83 per cent of people say their favourite meal is something only their mum can make. Okay we made that one up, but she’s done a hella lotta cooking over the years. She’s also wiped your snotty nose, gotten rid of your head lice, confiscated your cigarettes and loaned you a small fortune that you never quite got round to paying back. March 21 is Mother’s Day in the UAE, so take the chance to show your appreciation by showering her with presents, meals and spa trips, just to show that she didn’t bring up a completely ungrateful good-for nothing. And maybe she’ll even let you in on some of the spoils.
Spas in her eyes
Sisters Lounge: Take your mum to Sisters Lounge for an ultra-girly beautifying session. This feminine villa is a pampering haven with welcoming staff and ultra-professional results. During March 20-27, if you treat her to a mani/pedi or a facial, she’ll get her hair blow-dried for free. And as a little bonus, daughters get half price make-up applications all week. Talk about happy families…
Sisters Lounge Khalifa Bin Shakhbout Street Al Bateen, (02 222 2501)
ESPA: If you fancy a full day of bonding, visit ESPA at The Yas Hotel. Mothers and daughters can take a Hammam together, which includes a scrub down, full body mask, massage and bath. Afterwards head to the rooftop pool bar for a chat over a complimentary mocktail.
Dhs 400 per person and valid until 31st March. The Yas Hotel, Yas Island (02 656 0861)
Hiltonia Health Club: Overworked and stressed? No time to unwind? If that sounds like your mum, the answer is to book her in for the Hilton’s Mothers Day special offer, a water therapy hydro bath treatment thrown in free for free with every Body Polish. After the gentle all-over scrub, your mum gets to choose a and honey, lavender, aroma therapy or sea salts bath and take her time unwinding in it.
Dhs300 for 45 minutes body polish and hydro bath. Hiltonia Health Club and Spa, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Corniche Road (02 681 1900)
Great gifts
Maison Sucre: With their dainty pink icing and sugary sweet sprinkles, hand mum a box of novelty cupcakes and she’ll forget all about the time you scrawled your self portrait on her bedroom wall in orange crayon.
Maison Sucre produce some of the city’s finest icing-topped treats and they’ll deliver. Maison Sucre, Al Manara building, Zayed 1st Street (02 639 6622)
The Chocolate Gallery: If mum prefers a bit of cocoa with her sugar, take her along to The Chocolate Gallery at Fairmont hotel, a café-slash-chocolate shop known to reduce grown women to gibbering, drooling wrecks. As well as their infamous range of hot and iced chocolate drinks, there’s also chocolate fondue, chocolate truffles, chocolate pralines and, of course, good old-fashioned straight-up chocolate.
Chocolate Factory, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr (02 654 3333)
Shakespeare and Co: As well as making a darn fine spot to take mum for her annual thank you lunch, Shakespeare and Co at the Central Market Souk also runs a neat little sideline in designer flowers. Our tip: call ahead before you sit down for coffee and sandwiches and ask the staff to have a hand-tied bunch waiting at your table.
Shakespeare and Co. Souk at Central Market (02 639 9626)
Make a meal out of it
Le Méridien: Got a fussy mum? Cover all bases with a Mother’s Day voucher from Le Méridien – your mum can choose where she wants to eat: Le Bistrot, Talay, Pappagallo or La Brasserie, with a welcome drink, bubbly and a cake. The voucher also gives 20 per cent discount at Eden Spa. What’s not to like?
Dhs295 per voucher. Le Meridien Tourist Club Area (02 644 6666)
Jing Asia: Alternatively, the whole family gets to celebrate if you take your mother to Jing Asia to gorge on an all-you can-eat dinner of Asian and international food. When two adults and two kids visit, mums can eat for free between 7pm and midnight.
Dhs135 per adult, Dhs 70 per child (6-12) for access to the buffet. Crowne Plaza Yas Island (02 656 3053)
Crowne Plaza: No time to shop? Treat your mum to dinner and a present at The Garden, Cho Gao or Spaccanapoli – if you let the staff know you’re eating with your mum, they’ll present her with a surprise massage voucher. And make sure you foot the bill.
Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi, Hamdan Street (02 616 6122)
And now for something different…
Mum not much of a girly girl? More into fast cars than flowers? Take her to Ferrari World for the day, where she can take a ride on Formula Rossa, the fastest rollercoaster in the world, or scream her head off at any of the other 20 Ferrari-themed rides.
Tickets to the park are free for mothers on Sunday, March 20 with the purchase of any other ticket and valid all day.
They can also enter in a Mother’s Day draw to win an annual family pass to the theme park.
Dhs 225 for adults, Dhs165 for kids Ferrari World, Yas Island (02 496 8001)
Online affections
You don’t even need to leave your desk to love your mum; we’ve rounded up three online options for those who are too busy (or lazy) to move their assets.
1 Create custom playlists at iTunes, then buy the tracks and send them to her via the web. Just like a modern-day compilation tape, this is highly personal, but also mega cheap.
2 Send bouquets to everywhere from Algeria to Zimbabwe with handy one-stop flower shop www.interflora.com. Given the time of year, prices aren’t cheap, but stick ‘Interflora voucher code’ into Google and you ought to be able at least cut out the delivery fee.
3 What has your mother always wanted? That’s right, a fruit bouquet! Website www.ediblearrangements.ae delivers to everywhere from the USA to Qatar. That’s a lot of fruit.
Mother’s Day around the world
Thought you had another few weeks to organise your maternal well-wishing? Don’t panic – we’ve organised all the major international dates into a handy list. And if you’ve already missed the last postage date for your country, you can always try telling your mum you thought she was French.
March 21: UAE, Egypt, Lebanon and practically all other Middle Eastern nations
April 3: UK, Ireland and Nigeria
May 1: Spain and Portugal
May 8: USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Philippines and the majority of European nations
May 29: Algeria, France, Morocco, Tunisia and Sweden
