The excitement was building for a couple of weeks—having had pushed hard on work projects and not taking a break over the festive season, I was really looking forward to a time out. What better way than a trip abroad that we’d won from Sage in the Platinum Elite recognition program. Yes, you read that right, my company was sending me to Dubai for an amazing holiday!
So, come Wednesday evening of 1st February, myself, my cousin, Nishan, fellow Durban winner Daphne Singh, and her friend Gracy were jetting off to Dubai—excited for the holiday ahead.
We arrived at the Dubai airport around 5:30 am and were greeted by a friendly Sage Platinum Elite representative, who helped the ladies with their bags and escorted us directly to our own queue at passport control. No waiting in line. Once outside, we were escorted to luxurious Lexus taxi cabs, which drove us to the Madinat Jumeira resort that stretches over 3km of beautiful, white, sandy beaches.
Although it was so early, we were welcomed by some of the Platinum Elite organizing team at the hotel entrance, who snapped a quick photo, and we were taken to our rooms—where we were greeted by a magnificent room fit for kings! The rooms were located in villas in the resort—small sets of rooms next to each other, with each villa having its own reception and butler.
Feeling tired and hungry, we decided to skip having a nap and headed straight for the Khaymat Al Bahar restaurant—solely designated for Sage breakfasts. There was a wide variety of foods to satisfy every palate. The turkey bacon was surprisingly good. Not far off from the real thing, and way better than the macon we get in some places in Durban.
We chose to sit on the outside of the restaurant, where we decided to sit while taking in the breathtaking scenery around us. The sea was almost perfectly still with a surreal atmosphere around us. It felt like being on the scene of some movie.
In the evening, we were invited to attend a welcome buffet dinner at arguably the most opulent hotel in the resort, Al Qasr. A great dinner with some entertainment as well. Too bad I left early, as Daphne told me there were some stunning belly dancers enchanting the guests afterward.
After a good night’s sleep, we were up early on Friday, ready for our first activity of two that we were told to choose a few months before the trip. We had chosen Ferrari World as our first option and were excited to see it after having heard so much about it. We were really surprised by the weather that morning, which was actually cold and rainy in the desert! Apparently, this only happens once a year over a day or two.
After a 90-minute bus ride to Abu Dhabi, we arrived at Ferrari World. It was great—a massive building dedicated to all things Ferrari. We had a great time drooling over some brand new Ferrari models, including one that looked like something Batman would be proud to drive. I was looking forward to trying out the world’s fastest roller coaster, but to my disappointment, discovered that there was a height limit and I was just 1cm too tall to go on the ride! But there was so much to see that it didn’t dampen my spirits. Overall, Ferrari World lived up to the hype and any petrolhead worth their salt should see it if visiting the UAE.
Later that evening, we were back at the resort and ready for our planned dinner which we had to choose a few months earlier. It was at the PierChic restaurant—our choice from a selection of restaurants. PierChic turned out to be a restaurant on the pier quite near our villa. We got a beautiful night view of the entire lit up resort from here, with the iconic Burj al Arab hotel nearby.
Dinner at PierChic was outstanding—some truly sumptuous seafood, fine dining, and one of the best desserts I’ve ever eaten. Sage CEO Stephen Kelly was having dinner there as well.
Saturday brought the start of our mystery group activity that we were told was a surprise. Just before lunch, we were all bussed off to a polo club where we watched a game of polo while having a finger lunch and drinks. Thereafter, we were all directed to the parking lot where a large fleet of 4x4s was waiting. There must have been at least 60 4x4s dedicated just to the Sage group. We went on an hour long drive until we reached a little village where we entered the desert dunes. There our driver showed us that a Toyota Land Cruiser is not a just a mom’s taxi, but a real offroader. It was like being on a roller coaster in the sand! Our driver and guide, Saif was super friendly and pushed the vehicle to its limit. After stopping for a bit in the middle of the desert to appreciate the sunset, we reached the dinner venue slap bang in the middle of the desert—where we were treated to a nice Arabian style dinner experience. The food was great and there were fire dancers, camel rides, and hooka tents. A great evening was had by all.
On Sunday, our last day was the second of our planned activities. We had chosen the Seawings flight, which is a seaplane that takes off from the water and gives you a bird’s eye view of the whole city of Dubai. It was a great experience that gave us a perspective of the city from high up. It’s truly remarkable that such a massive, modern city was built in the desert. A true feat of ingenuity and bold, creative thinking.
That afternoon, we went to the famous Burj al Arab hotel for afternoon tea. Daphne had invited us the day before. This was not part of the Sage provided holiday, but our own little treat for ourselves. It was eye wateringly expensive, but worth it, as the hotel was amazing and the views from up there were priceless.
We had a rushed but lovely tea with various savory and sweet snacks. Rushed, because we were told be ready at 6:30 pm to go to our surprise closing party. We were stressing about being late, as we’d left there after 6:30 pm, but just as we were going down the elevator at the Burj Al Arab we noticed that the pool deck area outside was set up for some big event, and there was a stage set up as well. We knowingly smiled at each other with amazement—this was the big secret closing party venue. At the Burj al Arab! What an incredible venue.
We rushed off to our villa, got changed, and took one of the many buggies (golf carts) transporting Sage people to the party. A grand stage was set up with awesome lighting all around. We had a buffet dinner on a scale never seen before—there was everything you could think of, cooked by expert chefs. Lobsters (yes big fleshy ones at a buffet!), Atlantic sea crab, and a whole host of other delicious dishes were on offer. About an hour into dinner, we hear bangs not far away. We looked up to see this incredible fireworks display that had just started. It was a truly spectacular display—nothing like I’d ever seen before. Thereafter, once everyone had finished dinner, the party started with the band from New York performing covers of some old and new favorite tracks. The drinking and dancing carried on until midnight when the reality that we had to depart back to SA put us into a sober mood.
We left at just after 10 am the next morning, bringing back with us some once in a lifetime memories. Daphne and Gracy turned out to be great company and were really fun to spend our time with in Dubai. This was an amazing holiday that I feel so blessed and grateful for and will never forget. I’m really grateful for being chosen by our Sage Intelligence leadership and for Sage for giving us such an incredible experience.
