Dubai, December 2009 − Travels − Captain Tom

Dubai, December 2009

Dubai is the right place to be in Winter. It has sun, acceptable temperatures in the 80s F and a lot of crazy things to see and to do. Everything here is the largest, tallest, biggest, first, or most expensive of the world.

Getting there became a challenge this time. I was supposed to fly from Berlin via Frankfurt to Dubai. Overnight snow in Frankfurt caused some delays so my flight got cancelled. Next try was to go via Istambul. Checking in at the airport in Berlin, Turkish Airlines told me that they had cancelled my flight from Istambul to Dubai due to availability. So the final way to go was via Munich to Dubai. With a total of 7 hours delay I arrived in Dubai in the early morning of the follwing day.

My parents and my niece Kathleen took a different route and arrived two hours earlier from Cairo.

Weather in Berlin is as bad as it could be. Ice on my windows ...

During approach I got my first impression of the skyline.

1 Dubai Desert and Hatta Pools tour

First sightseeing was an offroad trip in a Toyota Landcruiser into the desert and the mountains of Oman. Weather was great and our guide Ashek did a great job.

Camels crossing

Red Desert

Enjoing the little trip into the dunes

Approaching the mountains

We drive along a wadi, a river valley which contains water from time to time. At this time of the year there was plenty of water.

Offroad and off track

There are pools in between where you have very clear water

Ashek sits like a buddha on the rock while we are looking around

Kathleen takes a bath

I don't

Hatta Heritage Village has a nice display about the history of the fort.

2 Dubai Mall and Burj Dubai tour

We decided to see THE sight of Dubai. Burj Dubai, the tallest building of the world - 2680 feet high. Unbelievable. It is just one week to the grand opening on 4th January.

All of the skyscraper

Dubai Mall is - of course - the largest in the world (counting number of shops - there are 1200). And there is a great aquarium

Big fishes

Glas tunnel

Fishes very close

Interesting perspective

The mall

Waterfall

Dubai Ice Rink - we are still in the mall

3 Dubai Bus sightseeing tour

We do a sightseeing tour with a (not so good) Egyptian guide

First photo stop at Burj Dubai

On The Palm Jumeira there is a nice view towards Burj al Arab the first 7 stars hotel of the wold. To the right there is Jumeira Beach - a top beach hotel resort in Dubai.

The Palm Jumeira is the first of 4 artificial islands built (or being built) in Dubai. It is shaped like a palm tree and there are quite a lot of hotels and condos. The highlights of the island are the Hotel Atlantis (with water park, mall and entertainment park) and the monorail

Inside Atlantis

The big aquarium (again the largest of the world - here by counting the number of fishes inside). The windows screen is one foot thick

Atlantis from outside

Monorail - in the background Dubai Marina

Burj Al Arab - a very exclusive hotel built on an artificial island about 800 feet off the shore line. I have been in there during my last visit and had a nice view from the restaurant at the top

A mosque

Dubai Museum

Taking the water taxi over the creek

Spice market was closed because the boss sheik had died a day before and all the traders there had to go to visit his family

Gold market - the largest in the world

The guy to the right was very keen of getting a picture with the exotic blond lady. We did him the favour.

4 The hotel resort Coral Beach

It was actually located in Sharja, the emirate next to Dubai. A very nice 4 star hotel resort with a private beach, pools, good restaurants and food. The only little drawback: There is no alcohol allowed in Sharja.

5 Sea plane sightseeing trip

To get an impression of all the big things we wanted to have a sightseeing flight over Dubai. We did one with a sea plane from Jebel Ali. This is where the big port of Dubai is located and where the second of the three palm islands is currently being built.

The plane

The Palm Jebel Ali. Currently under construction but one can see the shape already

Over Dubai Marina turning towards The Palm Jumeira.

In the background the hotel Atlantis at The Palm Jumeira

The World. Another artificial island. This one is kind of shaped like the continents of the earth. But it does not look as impressing as expected. The single islands are sold to super rich people which can afford a yacht or a helicopter. No bridges or roads to the shore.

Burj Dubai. We are at about 2000 feet elevation - below the top of the building

Burj al Arab and Jumeira Beach

Mall of the Emirates with Ski Dubai - the largest indoor ski resort of the world

6 Ski Dubai and Burj Dubai water show

We decide to go another time to Dubai. This time we use the new Metro (opened back in September) to go to the Mall of the Emriates and to see the water show at Burj Dubai

On our way we see Jumeira Beach, Burj Al Arab and Atlantis together in one view

Mall of the Emirates

Ski Dubai

We find something familiar and enjoy American ice cream

Using the Metro

Burj Dubai at night

The water show. Not too impressive. Las Vegas is better in this.

Tired from walking around

7 Desert Balloon Flight

We want to see the sunrise in the desert from a hot air balloon. We have to get up very early to be there in time. We will have a one hour flight in the area of Al Ain - this is about 80 miles away.

Preparation of the balloons

Take off

A bedouin tent

The other balloon is following us

Enjoying the ride

Camels

After touch down

Pilot Peter

8 Desert camp tour

We will go into the desert again. We want to see the sunset. We will be in a desert camp where all the tourist rip off can take place. We will get dinner there, see a kind of Arabian show of a dervish and a belly dancer and enjoy some other stuff prepared for tourists like us.

Meeting point

Convoy through the desert

First photo stop

Second photo stop for watching the sunset. Most of the people where more interested in sand boarding

At the camp there was camelback riding...

... Henna tattoos ...

... hookas, food and show.

9 New Year's Eve Party

The party was prepared outside under palms on a green

At the evening

Having dinner

They had a lot of food nicely presented

10 Flight back

I had a window seat at the right side of the airplane (which was the left side) and had some interesting views.

At the airport. Dubai Duty Free is - of course the biggest in the world. Surprisingly the watch I was considering to buy was 100 Euros more expensive than in Germany.