Category: Travel – Destination, Hospitality & Airline features

Celebrating cuisine that’s just as spicy as moi

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My favourite Thai dish in KL was nasi Pattaya….which is fried rice wrapped in thin omelette. In Dubai its everything on the Sukothai menu 🙂

Last Saturday, I made a supreme effort to get out of my pyjamas end of day to catch up with my cool friends from The Tourism Authority of Thailand at Dusit Dubai as they launched the “Amazing Taste of Thailand Festival 2012”. I don’t normally sacrifice my weekend for ordinary people or events but I love everything about Thailand and the people from Thailand have become some of my closest friends here so I was there in all my glory…. I love the country, got married there after a crazy weekend trip from KL (in Hatyai with a few weeks in Krabi), love the food, love the spas, love Muay Thai, love shopping in Bangkok, love the people of Pattaya and the list goes on.

Basically I was invited since everyone from the Thai Embassy, the Thai spas know how dedicated I am to my food and massage sessions and they are very right. In a nutshell, the month-long festival is until 7th July 2012,during which time diners at 13- participating restaurants will have the opportunity to win gift vouchers and a number of exciting prizes including a trip to Bangkok with Thai Airways.

“The Amazing Taste of Thailand” launch event was co-hosted by the Dusit Thani, Dubai and Thai Airways and began with a welcome speech from H.E. Mr. Somchai Charanasomboon, Ambassador of Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the ever so dynamic Wisoot Buachoom, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand.

There were also two performances of traditional Thai dancing, fruit carving demonstrations and live cooking stalls where the 13 participating restaurants show cased their individual specialist Thai cuisine. The restaurants participating in the “Amazing Taste of Thailand Food Fest 2012” include Benjarong, Blue Elephant, Pai Thai, Sukhothai, Spice Emporium, Ban Khun Mae, The Kitchen of Thai, Shang Thai, Thai Chi, The Royal Buddha, Chimes, The Thai Kitchen in Dubai and the Taste Restaurant in Fujairah.

The ‘Thainess’, which is at the heart of Thai hospitality permeates across all of Thailand, from amazing beaches and natural environment to culinary expertise. Thai cuisine is a key element of ‘Amazing Thailand’ and the ingredients used, the various herbs and spices together with cooking methods is all part of the essence of Thailand.

Looks like the next few weeks are going to be a culinary adventure for me and anyone who wants to be in my company for meals….can you stomach the spiciness levels of this diva?

In Dubai We Trust

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Ever since I got the Hard Rock CafĂŠ worldwide loyalty card, I’ve become a huge fan of their merchandise and its now tradition for me and my babe to get some retail therapy everywhere we visit that has a Hard Rock cafe….the food and drinks are great but the retail is even better.

It is at Hard Rock Dubai where I met Salma and Khalid from ‘In Dubai We Trust’….a coincidence as I was there for something else and after a quick chat with them, I made up my mind that I will talk about their cool initiative….In Dubai We Trust.

As anyone will tell you, I am the biggest fan of the UAE and all the Emirates…. I constantly end up telling people who try to say anything bad about the country that they are welcome to go back home if they have issues with the UAE as there are plenty other people who appreciate the place and love to live and work here.

Although UAE and Dubai has nothing to prove to anyone as the place speaks for itself, it still is great for people who live here to talk about the best things that Dubai has to offer and show the many positive sides that people don’t usually pick up on because they are so involved in their own little worlds, they would rather stay on their sofas and complain instead of actually venturing out and enjoying the many amazing things one can do here.

‘In Dubai we trust’ is a non-profit organization striving to unify the multi-cultural population of Dubai by celebrating the emirate’s achievements. Their tag says…..’In Dubai we trust, with Dubai we bloom, in Dubai we see our future grow. Moving forth with strong will and determination, an economy with power & inspiration. With achievements across the borders untold, Dubai our land, where peace and love unfolds.’

The group since their inception has organised many events that show the different facets of the Emirates….they were also part of the Burj Khalifa opening, have organised events for mother’s day, brought women from different nationalities together in a spa environment and now they will also be part of the Walk of Beauty 2012 event. This is part of the amazingly popular exhibition Beautyworld Middle East 2012 starting on the 29th of May.

UAE and Dubai has become a second home to many….its about time we celebrated the many great opportunities the country has given us and make people aware of the many things they can do here that they would not be able to do elsewhere.

