Noire: Dinner in the Dark (the Haunted Hospital Halloween Edit)

“Legend has it that many years ago there was a hospital for the visually impaired on the current grounds of Fairmont Dubai. According to the local legend, patients started disappearing mysteriously at the hospital some 55 years ago, eventually forcing its closure. Amongst them, a young dark-haired woman, dressed in white, who can every now and then be seen wandering around the floors of the hotel.”

– Noire (Fairmont Dubai)

This October, multi-award-winning ‘dine in the dark’ restaurant Noire at Fairmont (Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai) takes on a spine-chilling persona in the spirit of Halloween.

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Glamour-Us Ladies Night (Mina’s Kitchen, Westin Mina Seyahi)

Planning a night out with the girls, but looking for something far more sophisticated than a smoked up, dimly lit bar with diluted drinks? I’ve got the perfect deal for you!

Newly renovated Mina’s Kitchen at the Westin, Mina Seyahi has launched the Glamour-Us Ladies Night. Happening every Wednesday from 7pm till midnight, ladies get to enjoy 4 complimentary drinks and 50% off an elaborate international buffet. Gents can join in too, and get 25% off the buffet, and happy hours are extended all night long for all.

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New at Sephora Middle East: True Portrait Foundation by Kat Von D Beauty (Vegan and Cruelty-Free)

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Sephora Middle East Fall 2019 event and spent a great deal of time at the Kat Von D Beauty stall. Love this tattoo artist turned beauty mogul! I’m a sucker for art, great packaging and surreal shades of color, and Kat seems to effortlessly dish it all out time and time again.

Kat Von D Beauty has now come out with a brand new medium-coverage foundation range, and being a brand that values inclusion of all, the range is launching with 40 shades that cover very fair to very deep shades.

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The All-New Purani Dilli (Four Points by Sheraton, Sheikh Zayed Road)

Ever-popular Purani Dilli at Mankhool Dubai has recently opened a brand-new branch in centrally located 4 Points by Sheraton on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Although our city offers an endless lineup of Indian restaurants, the success of Purani Dilli has been their ability to stay true to their name. The menu is unashamedly ‘Old Delhi’, the capital of authentic North Indian Mughlai cuisine sans any frills or new-age tricks.

The ‘new’ Purani Dilli offers the exact same, much-loved menu but in swanky new interiors. The Sheikh Zayed branch is smaller and cozier than its earlier counterpart and boasts of shabby chic inspired décor amalgamated with kitsch Indian finds.

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Desi Village: Garhoud’s Hidden Culinary Gem

A few weeks back, we dined at the vibrantly inviting Desi Village. Located in the heart of Garhoud near the Emirates Aviation College, this spacious, beautifully decorated restaurant offers Indian, Arabic and Continental cuisines.

The head chef and most of the staff are from the North Indian state of Lucknow, the capital for Mughlai cuisine and kebabs, and we therefore indulged in a gastronomy of North Indian delicacies.

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A Weekend at The Grandeur Residences with OYO UAE

Travelling someplace new and looking for a comfortable stay that doesn’t cost your entire travel budget? Or perhaps you’re on the lookout for a weekend getaway within the UAE itself?

Take the hassle out of bookings (and the travel agent’s commissions!) by downloading the OYO app. Available both on the Apple and Android Play Store, the OYO (or On Your Own) app is the world’s third largest hospitality chain, and has already been in the UAE for a year now.

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Our Kenya Safari: A Night in Nairobi & Magical Masai Mara

We had the majority of the week off for Eid Al Adha, so my friend Avani and I got busy looking up good getaway deals. We were initially envisioning a girlie time away on the exotic Greek islands, or a laidback beach-bum break in the Seychelles. There were great deals going around!

However, after a brief chat with a local travel agent, our laidback holiday plans took a 360 degree turn into something far more action-packed and adventurous! Turns out early August is the best time of year to do a Kenya safari as the migration is happening. Add to it the love for The Lion King, and a trip to Kenya was, as they say, ‘meant to be’.

We booked a 4 night, 5-day package deal with Musafir.com

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What to Wear on a Safari: My Top 10 Tips

Are you following me on Instagram? Check out my Kenya Safari highlight! Had a blast over the long Eid weekend in exotic Masai Mara, but more on that later. The very first question to hit me after making my booking with Musafir.com was ‘what are we going to wear?!’

The key to safari fashion is comfort. You will be out all day, mainly seated in a safari jeep and in a climate that changes from hot to cold throughout the day. Here’s my top tips for acing #SafariFashion :

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Maria Cristina Foundation

The world is full of do-gooders, but rarely have I come across a woman who singlehandedly decided to change the fate of a poverty-stricken country that was completely foreign to her.

Portuguese born Maria Conceicao comes from a humble background herself. When she lost her mother to Alzheimer’s, a poor cleaner woman called Cristina took her in as her own. Cristina was an Angolian refugee, and already had 6 children of her own to feed. Her kindness, and her life’s motto  “if you can feed 6, you can easily feed 7” had a great role to play on the woman young Maria would grow up to be.

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