Each month, we ask residents to share a guide to the UAE through their eyes, from their must-try restaurants and standout attractions, to favourite staycations and hidden gems.
This month, we chat to eventsman, creator and skateboarder extraordinaire Karim Nassar (@nawstique), who has been in Dubai for more than 30 years. Here he shares some of his top spots that you need on your radar.
Stay here
Recently I stayed at Al Wathba Resort in Abu Dhabi and it was a 10/10 experience. They have a restaurant where two beautiful horses free-roam, and you can interact/ feed them too. The spa was awesome, and you get direct access to the desert.
Eat here
Dubai’s culinary offerings are some of the best, but one I’ve really enjoyed food and vibe-wise was Duomo in Downtown Dubai. It’s an Italian restaurant with this really cool projection on the ceiling of different interiors in Italy and some other abstract-esque designs. Also, Jun’s on the Downtown Boulevard. If you haven’t been, I’d highly recommend checking it out.
Explore here
There are loads of hidden gems around the UAE, but in Dubai specifically, the area around the Union Memorial Fountain Plaza in Deira has some super cool, super iconic shawarma spots like Halla Shawarma, Furat and Shawarma Alsag Cafeteria, to name a few. They have the best shawarmas you will ever have.
Switch off here
Personally, I go skating to switch off. Dubai’s home to so many skateparks now, like XPark on Kite Beach and the D3 Skate Park, and some are empty. I take my music and camera with me and just do my thing. Another spot is the new dog beach in Deira. It is one of the cleanest public beaches around, and the dogs make it so much better.
Go here
I recently discovered the beauty of camping in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah. You’ll need a capable 4×4 to get up to Jabal Jais, and it’s about one hours’ drive to RAK from Dubai, then another hour’s hike up the mountain. But it’s super peaceful, so beautiful and the kind of place you could take a special someone to, or a group of friends. But maybe hold off until its cooler.
Images: Supplied/Socials
