It’s nearly here! In just under two weeks Mr S and I will be heading of to Dubai and the Maldives! I know images of the Maldives are a bit over-saturated on the Instagram but it’s been a long time dream of mine to stay in an over water villa with the warm turquoise lagoon lapping at the stilts. From all the pictures I’ve seen of The Maldives, the atolls or coral reefs, look about as close to paradise as I can imagine.
On the opposite end of the spectrum to the calming relaxation and natural beauty of The Maldives, we’ll be stopping over in Dubai either side of our trip. I don’t want to give too much away but I just want to drop a few hints of the kind of things we’ll be getting up to on this adventure.
Dubai Part 1
For our first leg in Dubai we’ll be arriving around midnight and heading straight to our hotel on Jumeirah Beach. With only one full day, we’ll be keeping it fairly simply and I’ve booked one of Dubai’s legendary brunches and maybe we’ll do some more shopping for The Maldives.
The Maldives Hotel 1
After a four hour flight from Dubai we’ll be jumping straight on to a speed boat to our first Maldives Hotel!
I want to keep the hotel a surprise but the eagle eyed may recognise the property from the photos. Our first hotel has that barefoot Robinson Crusoe vibe that I loved so much at Mnemba Island, with rustic over water villas made of all natural material. 
With the relaxed feeling here, we’re looking forward to enjoying cocktails with our feet in the sand, beach front dinners, sunset cruises and even our own private cinema in the jungle!
The Maldives Hotel 2
After three days of barefoot luxury we’ll be heading back to Malé airport to catch a seaplane to our next hotel. 45 minutes from the airport, the location of this hotel is super private and exclusive.
Our second hotel has a totally different style to the the first with a more elegant feel to it. We’ve booked a sunset water villa so we’ll be able to sip champagne in the evening with a perfect view of the sun dipping below the ocean.
Regular readers will know how much Mr S loves the ocean, so he’ll be taking some time to do some diving and explore the coral reefs, while I check out the spa. The hotel is home to several restaurants rated some of the best in the Maldives so I’m excited to be sampling plenty of tasty food. 
Dubai Take 2!
After blissing out in the Maldives, it’s time to head back to Dubai for a stay in the Dubai International Financial District and a visit to Dubai Mall! One thing that’s on the top of my Dubai bucket list is going for drinks at the Burj Khalifa, the tallest structure in the world. 
We then have a little more beach time and will spend our final night at a hotel back on Jumeirah Beach with great access to some of Dubai hottest dining destinations. As our time in Dubai is fairly short I won’t fit in a desert safari but we’re looking forward to partying at the beach club and eating some fine food!
So that’s the plan and the count down is well and truly on!
Have you been to Dubai or The Maldives? Do you have any tips for me?
Photos provided by the hotels unless otherwise stated
