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The Residents’ Guide to the Good Life
FEBRUARY 2012 ISSUE 16
Want
a great
bum?
celebrity
interview
BOLLYWOOD’S
DYNAMIC DUO
Shahrukh Khan and
Priyanka Chopra on
filming Don 2 –
in prison!
Tip: it’s in
your jeans
Romantic
getaways
It’s never too
late for a second
honeymoon!
DIVORCED &
DEPRESSED
REAL WOMEN
SPEAK OUT
Relight
your fire
DINE OUT
ON US!
Fo
odie
giveaways
inside
Get that ‘new-love’ spark back
Tips from happily married couples
Make Valentine’s Day your day
THE FOOD
OF LOVE
MADE WITH LOVE
FOOD SOULMATES
SINGLES DINNER PARTY
WE FIND THE
MOST ROMANTIC
RESTAURANTS
IN THE CITY
good to go
Romantic
getaways
!
f
f
o
y
e
n
o
m
h
t
i
w
Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, Maldives
Heritage Le Telfair Golf &
Spa Resort, Mauritius
The Sarojin, Thailand
Ever dreamt of being deserted
on a private island with your
loved one? (Or, more likely, Jake
128 Good Taste
The Sarojin,
Thailand
ate
Uromltim
antic
package!
Gyllenhaal, but we’d better
stay real here.) The Sarojin in
Thailand can make that come
true. During your six-night stay
at the luxurious resort you will be
whisked away in a luxury car to a
beautiful national park where you
can enjoy lunch at the bottom of
an ethereal waterfall. The lunch
will be extra special as you will
have prepared it yourselves with
the expert help of The Sarojin’s
chef. Next you will enjoy a
cocktail cruise on a yacht, which
Heritage Le Telfair
Golf & Spa Resort,
Mauritius
sails you over to your private,
candle-lit island in the midst of
the glistening Andaman Sea.
Your personal chef and private
butler will ensure your every need
is met, while you enjoy a seafood
dinner. Spend the night on your
own little island before being
sailed back to The Sarojin for the
rest of your stay.
Valentine’s offer: For six
nights at The Sarojin, plus all
the above, a daily à la carte
breakfast with sparkling wine,
private airport transfers and all
taxes you will pay approximately
Dhs12,800 for two. Offer valid
on travel between now and April
30. www.sarojin.com
Boscolo Exedra Rome, Italy
Ah, Rrromma! Just the name of
this city conjures romance. The
Boscola Exdra Rome is ideally
situated so that all of the city’s
must-dos and –sees are within
hand-in-hand strolling distance.
Make a wish and throw a coin
WORDS: CAROLINE GARNAR, IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK, SUPPLIED
Surrounded by 6,100 stunning
acres of land stretching from the
mountains to the sea, Heritage
Le Telfair is one of the most
picturesque resorts you will ever
visit. This Valentine’s Day, the
resort offers cosied-up couples
a gourmet three-course candlelit
dinner for two, a couples body
treatment and massage, a box
of choccies, a late check-out
if available, plus 25 per cent
discount off the usual room rates
for a superior room.
Valentine’s offer: For the
above plus a daily breakfast
you will pay approximately
Dhs2,345 per night. This offer is
valid for the month of February
only, and a two-night minimum
stay applies. resa@heritageresorts.
mu; 0023 0266 9768; www.
heritageletelfair.mu
Shangri-La Rasa Sayang
Resort & Spa, Penang, Malaysia
Boscolo
Exedra
Rome, Italy
into the Trevi Fountain, merely
step out the hotel’s front door
to admire Michelangelo’s work
on the Basilica Degli Angeli, and
take a hop, skip and a jump
to the Vatican City. Whatever
you do, use the grand Boscolo
Exedra as your base, and you will
fall in love with this city, as well as
each other during your trip.
Valentine’s offer: Three nights
in a superior double room and
daily breakfast starts from
Dhs1,695 per person, including
tax and service charges. Offer
valid from now until March 15.
www.boscolohotels.com. For more
information or to book contact [email protected] or your
preferred travel agent
Taj Exotica Resort and Spa,
Maldives
When you imagine those
holidays of crystal clear azure
waters, gorgeous beach hut
accommodation balancing on
stilts over the ocean, with your
personal pool seemingly melting
into the turquoise horizon,
Valentine’s offer: Three
nights’ accommodation, return
economy flights, daily American
breakfast and tax and service
charges costs from Dhs4,820
per person for a garden wing
garden view room, Dhs4,950 for
a garden wing sea-facing room
and from Dhs6,775 for a Rasa
wing premier room. Offer valid
from now until February 29.
www.shangri-la.com/en/property/
penang/rasasayangresort. To book,
visit www.emiratesholidays.com or
call 800 5252
Boscolo Dei Dogi
Venice, Italy
Boscolo Dei Dogi
Venice, Italy
you’re pretty much imagining
the Taj Exotica Resort and Spa.
This Valentine’s Day the resort
is offering to make your stay
that much more special with a
private dinner on the beach, a
sunset cruise and a 45-minute
couples’ treatment at the spa. We
guarantee you’ll be swept away
by the romance of this resort.
