Villa Living

Dream House..

There’s so many options when it comes to making a home in Dubai. But the two main choices faced by ex-pats are:  apartment or villa?

I’ve always chosen the apartment route. I liked the brand-spanking glamour of Downtown…the locations, the views, my lovely family were all nearby. 

Occasionally I would visit friends in their villas and hanker after their gardens…their space…their WARDROBES!!! If asked about my ultimate dream home I would think about a white Malibu bungalow close to the beach, with palm trees whispering outside and a lush green garden.

But overall, I loved apartment living and was filled with joy every time I came home after a tough day at work or trip overseas.

And then I stumbled across what I thought existed only in my dreams….a white Malibu beach bungalow…newly renovated with new kitchen, new bathrooms, huge garden and pool. Only this wasn’t in Malibu. It was in Dubai. Satwa, to be exact. 

When the Universe throws your dream home into your direct path, you’d be a fool to ignore it.

Which means that I’m now firmly ensconced in a villa. I won’t dwell on the stresses and strains (finding one year’s rent in advance, utility bills quadrupled, no delivery driver can find the place) and instead I’ll just mention the joys.

The joy of opening my own front gate when I come home and walking into my own walled, private garden. 

The joy of sitting on the (front or back) terrace and looking at the beautiful skyline of Sheikh Zayed Road. 

The joy of feeling grass between my toes as I stroll all around the house with an Amaretto Sour.

The joy of hearing one of the (many) mosques ring out as the sun sets and rises.

The joy of living strolling distance from Rydge's Plaza and Ravi’s, making the Saturday night ritual just that bit sweeter.

And of course, the joy of wardrobe space. Oh, so much wardrobe space. My clothes sparkle out at me, colour co-ordinated jewels that quite often, I’d forgotten that I owned.

It’s safe to say, villa living is very, very good.