Travel time
7 hours 15 minutes
How to get there
Etihad Airways flies to London Heathrow daily with Jul-Sep fares currently starting at Dhs3,275
Sleep
Budget
Clink78: Surely the only place where you have to pay to sleep in a prison cell, the awesome Clink is located in a former courthouse. It has retained the superb original wood-panelled lobby and courtroom, where the Clash once stood, and contrasted it with a chic red reception counter and Japanese-style ‘pod’ beds. There’s also a licensed bar and launderette.
www.clinkhostel.com. Jul-Sep rates start from GBP9 (around Dhs50) for a dorm bed to GBP50 (around Dhs260) for a prison cell
Blow it
One Aldwych: This 1907 building was once the offices of the Morning Post, but the breathtaking hotel is now a thoroughly modern place, with Frette linen, mini-TVs in the bathroom and an environmentally friendly loo-flushing system. You may be tempted to stay ensconced in the hotel, especially with its excellent spa and pool area, but the West End theatres are a nearby draw to tear you away.
www.campbellgrayhotels.com/one-aldwych-london. Jul & Sep rates start at GBP395 (approx Dhs2,100) per night; August rates start GBP300 (approx Dhs1,600) per night
Eat
Budget
Pimlico Fresh: With big wooden tables and a chalkboard boasting fresh and filling food such as hot, inventive soups, aromatic chicken jalfrezi stew or a Thai vegetable curry, served in deep bowls and costing a mere GBP4.95 (approx Dhs26), this café is a welcome respite in this food-chain heavy area.
86 Wilton Rd, SW1V 1DE, near Victoria stations (020 7932 0030). Meal for two GBP20-30 (approx Dhs100-160)
Blow it
Oxo Tower: he view from the top of this iconic building could be one of London’s finest. This isn’t the only draw, however: it’s a classy experience all round, with attentive service and dishes carried off with real flair.
www.harveynichols.com/output/Page128.asp. Average price of a meal for two GBP120-140 (approx Dhs640-740)
Do
Budget
British Museum: One of the world’s oldest museums, the BM is vast and its collections comprise millions of objects. First-time visitors generally head for the mummies, the Rosetta Stone, Lindow Man, the Lewis Chessmen and the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial.
www.britishmuseum.org. Entry is free
Blow it
London Eye: Turning 10 this year, the world’s largest observation wheel is the best way to view London’s breathtaking cityscape. Book one of the special flights, which offer Pimm’s or bubbly to enhance what is already a fantastic experience.
www.londoneye.co.uk. Walk-up prices start at GBP17.50 (approx Dhs93). Pimms’ flight: GBP30 (approx Dhs160); Champagne flight GBP33 (approx Dhs175)
