Dubai – Page 2 – Purple Travel Official Blog

Purple Passport: Faking it to skip the queue and big plans for Dubai

Oct 12 2012

Dubai draws

The UAE country is a top choice for seeing the sights, and it’s about to get even better. Over 100 crocodiles will be getting a new home in the state’s new zoo in Al Warqa to no doubt, impress visitors of all ages. Not only that, but bosses there are also planning a huge replica of the famous Taj Mahal, one of India’s most iconic buildings. The crocs and replica building will be in addition to the tallest man made building in the world, the Burj Khalifa Tower.

Faking it to skip the queue

New reports have revealed more and more travellers are faking disabilities to get through airport procedures faster. Free assistance is available to passengers with reduced mobility, allowing them to go through check-in and security a bit faster. However passengers are not required to present proof of a disability, and some able-bodied travellers have started to exploit it.

Airline staff have even coined a new phrase “miracle flight” to describe some travellers who arrive in a wheelchair but manage to walk off the plane at the other side.

Take a trip on the Titanic II

A mining boss in from Down Under has announced plans to build a complete replica of the infamous doomed ship and sail it along its original route, between Southampton and New York. The new vessel will be built to the original specifications and you’ll be able to buy first, second or third class tickets. We’re not sure how many people will be lining up to make that trip.

Disney Land style coming to Kent

Well sort of. Developers have been granted a licence from Paramount Pictures to use its name on a huge resort near Dartford. The project will see Europe’s biggest water park, theatres and live music venues. It’s hoped it will create up to 27,000 jobs. Just over 15 minutes from London, the local council says it’s a “tremendous economic growth opportunity” for the area.

Purple 10: Weird things stolen from hotel rooms

Oct 03 2012

It’s not just bathrobes that are ripe for the picking, people take all sorts from their hotel rooms… You’ve got to wonder, how did they hide some of these?

After a survey of 500 hotels, 95 percent say they’ve had items stolen by guests, and around one in every ten traveller will take at least one thing that doesn’t belong to them.

A piano like this was taken from the reception of a hotel.

Here’s the weirdest:

A grand piano. Yes, a whole piano was carted down the street by three people dressed in overalls who casually strolled by reception.
A stuffed boar’s head. A hotel in Birmingham went without its billiard room’s main feature, until friends of the shamed guest actually bought it from the hotel as a wedding present.
A Vegas Hotel said entire carpets had been cut and take from one of its rooms.
The sofa and a mini-fridge were taken from a five star hotel in Dubai.
A five star hotel in Madrid went without a whole mattress after a stay by one sticky-fingered guest.
Sex Toys, a hotel in Bath which offers kinky accessories as part of its package, says they often go walkabouts after visits from amorous guests.
Televisions. They have a tough time in hotel rooms, what with getting thrashed by rockers, they’re also one of the most stolen items.
One unfortunate hotel owner had their pet dog stolen! Who would do that!?
Every accessory from an Istanbul hotel room was taken, apart from the bed, the desk and TV, basically everything that wasn’t nailed down.
Miscellaneous: according to reports that have surfaced over the years, there are lots of other, hard-to-categories bits taken from rooms, including a medieval sword and a 4ft wooden bear. Sounds a bit Anchorman, doesn’t it?

Holiday like the X-Factor

Oct 02 2012

It’s our second favourite bit of the X Factor, after the first auditions of course, when all the contestants are brought to the judge’s house for that final round of tears, tantrums and triumph. In a last minute phone call from boss man Simon, the judges were told which groups they were mentoring. Gary Barlow is in charge of the Over 28s, Louis Walsh has the Groups, Nicole Sherzinger has the Boys and Tulisa the Girls. The big news came that after the departure of Rough Copy, Louis has seven acts in the Judges’ House, while all the others have six. We can sense some tense times ahead. Last weekend was the Judges’ houses round, where Nicole, Gary, Tulisa and Louis whisked away their contestants for some top secret, last minute tuning up. Nicole was in Dubai, Tulisa was in the Caribbean on St Lucia, Louis was in Vegas while Gary was in the English countryside.

So where to go to holiday like the X-Factor? Read on to find out…

From the tiniest detail, holidays in Dubai are pretty mind blowing; even its fountains are impressive. Drenched in sunshine, your jaw will drop like the X Factor Boys at the ornate hotels, indoor ski resorts, white knuckle rollercoasters, exotic pools and unbelievable food. The biggest draw is likely to be the World’s Tallest Building, the Burj Khalifa, which you simply have to check out. Reaching 2km into the sky, it can be seen from miles away, and has everything you could possible want on a holiday. It’s even got an Armani Hotel! If you’re trying to figure out where to stay, The Four Points by Sheraton, Downtown Dubai and the Melia Dubai are well worth a look.

Sunshine, perfect beaches and sparkling blue waters, it’s the simple things that impress in honeymoon favourite St Lucia. The tiny island is a favourite with celebs, so it’s no surprise really that the X Factor Girls will get a taste of the good life with Tulisa. There’s plenty to do, like rainforest hikes, or climbing the Gros Piton (it’s a bit of a walk, but well worth it) and snorkelling. However, our favourite thing is to feel the powder soft white sand between our toes, maybe take a quick dip in the warm Caribbean Sea, before retiring to a hammock for the afternoon. The Anse Chastanet, Soufriere and The Bay Gardens Hotel in Gros Islet are two of our top hotel choices.

Entertainment capital of the world in Las Vegas, otherwise known as Sin City is an inspired choice for the Judge’s House. It’s seen *the* big names in the world of music play, from Frank Sinatra to Tom Jones, Elton to Celine, so why not Vegas? While the groups are busy fine tuning their performances, we’re daydreaming about having a go at some of the casinos, watching the fountain show at the Bellagio, visiting the massive shark tank at the Golden Nugget and maybe taking a trip to one of the little chapels, well, you never know do you? Stay at the budget friendly, Americas Best Value Inn Hotel, East of the Strip or go wild at the 5 star Trump International Hotel, West of the Strip.

Lord of the Manor in the English countryside: We don’t need much of an excuse to indulge in a long weekend, and nothing impresses us more than lording it over the countryside at our own fancy manor house. Ok, it might not be ours, but we can dream right… just like the X Factor Overs. Gary was definitely on to something, with that gorgeous rolling countryside, a quick stroll in the great outdoors, before retiring by the fireside with a glass of port. When in Rome and all that. We like the luxury Ellenborough Park in the Cotsworlds or the country hotel, the Three Horseshoes Inn.

Tag - Dubai