Tags
a day remembered, Aquaventure Waterpark, Arabic costumes, Atlantis on the Palm, belly dancing show, Burj Al Arab hotel, Burj Khalifa, camel riding, desert safari, Dolphin Experience Dubai, Dubai, Dubai development projects, Dubai Mall, Dubai reclaimed land, Dubai skyline, gold ATM machine, henna painting, Jumeirah Palm, Lost Chambers of Atlantis, photography, sand dune bashing, skyscrapers, Souk Al Bahar, Tanura show, travel, UAE, world's tallest building
Dear readers, I finally feel sated being back on my blog to update it. As the title says, I have uploaded photos taken at Dubai earlier this year. This was not the first time stepping foot in the land of skyscrapers ready to contest in a fashion runway of modern clinical edifice; in fact, if I do recollect precisely, this was my third visit to Dubai. However, this time I merely call it a stop-over. We did spent 4 nights in this ultra-modern desert during our return journey from Malta and Sicily.
It feels great to be back after a few years though you might think that Dubai does not change much, well, you are vehemently wrong. Its facade resurfaced in a total different demeanor and the city is nothing but being packed with concretes in the time frame of what we call booming globalization.
Once again, shopping is no doubt the main indulgence in Dubai. So everyday it was almost the same routine – shopping and eating. The latter is not something to shout about because honestly the taste of almost all standard food in Dubai is slightly off the mark and the worse part is that it costs a bomb. So it’s really not reasonable to pay for what you get, in terms of food. On the contrary it was not that bad for us because we lived in a fully-furnished apartment with sufficient kitchen facilities thus the availability of cooking our own preferred meals was not a problem. Besides, Spinney Supermarket is just within walking distance from the apartment and there is another local mini mart located directly opposite the place.
Let the pictures below explain themselves…
The Burj Khalifa as seen from Dubai Mall.
Standing in front of Dubai Mall with the Burj in the background near evening time.
Roles of poles bearing the UAE flag.
Plenty of taxis dropping off at the main entrance of Dubai Mall – the largest shopping mall in the world by total area which houses the Burj Khalifa Observation Deck, Olympic Ice Rink, Gold Souk, Aquarium Tunnel and Dancing Fountain.
More pretty buildings…
This time, we finally get to go to Jumeirah Palm Island and visited Atlantis On The Palm. All the land there were reclaimed. I really wanted to venture the waterparks as well but because of limited time and lack of preparation of essential necessities I didn’t manage to. Next time, I would really want to see Aquaventure Waterpark, Lost Chambers of Atlantis and savor the Dolphin Experience. It will be even more fun if I can go to the theme parks with friends.
The arc directly in front of Atlantis on the Palm – the spot where all tourists snap pictures at.
Standing on reclaimed land, not a big deal, not when you’re in Dubai. And trust me, you’ll never get bored staring out the window when you’re traveling on the road simply because they are many beautiful and unique cars to stare at.
Background of the Atlantis, taken from the monorail station to Aquaventure waterpark.
And now, I guess this is the highlight of Dubai – none other than the Burj Khalifa. Having the opportunity of being there on top is something to be remembered, not to forget the thrilling high speed journey in one of the world’s fastest elevators, and to top it all, I went up alone by myself! If you could afford to experience a journey through Dubai’s exotic Arabian heritage, the extraordinary story behind Burj Khalifa as the new icon for the Middle East, the spectacular panorama from the observatory At the Top, Burj Khalifa should not disappoint.
You will get to experience a 360 degree sweeping views from level 124 of the world’s tallest tower. At the Top, Burj Khalifa offers unparalleled vistas from the sparkling waters of the Gulf to the golden sand dunes of the Arabian desert and beyond. Besides, you can explore unique interactive Burj Khalifa multimedia exhibits, step out onto the world’s highest observation terrace, take a closer look at the world below through avant-garde, high powered telescopes. And of course you could get your pictures there in integrate reality and special effects with At the Top Green Screen Photography.
A ten-part journey, At the Top starts at The Dubai Mall, where visitors can buy timed tickets at an elegant welcome area featuring monumental fields of LED displays reflecting the three-core design inspiration of Burj Khalifa. Ticket prices for adult is AED 100 if you booked online in advance prior to your visit otherwise it would be AED 400 for immediate entry admission. You can also enjoy several interactive features including ‘Burj Among the Greats’, ‘Burj Around the World’ and ‘Dubai Then and Now’. These displays chart the evolution of modern Dubai and reveal how Burj Khalifa dramatically alters the city skyline.