If you are a big fan of Dubai, you can join In Dubai We Trust’ on the following:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/188737619862/

Follow them on Twitter- http://twitter.com/indubaiwetrust

Youtube Videos:
(UAE 3-D Show @ Dubai Mall -Jan 2010 )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23lnTiH3sHE

( IDWT Interview)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we88TCCSqRU

Its time for Dim Sum

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Little Diva NJD is ready for dim sum in Seoul Korea

Taking mandarin lessons is tough….the language is tough as it is but for some reason, most syllabus use food a lot in the lessons – I guess because everyone knows Chinese food so our dear teachers think it’s the easiest way to teach us the language.

Tonight my lesson was on Shaomai (shāo mài) which  is a traditional Chinese dumpling served in dianxin/dim sum. The first time I had this was on a roadside stall in Malaysia on my way from KL to Penang. My companion spoke mainly Cantonese and was a huge fan of dim sum. All I knew was that I loved the little bamboo steamers it came in and enjoyed each delicate piece with a dollop of spicy chilli sauce.

In my lesson today, I learnt that I should be able to recognise a Shaomai as it has a fluffy and flowery shape on the top. Although shaomai originates from steamed stuffed bun (I’ve seen a lot of these a lot on the streets of Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore), these two similar kinds of food have two main differences. First, the outer covering of shaomai is made of a thin sheet of lye water dough; Secondly, shaomai differ from steamed buns in that their outer covering is not sealed but instead has a pomegranate shape….i prefer the shaomai any day.

Once well steamed in the pot, shaomai are prized for the thin skin and abundant fillings. Shaomai is in the shape of a cup, not only delicious but also beautiful. There are two regional varieties of shaomai: a Cantonese version and a version from the Jiangnan region…frankly I couldn’t tell the difference but I certainly love a good shaomai in my Friday brunch.

In KL, I loved the dim sum varieties at the Pan Pacific Sunday brunch, In Singapore its best to try it at Paradise Point and in Dubai, Shangri-La does it best! I didn’t have much time in Korea and Macau to try good recommended Dim Sum but the best has to be in Hong Kong – I wanted to go to Maxim’s on the way to Fiji but the stopover was too short so I tried random restaurants and they were all awesome for dim sum.

Once again, I have diverted to food… I blame my Mandarin instructor. Each lesson this week was related to food and brought back heaps of memories from Asia.

Inspirational coffee moment with Colm McLoughlin

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With Colm and Sinead…. movers and shakers behind the most successful brand in Dubai

After seeing Colm McLoughlin around town and in the media for over 11 years, I finally had a chance for a delightful chat with the man behind the most successful Duty Free retail venture in the world. I always wanted to do a blog on him so when our awesome Group was given an opportunity to get up, close and personal with Colm one morning a few months ago, naturally I jumped at the opportunity, had a chat with him and then found out even more later about the many initiatives he and his team help support via DDF.

Arriving in the UAE from Ireland in 1983 to help set up Dubai Duty Free (DDF) on a short-term contract with just a team of 10 people, Colm was enticed to stay longer to realize the vision of H.H Sheikh Mohammed to make DDF the most vibrant, successful and profitable airport retail organisation in the world. Over 28 years later, we find that the growth of DDF has surpassed all the goals that Colm had set and has gone beyond that into other fields as well. From 100 staff and earning 72 million revenues, DDF today has over 4,000 employees and posted Dhs4.6billion in revenues.

About 48 members of the original team are still with DDF and after facing the many travel related challenges over the years, and starting with concession shops to see the company grow into a major airport retailer today. Apart from owning the Aviation Club that houses the Dubai Tennis Stadium and The Irish Village and Century Village, Colm tells us of DDF’s plans to build a hotel within the same complex that would be run by the Jumeirah Group. The five star Jumeirah Creekside hotel will have 293 bedrooms with an all day dining restaurant.

While most people revel in DDF’s retail success, many associate the brand also with major sports tournaments and CSR initiatives. Colm tells us about the birth of Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the 20th year anniversary of the tournament this year and the fact that it is seen worldwide on TV in over 400 million homes. He is particularly delighted by the fact that the players always vote DDF as the best tennis championship in the world. The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships was honoured by the ATP, being named as the ATP World Tour 500 Tournament of the Year for 2011. This is the eighth time in nine years that the Tournament has won the Award, a truly impressive achievement.

