There is nothing quite like Christmas <3
For many people December brings their favourite time of year, including all the sweet treats and decadent gifts that come alongside this festive season, with the year coming to an end, I reminisce my trip to Dubai back in 2012. It was merry. Christmas holidays are meant for vacations, Dubai being on more than half the world’s travel bucket list. We decided we would embark upon this destination. Now that I’ve started writing about the places I’ve been to. Can’t afford to miss writing about this trip. Here we go.
Shall we?
We set out on our very first family trip (International) to Dubai. I was pretty pumped about visiting U.A.E. to experience the grandeur of Dubai with it’s iconic Burj Khalifa, Burj Al-Arab, Dubai Mall and the Mall of Emirates. We choose to fly with emirates 😉 thats when it all started. I decided after my graduation I’d start working with airlines and I did, changed my mind for good. Learnt a lesson, never do things which make you less happy. Keep finding yourself, never settle.I may have sounded a bit philosophical here but had to include this.
So this holiday season I’ve come up with 5 Must Do’s in Dubai. There are some stops you absolutely can’t miss, especially if you want to feel like an insider and imbibe all that Dubai originally sets out to offer.
5. Join a desert safari : Safaris begin with 4 wheel drives in the desert. Its a bumpy ride with some adrenaline pumping as you drive over dunes and slide down sandy slopes. Once you have driven through the desert you get to enjoy typical middle eastern feast at a traditional Bedouin-style camp under the stars with Shisha! Entertainment is provided in the form of falcon flying, camel riding and with a belly dancing show. Theres Tanhoura folkloric dance (Tanoura is skirt, sufi men wear the skirt and spin continuously like the dervish dancers) The long swirling colorful skirts that the men wear make spectacular patterns as they twirl around in circles. After the spinning around the performers show no signs of dizziness? Quite an Arabian adventure!
4. Visit to Dubai marina waterfront : Dubai marina is a district in dubai where you can witness the tallest buildings in the world which are stylishly eye-catching, glitzy and glamorous at the same time. You can take a long walk at the waterfront, at night the streets are beaming with lights, palm trees lit up, theres music playing, with a whole dash of arabic smell in the air. Now you’re in arabia!!
P.S. Thursday and Friday nights are one of the best here.
3. Global Village : There are a lot of exciting things in Dubai happening all around the year and one thing is for sure. The Global Village is one such cultural extravaganza packed with entertainment, shopping and lots of walking. It has more than twenty five international pavilions, each showcasing a particular country’s products and cultures. There is everything from U.A.E to Africa to India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Singapore, Afghanistan, Egypt, Malaysia, the UK, Spain and so on. Its a shoppers paradise, also you visit so many countries without spending much 😉
2. Take a road trip to Al Ain : Al Ain is one of the greenest city of UAE and its the highest point in the country. Unlike Dubai, Al Ain is a much relaxed city with no skyscrapers hovering above your head. It makes a great picnic spot with barbecue spots, you can also have a mini trek to the mountains. You can goof around and play a little. Theres a zoo located in Al Ain which focuses mainly on wildlife conservation. The hot springs here are known for their therapeutic qualities and the access is free. Rejuvenating ?
The Dubai Mall : Located in downtown Dubai is the worlds largest mall. There is a list of things you can do at the Dubai mall which does not involve shopping. Yeah thats right.
- Visit the Iconic Burj Khalifa, for the bird’s eye view of the beautiful city.
- Dubai Aquarium, you can just sit and gaze through the worlds largest perspex window into the aquarium. It boasts of an underwater tunnel under a huge shark & stingray filled tank, plus a creepy crawly zone with snakes. (Tried none)
- Ice Rink, its an olympic sized ice rink where you can ice skate your heart out.
- Cascading Water falls, these human water falls occupy the height of the mall. Its an artistic display with dramatic design.
- Musical Fountain : Just located outside the tallest Burj Khalifa is a captivating water, music and light spectacle.
There are innumerable places to visit in Dubai. I was in Dubai for 12 days, some places which I visited during my stay include The Atlantis, Dubai creek park, Dubai museum, The JBR Walk, Palm Jumeirah, Mall of the emirates, Old Dubai and the list goes on 😛
Few Arabic words I learnt by travelling in metros, ‘iighlaq al’abwab – Doors closing, fath al’abwab – Doors opening. Lulu (meaning pearl) is a common name here and there are supermarkets named lulu at every corner.
In short Dubai is, you name it and we have it!!
In my next blog I’ll write about Abu-Dhabi which was our next stop after Dubai!
Hope you’ll are having an amazing Christmas!! Sending Love from Eat Travel Repeat <3
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