Tourists at the observation terrace…
Stunning view of the buildings around Dubai from the top.
Supersonic highway much?
The observation terrace is not the highest peak of the building yet, mind you. So you do the math.
Many development projects can also be seen. Some of which are on-hold due to lack of finances.
Look, you can even see Burj Al Arab afar there in the midst!
Um, yes. Gold ATM machine anyone? You can deposit gold.
Not really too over-the-top, eh? Not where Dubai is concerned.
The view from outside can be magnificent too. Something like the outdoor park in KLCC, this was taken outside Dubai Mall.
The Souk Al-Bahar and all the stunning apartments…
More of the pretty Burj.
Simply look at the Burj, it’s so shining and I can’t believe in the film Mission Impossible 4 they actually filmed climbing the building. That I don’t know how they did it..
With the mumsy.
This almost seems unreal. It looks more like a digital photo created by the computer. I think because of the lighting which made it look flawless, hard to believe it’s real, without edits. But it is de facto real.
While Burj Khalifa was said to be the highlight of Dubai, I say this would be the highlight of my trip to Dubai – desert safari and sand dune bashing. I am just so glad that my dad arranged it and it was another lifetime experience to be remembered. Furthermore, it was really worth paying every single peny of it – AED 150/- per pax. The desert safari comes with BBQ buffet dinner, sand boarding, dune bashing, camel riding, Tanura show, belly dancing show, henna painting, shisha, Arabic tea/coffee, and allows one to take stunning sunset photographs. It also includes pick-up and drop-off from your stay respectively.
Our driver, Ahmed Adel, definitely made the whole experience exceptional. He is one great, amusing and friendly person to be with. What with his excellent driving skills (on the desert), he twirled and jerked and bumped on the tracks, leaving all of us breathless a midst the thrilling and adrenaline pumping ride in the 4X4 Toyota Land Cruiser. Besides that, we have three outgoing ladies from Nigeria that joined us and boy they are absolutely hard party rockers. They shouted, screamed, sang and moved to the beat of the hip-hop music that Ahmed played in the car throughout our ride. Whenever I hear the tune ‘black and yellow, black and yellow….’ now, my mind will no doubt bring me back to this stimulating past. It charged the atmosphere and got all of us in high spirits. Ahmed was just really professional in maneuvering the vehicle and most of the times our heads ended up hitting the room of the Land Cruiser. It was hell a lot of fun and I recommend it a must-do if you plan to visit Dubai.
After the sunset, Ahmed drove along the roads of outskirt of the city towards these camps they set up for dinner. Outside the camp, you can ride on the camels they have there if you are interested in trying. The BBQ dinner was the best meal eaten outside during our stay in Dubai. While savoring dinner, we were entertained with performances such as the Tanura show and belly dancing. The former was really impressive while the latter was just a so-so. They even have a variety of drinks for you yo choose from. If you like henna painting, you could easily get one for free at the ground, plus you could take pictures of yourselves dress up in Arabic costumes they provide there.
Trying to act as though as we’re pushing the 4X4 but I clearly didn’t manage to look convincing. At least the mumsy looked more like the a superhero, heh.
Majestic sand dunes, and you can see the tracks on the sand that were left behind.
In reality, this scene was quite breathtaking. With the strong wind blowing, our hair are flying. And being there in person, this was like it is the end of the world. Like the route was cut off and it’s the end. That’s the impression it gave.
Sigh, excuse our retarded move :P
I look terrible here. But it was fun doing so.
That’s Ahmed and I :) Have his contact and emailed him after I got home.
Look at how crazy she was at the back! Really fun and easy-to-get-with Nigerians.
Looks like he’s going to fall into a black hole if he lets go.
Marked some initials.
Got my free henna!
And the rest here are shots of the Tanura show. Great performance.
We have many volunteers! And the amusing part was that after they’ve turned and swirled their heads swam and they didn’t know which direction they came from so the guy had to point to their respective tables.
So with this, I wrap up my trip to Dubai! Another stop-over via Emirates, I am sure that I will be back in Dubai the next time. In conclusion, I would say that Dubai will forever remain as a shopping paradise. Being an international hub, it is a place where people come and go. If you are determined to spend your money on really good deals, especially on fashion, then Dubai is the right place for you.
Also alongside my visit to Malta and Sicily, be sure you check out the main parts of the trip if you have not. Here are the links to the posts:
