BlondeTheRoadAgain

From the tallest building in the world to police officers driving Lamborghinis, Dubai truly feels like a desert dream.  It’s no wonder why Dubai is the playground for the rich and the famous.  Dubai is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world and apparently once had over 2% of the worlds cranes in order to build, and build fast.  Dubai is impressive and is meant to be impressive.  It’s home to the only 7 star hotel in the world, has the biggest shopping mall in the world, the largest man-made island in the world, the biggest flower garden in the world … it’s a surprise that “bigger is better” isn’t their official slogan. Dubai is one of the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates.  The Emirate used to make a bulk of its money from oil, but now it’s all tourism.  And there’s no question why so many people are drawn to this desert oasis.

Where to Stay

Atlantis, The Palm is the regions most Instagrammed hotel, located right on the man-made island, the Palm.  The hotel has a private beach and so many activities right inside the hotel, you won’t ever want to leave. The most impressive attraction inside the hotel is The Lost Chambers Aquarium which is home to 65,000 marine animals.

Madinat Jumeirah is where we considered staying during our trip to Dubai. I went with 3 other girls to Dubai and the Madinat seemed like the coolest place to be. Even though we chose to stay at an Airbnb in the Marina, we still spent a lot of time at the Madinat.  It’s a hip beach resort with a beautiful view of the Burj Al Arab.  The resort is attached to the best souk (Arab market) where you can wheel and deal for beautiful Arabian goods.  We spent an evening hanging out at their beach restaurant Shimmers and it was so relaxing.  We had a beautiful view of the Burj, smoked hookah and had several crisp glasses of wine with our toes in the sand. There is also a traditional Abra boat ride that will tour you around the resort, which we did, and highly recommend.

The Palace Downtown is going to give you all the royal desert vibes that you’re looking for, modeled after a traditional palatial residence. The Palace is centrally located to all the action and is walking distance from the Dubai mall and fountains.  A night here is around $400 USD.  You can’t beat the views of the spectacular Burj Khalifa which towers over the palace.

What to Do

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world and has the longest single running elevator in the world, which climbs 140 floors.  You can buy tickets ($100) to take the elevator up to the observation desk, which is the highest outdoor observation deck in the world.  The structure dominates the sky and when you get to the top, it’s pretty scary looking down. But definitely a bucket-list activity to check off your list when visiting Dubai.

The Burj Khalifa also puts on an outstanding fountain show every day, make sure to check the times before you go.  The fountain show is the world’s tallest performing fountain in the world … makes the Vegas fountain show look like a adorable drinking fountain.

The Green Planet by Meraas is a great little pit stop.  It’s a botanical museum featuring an indoor rainforest with living plants, animals and birds. Tickets are about $33 USD and you can complete the exhibit in about an hour and a half. There is also a sloth experience where people get the opportunity to pet and feed a sloth.  This place gets packed fast and is kid friendly, so plan accordingly.

A Desert Safari is such a thrill and important to do in order to learn about the desert ecosystem and traditional Emirati culture and heritage.  We chose to do a safari drive with Platinum Heritage, which is one of the pricier tours but really worth it.  They are an ecotourism company that conserves the environment, preserves the culture and provides economic support to the local people.  Not to mention you get to cruise around in a 1950’s vintage Land Rover!

We started off by eating an authentic Beaudoin breakfast in a beautiful, desert camp.  Afterwards we were able to interact with different types of falcons and hold a precious owl named Alice.  They educated us about the animals that roam the desert and offered to give us a ride on a camel. At the end of the day, we did a long drive in the Land Rover to try and spot wildlife in their natural habitat.

The Dubai Miracle Garden is the world’s largest natural flower garden with over 50 million flowers and 250 million plants.  It’s an Instagrammers dream and very pretty to see in person. It only takes about an hour to walk the whole exhibit, and it’s definitely worth a pop in to see what it’s all about.

Where to Indulge

A night’s stay at the Burj Al Arab isn’t really realistic for many people because if the hefty price tag, but if you make a dinner or bar reservation, you can still get a taste for the infamous hotel.

The Burj is the only 7 star hotel on the planet and is the most luxurious hotel I have ever seen.  Known for being shaped like a yacht, the iconic landmark sits on its own man-made island.

If you get the lucky opportunity to stay here, you will get all the perks of a King.  There are 17 types of pillows available to guests, the interiors are gilded in 24-carat gold, it’s home to the largest Swarovski crystal ceiling in the world, and more than 30 different types of Statuario marble is used in the walls and flooring.  It’s extravagant to say the least.

People aren’t allowed to enter the Burj Al Arab unless they are a guest or have a reservation.  We made a reservation for Gold on 27, one of the hotel’s beautiful bars.  There is a $30 minimum per person, which we felt was more reasonable than paying $1,225 per night to stay there. We ordered a drink each, which comes with it’s own special presentation, and we also ordered the gold flaked chocolate cake.  Each drink was about $30 each so it wasn’t hard to quickly meet the minimum price requirement.  Also, the menu is on an iPad.

Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood is a great place to explore and eat authentic middle eastern cuisine.  The Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe was definitely a highlight for us.  We went for lunch and pigged out on hummus, chicken kebabs, fatoush salad and the best Moroccan iced tea with mint.  They also have authentic Arabic bread, which is cooked in a traditional oven at the restaurant.

While you’re in the area, definitely walk around and explore the beautiful buildings and architecture. There are a few shops, art galleries and a museum that are walking distance from the restaurant.

Bonus Experience 

Skydiving in Dubai is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  My friends and I had never skydived before, and frankly … I felt uneasy about the idea up until it was over. But Skydive Dubai is a very professional place, and once you see how many people show up to skydive, it will make you feel much better about the situation. The odds of an accident are VERY slim, you might as well just do it. What got me through the experience was the quote, “If you can’t beat fear, do it scared” … and I definitely did.

We paid around $400 for a package that included the jump with an instructor, photos and video.  We took a small plane over the Palm Islands in Dubai and jumped out with both our instructor and a videographer.  Beforehand, they go over all the motions and positions you will need to remember during the experience, it’s easy.

I was the last one to jump out of our group, and standing at the edge of the plane with the open door was surreal. I could see all my friends flying below, and I really took in the views. The free fall is an exhilarating sensation and felt short, even though it wasn’t. Once the instructor pulled the parachute, we just glided down to the landing strip. I will say that the glide down did give me a little bit of motion sickness.  If you get motion sickness as well and are considering the experience, I would suggest taking some kind of anti-nausea medication prior to the jump.  All in all I’m glad I did it, but probably a one-and-done situation for me!

Know Before You Go

• Dubai is a Muslim country.  Be respectful with your clothing and how you carry yourself. We tried to be modest with our bathing suits and our clothes, we also carried scarfs with us just in case.
• Alcohol is prohibited on the beach.  We were really surprised when we went to a restaurant on the beach and they said it’s illegal for them to sell alcohol. Hotels, however, are allowed to sell alcohol.  Something to keep in mind when craving the perfect cocktail.
• The weekend is Friday and Saturday, so the hours of some attractions might be different, just make sure you look everything up beforehand.
• Abu Dhabi is only two hours away and worth the stop.  Check out my Abu Dhabi post to see what treasures lie there.

Final Thoughts

Dubai was one of my favorite trips.  I highly recommend going and spending at least 5 days there, and tack on Abu Dhabi for a couple nights if you can.  I really felt welcomed by the people and would definitely go back in a heartbeat.  After all, where else am I going to meet an actual prince?