Why not make a date with Dubai, says presenter turned podcaster Kate Garraway. Beyond its luxurious reputation, the city has art, turtles and explosive flavours.
Ed Grenby - 4 March 2025
What were you doing in Dubai, Kate? Having a fortnight by the pool?
Not at all! I’ve been making a podcast series called DBX Unheard. In all honesty, it’s been a very intense, challenging five years of caring for Derek [Draper, Garraway’s husband, who died of Covid last year after a four-year battle with the disease]. And the nature of that is very inward-looking, because every minute you’re thinking, “Have I given him his medicine? What do I need to do now for him?” So there was something wonderful in going back to my early days in journalism for this podcast, and hearing other people tell their stories, getting a window on a different world – Dubai is great for that. You don’t even have to be interviewing people; you can just sit in a bar and everyone’s got a story of why they’ve ended up there.
No, we tended to do British holidays. But I did go on a girls’ holiday in 2002. We were all at various stages of a breakup, so it was just cocktails, sparkly jewellery, chatting, swimming and lazing around. Then again, Dubai’s beach area is amazing. There’s miles of free facilities for cycling, sports, paddling, surfing, and people who’ll teach you how to do anything you’ve ever dreamt of doing near water. Plus they’re creating all sorts of places offshore to generate coral and ocean life, which you can swim out and see. It’s beautiful!
Not so many cocktails this time, then?
Back then I was partying at the clubs all night but I was a little more grown-up this time. I was more interested in, say, sailing up the Creek, which is the waterway that divides Dubai, on an old abra boat (visitdubai.com/places-to-visit/ abra-creek-crossing). It’s a great way of seeing the different eras of Dubai, because you can get to the modern city where the buildings touch the sky, and to Old Dubai. You get a wonderful breeze, too, which is lovely when it’s hot. In the old, preserved district, there are museums and heritage centres and ancient buildings, which have this incredible architectural structure with internal tunnels to create draughts – they’d put wet fabric in them and it would work as a kind of air conditioning. Then there are fascinating markets, spice souks, gold souks…
So you came back laden with gold?
I didn’t bring back much gold; I’ll have to do that on another trip. But one thing I love – and Derek was very passionate about as well – is bringing back things from your trips, just a cushion or something, so that your home feels full of your travels. This time I came back with some nice throws and some cosy blankets. There’s a beautiful art area called Alserkal Avenue (alserkal.online), with little artisan stalls and potters and sweet, boho fabric shops and things. It’s not something I’d have associated with Dubai, but it’s fabulous.
Yes, yes, but what about the food?
I went to this restaurant I loved, called Moonrise (moon-rise.xyz), and in fact I spoke to the young chef there for the podcast. His parents come from different parts of the world, so he makes things like pani puri, because one of them was from East Asia, but he infuses it with Dubai spices, and it all just explodes with flavour in your mouth. But the street food in Dubai is great, too: it’s restaurant quality but served on the street. I love spicy food, and the spices there have a real richness to them; it’s not just fire. And, oh, the puddings and sweetmeats! They experiment with everything from Space Dust crackles to beautifully soaked fruits. I became obsessed with their dates.
Where do you stay?
My favourite place is the Malakiya Villas at the Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf hotel (jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/ jumeirah-dar-al-masyaf). It’s not the most beautiful bit of beach, but the whole place is built around these little waterways, and there are mini abras floating around, so you just step out of your little villa, get on an abra and go for breakfast. Then you can go to a lovely turtle sanctuary next door (jumeirah.com/turtles), where they bring rescued turtles if they have fin injuries before releasing them into the sea.
I wasn’t carrying that much cash! I can see why people fall in love with Dubai, though, and want to stay there. I mean, I could go and talk to my boss at Good Morning Britain and see if we can have a satellite office out there, but it might be quite a long negotiation…
Not at all! I’ve been making a podcast series called DBX Unheard. In all honesty, it’s been a very intense, challenging five years of caring for Derek [Draper, Garraway’s husband, who died of Covid last year after a four-year battle with the disease]. And the nature of that is very inward-looking, because every minute you’re thinking, “Have I given him his medicine? What do I need to do now for him?” So there was something wonderful in going back to my early days in journalism for this podcast, and hearing other people tell their stories, getting a window on a different world – Dubai is great for that. You don’t even have to be interviewing people; you can just sit in a bar and everyone’s got a story of why they’ve ended up there.
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Did you ever visit Dubai with Derek?
No, we tended to do British holidays. But I did go on a girls’ holiday in 2002. We were all at various stages of a breakup, so it was just cocktails, sparkly jewellery, chatting, swimming and lazing around. Then again, Dubai’s beach area is amazing. There’s miles of free facilities for cycling, sports, paddling, surfing, and people who’ll teach you how to do anything you’ve ever dreamt of doing near water. Plus they’re creating all sorts of places offshore to generate coral and ocean life, which you can swim out and see. It’s beautiful!
Not so many cocktails this time, then?
Back then I was partying at the clubs all night but I was a little more grown-up this time. I was more interested in, say, sailing up the Creek, which is the waterway that divides Dubai, on an old abra boat (visitdubai.com/places-to-visit/ abra-creek-crossing). It’s a great way of seeing the different eras of Dubai, because you can get to the modern city where the buildings touch the sky, and to Old Dubai. You get a wonderful breeze, too, which is lovely when it’s hot. In the old, preserved district, there are museums and heritage centres and ancient buildings, which have this incredible architectural structure with internal tunnels to create draughts – they’d put wet fabric in them and it would work as a kind of air conditioning. Then there are fascinating markets, spice souks, gold souks…
So you came back laden with gold?
I didn’t bring back much gold; I’ll have to do that on another trip. But one thing I love – and Derek was very passionate about as well – is bringing back things from your trips, just a cushion or something, so that your home feels full of your travels. This time I came back with some nice throws and some cosy blankets. There’s a beautiful art area called Alserkal Avenue (alserkal.online), with little artisan stalls and potters and sweet, boho fabric shops and things. It’s not something I’d have associated with Dubai, but it’s fabulous.
Yes, yes, but what about the food?
I went to this restaurant I loved, called Moonrise (moon-rise.xyz), and in fact I spoke to the young chef there for the podcast. His parents come from different parts of the world, so he makes things like pani puri, because one of them was from East Asia, but he infuses it with Dubai spices, and it all just explodes with flavour in your mouth. But the street food in Dubai is great, too: it’s restaurant quality but served on the street. I love spicy food, and the spices there have a real richness to them; it’s not just fire. And, oh, the puddings and sweetmeats! They experiment with everything from Space Dust crackles to beautifully soaked fruits. I became obsessed with their dates.
Where do you stay?
My favourite place is the Malakiya Villas at the Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf hotel (jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/ jumeirah-dar-al-masyaf). It’s not the most beautiful bit of beach, but the whole place is built around these little waterways, and there are mini abras floating around, so you just step out of your little villa, get on an abra and go for breakfast. Then you can go to a lovely turtle sanctuary next door (jumeirah.com/turtles), where they bring rescued turtles if they have fin injuries before releasing them into the sea.
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And you weren’t tempted to buy a little villa?
I wasn’t carrying that much cash! I can see why people fall in love with Dubai, though, and want to stay there. I mean, I could go and talk to my boss at Good Morning Britain and see if we can have a satellite office out there, but it might be quite a long negotiation…