DUBAI- AWE INSPIRING AND LIFE CHANGING
Hey! How is 2017 treating you? Hope it has been great if not then not to worry because it will be amazing.
For me, the year 2017 has started off with a bang. I finally went out with my mother for a vacation after a zillion years. And as you all do know from the title of the blog, we went to Dubai-Abu Dhabi. In this blog I am going to cover all the fascinating and wonderful things about Dubai and the next blog will be all about Abu Dhabi.
There wasn't a single doubt in my mind when I selected this particular destination because not only was I completely awe struck by the beauty of this place which I discovered through thousands of Google photos and videos but also because this was the perfect time to visit Dubai due to the shopping festival and global village. My mother and I without any care of the world began this trip with 30 strangers through a tour by Veena World. We had no clue about the people around us but that didn't bother us in any shape or form because finally after 3 years we got to spend the much needed mother-daughter time.
The great part about this tour was the fact that this wasn't a Hitler's camp, we had the flexibility of time upto a certain extent as we would come back to our hotel by 9 pm and would leave in the morning by 9-9:30 am. That gave us the time to rejuvenate ourselves from all the jet lag and exhaustion of the previous days.
DAY 1:
The first day of the vacation began with sleep deprivation. Catching an early morning flight is no joke. Neither did I get the time to sleep nor I could contain my excitement. Talk about mixed emotions. Finally after reaching the Dubai airport, I was extremely keen and looking forward to all the new things which were about to be thrown my way. Even before I got the opportunity to step out into the city, I was already mesmerized by the airport. How clean and organised is that place. The journey in train which is present within the airport takes you to the baggage belts is an experience in itself.
After getting through the immigration and all the formal shebang, I began my exploration of the city which can be best described as the calm in the concrete jungle. The hotel grand excelsior was my home for 4 days and I couldn't have asked for more.
After relaxing and clicking tons of pictures in the hotel, we got ready for the only activity of the day and that was the Dhow River Cruise. The cruise was the relaxing climax of the day paired up with the best and unique magic performance and the most beautiful tandura dance. Luckily I got the opportunity to be a part of this beautiful dance but I couldn't do any justice as to what the performer did. Can you believe the fact that they spin continuously for 15 mins while balancing 6 dhols in a 5-6 kg heavy ghagra.
DAY 2:
After filling our tummies with delicious american breakfast, the tour headed on to the Historical museum in the heart of Bur Dubai. This place is not only for the historical enthusiasts like me but also perfect for picture addicts. The museum contains the entire history of Dubai and presents it with life sized robotic figurines, videos and the most authentic historical tools. The wooden boat outside the museum is not to be missed.
Later we went to the 2nd most expensive place at Dubai and that is the well know Jumerah. The standard of living and the vibes are vastly lavish and beyond what a normal human being in India would live like.
Every other house has intricate designs and they have also come up with different types of themed cafes.
After envying their lifestyle, we reached the our destination- The Jumerah beach. What a beauty!! Like every other tourist, I had to take pictures with the 3rd most tallest and self proclaimed 7 star hotel- the Burj Al Arab. Making most of my time there I also relaxed on the beach, taking in the serene atmosphere and the calm.
Of course if we visited the beach, we had to visit the world's first man made island and the most innovative thing- The Palm Jumerah. The best way to capture the beauty and see each and every palm leaf structure is the monorail. We had the best view of the most famous Palm Atlantis, the water park and also various residential places. The idea behind the entire creation left me tongue tied.
To finish of the evening we headed for the last attraction of the day and that is the Dessert Safari. Boy was it the ride of a lifetime. I had the best time and it is not less than any ride at an adventure park. Thanks to our driver who took every turn, every drop and made it an unforgettable experience for me. Luckily during this time of the year, the dessert was not the usual hot boiling pot but it was rather cold and on the border of freezing. In short the perfect weather for me. I got to enjoy the luxury of eating food Indian style and experiencing the belly dance, tandura and fire show up close and personal.
DAY 3:
Day 3 of the journey began with the much anticipated Ski Dubai situated at the Mall of Emirates. I was like a giddy child bouncing off here and there because this was the first time I was coming in contact with snow. I know I know this isn't like the natural thing but frankly it doesn't matter because the experience and ambiance was nothing short of the actual snow in places like Canada and Switzerland. Adrenaline rush was top notch and I dived head first into the snow slides, zorb ball and the bouncing Tyre slides. Never imagined that I would be doing all these things. After playing with snow and enjoying the vibes, my mother and I sneaked in few shops at the mall. We had to make the most of the shopping festival,right? Luckily I bought a few clothing items and that too at a steal.
