The welcome
The drive from Abu Dhabi took four hours. After navigating through mountains, stretches of desert and a sudden dust storm with our son singing “9,999 bottles on the wall” at the top of his voice, we reached Fujairah with fraying tempers, only to find the hotel conspicuously absent. Stopping to ask for directions at a petrol station, we were told that the hotel is practically in Dibba, Oman. This infuriated my husband, who pointed out that the word “Dibba” should figure more prominently in the hotel’s address. Once we had arrived, though, check-in was super-fast: we were led to comfy red chairs in the bright lobby, offered juice and cold towels and then escorted to our room by a charming attendant.
The neighbourhood
Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort sits on a stretch of white sand between the Hajjar Mountains and the Indian Ocean, so there’s plenty to do: snorkelling, deep-sea fishing, sightseeing trips to the nearby Fujairah Fort, and hiking in the mountains. The hotel has a daily shuttle to Fujairah city (which, as it turns out, is a good 50 kilometres away).
The service
From a craving for hot chocolate in the middle of the night to the demand for a three-pin plug to revive a dying laptop, every request was handled efficiently and quickly, even though the hotel was swarming with guests when we visited.
The room
We were alloted a large room on the 10th floor. Despite the huge extra bed, the room managed to retain its airy, spacious feel. Although the furniture was non-descript and a little worn, the immense king-sized bed with its mound of soft pillows and the wide, glass-fronted balcony facing the ocean more than made up for it. But I liked the bathroom the best. Divided into three areas – shower, toilet and bath – each with a separate door and opening on to a main dressing area, it could have accommodated four dancing couples quite easily.
The food
We breakfasted, lunched and dined at Views, the high-ceilinged restaurant overlooking the gardens. Breakfast was a noisy but happy affair, with a vast spread that included large baskets full of fresh bread, jugs of ice-cold juices, fresh fruit, felafel, spicy alu bhaji and puri, and a staggering variety of cold meats. Dinner – it turned out to be seafood night – was a quieter experience, and as delicious: we feasted on grilled tiger prawns, lobster and crab with cumin rice.
The scene
The hotel was full of guests, mostly European and Middle Eastern, wandering around in slippers and bathrobes. A few families spent the entire day by the huge, free-form pool, with dads and children splashing in the water while the mothers sat on deckchairs, holding French fries and glasses of juice for the kids. We visited in summer when it was quite hot, but everyone stayed outdoors slathering on suncream. The pool stayed full that weekend, from morning until nightfall.
Loved
Strolling around the beautiful gardens at dawn. There’s a lot to see and enjoy – a little bridge, a pebble-filled stream and an enormous chess set in the shade of a flame tree. We stumbled upon a couple of fat rabbits sleeping in a corner, and wooden cages with chickens and mynah birds.
Hated
The lack of deckchairs around the main pool. We had to stand around for ages and then dive as if our lives depended on it the minute one was vacated.
The verdict
A (remote) getaway with something for everyone, from a professional dive centre to a spa offering Balinese massages. If you go, make sure you have a GPS, and that the kids have enough to keep them busy – and quiet – during the long drive.
The bottom line
A double room with a balcony and ocean view costs from Dh1,176 per night, including breakfast and taxes. Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Dibba Road, Fujairah (www.lemeridien-alaqah.com; 09 244 9000).
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT)
Tuesday
Mairobr v Liverpool
Spartak Moscow v Sevilla
Feyenoord v Shakhtar Donetsk
Manchester City v Napoli
Monaco v Besiktas
RB Leipzig v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur
Wednesday
Benfica v Manchester United
CSKA Moscow v Basel
Bayern Munich v Celtic
Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain
Qarabag v Atletico Madrid
Chelsea v Roma
Barcelona v Olympiakos
Juventus v Sporting Lisbon
Quick%20facts
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DSC Eagles 23 Dubai Hurricanes 36
Eagles
Tries: Bright, O’Driscoll
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey 3
Hurricanes
Tries: Knight 2, Lewis, Finck, Powell, Perry
Cons: Powell 3
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome