Reflecting on 2024: My Dubai Adventure

Wow can’t believe 2024 is over and we are in 2025 – December was a whirlwind for me. We started off the month by going to Dubai. We spent 8 days between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Our flight was overnight from Toronto direct. After a 13-hour flight, we arrived at 9 pm local time on the 4th.

We were staying at The Palace Downtown Dubai, the hotel was exquisite. Quite luxurious and in the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall area. We walked to restaurants and a few sites. We had a bite to eat. Then we decided to go to bed. We wanted to start our first full day in Dubai early the next morning.

After breakfast, we headed to The Frame. It is a cultural landmark that “frames” views of old and new Dubai. The frame offers spectacular panoramic views of the city. We walked around the garden and then headed to Gold Souk, on Old Baladiya Street. I found this area quite overwhelming – so many people trying to sell you everything. I couldn’t stay there long. People constantly trying to sell me stuff was just too much for me. Some people love this type of bartering but I don’t. We took an abra. It is a traditional boat made of wood. Abras are used to ferry people across the Dubai Creek. We traveled to Al Souk Al Kabir. At first look it seems like the old town though it is all newly made but made to look old. There were many shops, restaurants and hotels in this area. After lunch we headed back to the hotel to relax by the pool.

After dinner we walked around the Dubai Mall and headed to the Burj Khalifa for our designated entrance time. With our entrance ticket, we got the At the Top Sky Khalifa premium package. It was totally worth it. We were at the front of the line and didn’t have to wait to get to our designated floor. We had a guided tour of Level 148. We got to explore the observation deck, step out onto the terrace, and loved the panoramic views. We had a coffee, tea and various sweets while enjoying beautiful views of Dubai at night. Then we continued our journey to Levels 124 and 125 and continue back down. The entrance is actually in the Mall which made it quite easy to find.

Once we finished our tour, we walked around Burj Park. We watched the Dubai fountain come alive to music. We had our picture taken at the Wings of Mexico statue. Such a full first day. We went to bed early as we had an early start the next day with a Desert Safari.

We left the hotel at 5:30 am on Friday morning. We made our way for sunrise in the desert. I booked this through Viator months before we arrived in Dubai. I wanted a private experience where I can take pictures of the sun rising. Our tour guide Atif texted me the night before to let me know what time we would be picked up. The tour company he was with was Desert Fun Tourism . We drove from Dubai to the Sharjah Desert, approximately 30 min. located off the road that goes to Oman. Atif was very friendly and told us about the area – he was very knowledgable. He has been a tour guide for many years. He is originally from Pakistan, where his family still lives. He visits them 2 months out of the year. Before we entered the dunes, Atif got out of the 4×4. He deflated the tires. We met up with 2 other vehicles. After watching the sunrise, we started to dune bash. This is a desert sport. Drivers navigate a 4×4 vehicle over sand dunes at different speeds. The more we screamed the more enthusiastic Atif was. He said he loved going at high speeds. He enjoyed drifting down the dunes. I sat in the front and kept my eyes closed for lots of the drive. It was alot of fun I will admit – total adrenaline rush. We asked if there were any rollovers and he said he had seen a few but had never experienced one. He also told us that he had to pass certain driving tests to qualify to do dune bashing. I felt totally safe with him at the wheel. Our next stop was sitting on a snowboard and going down the dunes. I didn’t do this particular activity – I didn’t want to toboggan in the sand. Then we drove to the camel farm – we saw camels. Next was camel riding. I had done it before in Egypt. It was a short ride around a circle. It was not too impressive but still cool to do. We also got to hold a Falcon on our arm or shoulder, that was very cool. After that, it was time to head back to the hotel. We arrived back at 9:30 just in time for breakfast.

For the afternoon we booked a private boat tour from the Dubai Marina. We love getting on the water when possible. The boat came with 2 people – unlimited soft drinks and water. We had the choice to pay extra for snacks and alcohol but opted not too. The boat tour company picked us up at the hotel. They drove us to the Dubai Marina, which is on the palm. We had a 2 hour boat tour of the harbour. After the tour, we returned to the hotel. It was so amazing to see Burj Al Arab hotel – the only 7 star hotel in the world. We found out that the Ferris wheel near the Jumeirah Beach wasn’t functional. It is tilted and can’t spin. It is lit up at night but no one is sure what will become of it.

On Saturday we got a car which drove us to Abu Dhabi for the last race of the F1 season. The drive is about 2 hours from Dubai. We stayed at the Edition Hotel. We had a very busy weekend with going to the race and the time trials. We managed a visit to the Grand Mosque.

The Grand Mosque was truly an amazing place. We didn’t get a guide, we got the head sets and walked at our own leisure. We had to go through a huge underground mall to reach the entrance. Once we arrived on the grounds, the beauty was overwhelming. We couldn’t believe how amazing the architecture was. Vast towers and domes made of white marble. The chandeliers were spectacular , so much detail in the chandeliers. After walking around we headed back to the hotel and got ready to go to the race. The hotel loaned us each an abaya to wear for our visit. They were very strict that the ladies cover their heads. I overheard a security guard tell a lady to cover her hair. He said she would have to leave as it was her 3rd warning. Monday morning we went to visit Qasr Al Watan, which is a palace. The palace hosts world leaders for state visits and dinners. It is also a spot where presidental gifts are displayed, the Qasr Al Watan Library is a spectacular room. Spiral book cases – if you love libraries this is a must to see on your visit.

For our last few days in Dubai we stayed at Atlantis The Palm . Having stayed at the Atlantis in the Bahamas we knew what to expect. The rooms were beautiful and we had a view of the Persian Gulf. The hotel was spectacular and the food was fantastic, so many great restaurants to go to. We spent a morning at the waterpark before it got busy. Then, we got some chairs on the beach and relaxed for the day. We had dinner at the Ayamna Lebanese restaurant that night. Our friends flew back home that night and we had one more day left.

The palm Jumeirah is an artificial island in the Persian Gulf. The island is home to many luxurious hotels, as well as homes and condos.

On our last day we went to see Zabeel Palace. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum is the Crown Prince of Dubai. He and the royal family of Dubai live at Zabeel Palace. Then we went to the Dubai mall, we had lunch and tea at a cafe. After walking around for awhile we headed back to the hotel. We asked for a late check out. This way, we shower and get ready for our flight later that night home. We had an incredible time in Dubai. Would I visit again? Yes, I would. It’s a beautiful city full of places to visit and explore. We didn’t have a chance to see everything on this visit.

Have you ever been to Dubai? What was your favourite place to visit?

xoxo

M 💞