Three nights Dubai

Friday 5 May 2023 (23°C at home)

Today is the day!  Greg, our house sitter visited briefly in the morning to pick up the keys and at 5:30pm Stephen arrived to drop us off at the airport.  After checking in and a relaxed cup of coffee with Stephen we went through customs at an easy pace and flew to Dubai, departing at 9pm.

Saturday 6 May 2023 (36°C upon arrival)

After a long 14 hour flight we finally arrive at Dubai at 5am.  Meals on board were good, but too much, in particular if you have been on a weight-loss diet for a good year. ;-)  Bagage claim and customs were quick and we were even handed a 24hr local SIM card each at customs.

As the hotel didn't provide shuttle buses so far a away from the airport we bought a Metro ticket and the ticket officer provided us with a little map on his phone, so we knew where to find our hotel. It took some 20 stations to get to the hotel, which is near the Mall of the Emirates, however Mashreq station was closer for walking to the hotel.  Still, it was quite a distance with suitcases and all.  Had we known we would have taken a taxi.  Of course, so early in the morning the room wasn't ready, but we could wait in the foyer and were provided with a cappuccino.  Not long after we were allowed to go to our room.

The hotel, Ibis Mall of the Emirates, is a bit average, but good enough for a few nights and breakfast is excellent. 

In the afternoon we walked to the Mall where we were 'accosted' by a young man who sells tours on the Hop On - Hop Off buses.  It suited us to a T and we had a reasonable deal, including a Dhow cruise on the Dubai Creek and a visit to the Aquarium on the Palm Jumeirah.

So, after a brisk walk back to the hotel for a change of clothes and suitably packed backpack we made it back to the mall and hopped on the bus.  As it was, the walk back was possibly a little too brisk as Kevin stepped miss on the edge of the footpath and his fall cause a nasty little gash on his elbow.

The above map is approx. what our tour is about, although ours includes a night tour as well.

Our first tour is the blue line towards the blue/red meeting point and the red line from there.  Starting at the Mall of the Emirates (see note on the map - below left).  

Following are just a few of the impressions of the trip.

Tour on the Hop-on Hop-off bus

Metro station

Museum of the Future

This hand sign, the 3-finger salute, was coined by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai in 2013. It shows the W for Win, the V for Victory and the L for Love.

The Dubai Frame (you can go all the way to the top)

Beautiful traffic lights...

...and street lamps

Old Dubai - Al Seef

Dinner at the hotel

Al Seef Dhow cruise on the 'Dubai Creek'

Entering Palm Jumeirah

Artificial palms to hide the mobile towers

The Ferris wheel

After a long afternoon on the bus (we did both the blue and red tours, but not with all the stops) we made it back to the hotel, but not before 7pm I believe.  Too tired to  look somewhere else we had dinner at the hotel restaurant.  Wrong move!  It was rather expensive, as to be expected, and we weren't hungry enough to enjoy a big meal.  However, Kevin's Italian pizza looked like an authentic Italian pizza and must have tasted as such, whereas my Nasi Goreng was delicious and it was just such a pity that I couldn't enjoy it to the full.

Sunday 7 May 2023 (mostly 33°C)

After a lovely breakfast it's back on the bus again.  This time we visit the Old Souk on the waterfront, the Spice Souk across the water and the Dubai Mall at the the blue/red meeting point.  During the two days we only took photos of several points without an actual stop e.g. we have pictures of the Museum of the Future and The Dubai Frame, the Burj Khalifa, the Burj al Arab, Atlantis the Palm and the Ferris Wheel.  After the Dubai Mall the tour takes us to Souk Madinat Jumeirah, where we walk around, take photos, have a delicious Turkish ice cream and take a cab back to the Mall of the Emirates.  We spent some time there, hoping to see the snow and the ski slope inside the building.  Which we did!  Having learned our lesson we only buy some basic food at the Carrefour to have as our evening meal. Earlier we had a light lunch at Le Pain Quotidien at the Dubai Mall, where we also hoped to see the Dubai fountain, which unfortunately wasn't working. 

On the bus

Old buildings of Al Seef

Visiting the Old Souk (old market)

The Dubai Mall

A huge aquarium in the mall

outside the mall at the back where the fountains should have been working

Lunch stop

Our lunch

The Burj Khalifa (amongst other records the tallest building in the world)
828m and 160 stories high

Hotel Burj al Arab

Souk Madinat Jumeirah

Ski slopes and snow at the Mall of the Emirates

Too tired after a full day of sightseeing and walking we did not go on the night tour and kept that for the next day. 

Monday 8 May 2023 (mostly 33°C)

After a quiet morning 'at home' we ventured out to a small supermarket downstairs to get a few things before we headed off to the Mall of the Emirates.  Being a bit early for the Ho-Ho bus we took one more look at the ski slope area.  As luck would have it, it was snowing!

The next sop was the Dubai Mall, where we were also a bit early.  We walked to the rear end of the mall, took a few pictures, and hopped onto the next bus for our night tour. 

Next, we vist Palm Jumeirah again with its impressive Palm Atlantis resort.  We're back at the Mall of the Emirates at 7:30 pm and walk home to the hotel.

Snow indoors!

These traffic lights show up brighter against the setting sun. Very clever. 

Tuesday 9 May 2023 (mostly 40°C)

Our last morning in Dubai. We had just a bit of time to walk to the Mall to get a geocache.  My one and only in Dubai.  Couldn't fine the 2nd one because of my crook back.  Never mind.  Happy enough with one!

# 2486 skiing in the desert (traditional)

Apologies for the skinny photographs.  Somehow the settings were changed. 

Walking back through the shopping centre they tried to sell us an apartment in the building in the photo.  Couldn't make up our minds as to which one, so we declined! 😉