My Dubai Rent: Meet the family who feel like they are on holiday while at home

Taruna Chugani and family pay Dh75,000 to live in two-bedroom apartment overlooking Al Mamzar Beach

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  Taruna, pictured with her daughter Khimaya, pays Dh75,000 for a two-bed-apartment in Soul Avenue in Al Mamzar in Dubai. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

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  A view of the living and dining room

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  The living room in the apartment

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  The apartment has two bedrooms, a hall and kitchen

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  Family photos are displayed throughout the home

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  The apartment also has a spacious dining area

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  The apartment in Soul Avenue has a large, modern kitchen

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  The apartment also has a balcony with impressive views

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  The building gym is open to residents

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  The exterior of the building

My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent and find out what they like and don't like

An Indian family of four are enjoying the quiet life in their beachfront home, a stone's throw from Al Mamzar Beach in Dubai.

When Taruna Chugani viewed the apartment in 2022, she fell in love with the view overlooking the beach as well as the peace and quiet of the area, and decided to move there after living in Sharjah for eight years.

Mrs Chugani, a model and event organiser, who lives with her husband and her two daughters aged four and nine, loves the peace the residential neighbourhood offers.

She took The National on a tour of their home.

Tell us about your home

We moved here in July 2022 and are paying Dh75,000 in rent but initially had to pay an additional fee of Dh4,000 in the first year as an administration fee.

This is a two-bedroom apartment, which also has two bathrooms, a powder room, a store and a closed kitchen.

It is difficult to get such a view while living in the city. When we came to view the building, we liked it immediately.

We have a view of the beach and the Dubai skyline. On New Year's Eve, we can see the fireworks at Al Majaz waterfront, as well as La Mer and Burj Khalifa.

There is a long balcony which is connected to the drawing room and master bedroom so we can access the balcony through both rooms.

Why did you choose the Al Mamzar area?

This area is close to my children's school and it is very convenient for us to drop them off and pick them up.

We picked Al Mamzar because it is very residential. It is not very crowded like other areas of Dubai. When we step out of the house, we are in peace, we drive by the beach every day.

It feels like we are on a holiday as soon as we come out of the house.

The accessibility to the beach is great. There are running and cycling tracks. It is a picnic spot, so at the weekends, we take the children to the beach and we have family time.

The building itself is very new, very sophisticated, and it is maintained very well. It is a swanky new building. I have no issues with the maintenance because they are amazing.

The second bedroom, which I have made our children’s room, has floor to ceiling windows so it is like a 180 degree view of the beach.

A view of the guest bedroom at the apartment comes with stunning views. Pawan Singh / The National

Where did you live before?

We lived in Al Nahda in Sharjah for eight years. The traffic had become intolerable in the last few years and we decided to move closer to the children’s school.

I would say our apartment in Sharjah was bigger but it was an older building.

This is more than double the price, but we do get the value for what we pay.

What are some other advantages of living here?

I am able to go for a walk to the beach almost every day. The building has a nice community feel and I have friends here. We go for walks together in the evening.

At the weekend, I take my children and we go to the beach and spend some time there. They can cycle around.

In our building, we have a steam and sauna room, gyms for men and women and a children’s play area.

The apartment was semi-furnished [when we moved in] so we had the kitchen fitted with the dishwasher, cooking range, a washer and dryer.

How is the community?

My daughters have a lot of friends here and they go to the play area together. But right now, the play area probably needs an upgrade.

I enjoy the silence and quiet. Safety wise, it is very safe. Sometimes, we go for a walk in the night even as late as nine o'clock or 10 o’clock without issue.

Taruna Chugani loves life in her home at Al Mamzar in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

How have you made the apartment your home?

I love plants and I love greenery so we have added a lot of plants to personalise it. There is a lot of greenery in the form of indoor and outdoor plants.

On the balcony, I have a corner that has lots of flowers and plants, and I have a small table and chair. In the winters, we spend a lot of time out in the balcony. We have our dinner there and our evening cup of tea with the sunset in the background because the building has an uninterrupted view.

We can see the sunset, every day and when it rains, it is very enjoyable.

I am also into art. I do I create drawings and some paintings. I have put up some of my own art on the walls.

Do you plan to stay in the property?

We want to stay in the area and have been trying to move to a three-bedroom property in the same building, but we have not been able to get one so far though. We have been trying for over a year.

The only reason we would want to move is for more space.

A view of the beach from the balcony. Pawan Singh / The National

Do you think living here offers value for money?

Definitely. The building is completely full. I think there is a huge demand, especially for this view.

Are there any downsides to living here?

It is a very quiet and residential part of the city.

I think people who live here need to have a personal vehicle because it is not very easily connected with the Metro.

You need to drive for five to 10 minutes to reach a Metro station. Also, you need to book a taxi as these do not just pass by this area.