Valentine’s offer: The above
package including return
economy flights with Emirates
Airline and four nights in a lagoon
villa starts from Dhs10,645 per
person, or a deluxe lagoon villa
with a private pool starts from
Dhs12,765 per person. Rates
include speedboat transfers, daily
breakfast and tax and service
charges. Offer valid from now
until February 29. www.tajhotels.
com/maldives. To book visit www.
emiratesholidays.com or call
800 5252
Shangri-La Rasa Sayang
Resort & Spa, Penang,
Malaysia
Located on the famous Batu
Ferringhi beach, which covers 30
acres of lush gardens by the sea
and Penang’s emerald green hills,
this resort is an idyllic location
perfect for couples looking for
romance. With al-fresco dining
options, make the most of the
warm breeze and stunning views
by eating under the stars every
night. With a golf course and
gorgeous spa there’s plenty for
you and your other half to do
even if you don’t want to spend
all your time together!
Yes, we know we’ve already
had Italy in here, but how can
you possibly forget Venice when
doing a romantic rundown?
Boscolo Dei Dogi is a five-star
luxury hotel housed in the historic
and prestigious Palazzo Rizzo
Patarol, a former French and
Savoyan embassy located in the
Cannaregio district of Venice.
You can float your way down
the canals to St Mark’s Square
– Italy’s main piazza – for a spot
of dry-land shopping and caféhopping the Italian way, i.e.
spending hours over a mocha
and a few scoops of gelato.
Valentine’s offer: Three nights’
stay in a superior double room
and daily breakfast starts at
Dhs1,150, including tax and
service charges. Offer is valid
from now until March 31. http://
venezia.boscolohotels.com. Email:
[email protected] or your
preferred travel agent
Good Taste
129
good to go
Living la
vida local
If you’re short on time or cash (hey, who said
romance had to cost a lot?), here are the more
local options for a romantic break – with some
great-value packages to be had
Dubai
Atlantis, The Palm
Stay in the iconic hotel on
Valentine’s night and you won’t
have to leave your luxurious
room, with a special Valentine’s
Day menu delivered directly to
your door. Enjoy champagne,
scallops, caviar, lobster, Atlantis
beef, a cheese platter and more
from the comfort of your own
bed (go on, it’s Valentine’s Day!)
for Dhs350 per person. Room
rates start at Dhs1,550 per night,
excluding taxes and service
charge. Book early to avoid
disappointment. 04 426 1000;
[email protected]
Ramada
Downtown,
Dubai
editor’s
fave
Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman
Evason Ma’in
Hot Springs
& Six Senses
Spa, Jordan
Ramada Downtown Dubai
For a more wallet-friendly city
break, try this hotel in the heart
of Downtown, with spectacular
views of the Burj Khalifa and
fountains. Enjoy a night in a junior
suite, a special three-course
dinner at Orchid restaurant
and a buffet breakfast all for
Dhs999. You will also be treated
to a box of choccies and flowers
on arrival – so that lets your
other half off. 04 330 7 330; www.
ramadadowntowndubai.com
great
budget
Fujairah
Concorde
Fujairah
You have to travel
a little out of town
to get a truly great
deal, but Fujairah is
only 90 minutes away and offers
quieter, sandier beaches than
Dubai and great snorkelling. If
you stay at the Concorde Fujairah
for just Dhs800 you will get full
access to its pool and spa, a
lunch or dinner served to you in
option
130 Good Taste
the privacy of your junior suite,
a couples’ massage and healthy
breakfast. 09 224 9000; info@
concordefujairah.com
Ajman
Ramada Hotel & Suites
Ajman
Ajman may be a little sparse,
but this hotel is offering a great
deal this Valentine’s Day: for just
Dhs550 you can enjoy a night
in an executive suite, a special
dinner for two and a buffet
breakfast, plus you get 25 per
cent off spa treatments. 06 703
1111; www.ramadaajman.com/en/;
[email protected]
Oman
Six Senses Zighy Bay
This has got to be our favourite
resort within driving distance of
Dubai. Tucked away in a private
cove, this resort of private-pool
villas is offering a minimum of
two nights’ accommodation in
a beachfront villa, a paraglide
into the resort for two people,
a sunset cruise with drinks and
canapés, a sunrise breakfast on
the beach, an in-villa barbecue, a
couples signature spa treatment,
a dinner either on top of the
wine tower, in a mountain-top
restaurant, or in the summer
house, daily breakfast and more
for $875 (approx Dhs3,215) per
person per night, excluding tax
and service charges. This offer is
valid until May, so if you miss out
for Valentine’s Day, don’t worry
there’s still time! +968 2673 5888;
[email protected]
Jordan
Evason Ma’in Hot Springs &
Six Senses Spa
If you can afford a short flight
across to Jordan, you have to
check into this place. Set like
an oasis among spectacular
mountain landscapes and
natural hot springs, the resort is
located along the Dead Sea and
provides a serene atmosphere
for those couples looking for
relaxation. It is offering three
nights for the price of two as
well as 15 per cent discount on
spa treatments, return economy
flights with Emirates, breakfast
and transfers from Dhs2,305
per person including taxes and
service charges. Offer is valid
February 9-25. www.sixsenses.
com/Evason-Ma-In/Six-Senses-Spa.
To book visit www.emiratesholidays.
com or 800 5252
Beirut
Le Gray Beirut
If you’re a fun-loving couple,
then head to the party capital of
the region, Beirut. You can take
a luxuriuous respite from the
buzzing nightlife of Lebanon at
Le Gray Beirut, which is offering
couples a one-night stay in a
executive suite, a pampering
couples’ massage and breakfast
for $485 (approx Dhs1,780)
excluding tax. This offer is valid
February 10-19. +961 1 96 2828;
[email protected]