After a weekend back in the English countryside, we are still on a high from our fabulous holiday exploring the very best of the one and only, City of New York.
It really is a city packed with so much to do and although we ticked a lot off our list of things to see, we’re already wanting to go back to experience more of this awesome concrete jungle.
Our hotel for the duration of our vacation was The Park Lane Hotel located on the very South end of Central Park.
The location was ideal as we were in the centre of the city with the beautiful green expanse of Central Park on our doorstep.
Darling Rooftop bar sits on the very top of the hotel where we enjoyed a specular breakfast on the Monday morning of our stay.
Like everything in New York the breakfast buffet came at a pricey cost of $75 per person, but with this experience only open to hotel guests, we couldn’t pass up this incredible opportunity.
We also dined in their A La Carte restaurant Calvert’s on Sunday evening as everywhere else nearby was closing early that night.
I had the asparagus radish chickpea salad and my boyfriend had a tomato ragu pasta. Both dishes were delicious complimented with friendly service, something we discovered was unfortunately not always guaranteed even at the most premium restaurants in the city.
Our room was a good size with a super comfy bed, stylish interiors and a cool city view.
I especially liked the stylish bathroom with striped tiling.
Overall we were very pleased with our stay at Park Lane Hotel and would recommend to anyone visiting New York for the first time wanting to be amongst the hustle and bustle of the city.
We packed a lot into our seven days in NYC and made some incredible memories together whilst taking in the spectacle of The Big Apple.
With such a brilliant list of things to share including famous landmarks, iconic photo spots, scenic rooftop bars and our favourite restaurants, I thought I’d focus separately on each area we visited and what we did there in a series of posts called ‘The NYC Diaries’.
So be sure to subscribe to my blog to get notified for a very exciting series of posts to come about our trip of dreams to New York City ❤
With our feet safely back on UK soil last Tuesday, I’ve been spending this week catching up with myself following our dreamy whirlwind of an adventure in Dubai. We certainly made the most of our 10 day holiday and experienced so many of the wonderful things this vibrant and exciting futuristic city has to offer.
Having researched extensively through blogs, vlogs and influencers prior to our visit, we knew all the things we wanted to pack into our time there and everyday was another thrilling experience.
Given the extensive amount of things there are to do in Dubai, I thought I’d share my favourite hotspots and activities which are in my opinion an absolute must do when visiting the city.
Starting with one of the most popular areas of Dubai for tourists and expats, Dubai Marina offers a fabulous array of beach bars, restaurants, shops and residences.
After a walk along the beach, we stopped for lunch at a great little English inspired bar The Scene by Dubai Mall overlooking the Marina. Here we had our new fave cocktails which we discovered on our trip, passionfruit Mojitos!
From the beach you are looking across the bay at Dubai Eye located over on Blue Island. Later that evening we then met an old friend of mine nearby at the popular beach club Bla Bla and enjoyed the nightly drone show and fireworks.
He recommended we go to his favourite restaurant for dinner over on Blue Island called Alici. So after drinks we walked over the footbridge to our dinner spot as we admired Dubai Marina skyline lit up at night.
Arriving at Alici for our 8:30pm reservation in the name of my friend, we were greeted with a glass of champagne each upon arrival.
Overlooking the Dubai cityscape, it was the most fantastic dinner spot along with the most attentive and friendly of service. With mediterranean inspired cuisine, we were also treated to complimentary starters of burrata and beef carpaccio which was just exquisite.
For mains we both went for pasta, I had a tuna dish whilst my boyfriend had the lamb ragu. Another delicious course finished with the second drone show and firework display of the evening over the marina!
I would have to say this was up there as one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Beautiful setting, 5* service and delectable food. To finish we were even spoilt with another complimentary course of homemade truffles and freshly made pistachio cream cannolis.
I was so very grateful for my friends goodwill and kind gesture to ensure we were well looked after for our meal at Alici – a must visit for a romantic dinner date setting in Dubai.
Next up on my hitlist is making sure you spend a day at a rooftop pool in Dubai. With many throughout the city to choose from, I thought the views from our hotel rooftop pool at The Gevora amongst those towering buildings was pretty insane.
The Gevora hotel where we stayed is in fact the tallest hotel in the world and located in the trendy and lively financial district. We went for dinner at the Highest View Lounge up on The Gevora rooftop for our final night, a perfect location to soak up that glorious Dubai cityscape by night for one last time.
With a minimum spend of only £30 each, this restaurant is very reasonable for such breathtaking views. I had a delightful fillet of seabass with truffle mash potato and stir fried veggies – a much needed healthy meal after all the food we’d consumed on this trip!
