Diving for me in Dubai seems to have become a seasonal pursuit – there just seem to be so many other things to do above the water in the cooler winter months so my weekends are taken up with camping, hiking, canyoning and picnicking. As soon as the mercury starts to climb however, my thoughts turn to the seas and at least one weekend a month revolves around diving.

To start off the season this year, i had been invited to stay at the Radisson Blu Fujairah for a weekend if diving. Originally this was arranged for May, but unfortunately Bad weather warnings were issued the night before so I had to turn around and head back. We rescheduled for a weekend in June and this time I invited a big group of friends to join us. Only five of us were divers out of the fifteen, but the others were just as keen to escape the city and enjoy the beach and pool.

I have stayed at the Radisson Blu Fujairah before, in one of the larger suites with my relay team, the night before Wadi Bih, but this time we were in rooms located in the main building, and it made such a difference. The views were absolutely stunning, I was lucky enough to be upgraded to a suite and had a balcony off the living room area, as well as the bedroom. Check out my video of the view here

Unfortunately, it doesnt seem like. I am destined to dive with the hotel however as another bad weather warning was issued that morning, but as we were up so early to go, and were such a big group, we decided to go ahead and stay anyway and it was definitely the right decision.

After a nice smooth check in and fresh juices, those who had arrived early dropped their bags in my suite and admired he view until theirs were ready (there was more than enough room!) We then made our way to the pool.

The hotel has two pools, on the first day we spent our time at the main pool bar, taking advantage of the swim-up bar, and attempting a quick dip in the choppy sea. A English navy submarine crew was at the hotel for a little R&R the same weekend, so the pool bar was a little more lively than I would imagine it is normally! However, except for a couple of forbidden bombing incidents in the pool, everyone was fairly well behaved, and it made for an entertaining afternoon! The following day, we spent the morning on the beach nearer the smaller pool and, although there were still a few waves, it was perfect for a few games of frisbee. The final couple of hours were spent in the smaller pool, cooling down before the drive home. Although smaller, that pool was much more refreshing as the water was chilled, and there was a lovely jacuzzi area with relaxing bubble jets. Without the bar and restaurant area, it was much quieter, for those with some serious tanning to do.

The food was also pretty good, we took advantage of the bbq buffet on the Friday night, which offered plenty of fish and grilled meats, as well as lovely salad and dessert buffets. The bar downstairs was showing the world cup inside and outside, and although initially we sat outside to enjoy shisha in the fresh air, the humidity soon drove us inside to play pool and watch the game more comfortably! Breakfast was included in our rate, and the breakfast buffet was delicious. Pork is not available at the hotel, but there were plenty of other options, the staff were very friendly and nothing was too much trouble.

All in all, it was a great stay and a fantastic weekend that the whole group thoroughly enjoyed. Aside from a little bit of slow service at the pool bar (I doubt they normally experience the demand of a submarine crew and a group of 10 at the same time, in addition to regular guests!), we couldnt fault the service or staff. The rooms were beautiful and the beach was stunning, and I would highly recommend it as a getaway for anyone looking to escape the city for the weekend.