From its hotel-dotted coastlines to its yacht-filled marina and historic creek, Dubai’s waterways are some of the best places to take in the city. Typically, options have been limited to pricey superyacht rentals, buffet-style dinner cruises or no-frill dhows. But the newly launched Nara on the Sea bridges the gap with an experience combining the best of all three.
The team behind Dubai’s beautiful Sonara Desert Camp has taken its signature luxury hospitality to the water with Lady Nara, a custom-built traditional dhow boat that’s been transformed into a stylish floating restaurant and bar.
It’s 4pm on a slow Sunday in January when I board Lady Nara close to Dubai Festival City, before swiftly setting sail along Dubai Creek in the direction of Old Dubai. I’m shown to a low-set sofa on the open-air top deck, where eager servers wait to offer me one of the fruity mocktails being shaken up at the bar that lines the back of the boat.