Bigger, shinier, glossier- simply put, Dubai has tried hard to be the best and they have succeeded.
We stayed at the Armani Hotel, which is at the base of the largest building in the world- Burj Khalifa. Very beautiful, ultra modern hotel. Our room faced the famous Dubai fountains, twice the size of the ones at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. Of course, it’s Dubai. And I couldn’t resist heading to the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa. Only the Sheikh Mohammed and family get to enjoy the 160th+ floors.
No expense was spared in Dubai, including on their malls. Dubai Mallthe16th biggest in the world. It’s so big and so crazy. Aquariums, ice rinks, massive fountains and shopping, shopping and more shopping. I have never seen so many stores. They have whole department store size areas dedicated to just shoes! I was so over-whelmed.
It’s hard to believe Dubai is a massive city built in the desert. In need to get some sand in my shoes, we headed out to a sand dune expedition with TourDubai. I met a falcon trainer and his bird Maria, plus a slew of belly dancers and camels. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset in the desert and we were whisked away to an evening oasis, where we had the largest feast I have ever seen. Of course, it’s Dubai.
A stop in Dubai wouldn’t be complete without visiting one of their renewed souks. Known to be one of the best places to purchase jewelry, it was too tough to decide, can’t I rent it all! We ended our stay with lunch on the 27th floor of Burj Al Arab (also known as the sail hotel) at Al Muntaha restaurant. The views of the Palm Island and the building of The World island, makes you realize anything is possible in Dubai. After an exquisite lunch, I had to see Palm Island close-up. We went for a drive around the largest man-made island. It’s a huge city built out of the ocean, it even has it’s own tram system to shuttle residents around. Incredible engineering, all of it.
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Dubai is a desert oasis. You can see pictures of Dubai, but unless you visit, you can never grasp the sheer magnitude of this city. It’s beyond anything I could of pictured. It’s clean, safe, and perfect in so many ways that it doesn’t seem real. This is one stop I will return to without a doubt in my mind.
Posted: Christy Bamber