Just across the highway from our hotel was another great rooftop cocktail bar Level 43 Lounge. Again for only £30 minimum spend you are treated to one of the best views of Dubai by night accompanied with live music and fabulous cocktails too of course.
It was an absolute must that we visited old Dubai and the souk markets during our stay. Once we found the less touristy part of the spice souk, it was so peaceful strolling around the stunning streets with their ancient architecture and magnificent mosques.
The spice souk sold traditional homewares including gorgeous lamps and pots as well as spices too. I couldn’t resist grabbing a pair of garishly decorated handmade leather pointy toe slipper shoes. I was having a Carrie from the Sex and the City movie moment when she’s in Abu Dhabi and buys the shoes for ten dollars at the souk.
If we’d had more time this day we would’ve liked to have taken a water taxi over Dubai Creek to the gold souk. Otherwise, I would say a leisurely stroll around the spice souk one morning or afternoon is the best way to take in the local culture.
We had to get back to our hotel as that evening we had sundown drinks booked at Jetty Lounge over on Jumeriah Beach.
Located within the One & Only hotel complex, we arrived via a little buggy to our sunset cocktail reservation at 5:30pm.
Every sundowner in Dubai is a breathtaking spectacle and the Jetty Lounge is definitely the best spot in town to take in this magical moment whilst sipping a cocktail or two.
Delicious cocktails and picture perfect views of the Dubai skyline twinkling at dusk, it felt like we were in our own private oasis as we admired the deep pastel hues of sundown.
Following cocktails on the jetty, we made our way over to Dukes Hotel on the Palm where we had 8pm dinner reservations for Ula.
With its casual chic ambience and live DJ playing chilled tunes, we had another beautiful dinner at Ula with yet more views of Dubai skyline by night.
Simple yet super tasty food, I had a greek salad with rosemary frites and my boyfriend had a classic margarita pizza – the best he’s ever had he said!
The moment we stepped foot in Ula I knew I had to visit this place by day. So, on our final day in Dubai we went to Ula beach club to soak up the sun in style one more time.
With it being our final day, we went all out and had a boat trip over to the Burj Al Arab at noon.
From here we hired a jet ski and went for an hour long ride around the Palm and over towards the city centre of Dubai.
I rode on the back of my boyfriend’s jet ski and it was such a great way to explore the Palm. Having seen it from the air too in the helicopter, this allowed us to get closer to the main attractions including the Burj Al Arab and famous Atlantis Hotel.
After our exhilarating time on the jet ski, we had a golden hour boat ride back to the beach club. It was the ultimate way to end our adventures in Dubai.
So those are my top recommendations for anyone visiting Dubai. Of course there was also the desert safari, helicopter ride and beach clubs which were all highlights too, there’s just so much to do! It was a long awaited trip we had planned and it didn’t disappoint; I’ll never forget the many magical moments and memories we made together…until next time Dubai ❤
Happy Sunday Babes. I’ve just been chilling in the garden all afternoon today as the UK is finally greeted with some sunshine again. Yesterday we ventured into London for a lovely day strolling around town and exploring new places, before heading to the Shard for sunset.
First stop was Covent Garden and the Seven Dials area for a spot of shopping. I love the vintage stores and boutique shops around here as there is always something new to discover.
For a late lunch we went into the buzzing Seven Dials Market for vegan burritos from Club Mexicana. These were by far the best tasting burritos me and my boyfriend had ever tried – the BBQ jackfruit ‘ribs’ combo was incredible!
Before leaving we went via Neals Yard for that classic Insta worthy shot and a quick coffee to get our caffeine kick for the rest of the arvo.
Next stop was Tower Bridge where I was keen to try Coppa Club for an aperitif. Famous for its outdoor igloos intended for larger parties, we sat inside at the gorgeous bar where I sipped my champagne and felt very fancy indeed.
As sundown drew closer, we headed over to the Shard where we were transported up into the clouds on the 72nd floor…thank fully I’m not too afraid of heights.
The views were spectacular and so interesting to see London from above, all the buildings looked tiny from up there.
Unfortunately sunset was only short given that it was an overcast day, but then seeing the city light up at dusk was still beautiful regardless.
To complete our day out, we had reservations at Cote Brasserie on Southbank. I’m never disappointed at Cote as they deliver such delicious, authentic French food with brilliant service to match too. I had the Paillard Chicken Salad with Frites whilst my boyfriend had the Poulet Breton with Frites. Clean plates all around, it was an exquisite end to the perfect day.
Following our meal we were right by Waterloo station ready to hop onto the next train home. I had the most fabulous day being a tourist in my own city and trying out new places through my guiltiest of pleasures – shopping, eating and drinking ❤ ❤ ❤
Dani Aneka 