My Dubai dairies with Purva

Gustave Flaubert said, “Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world”. I have been an avid traveler; one who never goes to countries with conducted tours. I love the research, which is required for the planning, logistics, and the actual execution. I love making contingencies if there are some surprises and that’s what it makes it interesting. I think a person who is a good travel planner can become an excellent project manager.

United Arab Emirates was never on my bucket list in the countries, which I will visit. Skyscrapers made using the latest engineering technologies don’t really attract me, neither I get fascinated by state of art shopping malls. Dubai and the remaining 6 emirates someone showcased a trailer, which sounds like the movie will all be about shopping malls and skyscrapers.

However, a limited amount of sanctioned leaves, easy in getting a visa and proximity to India were some of the cardinal reasons, why I decided to visit UAE with my wife.

The first impression is the last impression. Dubai is a clean city – from airports, cafes to public areas. Dubai shows the way in clean living since drinking and eating are strictly prohibited on public buses, metros, and trams. It includes the prohibition of chewing gum which sometimes is seen as a sign of attitude and style. I had been to many cities in the world and will rank Dubai in second place after Melbourne, Australia as the cleanest city. Cleanliness & discipline is something, which doesn’t go unobserved. Dubai is a paradise if you love Lebanese, Turkish or any cuisine from the middle east. The concept of breakfast tray is simply amazing.

We had made 6 nights, 7 days plan and visited attractions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. While there is no ideal sequence on how you should visit this places, I felt like I will mention the places which are worth visiting. Dubai is the 22nd most expensive city in the world and the most expensive city in the Middle East, so spend your money wisely and most importantly on the things you like and not on things where you might end up getting more likes on Facebook and Twitter.

Let me start with Dubai. Dubai has 2 parts to it – Old Dubai and Modern Dubai. Attractions in old Dubai include Dubai Museum, Spice Souk, Textile Souk, Gold Souk, Abra Ride through the Dubai Creek. “Arabian Tea Café” near Dubai Museum serves authentic Arab cuisine and is worth visiting. Souk means market in English. So the Gold Souk, Spice Souk , Textile Souks are good photo stops but don’t purchase stuff over there, since you get everything in India. Again, planning this is important. The hotels in Dubai usually have a check-in time of 2 or 3 PM, so ideally you can leave your bags and visit this places in order to use that time.

Burj Khalifa is one of the prime attractions in modern Dubai and the observatory is amazing. It is worth spending those extra dirhams to ensure that you visit it during the prime timings (Sunset recommended). Again, ready to shell money here. This visit is not that cheap. The views of Dubai and its surroundings are breathtaking. Dubai Fountain looks amazing from the top. No matter how great camera one is carrying, it is difficult to share what the human eye captures. Dubai fountain promenade is far better than Singapore’s Clarke Quay or even Sydney’s Opera house waterfront if you are interested in an evening stroll. The laser show or Burj Khalifa and the fountain dancing on Arabic music makes the area magical.

Don’t forget to visit Burj Khalifa during a Friday or Saturday evening. The laser show is virtually appealing and is more grander in nature. Dubai Waterfront, Ski ring, and Aquarium are some places which are inside Dubai Mall, which itself is huge and one ends up walking till he drops. Burj Al Arab is a photo stop and should be visited during morning hours from the beach end.

Dubai lies directly within the Arabian Desert. Desert Safari is one prime attraction which includes dune bashing, sand ski, BBQ dinner, belly dancing, camel rides and pick and drop service from your hotel. Please don’t compare it with the safari’s, which we do in India, especially in Sam Sands Dunes, Rajasthan. This one is a class apart and a memorable experience to feel the adrenaline rush while sitting in a Range Rover. 

I even recommend a sunset safari, which comes at a price. The Safari is great but the add on’s are not. It includes the pathetic BBQ dinner, camel ride, and belly dancing. However, all safari’s come with a value package. You like it not, you have to no choice. The desert is far away from the city and it is recommended to book a safari from the hotel. The rates vary from season to season. Jan-Feb is peak season and we paid 170 DHS per person.

Dubai is perhaps most well-known for land reclamation projects such as the Palm Islands and Atlantis Hotel is an epitome of that. The monorail is the only option to see the island from a bird’s eye view. One needs to shell 1000 USD for a night to stay in Hotel Atlantis. The 10 mins monorail ride takes you closest to palm island. Taxis are costly especially the black Lexus. 

The most overhyped attraction according to me in Dubai is Miracle Garden which comes with a massive entrance fee. There are only 2-3 varieties of flowers, but I saw many people taking multiple photographs making weird faces before posting them on social media. I call this as peer pressure. The faces of the newly married men showed the misery.

Global Village is an example of how Dubai smartly sells some of its seasonal attractions. While they charge a modest entrance fee, it really does not bridge the gap between cultures as they advertise. Though you end up getting excellent pictures, the visit becomes after one visits 20 odd stalls of different countries. It is good to visit Global Village on the last day of your trip provided you have a late night flight. Again, plan your travel wisely. Dubai is costly.

We went to Abu Dubai and stayed on Yas Island since it’s close to Ferrari Park. There are 2 attractions namely Shaikh Zayed Mosque and Ferrari Park. Both are far from each other and one needs a taxi for commutation, otherwise, one will spend a lot of time in traveling. Shaikh Zayed Mosque is beautiful and a must visit a place. 3,000 workers and 38 sub-contracting companies took part in its construction. Do visit it during the early evening hours. The beauty is breathtaking when it gets dark. The chandeliers, water mirrors, columns, an inner court with the handmade carpet from Iran is worth its time. Do spend 2-3 hrs here.

Ferrari world is an amusement park which is famous for its 3 roller coasters. We boarded the world fastest roller coaster called Formula Rossa with a top speed of 240 km/h. Don’t visit Ferrari world if you are afraid of heights and scary rides since the entrance fee is 300 DHS. There are another 10-12 family rides which you will find anywhere in the world and are not that great. If one has been to the amusement parks in Los Angeles, he can straightaway skip Ferrari world. If we remove the 3 roller coasters, I think Disneyland in Paris was a much better experience. Ferrari world still needs 5-6 hrs for a decent visit (Avoid Friday and Saturday).

One question always bothered me – Is Dubai overrated? After visiting Dubai, I realized that there is no such thing as being overrated. Dubai offers an environment that is in demand and people are willing to pay for this. Dubai is not a place that everyone has to like or can afford. However, those who have worked and traveled in the other Middle Eastern countries tend to come back to Dubai. There is no other city in the Middle East that is as open to business and friendly towards the expats as Dubai. Our 7 days trip cost us 2000 USD and I think it was worth the experience.