You are finally in Dubai and it has been months of researching all of the places and things you absolutely MUST do. The list is long and I personally know this because I tried to tackle them all on this trip!
Photo shoots in the desert, visits to massive malls, discovering unique gifts in the various souks and of course a walk along “The Walk” are at the top of everyone’s list but have you considered how you were going to treat yourself?
To satisfy this, our first venture in Dubai was to the Talise Spa in the Madinat Jumeirah resort. The timing couldn’t have been better as I was out of steam from crazy weekend we had in Abu Dhabi celebrating the F1 Grand Prix!
We jumped in our rental and we were on our way! Shortly after turning into the Madinat Jumeirah complex we had immediately made a wrong turn and instead of driving towards the spa, we ended driving up a driveway towards these mesmerizing golden horses. Thank god for the distraction of the horses and the meticulously manicured lawn that lined the driveway as it allowed us to the experience the GRANDeur of the Al Qasr hotel.
Golden horses draped in UAE flags in celebration of the upcoming UAE National Day.
More horses at the entrance
The friendly staff welcomed a photo with us.
The gorgeous Al Qasr Hotel Lobby
The Al Qasr Hotel is one of 3 hotels on the Madinat Jumeirah Resort property. The luxurious 5 star resort is the largest resort in the emirate, spreading across over 40 hectares of landscapes and gardens and is designed to resemble a traditional Arabian town.
We were able to see this as we sailed to the Talise Spa by abra!
Waiting for other guests to get off the Abra before we hopped on.
Kicked up my feet – view from the back of the abra – Madinat Jumeirah
Wish I was wearing a flowy dress…oh well!
Though we had lost our way to the spa, we still had a lot of time to kill until our appointment so we decided to take advantage of it!
We were greeted by friendly staff who were very informative and open to answering a lot of question. Good thing, cause I had a lot.
I got comfortable by the co-ed pool (good to know as the other sections are not) taking dips between tanning. Mona was on a mission to see the beach, so she went on her own adventure for awhile. As usual, she returned with some good stories, so we laughed pool-side until it was time to check-out the other parts of the spa including the sauna, steam room and hot/cold plunge pools.
In my zone.
Building up my courage to get into the hot plunge pool.
My face says it all.
The amount of heat contained in this “hot pool” can be demonstrated by my shnazzy flame graphic. Okay…my top was pretty low in this pic too but for real, it was SO HOT! It took more than a minute for me to relax my shoulders enough to pull them away from my earlobes.
The traditional practice is to immediately follow this dip with another one in a neighboring ice “cold pool”. I was very apprehensive but the spa attendant kept encouraging me. She stood close by just waiting for my reaction. I’m sure I was NOT the first to show the shock of the temperature difference on my face after dipping in my big toe.
Cold plunge pool
Fact: The Talise Spa was awarded “Destination Spa of the Year -Middle East” at the World Spa & Wellness Awards (2013)!
After the shock wore off and a couple glasses of the most amazing water (I wish I had asked them what it was flavored with), it was time for our AlphaSphere Deluxe – by Sha treatment.
To be honest, as I prepared for this treatment I did as much research as I could but I really didn’t know what I was getting into and for that reason alone I found it really hard to explain to Mona what she was getting into as well!
The spa attendant guided us through the property, patiently taking photos for us and then we arrived at the wooden doors to the fair-sized treatment room where we were presented with 4 treatment or ‘experience types’ to choose from.
AlphaSphere Deluxe by Sha x Talise Spa x Madinat Jumeirah x The Urban Traveler
Walked through a garden oasis which included 26 private spa suites.
Entrance into the AlphaSphere Deluxe by SHA treatment room
AlphaSphere Deluxe by Sha – website photo
I looked-up the treatment types on their website. It lists them as:
The blue program – the best entry with reliable effects – targets the 5th chakra (throat) to enhance RELAXATION and SPIRITUALITY, CLARITY and INNER PEACE.
The violet program – the special composition for people in a sensitive constitution – targets the 7th chakra (crown) to stimulate DREAMS and WISDOM, INSPIRATION and MEDITATION.
The red program – the special composition for a strong sense impression – targets the 1st chakra (root) for GROUNDING and CHANGE, AMBITION and PASSION.
The orange program – to recharge yourself with new power – targets the 2nd chakra (lower abdomen) for STIMULATING and ENERGIZING, HAPPINESS and CREATIVITY.
We chose ORANGE. For the next 20-25 mins we were surrounded by sounds, lights and vibrations from the pod.
I must say, it wasn’t like anything I have experienced before. A new take on spa treatments.
The black circle by my ear was a speaker – AlphaSphere Deluxe Treatment
In order to feel the true effects of the sounds and vibrations we should have stayed longer as most of the treatment was spent comparing sensations and commenting on how we looked like we had been abducted by aliens.
Now that I am back home on this side of the world, I’ll have to research where I can try the other 3 types of experiences….or I will just have to return back to Dubai!
AlphaSphere by Sha: 30 mins (225AED/$61USD – single or 395AED/$110USD per couple)
As if we weren’t already relaxed enough, we continued our ‘F1 week-end detox’ on the beach for a 60 minute “Full Moon Yoga” session.
Transportation from the Talise Spa to the beach was provided by golf cart
The luxury spa experience carried onto the Al Qasr beach sands as the yoga instructor, who made it comfortable for all levels, transitioned us into poses as the waves hit the shoreline in the near distance. To top it off, the Burj Al Arab created a memorable view that I will not soon forget.
Full Moon Yoga – 90 mins 119 AED/$33USD
I felt amazing – and having the Burj Al Arab as our backdrop made it seem magical
Mona in her Zen Zone
Thank you to all of the amazing and generous staff!
Talise Spa Website: www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/dubai/madinat-jumeirah/spa/talise-spa/
Facebook: /TaliseSpa
Twitter: @TaliseSpa
Address: Al Sufouh Rd – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Phone:+971 4 366 6818
Note: AED = UAE Dirhams – see exchange HERE
Note: Something happened to my iPhone and I ended up losing 44 pictures on this (very visually stunning) day. 🙁
