And She Flew Like a Seabird – 3

My daring feats of flight been noted and recounted in a mix of blog posts, my final air tale took place in a sensational seaplane, generously offered by Seawings in Dubai. Sand and City, love the byline!

Jad Frem, who terrorized… me in the hang glider at Six Senses Oman, was absolutely gleeful when he shared I could make my return to Dubai in a seaplane. Small planes don’t frighten me; strafing a savanna landing strip to warn a herd of elephants or giraffes is beyond exciting, I like the idea of metal surrounding my body.Seaplane – Why, yes indeed, I would love to fly in a seaplane! Plus this is a more interesting mode of travel from Oman to Dubai. Oman was once a center for the Middle Eastern spice trade it is also known for its beautiful coastlines and old world charming architecture. Blue water, sandy beaches and oceans of desert punctuated by Frankincense trees are better enjoyed from the air in the luxurious amphibian seaplane. Every seat is a window seat offering unparalleled vistas of the beaches and countryside.

Seawings, the only luxury seaplane tour operator within the Arabian Peninsula is expanding routes to a few signature properties, including Oman Six Senses.

Driver had instructions to turn toward the beach at the mosque in Fujairah Al Dana. Continue to the end of the road and we would see the plane, which lands on the sandy shore. Still in my shorts from my morning para-glide, I am a bit uncomfortable being so uncovered in this chaste country; everyone assures me I will need bare feet to board through the seawater, so no worries. I’ve been completely covered with long sleeves and slacks in the desert heat, but courtesy and respect mean more to me than suffering in my attire.At the mentioned mosque, we make a left and reach the beach – strewn with fishing boats and many local men hovering about curious to see this beast in the water! A grizzled bearded man in a long white robed is animated in his waving at me in the car; imagine their curiosity as a large SUV with dark windows arrives at the fishing beach, I felt like a celebrity – and slightly amused to think of their imminent disappointment when an anonymous blonde woman in shorts alights from the car – not looking too glamorous this morning!As also previously mentioned, I don’t travel light – this 21 day trip required business attire in high temps, gorilla trekking garb, safari clothing, boots, poles etc…which translates to a couple of very large and increasingly heavy bags as I also shopped my way through four countries! The fishermen had been recruited to carry my bags to the plane; as I was the only passenger, the bag weight didn’t matter – strapped into the seats like passengers. The robed man continued to make friendly gestures, lacking a common language, I smiled and said hello multiple times.

Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman

Pilot let me know it had been very windy and it might be rough, will I be OK? Absolutely, I survived hang gliding! An exciting water takeoff from the beach on-board the spacious Cessna Caravan Amphibian Seaplane, we rose quickly over the turquoise sea and turned toward the sand dunes. These were the dunes of National Geographic photographs, the wavering lines of undulating white sand that seemed to stretch for miles.

The beauty of these planes is the advantage of flying fairly low for spectacular sight seeing, especially as we approached Dubai. Not only does Seawings offer transport between resorts, they are the preeminent flight firm offering picturesque sight seeing. We circled around the city and approached the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club enjoying majestic views of Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa, The World Islands and The Palm Jumeirah. A simple splash down in to the Creek and I alighted at the pier. Sadly, no white robed man to greet me, back to civilization!Seawings Amphibious Planes to and from Oman Six Senses – or tour the skies above the worlds highest buildings. Highly recommend!

Armani Hotel Dubai

It is essential if you visit Dubai, even briefly, you must visit the tallest building in the world, even better STAY in the tallest building!  Glamorous, sleek and stylish, the Armani Hotel is at the base of the tallest tower – my scrumptious Armani suite with the curving windows looked directly down on, of course, the world’s largest choreographed fountain installed in the 30-acre man-made Burj Khalifa Lake. The rooms are snug, subtle and luxurious, cool and dark; they are the absolute opposite of the glaring hot desert. Luxury leather paneling lines the walls making the room whisper soft, a perfect perch to enjoy the dancing fountains. Sinewy and curvy, sexy sleek curves dominate many of the public and private spaces – So Very Very Italian!Technophobes will love that you can use an Ipad to control everything in the room and also listen to the fountain music from your nest above the world.

A new private passageway links you to an enormous shopping center and the entrance to the Burj Khalifa Observation Tower.

Lifestyle Managers field all questions, organize drivers, dinner appointments or shopping excursions.

Armani/SPA offers a fully tailored sensory experience to suit all needs. Highly recommend reserving a treatment to coincide with your Dubai arrival following the 15 hour flight from the West Coast! Deep tissue massage using Armani bois oil with moody resinous cedar wood used as part of a penetrating pressure point treatment that coaxes  jet lagged muscles into releasing tension.

Then on to one of the fabulous award wining restaurants for a late night supper. Savor exquisite cuisine from one of the many options: Ristorante offers the best of regional Italian cuisine; Amal serves high style tastes of India in an unforgettable setting or Hashi – the best of Japan with an imaginative twist on traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisine.

Sexy Piano Bar

Immersed in the glam district of downtown Dubai, the Armani Hotel is classically sophisticated, offers exceptional cuisine, spa pampering and has the premium city views and a high profile address in swanky Dubai.

PACK: Bond Girl Heels and a Slinky Sparkling Dress!