Disclosure: In any review for a product or service, products or compensation may have been provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” and "Terms of Use" tabs for more information.
The rise of Dubai has been more than exceptional. Come on, even in the 1960s, it was a sea-facing piece of desert. Now, it is the land of world’s tallest building, Audi cars made from white gold and is the most popular work destination (no, it is very difficult to buy land and live there even if you have money) for almost everyone. It is equally good for travel, as we can see from those travel packages, being offered by many of the known operators. Another added advantage is the ticket price which is affordable for Indians. Whether you love to play it safe and get a package tour or you want to be adventurous and do everything by yourself is up to you. I will suggest that you buy a travel insurance for your Dubai Trip, and not just any insurance, the best travel insurance policy available in either case. It will keep you safe, trust me. In case you lose your luggage, passport or any other important item, one call to the insurer can ease all your worries.
OK, now that I have told you that, it’s time to tell you what to do when in Dubai; what to see, what to eat and where to take selfies.
Dubai, at max, is a megacity, going by the geographical size of it. Most of the attractions would be urban attractions. And it is very easy to cover these locations I am going to suggest, firstly, because they are not far from each other and secondly, as you can guess, Dubai is very well connected. The view of Dubai when the plane descends can tell you that.
I would have loved to start with Dubai airport itself, I love to spend some time there every time I land in Dubai or taking a connecting flight from there, but some of my readers may find it too stretched. Keeping that urge aside, let me tell you what you can find in the city itself.
Burj Khalifa: Ah! The famous Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. What’s more magnificent is that it is not a solid, tall, un-poetic building like Empire state or the now-gone twin towers. This is a well-designed building, something you would love to admire, for quite a while. Once you are done comprehending how big it is, how tall it is and taking selfies in the front, take the elevator and move to the top of this building.
There is an observation deck at the top from where you can see the skyline of Dubai and the view is simply breathtaking. Experience this, you will not forget it. Once you come down, look back to realise how far you climbed really. You might get vertigo, standing on the ground!
Dubai Mall: Every Indian city has one “largest mall of Asia”. Old joke? Alright. If you want to see a big mall, visit the Dubai mall, you might get lost and ask for directions, this is an incredibly big mall. It provides entry to the famous Dubai Aquarium, as well as Burj Khalifa. The number of shops and eateries is virtually endless and if you want special discounts, like every other Indian, try either the Dubai Summer Surprises in July-August or Dubai Shopping Festival in January-February.
There is an ice skating rink, cinema halls (multiplexes, for modern day Indians) and gaming zones. There are endless daily shows as well and you will invariably walk into a fashion show or live music show or something similar.
Jumeirah Mosque: This is probably the most beautiful mosque you will see in your life. It is large, like many other Dubai attractions, but surely it is not kept like we keep our pride, Jammah Masjid in Old Delhi. This is an exact copy of Al Azhar mosque of Cairo, but it is eight times bigger.
One of the finest examples of Islamic architecture, this grand structure is awe-inspiring. You can get a guided tour of the mosque and apart from wowing at the grandeur, you can also develop a better understanding of Islamic culture, a much-needed commodity in the modern world.
Dubai Aquarium: Dubai Aquarium is the attraction which you should not miss at any cost. It has over 140 species of undersea life which are in an incredible display in a tank which is suspended in the Dubai Mall (on the ground fall in case you are wondering). You can immediately view the aquarium when you enter the mall for free! Moreover, you can have access to the aquarium tunnels if you enter via the Underwater Zoo.
If you are looking for thrills, then you have the shark diving activity along with the milder cage snorkelling. Don’t forget the glass bottom boat tours either, you will simply love it.
There are so many places left in Dubai that I am planning for another blog. Pack your bags and experience something incredible. You will love every moment of this tour. But don’t forget to buy a travel insurance, as I said above, if you want to enjoy the journey, an insurance is must to take care of any risks or losses. I have no intention of dissuading your holiday mood, but as said, “precaution is better than cure”, so what if any unforeseen event happens? So, make some space in your bag for your travel insurance (though you can buy travel insurance online and store it in your phone as a soft copy!)
Go ahead, enjoy and don’t forget to repeat, Dubai is the pearl of the desert.
[…] its wonderful forts. Though, it may take a while for an outsider to look beyond the glamour of Dubai, the largest city of the UAE, for which it is known for, you can find some more amazing things in […]