My birthday weekend is here!! I always like to do some sort of activity for my birthday but this year I’ve decided to do a staycation. Its been a long couple of months, I’ve been trying to get a score of 8 bands for IELTS for my migration to Australia, and it not going so great. I’ve tried 4 times already and have gotten a 9 in almost everything but writing. My mind just can’t think with a time constraint so I haven’t been able to get it more than 7 bands. So I just answered my 5 try on 14th and then went straight for a road trip just to distress from months of studying and working. Hats off to all of you who manage to work and study I have no idea how you’ll have the energy.

I wanted to do something water related for my birthday but it being the peak season it was quite pricy to book for the weekend. So I decided that I just wanted a calm and relaxing place far away from the city. Well, Tilal Liwa is one of the furthest places there are that is located in the middle of nowhere. It is around 3-4 hours away from Dubai and 30 mins away from the nearest city. So those of you driving plan in for some breaks in between and carry snacks, drinks and entertainment. The drive there is pretty is a few places, around 20mins before the city you take a turn that leads you to a road that looks deserted and covered in sand. Maybe it was because we went on a windy day but half the road was just sand,  I was starting to realise just how far away we were from anything. But soon in enough, we saw a structure in the middle of the sand dunes. It felt like a mirage. The hotel was beautiful against the sunset with the dunes framing it on either side.

The interiors of the hotel were warm and welcoming. It has a luxurious feel to it as well. The rooms were lovely and the warm shower was welcome after the long ride over. Feeling refreshed we walked around the hotel at night, the outdoors was a pleasant 14 degrees celsius. Being a Dubai baby you learn to enjoy the cool temperatures when you get it, as often it doesn’t last long and soon enough the sweltering heat returns. So the temperature made me want to linger by the pool with a nice hot tea in my hands. The area was dimly lit making it nice and cosy to relax outside. Once the tea was over and the warmth of it gone, the cold made me retreat to the rooms where I got the best sleep in the soft covers of the bed.

The morning was spent lazily in the warm confines of the bed. But me being a water person the allure of a pool being so near dragged me out of bed. The pool was freezing cold and woke me up completely. A few laps in there and then I was ready to explore the desert. The hotel has a lovely archway that opens out into the wast desert where they have a few activities for you to partake in. There’s camel riding, sand boarding and buggy riding. It was a fun evening spent on the sand, which was cool and smooth to the touch.

The weekend was a perfect getaway. I got to recharge, rejuvenate and was ready to be back in work on Sunday. A staycation is a good way to just get away for a weekend press pause on life and make sure you are taken care of for a change so that you can take care of everything else in your life once you get back to it.