Later we headed on to Diera Dubai by the water taxi, the ancient way of travelling in Dubai and reached the Gold Souk. The quintessential famous place featured in Sex and the City movie where Carrie Bradshaw runs into Adrian. Best place to buy gold at an extremely cheap amount but the articulate work on the jewelry is irreplaceable. It's not just about gold here, this market also offers best quality perfumes, ittar and chocolates at wholesale prices. There are tons of men offering to sell the first copy of Prada, Louis Vuitton. If that is your cup of tea then go ahead but I honestly found it creepy.
The last activity was the Global Village- A phenomenon of it's kind. The idea behind global village brings people from every corner of the world and educates every individual about different cultures and backgrounds. Every country there has their stalls present within the most famous architectural structures of the respective places. You will also find a live band playing as well as different restaurants offering different cuisines. This is the best place to indulge yourself in the shopping, eating and entertainment.
DAY 4:
The last day in the ever so busy Dubai city had arrived but there were still a few things we had to discover.
Firstly we went to the Miracle Garden, situated 45 mins from the city and it is a spectacle to watch. Can you ever imagine the most beautiful Disney movie like garden with the most stunning butterflies? Yes this is where all your imaginations come alive. World's most beautiful garden in the midst of a dessert. It is a beautiful picturesque destination and that to a never ending one.
Next was the the tallest building of the world- THE BURJ KHALIFA. But before diving in for an epic adventure, we visited the underwater zoo and aquarium in the biggest mall-The Dubai Mall. All the species were extremely comfortable in their own habitat and a dream to look at.
After that we entered the place that made history and the lift itself is a class on it's own. It reaches the 125th floor in 58 seconds. Like What?!!
The observatory deck at 124th and 125th floor were open and the view from there is just irreplaceable. Instead of clicking pictures I just felt like sitting there and getting lost in the scenery before me.
After spending some time at the Burj Khalifa, we literally skinned our legs while exploring the Dubai Mall but nevertheless it was worth it. The journey of the mall ended with the Fountain show which was something I was eagerly looking forward and it didn't disappoint me at all.
After these 4 amazing days and some weird good experiences, I felt relieved of all the stress and was flying on cloud 9. Even though this place is always hustling and bustling but it is a place where your dreams will come true. They have the best innovative way to show case their culture and everyone will pick up something positive from it and cherish it for life. Well I surely did.
Hope you enjoyed the long, detailed blog post.
The last leg of the journey at Abu Dhabi will be up soon.
Till then take care and Thank you so much,
KIRAN DANI
For me, the year 2017 has started off with a bang. I finally went out with my mother for a vacation after a zillion years. And as you all do know from the title of the blog, we went to Dubai-Abu Dhabi. In this blog I am going to cover all the fascinating and wonderful things about Dubai and the next blog will be all about Abu Dhabi.
There wasn't a single doubt in my mind when I selected this particular destination because not only was I completely awe struck by the beauty of this place which I discovered through thousands of Google photos and videos but also because this was the perfect time to visit Dubai due to the shopping festival and global village. My mother and I without any care of the world began this trip with 30 strangers through a tour by Veena World. We had no clue about the people around us but that didn't bother us in any shape or form because finally after 3 years we got to spend the much needed mother-daughter time.
The great part about this tour was the fact that this wasn't a Hitler's camp, we had the flexibility of time upto a certain extent as we would come back to our hotel by 9 pm and would leave in the morning by 9-9:30 am. That gave us the time to rejuvenate ourselves from all the jet lag and exhaustion of the previous days.
DAY 1:
The first day of the vacation began with sleep deprivation. Catching an early morning flight is no joke. Neither did I get the time to sleep nor I could contain my excitement. Talk about mixed emotions. Finally after reaching the Dubai airport, I was extremely keen and looking forward to all the new things which were about to be thrown my way. Even before I got the opportunity to step out into the city, I was already mesmerized by the airport. How clean and organised is that place. The journey in train which is present within the airport takes you to the baggage belts is an experience in itself.
After getting through the immigration and all the formal shebang, I began my exploration of the city which can be best described as the calm in the concrete jungle. The hotel grand excelsior was my home for 4 days and I couldn't have asked for more.
After relaxing and clicking tons of pictures in the hotel, we got ready for the only activity of the day and that was the Dhow River Cruise. The cruise was the relaxing climax of the day paired up with the best and unique magic performance and the most beautiful tandura dance. Luckily I got the opportunity to be a part of this beautiful dance but I couldn't do any justice as to what the performer did. Can you believe the fact that they spin continuously for 15 mins while balancing 6 dhols in a 5-6 kg heavy ghagra.
DAY 2:
After filling our tummies with delicious american breakfast, the tour headed on to the Historical museum in the heart of Bur Dubai. This place is not only for the historical enthusiasts like me but also perfect for picture addicts. The museum contains the entire history of Dubai and presents it with life sized robotic figurines, videos and the most authentic historical tools. The wooden boat outside the museum is not to be missed.
