We arrived at our hotel, in downtown Dubai at 2am local time which was breakfast time in Australia so it was fair to say we were a bit tired.
The airport is large and even at that time very busy but it’s very efficient with hoards of people there to help guide you to the right place (or suitable sized taxi). In fact everywhere you look there are people employed in the service industry cleaning, directing, serving, helping etc. and wherever we’ve been those people have been courteous and friendly.
We were kindly upgraded on checkin “since this your first time in Dubai and we want you to have a good experience” and our hotel room is amazing. 27th floor with views of the world’s tallest building the Burj Khalifa.
After a lovely sleep we walked to the Dubai Mall (via the air conditioned walkway). The Mall is pretty impressive even for two people not that bothered about shops and in the middle they have a multi-level aquarium. Even just passing by you can see sharks and rays to mention a few of the creatures on display. We then opted for the city hop on/off bus as a good way of getting a feel for the city especially since unfortunately it was cloudy.
I’d say the city is less a melting pot of cultures, more a cultural theme park with different brands from all over the world on offer. Although some shops are from this region they are likely to be right next to a Boots or a Banana Republic. The same is true of the tourists – I feel like a saw people from all over the globe here today with no one region dominating.
In the evening we watched the Dubai Fountain which is a fountain display set to music. Following that we enjoyed a delicious meal. Our restaurant didn’t serve alcohol which is what you’d expect, however this meant they’d put some real effort into a great non-alcoholics drinks menu. Neil’s iced tea actually came with a scoop of lemon sorbet built in and my lemongrass and lime fruit soda was one of the most refreshing drinks I’ve had in a while.
So to summarise it’s definitely an interesting place worth spending a day or two if the opportunity arises. It’s clearly somewhere that works hard to give its visitors a good experience but it does feel a bit like a middle eastern theme park designed for tourists who don’t really want things too different! However on a two day stopover that’s probably not such a bad thing!
(just some fish in a shop window)
(Very easy to get around as an English speaker with all signs in English and Arabic)
(A hazy skyline with the Burj Khalifa on the left)
(The Burj Al Arab)
(Residential buildings)