scrubbedexpat141

Alright muppets,

These two places deserve a mention.

Sharjah wildlife place on Friday, was quite good. 15dhs to get in, only about 35 mins from me in Business Bay.

It's cool because it focuses on local animals to the region. There is a bizarre indoor leisure centre room for birds to just fly around, but the cheetahs and shit are mega. Worth a visit, but it's no Marwell.


Hatta for the night - Saturday and returned yesterday, that's a decent place, the Fort Hotel rooms are really, really nice. The whole place is a bit dated but it completely blows all Dubai hotels away with it's staff. They ALL give a shit, wanted to know what we were doing, where we'd been for the day, how we'd enjoyed it, what they suggested etc. Felt like a small family run hotel rather than a Jebel Ali brand.

Only downside was checking out, the new bloke on reception put my card through twice, I wasn't paying attention until I noticed two texts from HSBC. Got to wait 10 days for the first lot to not be claimed by the hotel and it get refunded to me. THey weren't too friendly when I was asking why they charged me twice....but nor was I to be honest.


Hatta Pools were a good trip, 20km from hotel, half of which is off road, if not more. Nice gentlye off-roading that my Explorer found easy. You need to know where you are going though, we ended up in a convoy of us + 2 cars because we had a map and the other guy had been told directions. All go to some pools in the end and they were brilliant. Cold, but brilliant. Shame that people leave litter everywhere and smash glass on the rocks but otherwise awesome.

Do not, under any circumstances, bother with the Heritage Village. Waste of time. None of the screens with more information worked, 90% of the huts / houses are empty or used as storage, it's just a complete mess.

mentalist

On a similar theme, me and the girls have just returned from an enjoyable, long weekend at Yas Island. While down there, we took in Emirates Park Zoo, only 15 minutes drive from Yas. Not only was it clean, well organised and animal friendly but they also had white tigers as well as the usual species. For some reason, the cheetahs and Siberian tigers spent a really long time just the other side of the glass panel offering wonderful photo opportunities. They have a nice website and a small hotel with rooms overlooking the main savannah enclosure with its giraffes, zebras, dik diks and the like. You could also feed the deer, goats, ponies and other more domesticated animals. Not really worth driving all the way from Dubai but certainly worth a visit if passing by on the way to Abu Dhabi or Yas Island, if you have young children.

Meow

I haven't stayed at Hatta Fort for five/six years, but will be staying there in a week's time. A competition win that includes breakfast, lunch & dinner. Result!

Scamp. The hotel ought to have refunded you within 24 hours. If you incur any additional costs then they are responsible for them. Let me know if you need any assistance as I have contacts there.

scrubbedexpat141

It's lovely, loads of stuff to do too.

The first transaction said 'Please call issuer', then he just put it through it came up authorised.

So I got two texts because the amount got held twice. The hotel didn't get an auth code for the first transaction so on their terminal, they only have the money once.

HSBC on the phone said in 10 days if not claimed (by the hotel getting the auth code) then it get's put back as available money rather than held money.

The Ops Manager was quite helpful, said they can't get the money without an auth code and they aren't going to try and claim it as they have the money they wanted.

I got his card and number etc and said I'd ring if there were any issues.

Just a bit annoying. That's all.

Sandboy

agree, was the little fella still on the door ?

Bob

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/UAE_Places_to_Visit

Any chance of some of that being put in the wiki? Or that part of the wiki given a looksie to see how relevant it might still be? It's been ages since it was last updated

scrubbedexpat141

Laxman?

Short old boy, couldn't do enough to help us. Insisted on taking us round the restuarant because my mrs asked where we could go for dinner.

Top bloke.

shiva

Did you sit and chat with the guys at the gate? thats the bit thats worth visiting for.

Miss Anne Thrope

I haven't stayed there but had a pretty crap lunch once. How was the food?

scrubbedexpat141

Said hello, good morning, how are you...but none of them were interested at all.

Such is I suppose, I was smiling and being friendly but there's every chance they looked at me and went; "shit, another a fat half wit wants to ask stupid questions".

We ate in the main restaurant (the only) and was alright. The menu is pretty limited and quite expensive. Meow correctly points out it's a bit dated in the style...does anyone have crepes cooked at their table in grand marnier anymore?

That being said, the chicken business I had was mega and the creme brulee didn't touch the sides.

Alright. Nothing special.

Millhouse

Agreed. The food is shite - the hotel lives off feeding visa-runners cheap food sold expensively.

Meow

What's not to love about Crepes Suzette cooked tableside? I like the fact they still have a 70s style dessert trolley with things like gateaux and creme caramel.

Blue Cat

they and they do a wicked steak diane at your table, we went last summer and enjoyed it.

Another new place I think Scamp would like too is Al Tamimi stables and Farm, google it, cheap to get in and only opened last week.

http://www.facebook.com/AlTamimiStables?fref=ts

scrubbedexpat141

I dunno. It's just trying a bit hard.

The restaurant was a bit OTT for what it was. Chair pulled and tucked under you and napkin placed for you, yet the table you're sat at is a metal legged old thing with ikea place mats.

Don't get me wrong, the chicken business was decent and we had a good laugh, but it just tried quite hard to be a certain level, without actually being that level.

Still, the Filipina singing to us and one other couple left seemed to appreciate out feeble applause.

Meow

It's very retro and that's what is amusing. Nothing wrong with a bit of time travel