Later we went to the 2nd most expensive place at Dubai and that is the well know Jumerah. The standard of living and the vibes are vastly lavish and beyond what a normal human being in India would live like.
Every other house has intricate designs and they have also come up with different types of themed cafes.
After envying their lifestyle, we reached the our destination- The Jumerah beach. What a beauty!! Like every other tourist, I had to take pictures with the 3rd most tallest and self proclaimed 7 star hotel- the Burj Al Arab. Making most of my time there I also relaxed on the beach, taking in the serene atmosphere and the calm.
Of course if we visited the beach, we had to visit the world's first man made island and the most innovative thing- The Palm Jumerah. The best way to capture the beauty and see each and every palm leaf structure is the monorail. We had the best view of the most famous Palm Atlantis, the water park and also various residential places. The idea behind the entire creation left me tongue tied.
To finish of the evening we headed for the last attraction of the day and that is the Dessert Safari. Boy was it the ride of a lifetime. I had the best time and it is not less than any ride at an adventure park. Thanks to our driver who took every turn, every drop and made it an unforgettable experience for me. Luckily during this time of the year, the dessert was not the usual hot boiling pot but it was rather cold and on the border of freezing. In short the perfect weather for me. I got to enjoy the luxury of eating food Indian style and experiencing the belly dance, tandura and fire show up close and personal.
DAY 3:
Day 3 of the journey began with the much anticipated Ski Dubai situated at the Mall of Emirates. I was like a giddy child bouncing off here and there because this was the first time I was coming in contact with snow. I know I know this isn't like the natural thing but frankly it doesn't matter because the experience and ambiance was nothing short of the actual snow in places like Canada and Switzerland. Adrenaline rush was top notch and I dived head first into the snow slides, zorb ball and the bouncing Tyre slides. Never imagined that I would be doing all these things. After playing with snow and enjoying the vibes, my mother and I sneaked in few shops at the mall. We had to make the most of the shopping festival,right? Luckily I bought a few clothing items and that too at a steal.
Later we headed on to Diera Dubai by the water taxi, the ancient way of travelling in Dubai and reached the Gold Souk. The quintessential famous place featured in Sex and the City movie where Carrie Bradshaw runs into Adrian. Best place to buy gold at an extremely cheap amount but the articulate work on the jewelry is irreplaceable. It's not just about gold here, this market also offers best quality perfumes, ittar and chocolates at wholesale prices. There are tons of men offering to sell the first copy of Prada, Louis Vuitton. If that is your cup of tea then go ahead but I honestly found it creepy.
The last activity was the Global Village- A phenomenon of it's kind. The idea behind global village brings people from every corner of the world and educates every individual about different cultures and backgrounds. Every country there has their stalls present within the most famous architectural structures of the respective places. You will also find a live band playing as well as different restaurants offering different cuisines. This is the best place to indulge yourself in the shopping, eating and entertainment.
DAY 4:
The last day in the ever so busy Dubai city had arrived but there were still a few things we had to discover.
Firstly we went to the Miracle Garden, situated 45 mins from the city and it is a spectacle to watch. Can you ever imagine the most beautiful Disney movie like garden with the most stunning butterflies? Yes this is where all your imaginations come alive. World's most beautiful garden in the midst of a dessert. It is a beautiful picturesque destination and that to a never ending one.
Next was the the tallest building of the world- THE BURJ KHALIFA. But before diving in for an epic adventure, we visited the underwater zoo and aquarium in the biggest mall-The Dubai Mall. All the species were extremely comfortable in their own habitat and a dream to look at.
After that we entered the place that made history and the lift itself is a class on it's own. It reaches the 125th floor in 58 seconds. Like What?!!
The observatory deck at 124th and 125th floor were open and the view from there is just irreplaceable. Instead of clicking pictures I just felt like sitting there and getting lost in the scenery before me.
After spending some time at the Burj Khalifa, we literally skinned our legs while exploring the Dubai Mall but nevertheless it was worth it. The journey of the mall ended with the Fountain show which was something I was eagerly looking forward and it didn't disappoint me at all.
After these 4 amazing days and some weird good experiences, I felt relieved of all the stress and was flying on cloud 9. Even though this place is always hustling and bustling but it is a place where your dreams will come true. They have the best innovative way to show case their culture and everyone will pick up something positive from it and cherish it for life. Well I surely did.
Hope you enjoyed the long, detailed blog post.
The last leg of the journey at Abu Dhabi will be up soon.
Till then take care and Thank you so much,
KIRAN DANI
Brilliant post! After going through your blog, I got a little closer to applying for a Visa to Dubai. The images and the travel experiences of Dubai that you shared in your blog are truly amazing. From the Palm Atlantis to the Desert experiences and the Ski Dubai, everything looked magical. I will be taking some cues from your blog to prepare my travel itinerary and make my Dubai getaway as exciting as yours.
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