Dubai, also known as City of Gold, is indeed a land of endless "gold" blown all over Dubai. If there's a breeze across Dubai, it's a sandstorm and they are incredibly common. Weather was perfect in the past week apart from the sand that exfoliated my face as I went on my tour on the Big Bus Tour.
Dubai is an incredibly expensive place for shopping although it is tax free. However, they have all the shops imagine-able congregated there from all over the world. Just to name a few, Dubai Mall alone has Dean & Deluca, Victoria's Secret, Tory Burch, Bloomingdales, Pottery Barn, Alexander McQueen, Reiss and even Oscar De La Renta! The mall itself also boasts a giant aquarium. Other brands like Repetto and LK Bennett are also setting up shop there. I was hoping for LK Bennett to reach our shores! It is not entirely fair for me to comment on the prices since I didn't buy much. I managed to keep myself away from Chanel, Prada and Bottega, which to me, is quite an achievement.
Taxis are easily accessible and cost relatively little to get from point A to point B within Dubai itself. Distance on the map may be deceiving as the roads are quite interestingly and intricately weaved. If you're going to somewhere perhaps less than 2-3km away, please be warned the minimum cab fare if AED 10 even if your fare only comes up to AED 6-7. Don't be like me - A fool sitting in a cab waiting for change...
Cab rides will be an adventure on its own. Knowledge of road names are redundant. So are any maps that you may have on hand. If you have a famous landmark, things will be waaaay easier.
Dubai being a religious Muslim city also translate into its low crime rates. I felt very safe in Dubai which is in stark contrast to my impression of Dubai before my trip. As long as you arm yourself with enough common sense and not dress too lightly (i.e. keep your knees and shoulders covered), a single female traveller will face little to no danger in Dubai.
Dubai is all about shopping, given the fact that it is an incredibly new city built right smack in the desert. Honestly, it has little to offer in terms of history but if you look at the beautiful architecture of this city, they have their very own story to tell.
A must do in Dubai is to go on to the Desert Safari. I went for the Sundowner by Arabian Adventures. The 4x4 will begin your adventure via a roller coaster ride except, it's without the rails. You can to feel the fine sand under your feet, in your nose and ears, between strands of hair and watch the beautiful sunset. You will also get to ride the camel, have a feel of smoking the shisha and enjoy a delectable Arabian meal. Belly dancing kept us entertained during dinner and star gazing in pitch dark desert became the highlight at the end of the tour.
European style afternoon tea became a staple rest break. I picked Paul for a few days running. We may have this back home but to be able to sit by the beautiful fountain overlooking the Burj Khalifa in the cool Dubai breeze, this was something I couldn't replicate here.
The luxury of space is felt in most places and it is what I feel that is lacking in our daily lives. My opinion for Dubai has drastically changed and I do think it is a highly liveable city. The rulers of Dubai must be doing an excellent job because we all forget, this was just a desert not that long ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment