Dubai. Anyone travelling to the far east generally passes through Dubai’s International Airport. Nearly 8 hours away from Malta and consisting of three huge terminals, the airport is a blessing after a long trip. I passed through Dubai’s airport many times before and I always wondered if I should spend a week or so in its city.
When me and a couple of friends realized that the stopover between one flight and another was around one hour (this happened in Tokyo), we knew something was wrong. After checking the flight details we noticed that we had to spend what airline personnel call a layover in Dubai, due to a technical glitch in the system. No worries. A new adventure, why not?
We stayed in a hotel belonging to Emirates, quite far away from the centre. Once we checked in, a lady approached us with a few tourist deals which we quickly discussed and accepted. Although a lot of travelling was involved for one day, we genuinely enjoyed all the activities. If you ever drop by Dubai, I highly recommend that you spend at least one day. Believe me, if you’ve travelled for over 11 hours and you have another 8 hours ahead of you, it wouldn’t hurt to spend a day in another country before arriving home.
Dubai Tour
Tours in Dubai are plentiful. There are so many which you can pick and choose from, it is easy to get worked up on something that should be fun, especially if you’re with a group of people. We decided that it would be a good idea to rent a car to take us round the main sights. A pimped out Lexus picked us up and we started going round Dubai’s places of interest. A few of the top attractions which you should visit are the following:
- Burj Al Arab
- Burj Khalifa
- Dubai Creek
- Wild Wadi Water Park
- Dubai Museum
- The Dubai Mall
- Madinat Jumeirah
- Palm Jumeirah
- Jumeirah Mosque
- Palm Islands
- Dubai Fountain
- Sky Dubai
- Jumeirah Beach
- Grand Mosque
Desert Safari
A driver picked us up late in the afternoon. Needless to say the vehicle was a 4×4. We knew that this was going to be crazy-fun. After picking up a few other passengers from different hotels, we made our way out into the desert, away from the city centre. The journey was a long one but great nonetheless. Reaching our destination, hundreds of 4×4’s could be seen in the sand dunes. It was insane. We made our first stop in an area offering quad bike services. We weren’t surprised when we realised that to ride a quad bike we had to pay extra. If the tour seller promises optional activities, I suggest you ask if they form part of the package. Usually, they don’t.
An hour later, when all the 4×4’s turned up, it was time to head to the sand dunes. Rest assured that you are never going to be the only person in a 4×4 riding peacefully in the dunes while sipping a nice cold beer. This activity isn’t for those who suffer from motion sickness. These guys are suicidal maniacs who will make it there primary objective to try and hit one of their friends’ vehicles or topple the car over, all while listening to some Arabic rap music, with close to flat out tires. Find the fearless courage to do this, you won’t regret it. About 3/4 into the activity the whole team dropped us off in the middle of the desert, close to a hill to enjoy some awesome desert views. Following this, it was time to drop us off at a desert camp site.
Desert BBQ
For the last few hours of the day, the driver will drop you off in what seems to be a pre-organized Bedouin camp. You will probably have a place reserved for you and the rest of the group, on a carpet on top of the sand. You will experience sunset in the desert, followed by a few traditional dances. Around the area however there are plenty other activities which may interest you, including camel rides, smoking shisha and sand boarding. We were later dropped off in the hotel by the driver.
