I'd always dreamed of visiting Dubai, and seeing all that incredible human-made wonder up close was a thrill.
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While I already knew some of the concepts, I discovered some new insights that blew my mind. Like, have you ever wondered why car numbers are often 666? I'm guilty of fearing my thoughts and desires because they sometimes come true.
Flight
The flight was super comfortable!
The plasma screen on the front-row seat was perfect for catching up on some movies.
The meal was amazing.
The kids loved the gifts - a cozy blanket, toys, an entertaining book, and a drawing board with a pen.
Airport
When we arrived at Dubai Airport, which was at night, we got checked through the eye scanner. I'd never experienced that kind of security check before, and it was my first time flying into the UAE.
My first impression of the airport... it's huge, beautiful, and luxurious, with a sense of wealth everywhere. The Rolex clocks really stood out.
As we stepped off the plane, it was hard to breathe due to the heat and humidity, which felt suffocating. But as soon as we got into the airport, those feelings disappeared.
We had a lot of luggage, backpacks, and suitcases, and we realized we'd left one of them behind. We only discovered this when we arrived at the hotel. We decided not to go back for it, but the hotel staff reassured us that we could just return it and not worry. So, they contacted the airport and explained the situation, and all we had to do was wait for our backpack to be returned.
Hotel
The hotel was called Marina View Hotel Apartments.
It's a high-rise building with a lot of apartments. We had a one-bedroom apartment with a spacious living room, which also had a fully-equipped kitchen. There were two bathrooms, a shower, and a great view of the city and the pool, which was located downstairs. The pool is divided into two areas: one for adults and one for kids.
View from the room:
One of the perks of staying here was the gym, which was included in the room rate. But to be honest, I didn't have the time to use it.
Beach
We took a taxi or walked to the beach, but walking was a bit of a trek - it took around 20 minutes. One time, I even felt queasy from the heat.
I was stoked to find that all the essentials were free, including a shower and changing room. The beach had lounge chairs under a canopy, but we opted for the sun and spent most of our time in the water.
Since it was off-season, the bay was warm, and we only cooled off in the pool.
The water features were a real showstopper!
I caught the evening and daytime shows, and let me tell you, it was mesmerizing. The nighttime display was even more impressive with the added light effects.
✨️Tours✨️
We went on a few tours, but I'm not sure what they were called.
First and foremost, I think it's a must-visit when in Dubai – at least it was for me. The Burj Khalifa was a given. We bought our tickets online from St. Petersburg. We were lucky, and the sky was clear. For a more detailed account, check out our review: Dubai's beauty and grandeur from 124 floors up – we saw the sunset at a daytime ticket price.
Driving dunes in jeeps – that was something else. We took our kid along, and they told us we could hold the kid without strapping them in, as it was safe. With that in mind, it was exhilarating... adrenaline, thrill, emotions. Many people were screaming as we sped down the dunes. The yellow sand, the dunes, the endless desert, and the breathtaking views. We got a ton of emotions and memories!
One of the highlights of the trip was the evening performance with a belly dance and other performances. We even got to make our own henna tattoos.
Our city tour in Dubai was another exciting experience. We visited a 5-star hotel near the Burj Khalifa and even got to enjoy coffee with gold.
One of the highlights of my trip was taking a boat tour to get a closer look at the surrounding area.
Another amazing experience was the Abu Dhabi excursion.
One of the highlights of our trip was dining at this 5-star hotel.
Next, we headed to the local market, where one persistent vendor tried to sell us a rug at a price just for us.
We also visited the aquarium and oceanarium. The water park was so massive that we only managed to explore a small part of it. My husband wanted to try the 'Free Fall' rollercoaster, but I think it's a pretty scary ride, almost 90 degrees steep. However, the queue was enormous, so we decided not to wait.
Dubai Mall
The biggest store in the world is here, and you can buy almost anything. But when it comes to kids' stuff, there's a problem – there are only a few stores, and they're all on the first floor. That's super convenient, especially when you've got a stroller to deal with. I've been to stores back home where all the kids' stuff is on the top floor, and good luck getting up there with a stroller!
There's a massive dinosaur skeleton right in the middle of the store.
We even met a famous sheikh who everyone was taking photos with. Later on, we found out that he's the 'rainbow sheikh' – he's got a different Rolls-Royce for every day of the week.
There's also an aquarium and an ice rink. The waterfalls with the mermaid figures are really cool – it's like you're diving into the sea to find treasure.
Beach
The beach is about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. We tried walking there on the first day, but the sun was just too intense – I got a bit dizzy, to be honest. After that, we just took a taxi to the beach. The water was scorching hot, like 37 degrees Celsius or something. We only cooled off in the pool. To be honest, I'm not a fan of water that hot.
I wore different swimsuits, so my tan is a bit different too 🙂. I bought all of these swimsuits at New Yorker:
I ended up buying a ton of stuff at New Yorker, especially their awesome swimsuits and lingerie...very sexy! 🔥. I'm wearing sports shorts, new jeans, and a new sexy dress!
My henna tattoo in the desert.
On my way to the beach. I barely took off my hat, the sun in Dubai is scorching.
Evening in the city was really beautiful and not as scorching hot as it was during the day.
I was a bit worried about the shopping, it was a lot and quite pricey. Apparently, the gold there is of good quality.
And honestly, all the clothes I brought had gone through a lot of washing and nothing happened to them!!
I was really worried about the clothes. I wore shorts below the knee and a t-shirt, and only wore a mini dress for the excursion to take some good photos. As the tour guide said, it's nothing to worry about.
That's how our ten-day vacation went.
🔥I highly recommend visiting this amazing city. It's packed with emotions, impressions, beauty, and grandeur, all created by humans in just a few decades. 🔥
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