Other than tennis, DDF also sponsors the Desert Classic Golf Tournament, World Cup Horse Racing the Dubai Film Festival amongst other key events that help drive tourism and put Dubai on the map for world class events. Other events associated with DDF is the Irish Derby, Emirates Festival of Literature, local productions like City of Life, Gulf For Good, the library at DUCTAC as well as managing the DDF Foundation for children’s education and health in countries like Vietnam, Philippines, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Dubai Duty Free also supports ‘Hand in Hand for Haiti’, the travel retail industry-funded educational initiative, where DDF Foundation provided US$500,000 to finance a new Sports Complex at the Lycee Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable School in the town of Saint Marc. The DDF Sports Complex at the Lycee school will offer pupils and the wider community in Saint Marc an outstanding sports and leisure facility. Facilities will include an international regulation soccer pitch, a 6-lane athletic track, a basketball court and a volleyball court.

During our conversation, it also emerged that DDF has won over 250 awards. But Colm personally also received an award recently by the Garbally College, which presented 55 former pupils with Alumni Awards. Colm with his two brothers Ray and Feidlim were amongst fellow alumni that included prominent and highly respected Irish professionals from the field of Business, Politics, Science, Education, Religion and the Arts. Both of Colm’s older brothers, Ray and Feidlim, have enjoyed highly successful business careers combined with high profile sporting success on the rugby field.

In addition to awards and CSR related events, Colm also supports initiatives by DDF to raise awareness and create environmental ambassadors within its operation. Dubai Duty Free sponsored two of its employees’ recently to participate in the ‘International Antarctic Expedition 2012’ expedition led by the renowned polar explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan, OBE. I asked Colm on DDF’s future plans and he enthusiastically tells us about Dubai Airports expansion plans, which would result in further growth of DDF with at least 1,000 more staff and 8,000sqm of retail space at concourse three. The concourse is anticipated to complete beginning of next year followed by another concourse three to four years later.

With the two new concourse areas, Colm expects sales to exceed the Dhs10billion mark with staff numbers increasing to over 8,000 to support the footprint at the bigger airport due to increased traffic. Speaking of some of his proudest achievements, Colm talks about team building initiatives and training provided to DDF staff. The management encourages staff to achieve exceptional results and provide them with all the facilities and tools to help them perform better in the workplace.

DDF is known to provide sports facilities at the residences of staff as well as computers and programmes so that they continuously improve their skills. Colm attributes this initiative to His Highness Sheikh Ahmed who is seen as a superstar as a boss who provides opportunities to his team to grow themselves and DDF to new heights.

In his leisure time Colm loves to cycle, swim and play golf. In ten years he hopes to see DDF doubling the business with more than 50 nationalities working together to sustain DDF in its pole position as the best airport retailer in the world. It was a pleasure spending the morning with Colm and Sinead and I hope to get insights from him and his team, who are equally dynamic, more often.

Mike Rutzen at Atlantis – education on Great White Sharks

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With Mike Rutzen & the beautiful Rima at The Lost Chambers, Atlantis

After driving on race tracks, bashing dunes, sky diving and generally doing anything that raises the blood pressure, my next big adrenaline driven adventure will be diving with sharks…..inspired by none other than Michael Rutzen, who is known as one of the few people in the world who free-dives with Great White Sharks and campaigns for their preservation around the world.

Mike is so passionate describing his unique adventures as he travels extensively around the world to create an understanding and respect for this great predator, sharing his knowledge and involving as many people as possible in his conservation battle.  I met Mike at Atlantis, The Lost Chambers as he was with the Atlantis Marine Team who are keen to go to Fiji to experience the awesome dive sites there. (I reckon I have convinced marine conservationist, the beautiful  Rima Jabado to hang out in my flat in Nadi while doing day trips diving near untouched islands – since we have over 330 beautiful islands, it’s a diver’s dream paradise)

Mike Rutzen is sweet, down to earth and if you love the marine world as much as I do being an Island girl, watch Mike’s travels and activities which are extensively documented on TV programmes including ‘Beyond Fear’ with National Geographic, ‘Sharkman’ and ‘Shark Night’ on Discovery Channel, ‘60 Minutes special’  with Anderson Cooper, ‘The Great White Shark’ on CNN and ‘A Living Legend’ on BBC Natural World. Mike has been face to face with one of the greatest predators in the world, with no protection and no fear!

