As temperatures in the UAE begin to creep up, many other destinations are waving goodbye to winter for the start of a warmer season.
Ramadan, Eid and school holidays are also on the horizon, putting April in prime position for a holiday. But where should you go?
Those seeking tropical climes and blue oceans might want to consider the Seychelles – as this month is a calmer period between the island’s two annual trade winds.
Here are 10 of the best holiday destinations in April.
1. Marrakesh, Morocco
April is a fantastic time to visit Morocco’s colourful and chaotic Marrakesh. Daytime temperatures are around 26°C to 29°C with plenty of sunshine, while evenings are pleasantly cool. Make the most of the comfortable night air with a visit to the medina after dark. During Ramadan, the markets close in the morning but stay open until around midnight and are a great place to search for souvenirs, sample Moroccan street food or simply soak up the hustle and bustle as you get lost in the narrow streets. This year, the city’s famed Majorelle Garden celebrates its centenary, and there are lots of events happening at the botanical gardens and colourful cubist villa.
2. Turkish Riviera
Spring is one of the best times to visit Turkey’s popular Turquoise Coast, which stretches along the southern coastline from Antalya to Bodrum. Temperatures are beginning to heat up and you can expect plenty of sunshine-filled days, but it’s not quite hot enough to draw crowds of tourists so you’ll be able to enjoy the region’s sandy beaches, archaeological ruins and diverse landscapes largely to yourself. Take your pick from high-end resorts including Six Senses Kaplankaya in Bordum or the palatial Titanic Mardan Palace in Antalya, or go for an adults-only, all-inclusive escape at Rixos Premium Gocek inside a nature reserve in Dalaman.
3. Mount Fuji, Japan
While it's not the best time for climbing the mountain, April does coincide with Japan's Sakura blooms, which are predicted to begin this month. Head to Lake Kawaguchi, a resort town at the base of Mount Fuji, where the blooms will flower in mid-April. Don’t expect to have the experience to yourself as it’s peak season for tourism, and Japan is seeing huge interest from travellers after being shut off from the world during the pandemic. But if you can cope with the crowds, a visual feast of nature awaits as you gaze at the pink blossoms while lolling in the warm waters of an onsen (hot springs).
4. Bangkok, Thailand
Jet off to Thailand’s bustling capital for warm weather, tropical foliage in full bloom and citywide celebrations for the annual Songkran Water Festival. Travellers can expect plenty of splashing fun in Bangkok where there’s a good mix of traditional and modern festivities to celebrate the Thai New Year. Make offerings with locals at the city’s temples, then enjoy water fights on the streets or at hotel pool parties. Watch a floral float parade and check out sand pagoda building competitions. It's also the shoulder season for tourism, meaning you’ll get a little more bang for your baht at hotels across the city.
5. California, US
One of the world’s most popular music festivals takes place in California, meaning it’s the place to see and be seen. Head to Indio for the famed Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat, Tyler the Creator and No Doubt are headlining this year's event. After the festival, spend a few days unwinding in Palm Springs. Be one of the first to stay at Life House Palm Springs, which only opened at the end of last year and has an Insta-friendly swimming pool, a gorgeous cactus garden with fire pits and individually decorated bedrooms.
6. Gran Canaria, Spain
Gran Canaria in Spain’s Canary Islands is a great pick for a springtime getaway. Pleasant temperatures make for good walking conditions and the island is a favourite for hiking thanks to its landscape of pine forests, sunken calderas and ocean viewpoints.
April is also low season for tourists, so beaches are uncrowded, although it may be a little cold for swimming. Daytime temperatures hover around 20°C but bring a jacket for the evenings as they tend to be cool and windy. April is also a good month for whale watching as the mammals traverse the Atlantic Ocean waters, and dolphins can be spotted off the island’s coastlines too.
7. Mexico City
It's the last chance to visit Mexico in the dry season, as well as slightly lower prices as the high season comes to an end. Head to Mexico City where many local families will be heading out for the beach or to quaint colonial towns for Easter and leaving the capital much more manageable and easier to navigate. With its historical attractions, entertainment venues and countless museums, this bustling metropolis has something for everyone. The historical downtown district and former heart of the Aztec empire is a great place to go – do so during Semana Santa (Holy Week) and you’ll find it’s largely free of crowds.
8. The Seychelles
April is one of the most popular times to visit this Indian Ocean archipelago as it falls in the calmer period between the Seychelles’ two annual trade winds. Days are warm and sunny with temperatures hovering around 30°C and rain showers are few and far between. Famed for its picture-perfect beaches with a granite backdrop, its islands such as Mahe, Platte and La Digue have everything you need for a sunshine getaway. The recently opened Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island on its private pristine shoreline is a good pick for a blowout trip. More affordable options include Beau Vallon on Mahe, where you can find family-friendly stays for around Dh300 a night.
9. Saint-Tropez, France
Saint-Tropez comes back to life every April as the sun returns to this seaside village on France’s southern coast. It’s too early in the year for the well-heeled crowds that flock to this Mediterranean destination every summer, which means it’s a great time for leisurely strolls through quaint streets, dining al fresco at rustic cafes and strolling through flower-filled alleys. This spring, you can check into the soon-to-open Arev St Tropez, a new boutique hotel with colourful rooms, private gardens and a reinterpretation of The Strand, one of the oldest restaurants in the region.
10. AlUla, Saudi Arabia
Catch the tail end of winter at Saudi Arabia's historical city, AlUla. Discover the kingdom's natural wonders via rock formations, towering cliffs and winding canyons and explore age-old carvings left by ancient settlers. April is also when the city's events calendar ramps up with events across art, culture, adventure, music and more. When it comes to where to spend the night, you can embrace Bedouin traditions at Banyan Tree AlUla, a tranquil desert retreat, or enjoy a real escape from city life at Habitas AlUla, a stunning eco-focused resort set amid sandstone cliffs.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
