Dubai
I had a very busy itinerary for the 5 days, the first day we arrived I couldn’t believe how warm and humid it was. We had temperatures of 40 degrees! It was beautiful but very warm. The first 2 nights I stayed in Downtown Dubai. We stayed in the Rose Rayhaan by Rotana, it was an average 4*, great location & very spacious rooms. Some rooms had a view of the Burj Khalifa. We chilled by the pool for a couple of hours in our hotel.
Later that evening we headed to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and the Burj Khalifa, we prebooked this in advance. The Aquarium & Underwater Zoo was situated in the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa was right next door. The queues were long to get to the top of the Burj Khalifa, but the views once you reached the top were amazing! We took a small wander around the Dubai Mall; it is so big you would really want a full day in here to get around and go to all the shops! The food court in the mall had an excellent choice of restaurants. Once we were finished in the mall, we went down to the Waterfront Boardwalk outside the Dubai Mall to see the fountain show. The fountains come to life every 30 minutes from 6pm daily, you can also view the Burj Khalifa from here and this also lights up with an amazing light show to match the fountain show.
The next day we headed for Dubai Parks & Resorts, this is the Middle East’s largest integrated theme park, it features Motiongate Dubai, Bollywood Parks, Legoland & Legoland Water Park all in the same location! A lot of the attractions are indoors which is great when the temperatures are high. The parks are suitable for all ages.
We went to visit the Museum of the Future; this museum welcomes all ages! It opened in February 2022, and it has been booked out every single day since. The museum allows you to see, touch & shape our shared future. It brings you on a journey through the possible future and brings hope and knowledge back to present. We then took a tour of the city. We strolled around the Dubai’s Old town (Al Fahidi) which was interesting as the buildings were all low rise and in the shadows of the skyscrapers in Dubai city, most buildings were only 5-7 stories high portraying a classic Arabian style. We then took an Abra across the Creek from old town Dubai to visit the Souks including the Spice & Gold Souks. This was a fabulous experience and very safe. Later that evening we got to experience the sunset at the View of the Palm on the Observation Deck, stunning 360-degree views from 240 metres above the world- famous Palm Jumeirah. It was very humid, so we didn’t experience a very clear view, but still beautiful and worth going to see. That night we got invited to view Raffles the Palm Dubai, a luxurious brand-new hotel on the Palm. We had dinner & a jazz night! The food and atmosphere was fantastic.
That night we checked into the JA Lake View hotel in Jebel Ali. This hotel is perfect for golf lovers as it overlooks the 9-hole championship golf course and consists of 348 guestrooms and suites with balconies, three swimming pools, and four new dining experiences. Guests also have full access to the private beach. The hotel was very modern, food was amazing & rooms were very spacious. It’s roughly a 25-minute transfer from Dubai City. There is nothing in this area, but perfect if you want to play golf or just to relax and soak up some sunshine. It is close to the Dubai Parks.
Our last attraction was very special and the highlight of my trip personally. We did a VIP Desert Safari tour. We were picked up from our hotel in a Jeep Wangler and chauffeured to the edge of the desert, where we begin our Safari with an exhilarating dune drive. This drive will take you up and down the endless sand dunes experiencing an adrenaline rush just like being on a roller-coaster!! After the dune drive, we had a glass of bubbly at a picturesque sunset stop. After the sun went down, we made our way to a beautiful Bedouin-style camp. As we entered the camp, we were welcomed with aromatic Arabic coffee and some delicious dates. Inside the camp was stunning and we enjoyed a delicious BBQ under the stars, while watching traditional local entertainment. Our Safari ended and we were transferred back to our hotel. This was truly a unique experience. I will always treasure these memories.
Overall, I think everyone should visit Dubai at least once, it's an incredible place, super clean, amazing food and very safe! Yes, it’s expensive and I would advise half board as a dining option. Dubai is relaxed and open minded when it comes to clothing, you will see people wearing all sorts of clothing in Dubai, but don’t forget it is a Muslim country and you are a guest. Dubai is a great winter destination, fabulous weather with great attractions. I will be returning as I still have a lot more of Dubai to explore.