WHEN THE SUN’S BEATING DOWN, RETREAT INDOORS AND LET OUR WEEKEND GUIDE KEEP YOU HAPPILY OCCUPIED
THE CULTURE
Al Jazirah Al Hamra by Sadaqat Pervaiz
A celebration of the region’s beautiful culture and history, Sadaqat Pervaiz’s solo art exhibition at Gallery 76 in DIFC will open your eyes to the magical heritage of the UAE in myriad ways. Using art as a form of documentation, Back to Basics features 40 artworks of intricately detailed sketches, landscapes and alluring portraiture from around the seven emirates, from old forts to historic sites, and will make you fall in love with this place we call home all over again.
Back to Basics runs until June 29 at Gallery 76 in DIFC. For more information, please call +971 4 344 4398
THE NEW FOOD DESTINATION
VaKaVa Pan Latin Grill & Lounge
Adding a little Latin American flair to Abu Dhabi’s dining scene, VaKaVa Pan Latin Grill & Lounge is the second incarnation of the UAE’s beloved Toro Toro, courtesy of Mexican celebrity chef, Richard Sandoval. Penned as Toro Toro’s more mischievous sister, it’s flavourful, fiery and absolutely delicious – the soft-shell crab, Venezuelan cachapas and churrasco are truly sublime.
VaKaVa Pan Latin Grill & Lounge is at Jumeirah Etihad Towers. For more information, please call +971 2 811 5666
THE TRAVEL INSPO
1,000 Places To See Before You Die, second edition, by Patricia Schultz
Summer is ever-looming and if you haven’t quite sorted your vaycay plans, this book will be your eternal saviour. 1,000 Places To See Before You Die is brimming from cover to cover with travel inspo. Touted as a ‘traveller’s life list’, and one of the world’s best-selling travel books, the book tells all you the magical and unforgettable places to visit around the world with a heavy focus on experiential travel. From Croatia to the Amalfi Coast to Nicaragua, dive in and see where the book takes you.
1,000 Places To See Before You Die is available at Virgin Megastore
THE STARLIT SOIREE
Dip in the Dark at La Ville Hotel
By now, we can all wave goodbye to beach days, but what about a late-night swim under the stars? La Ville Hotel & Suites is re-introducing its Dip in the Dark evenings at its rooftop infinity pool, every evening throughout the summer. It’s one of our favourite ways to spend a chilled night out, where you can eat, swim, relax, recline and unwind with the stunning city skyline as your backdrop.
Dip in the Dark is available at La Ville Hotel & Suites in City Walk. For more information, please call +971 4 4033111
THE RELAXATION
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa
One of our favourite places to unwind is now even more alluring. Nikki Beach Resort & Spa has added Clarins, Elemental Herbology and Les Sens de Marrakech to its spa menu, meaning three of the beauty industry’s game-changing brands are now available here, with treatments revolving around the spa’s six concepts of revive, repair, retreat, refuel, recover and revamp. This really is the kind of indoor summer we love.
Nikki Beach Resort & Spa is located at Pearl Jumeirah. For more information, please call +971 4 376 6150
THE HOLIDAY AT HOME
Opa restaurant
If you can’t make it to the Mediterranean this summer, bring a slice of it to Dubai. Opa, one of Dubai’s liveliest eateries, is introducing a new menu with a focus on the freshest Grecian cuisine. With two new signatures – the Opa Lahmajoun of minced lamb, pine nuts and Greek yoghurt, and Opa Gyros of tender lamb, roast potatoes and pickled peppers – it’s a sumptuous new addition. Now, just close your eyes, take a bite, and imagine you’re in Mykonos…
Opa is located at Fairmont Dubai. For more information, please call +971 4 357 0557
- Words: Emily Baxter-Priest
