DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Just a couple days before my trip began I decided that since I was going to be so close, I had to add Dubai to my list of stops.  So once again, I flew Qatar Airways and again they provided some of the best service that I have ever had on an airline, despite the short hop over from Doha to Dubai.  I arrived pretty late in the evening and took a short Uber ride from the airport to the Holiday Inn Express - Dubai Airport.  The hotel being so close to the airport made it prefect for a short stopover as I was only spending around 24 hours in Dubai.  This first thing to do was to get some rest for a long day of exploring the city the following day. 

My agenda was to see the Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Palm Island and take a desert safari.  The plan for the morning was to utilize the hop on-hop off bus, like I did in Doha, but the cost was quite expensive and I had to meet the safari driver at the hotel at 3:30 so I didn’t think I would be able to see all of the sites that I wanted.  I opted to hire a driver to take me around.  This cost around $110 US for around 4.5 hours but was well worth it and I would suggest that, especially if you have a group (unfortunately, I did not).  The private guide gives you a lot more information than the bus does and allows you to customize your day. 

The first stop was the Burj Al Arab which is one of the most iconic buildings in a city that is known for its unique architecture.  It is the world’s only “seven star hotel.”  This is a bit of a misstatement as there is no such thing as seven stars, however, someone used that at one point and it kind of stuck.  Although, the hotel doesn’t use it in their marketing, they don’t deny the title.  It is built upon a man-made island that is situated in the turquoise waters just off the coast.  The shape of the building looks like a giant mast and sail from a sailboat.  There is a helipad near the top of the building that has been the site of many stunts since it construction in 1999 such as Red Bull doing donuts with a Formula 1 car, Tiger Woods hit golf balls and Roger Federer and Andre Agassi playing a tennis match.  If you have enough money, you can even have your wedding up there.  While I wasn’t able to go inside, I was able to fly the drone and get some amazing aerial shots of the building.  I also found some giant sand pillars on a closed off section of beach using the drone.  I am still not sure what they are for so if you know, please let me know.  You can see some shots of them in the photos below. 

The next stop was Palm Island which houses some of the most expensive real estate in Dubai as well as the Atlantis Resort.  Again, this is a man-made island but this one is different as it is shaped like a giant palm tree.  To really appreciate it, you have to see it from the air.  Once again, I flew the drone over the island to get that perspective. I was also able to get some great shots of the Atlantis Resort from the drone sitting at the top of the palm tree. 

As we moved on to the Dubai Mall, I was a little skeptical about how much time I really wanted to spend there.  I am not much of a shopaholic while I am on vacation.  As soon as I walked in, I realized this wasn’t an ordinary mall.  With over 13 million square feet of space, it is the largest mall in the world by area.  It houses a hockey rink, an indoor theme park, the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo among many other attractions.  The aquarium also allows you to scuba dive in one of their large tanks with a variety of species.  The mall complex is also the site of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. 

When you exit the mall and see the tower, it looks impressive. It has a giant pool in the courtyard area that puts on a water show similar to the one at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.  I opted to not go up to the viewing areas due to cost, schedule and having been to the top of a lot of the tall buildings around the world.  At one point, a view from up high is a view from up high.  I also learned that both China and Saudi Arabia are in the process of building taller buildings.  If you are interested, there are two viewing areas, one that is on floors 124 and 125 (called At the Top) and another on floor 148 (called At the Top Sky).  The tickets are around $35 - $55 US and $95 - $135 US respectively.  While the view up close is impressive, my favorite view is from a little distance away which allows you to see it in perspective with the rest of the skyline.  It really stands out from this vantage point. 

It was time to head back to the hotel to meet with my desert safari tour.  I was put together with five other people on the safari, one couple from Africa and a family from India.  The driver arrived in a 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser and since I was by myself, I got the front seat.  We set out for the 45 minute drive to the desert.  Once we arrived, we made one last stop to let the air out of the tires, a bathroom break and to buy and souvenirs and snacks.  We then rendezvoused with the ten or so vehicles from our company.  We were given a few minutes to take pictures in the dunes before heading out dune bashing.  The drivers form a convoy and take you on a roller coaster ride through the dunes at sunset.  While this is probably very exciting for a lot of folks, it is basically what I do in the Jeep every time that I go to Pismo Beach or Glamis Dunes.  The one nice thing about this is you don’t have to worry about destroying your own gear.  You can just sit back and enjoy the ride.  We stopped in the dunes one last time to watch the last of the sunset and I took the opportunity to fly the drone.  One of the drivers asked if I would follow him with the drone while he drove around the desert.  Of course, I was happy to do that.  I sat in the front passenger seat as he drove like crazy.  It made it challenging to get cinematic shots while I was bouncing around the 4x4 but I think the video turned out great.  I will be posting that soon. 

We all piled back in our vehicles and headed toward the camp.  At camp, we had the opportunity to ride quads or take a camel ride.  There were lots of souvenir stands and entertainment.  I opted to take the camel ride.  It was quite the experience getting up and down and actually quite violent.  Nothing like a horse.  The ride itself was very similar, though.  As dark set in, the temperature cooled and dinner was served, buffet style.  The food was great and there was quite a variety of food.  The tables surrounded a stage where different types of dancers performed, including a belly dancer.  The concluded and we set out for the hotel.  The only gripe that I have is that we spent too much time at the camp and could have spent more time in the desert dunes.  Although the camp was in the middle of the desert, it didn’t offer the pristine dunes that I would have loved to spend more time photographing.  There are many different companies that offer tours and as far as I know, they all do about the same thing.  I would still recommend Oasis Palm Dubai Desert Safari. 

Dubai reminds me of a more expensive Las Vegas.  It is built upon tourism.  There are a lot of American brands, some that you don’t see in most foreign counties, such as Yogurtland.  Most people speak English and there seems to be an endless stream of construction projects.  Just like Doha, the heat was intense and if you were there for any length of time, you would probably want to spend most of your time in the beautiful waters or indoors.  You would also, more than likely, want to spend a little more than 24 hours in Dubai.  For me, I think the optimal time would be 48 – 72 hours, again, unless you are at one of the many beach resorts and just want to lounge around, then maybe more.  However, that isn’t my type of vacation.  So, it was back to the hotel where I collected my bags and once again headed for the airport.  It was a short flight back to Doha, short layover and then I was headed for Singapore.  

Take a look at some of my other stops on my 2017 Around-the-World trip.

Doha - Dubai - Singapore - Bali - Komodo - Sydney - Auckland