Al Maha Desert Resort is Excellent!

Out of all the leading hotels I have visited so far, Al Maha stands out by a wide margin. 

When my girlfriend and I decided to spend our Christmas vacation in Dubai, we deliberately split the vacation to include a cultural/nature/relaxation part (Al Maha) as well as a shopping and beach part in a hotel on the Palm Island.

Best experiences:
- Swimming in the private pool while gazelles are grazing only a few feet away is simply amazing
- Camel trekking with champagne and fruit reception to watch the sunset on a dune
- The desert is simply beautiful
- Great facts learnt through the activities (who knew that the bedouins oriented themselves through changes in sand color? (Each Emirate has a different sand color))
- Great for foodies

Pros:
- The only cultural/nature experience in newly build Dubai
- Good for relaxation
- Superbly decorated villas with private pool
- Very polite staff
- Provides Arabic as well as European cuisines
- Activities are great 

Cons:
- Depending on your age, the duration of the stay must be taken into account as it could become a bit isolated after a few days.

Up to 30 years: 3-4 days are perfect
30-40 years: 4-10 days
40+ : any length

Al Maha is just perfect, it is not to be missed when travelling to Dubai. In fact, if I had not visited Al Maha, I would not have liked my vacation in Dubai at all as it would have been too standard and not memorable enough.

My recommendation - visit Al Maha for 4-5 days and then spend another 4-5 days in a beach hotel in Dubai, best of both worlds.

Thanks & have fun!

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