I hope someday I also get to spend some time with Steve Kaiser of the Marine Sciences and Engineering team at Atlantis –  I believe he works hard to provide education to the masses about sharks through a number of activities including the thrilling Shark Dive in the Shark Lagoon at Atlantis. It would also be great to talk more about Rima and her work on marine conservation and I reckon that will be a whole new blog on its own…watch this space.

Guests to the next Lost Chambers ‘Family Fun Day’ will be able to meet Michael Rutzen and hear him speak about Shark Conservation. Other Atlantis activities include special educational sessions with marine animal specialists, interaction with the Atlantis scuba divers, touch and feel marine exhibits, face painting, treasure hunts etc.

You can also meet ‘Shark Man’ Mike face to face as he will describe tales of his adventures diving and protecting sharks around the globe on Saturday. In his talk “The Great White Shark Carcharodon Carcharias – Behaviour and Conservation,” He will tell stories about diving with sharks; his free-diving and behavioural observations; eco-tourism as a winning solution and his research and future projects.

I warn you though…Mike is so passionate about his work, the enthusiasm rubs off on you and like me, you will find yourself navigating the high seas in no time! Thanks to the awesome team at Atlantis who always have interesting activities lined up at The Lost Chambers for kids like little diva @NJD2000, we as adults also end up learning about environment, conservation in a beautiful setting like Atlantis.

I am starting diving courses with Al Boom next month when my traumatised left arm is back in action so I can do the shark dive at Atlantis – super excited. (And no…the arm was not traumatised flipping the car on a race track as all my near and dear ones seem to think). 

Patron of the Arts

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Performers at a recent exhibition from Uzbekistan supported by Dubai Culture - I loved it

Thanks to Yasser & his team, my daughter loved the performance by a Chechen Dance troupe recently organised by Dubai Culture

The last few weeks has been awesome for Dubai Culture – I’ve always known the team there to be super dynamic (I seriously want to know where people like Yasser and Bilal get their energy) but I reckon recently they have surpassed themselves after hosting one amazing cultural performance/exhibition/celebration after another.

So when the equally amazing team of Asda who know I lap up anything that’s remotely associated with Art & Culture and would support the boys there anytime contacted me about the The Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Awards,I jumped up and headed towards Jumeirah Zabeel – its not just the superb hammam there that pulls me towards this amazing hotel.

This key initiative was announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and honoured 47 organisations and individuals for their contributions towards the city’s cultural scene …which I may add grows twofold every time I get my fabulous self to set some time aside after work to check my social calendar.

Organised by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, the awards were aimed at encouraging patrons of the arts to further strengthen the evolution of the city’s cultural landscape through patronage.

Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority was there and he looked so different than when I first worked with him during DSF 2000 – he has managed to get increased support from Government departments and organisations, in addition to a vast pool of new patrons for culture and the arts.

It was awesome to see some of my favourite organisations and the representatives from Emirates Airlines, Jumeirah Group, Dubai Duty Free and AGMC – BMW being honoured – these guys do great stuff for art & culture and the people behind these brands are the nicest you will find in Dubai.

I’m hoping more things like Art Week, Art Dubai, Design Days, Dubai International Film Festival, Gulf Film Festival, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre add to the culture and arts scene of the city….we definitely need to give more recognition as well to the performing arts which has struggled heaps over the last 10 years. The tides are changing thanks to the amazing work of Dubai Culture and this diva is pleased to be in a city that brings so much of the worlds static and performing arts to us on a silver platter. Smiling heaps!

Royal Jet and their challenging Medical Evacuation Mission

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Although I generally don’t like talking about brands that clash with the business interests of our group members, this week I found myself questioning and going against that as I was reading about Royal Jet’s Medevac unit successfully completing a highly complicated medical evacuation mission as it flew 31 Chinese workers injured in explosions in the Republic of Congo to China – I thought that was very commendable and worth a mention.

Frankly speaking, I always saw Royal Jet as an international luxury flight services company more on the premium side without knowing that they also have a medical team. So it was an eye opener finding out that Royal Jet Medical Evacuation Service offers state-of-the-art equipment and highly-qualified, skilled and dedicated medical professionals….this clearly is the caring side of the brand.

