You can imagine the conversation at the school gates would go roughly along these lines:
"I had the most wonderful breakfast this morning ... the fruit is just so perfectly ripe at the moment..."
"Where did you get it from?"
"Oh, the papaya was from the grove in my back garden."
"You have a fruit grove in your garden? In Dubai? Oh my!"
Firstly, Dubai isn't all clusters of high-rise towers where the aim to is to get the apartment with the best view.
Secondly, to have such a conversation, your home ownership is likely to cost a huge amount of dirhams.
And thirdly, people do talk like this – somewhere.
To make this conversational wonderland a reality, you need look no further than the Al Barari community, where this villa has come on the market for Dh14 million.
Barari is, of course, the "green community", which is all about living in harmony with nature. That means greenery as far as the eye can see, freshwater streams and landscaped lakes. It describes itself as "more akin to a botanical garden than a residential community".
Amid the foliage is a selection of splendid villas with a variety of facades and features.
The availability of papaya, lemons and olives from your very own plot may not be a major selling point, but it does highlight a certain rarity that the property possesses, and its ability to offer a different lifestyle compared to other communities in Dubai.
After all, with our hectic modern-day lives increasingly revolving around the urge to be connected technologically in some way, it would be refreshing to bunker down among the leaves and retreat into more natural surroundings.
That is possible at this six-bedroom property, being marketed by LuxuryProperty.com. Looking out from the upstairs balcony transports you to what could be a canopy of trees within a Far Eastern jungle.
The house itself, measuring in at almost 15,000 square feet, is of Mediterranean styling, with a sand-coloured facade and roof turrets, while on the inside it has the feel of a country retreat.
The flooring is a combination of pale marble in the living areas and wood in the bedrooms, adding to the warmth.
Outside, there's a big pool and a hot tub with mosaic tiling that creates a shimmering effect in the water – just be prepared to pick some leaves out of the water.
Q&A: Andrew Cummings, managing director at LuxuryProperty.com
The orchard and greenery in the garden is lovely, but how sustainable is it?
Al Barari is a community that is fully dedicated to the idea of sustainability and conservation. The landscaping, lighting and irrigation systems, even the design of the villa clusters themselves have all been laid out with an eye towards reducing environmental impact.
How have prices in the development fared since it was first launched?
Despite changing market conditions, prices in Al Barari have remained fairly stable in recent months and the area has seen a sizeable volume of transactions. The surrounding infrastructure is continuing to develop and with the addition of retail spaces at Seventh Heaven, we can expect homes in Al Barari to be even more attractive options over time.
Is access only via the E311 a positive or drawback these days given how busy the road is at certain times?
Al Barari enjoys a prime location in Dubai as one of its central-most communities. The entry and exit points of the community don't suffer from congestion and accessibility is quite good because of the location. The new underpass has added another option for access from districts such as Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina, and new roads are being built that will soon connect Mohammed Bin Zayed Road with Al Khail and Latifa Bint Hamdan Street. Once the network is complete, Al Barari will have unparalleled connectivity across the city.
