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If you’re planning a special date or a delightful time in nature with your loved ones, a new experience is awaiting you in the UAE. Picture this: A floating boat on a serene lake in the wilderness, under twinkling stars far from the city’s bright lights and hustle. The cherry on top? Watching a movie with your loved one while enjoying your privacy, creating an intimate atmosphere.
If you’re seeking this unique atmosphere for Valentine’s Day, Floté Cinema & Cafe at Mangrove Beach in Umm Al Quwain is the ideal spot.
The cinema offers a romantic experience under the moonlight on tranquil waters, creating a magical setting for an unforgettable evening together. In case visitors want to surprise a special someone, the crew can be asked to prepare the boat and a cake in advance.
The movie ‘It Ends With Us’, a drama-romance film, was showing when Khaleej Times visited the place over the weekend.
The location combines camping, hotels, and restaurants, all surrounded by breathtaking mangrove trees. As you arrive at Mangrove Beach, the first thing that captures your attention are the families camping nearby. Once you reach your location, you will see a simple yet comfortable café at the forefront, inviting you to enjoy the weather with a coffee. Its cosy ambiance is the perfect prelude to the enchanting experience awaiting you.
Hoor, a Dubai resident and one of the cinema visitors, said: “The place is very intimate and the boat is very warm. After you relax and cover yourself with the blanket, you feel like sleeping to the sounds of nature and the cool breeze. You can wander with your eyes between the movie, watch the water beneath you and the nature around you.”
Floating cinema experience
The café’s vibrant atmosphere adds a contrast to the calm surroundings — all while the unique floating cinema remains discreetly hidden behind lush curtains and towering mangrove trees.
Once you open the curtain, you’ll see a bridge adorned with yellow lights on both sides, leading to the boats and the big screen in the middle of the water. As you get closer, you’ll find four boats equipped to accommodate eight couples, prepared to create an intimate atmosphere amidst the glowing yellow lighting, with pillows and covers provided. You can see fish swimming around the boat in the water below you. The boat can be left open to enjoy the soothing breeze during or a barrier can be raised for more privacy.
Visitors’ snacks will be delivered to the boat when ready, letting them fully immerse themselves in the experience.
Showtimes
The cinema operates during the winter season. It started operating in January this year and will continue until the end of the winter season. The café is open from 4pm to 11pm, serving various delicious snacks and refreshments to enhance the experience.
There are two showtimes: The first starts at 4pm, allowing people to revel in the magic of movie-watching as daylight fades into a dreamy twilight. The second show begins at 9pm and is perfect for those seeking a romantic escape under the shimmering starlit sky.
Omar Alobedidli, owner of Floté Cinema & Cafe, told Khaleej Times, “Floté Cinema is more of a pleasure for me than a business. I want it to be a place where, when a couple leaves, they say they made a beautiful memory there.”
Reservations, payments
Reservations for this unique experience can be conveniently made through the company website, where payment can also be done.
It costs Dh200 per person or Dh400 per couple.