So…the story is that using its fully equipped and expertly manned Boeing Business Jet aircraft, the Royal Jet Medevac mission landed in China after a 16-hour flight from Maya Maya Airport in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, following a brief stop in Abu Dhabi for fuel and crew change. On board were Royal Jet’s well-trained and highly-skilled Medevac team headed by Dr. Ibrahim Soto, Royal Jet’s Medevac Medical Director with five Chinese medical experts who were dispatched to Brazzaville by the Beijing government, shortly after the blasts to attend to the wounded.

The blasts apparently claimed more than 200 lives and injured over 1,500 and six Chinese workers out of about 140 working at a nearby construction site were killed in the blasts. The medical team arrived in Brazzaville and spent 15 hours stabilizing the patients before accommodating all of them safely in the aircraft.

In a nutshell, Royal Jet’s fleet of Gulfstream, Learjet and Boeing Business Jet aircraft covers the globe and tailor each mission to the patient’s medical needs along with specialists and highly trained medical team. While other Royal Jet’s product offering spans several operations including luxury air charter services and Royal Jet Charter Brokerage (providing travel solutions through sourcing the appropriate aircraft for charter), I find the Royal Jet Medevac side of their business great as it helps save lives.

Innovative concept from Gulf Craft for outdoor entertaining space

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The dynamic guys at Gulf Craft Inc., the largest manufacturer of luxury yachts and fiberglass boats in the Middle East and Asia last Saturday showed VVIPs at its shipyard’s the largest ever hull construction – the Majesty 135.

I already wrote about the awesome 30th anniversary gala celebration we attended at Gulf Craft’s yacht manufacturing facility in the UAE … These guys know what they are doing and are the nicest, warmest people you will ever meet so its always a pleasure being with them.

The Majesty 105 is the latest in a series of revolutionary concepts created by Gulf Craft. It represents both, the degree of engineering, design and technological sophistication already achieved by the company during its three decades in the business as well as its ability to anticipate and meet the need for striking new superyacht concepts tailored to diverse cruising needs.

We had the exclusive opportunity to tour the striking blue-hulled, triple-decked superyacht which features 5 staterooms, including a luxurious owner’s stateroom, 2 crew cabins and one captain’s cabin, 8 bathrooms in addition to a dayhead. The Majesty 105 runs on 2 Caterpiller C32 rated engines and can reach top speeds of 27 knots.

The interiors are furnished in gold teak veneer with soft, light carpeting and furnishings in a sea-inspired colour scheme that gives a nod to Mediterranean elegance. Extensive exterior space – including an outdoor steering helm and a hard-topped sundeck fitted with comfortable sofa seating, a wet bar, fridge, icemaker and barbeque makes this the perfect yacht for outdoor entertaining.

Erwin Bamps, COO of Gulf Craft was of course in his element – rightly so as he has done an amazing job with all the arrangements for the unveiling of the Majesty 105.

According to Erwin, the Majesty 105 was conceptualized for the yacht owner who likes to spend the majority of his time above deck, With a steering helm on the sun deck and an interactive outdoor entertaining and lounging space, this is the sort of yacht that would allow you to spend time admiring the coast on an island-hopping itinerary or catch all the action moored alongside waterfront racing circuits like Yas Marina Circuit or the Circuit de Monaco. (I’m pretty sure my friends at Yas Marina will be delighted).

It was also superb to catch up with Sultan….a personality to watch out for in the future as he is one of the younger generation of Emiratis who will carry on the legacy and the amazing work of his family and forefathers. Especially as the younger generation have the support of industry stalwarts like Saeed Hareb, Nabil their teams and families.

All I can say is that this baby is awesome – I already tweeted some pictures of both Majesty 135 and Majesty 105 from the exclusive preview @Fijianchick. Enjoy!

With Saeed Hareb

Erwin Bamps, Saeed Hareb, Mohd Al Shaali & Nabil Farhat at the Majesty 105 launch


Xperia S and Armani moment

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Getting a preview of the new Sony Xperia at Armani Hotel

On my way home from office today I was tempted by Rhazi to check out the new Xperia S smartphone at Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa. This was his way of convincing the gadget diva why I didn’t need to carry an iphone, a blackberry, an ipad, a MacBook Air +++ in my bag at all times.

