen Margarita with a tiny bit of alcohol! The singers were phenomenal. They belted out current hits which made me want to hit the dance floor! But I'm quite shy, so I contentedly watched other guests dancing the night away! :)
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| Veggie Sticks and Frozen Margarita at L'attitude |
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| Party of Two |
Now, will you agree with me when I say that Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort is a perfect #sweetescape destination? Yes? Yes!
Location:
Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort
Al Ruwais, Abu Dhabi
Website: www.jebeldhanna.danathotels.com
Contact # +971 2 801 2222
Transportation to the resort is available for a fee.
We were invited to stay at Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort. Opinions in this blog post are my own.
1 Blogger Comments
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