Dubai is one of the most well organized, planned, and safest metropolitan cities. I went there in December, which is also the time for Dubai shopping festival & has sale on every other store. Most of the places are open till 12 o’clock at night, so you can stay out & enjoy long evenings.
Day 1 – Mall of the Emirates
I took a 4-hour flight from New Delhi to Dubai & stayed in Al-Barsha area. Landed late afternoon & in the evening went to Mall of the Emirates as it was walking distance from my hotel. Every nook and corner were beautifully decorated with Christmas decorations and the place was so alive. The highlight of this place was Winter Wonderland at Ski Dubai, an artificially created Skiing ring, cable car ride & lot of other fun activities. which could be equally enjoyed by kids and adults.
Day 2 – Bhurj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Souk Al-Bahar & Fountain show
One of the entrance’s for Bhurj Khalifa is within Dubai mall. Hence, started the day from the Fashion Avenue side of Dubai mall, which has all the possible high-end brands from all over the world. We booked the VIP Sky tour to Bhurj Khalifa which gave us access to the top floors and lounge. The seamless ascend from floor 0 to floor 148 in a minute & experiencing Dubai’s streamlined infrastructure from skyline view left me spellbound.
There are lot of restaurants & cafes facing the fountains in Dubai mall as well as in Souk Al-Bahar which is across the bridge. Savored some amazing kababs & kaftas with hummus at Zou Zou - Turkish & Lebanese cuisine restaurant. After a delicious meal by the fountain, it was time to cross the bridge & visit Souk Al-bahar where you will find shops with traditional work & silver jewelry. In the evening enjoyed the spectacular fountain show, it is fun & free of cost.
Day 3 – Old Dubai & Dubai Marina
Today was the day to explore the local markets of Dubai. We started with Naif Souk which has apparel, shoes, electronics, perfumes etc. Took an abra ride – which are local boats costing just 1 Dirham from Al-Sabkha to Bur Dubai. Enjoyed some more shopping at Meena Bazar & Grand souk which has local handwork apparels, spices, fragrance oils. For lunch, had Beetroot Salad & a heavenly coffee gelato at this cute little café by the river called Mazmi. After which took an abra ride to the Gold & Spice Souk and bought variety of dates & spices from Spice souk. I would suggest visit gold souk for the experience, even if you don’t have to purchase.
In the evening enjoyed a stroll & dinner at Dubai Marina walk. It’s a beautiful 8 kms walkway which has yachts at the marina on one side, and restaurants & cafes on the other. This place has a very relaxing vibe, this is the kind of place I can go every other day for a walk, coffee or just sit, unwind, and observe the life around.
Day 4 – Ibn Battuta Mall & Desert Safari
Ibn Battuta Mall’s interior is inspired by Ibn Battuta who was a 14th century Moroccan explorer. This themed mall has intricate designs on the walls & ceilings inspired from the places he visited. Egyptian & Persian patterns are simply beautiful and left me in awe.
We had a pre-booked Desert safari tour, our driver as well as the guide picked us in a Land Cruiser from our hotel at 2 PM and took us to red sand Lahbab desert. Before the actual Dune Bashing adventure starts, one can also enjoy an ATV or camel ride. Now for the next 30 mins fasten your belts & go through a roller coaster ride in the desert. These very experience drivers will take you through a thrilling drive across the desert to a beautiful sunset point. Rest, enjoy sandboarding, & just witness one of the most beautiful sunsets. Post sunset we went to the desert camp where we were greeted with Arabic Kawa, dates & refreshments. After the heart racing ride, it was time to sit back, relax, get a picture clicked with falcon and enjoy the entertainment show along with dinner.
Day 5 – Miracle Garden, Palm Jumeriah & La Mer Beach
As the name suggest Miracle Garden is indeed a miracle where you will find the most beautiful colors of flowers planted in different patterns, majority being petunia. It has themed areas of many Walt Disney cartoon characters, magic carpet, floating lady, and my favorite Genie.
Today I wanted to take it easy, so went to The Pointe in Palm Jumeriah for a relaxed lunch at Al-safadi and enjoyed some more Kaftas & mocktails by the beach with a view of the Atlantis. In the evening, took a stroll at La Mer beach, this place has a nice vibe and a beautiful sunset. There are lot of cool cafes & pubs here where we enjoyed the rest of the evening.
Dubai is a place which has something for everyone – malls, gardens, museums, beaches, desert & so much more. I did feel that since this place has majorly developed in the 21st century, it lacks essence and a rich cultural history. Although I cannot complain about the amount of shopping options this city offers, and of course I made the best use of it.
Tip: If you have more time in hand then visit Global village – it has 300+ stalls from all over the world and is a very vibrant place, Dubai Museum, Kite beach, entertainment space in Palm Jumeriah & if you have not done sky diving before you can do it here.
Mobility: Buses, local taxi, and metro work very well here.
Best time to visit: November to February
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