Naturally I am not one to ignore checking out new stuff and Armani is one of my favourite venues. So while rushing to make it to my bellydancing class, I went to play with Sony’s new toy. (Man that sounds dodgy – I’m glad Sony is not a guy)

The demonstration of the feature-rich smartphone highlighted key functionalities such as the ‘connected entertainment experience’. Offering seamless connectivity between all devices whether smartphone, TV, laptop or tablet and PlayStation, it is ideal to share and enjoy content.

The Xperia S sports ‘Iconic Identity’ is an innovative transparent design element at the base, that creates a simple, strong, instantly recognizable look with illumination effects and integrated antenna components. The user interface has been restyled to match the minimalistic design of the hardware and the home screen features a new colorful flow background making full usage of HD Bravia Reality Display and dual-core processing power.

I tested the camera – it was almost the same as my current Sony that is 12MP. Xperia S is set to deliver a stunning viewing experience with a high resolution screen, full Sony Bravia HD, powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor for faster performance and a 12MP camera with Exmor sensor that takes pictures in just 1.5 seconds from standby mode. Nice aye! Diva likes…..heaps!

While I’m not about to give up my iphone and Blackberry right now in a hurry, Xperia S may just tantalise my gadget hunger palette…its great for people who want to make a fashion statement too….I love the look!

I liked the white one...matches my personal Apple computer and my white BB

Nice stuff - image courtesy the Xperia team in Dubai

The awesomeness of Yas Marina

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How cool is this place - Image courtesy Yas Marina team

Whenever I venture towards Yas Island Abu Dhabi, people automatically think it is to fratenise with car manufacturers on the circuit – but diva is not only hooked on super cars….as an island girl, I love everything relating to the sea and my current favourite place to hang out in Abu Dhabi is the Yas Marina.

Now…it has been gut wrenching not tweeting or blogging about it but I did promise dear Jonathan when I do touch on it, it will be from the heart and I will talk about my adventures there from experience – unfortunately I have only been able to do whistle stop tours recently while testing the latest cars. (Yas Island is the best place to cruise around in open top convertibles in the evenings amongst other super cars that are there for a spin on the tracks).

Having orange juice with the GM of Yas Marina Cedric Le Rest during my lunch break at Radisson earlier in the year was the first time I got to know all about Yas Marina and the fabulous way its managed by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas. Samer from Yas as well joined us for a bit of laid back chat and between Samer, Cedric and Jonathan, I found out more about Yas Marina in that one hour than I had from all my adrenaline driven visits to the Yas Island.

Camper & Nicholsons is widely recognised to be one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious yachting business names, with origins dating back to 1782. The company has specialised in marina and waterfront development for over 40 years and has provided services to clients in more than 25 countries worldwide.

Their projects range from small marinas through to developments over 500 hectares. Camper & Nicholsons Marinas International Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Camper & Nicholsons Marina Investments Limited, listed on the AIM of the London Stock Exchange. Camper & Nicholsons currently operate marinas in Abu Dhabi, Grenada, Italy, Malta and Turkey.

The guys at Camper & Nicholsons are awesome – they recently announced that berth occupancy has doubled in the last 6 months and Cedric believes its due to their extremely competitive annual berth rates – which now includes an F1TM berth.

The best bit here is the VIP Privilege Card that offers berth holders a variety of discounts and value added services to Yas Island facilities. The 2012 Annual Berth rates (starting from 16,455 AED inclusive of a berth at 2012 Formula 1™ week) and the 2012 Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Grand Prix berthing tariffs which start from 10,395 AED. One superyacht to have recently taken an annual berth at Yas Marina is the 95m Indian Empress.

The competitive tariffs, coupled with the success of Yas Island Show Weekends, featuring international superstars such as Madonna, Janet Jackson and Elton John have helped to reinforce Yas Marina’s position as an attractive home port for yachts of all sizes.

Yas Marina features a variety of dining and entertainment options ranging from fine dining at Cipriani or Yotto, to more casual settings like Stars ‘N’ Bars and the vibrant Allure Night Club by Cipriani. I absolutely love Cipriani and it was everything Cedric had said about it to me months before.

Located at the heart of the Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island and located 10 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport, 20 minutes from central Abu Dhabi and 45 minutes from Dubai, Yas Marina has 143 berths for yachts up to 150m in size.  Visitors to the marina can enjoy easy access to pristine coastlines, 200 uninhabited islands and the nearby cosmopolitan cities…….looks like a place tailor made for diva!