Possibly one of the most interesting cities I’ve ever travelled to, The Emirati City of Dubai located of the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf.

Once a small port city turned into a modern metropolis and is now a Hot Spot destination for tourist passing through on their way to Europe or for a luxury getaway.

My trip here started at the Roda Aj Murooj which is in Downtown Dubai near Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa. This is a good area to experience the city life Dubai has to offer, if city sights are not for you then there is heaps of options to stay near Jumeriah Beach which is many of Dubai’s Waterparks Wild Wadi Waterpark & Aquaventure Waterpark at The Atlantis.

Once again, I used Suntransfers to take me to my Hotel, upon arrival I was greeted with warm friendly smiles and a bottle of water. Once I checked in I was then taken to my room which was a premium room and featured the following:

• Comfortable king-size bed
• Working desk
• Seating area with chairs
• Modern en-suite bathroom appointed in marble with bathtub and shower, hairdryer, bathrobe & slippers and luxury amenities
• In-room safe
• Mini-Bar
• Iron and ironing board
• Trouser Press
• Complimentary tea and coffee making facilities and bottled mineral water
• Wi-Fi access
• Multi-channel satellite TV

 

The following day I went downstairs for my included buffet breakfast, the selections of different Asian, Arabian and Western meals was indeed overwhelming and they all tasted fresh. My favourite bit was the fresh omelettes the chefs made for order, you can choose a variety of toppings.

For my first full day I headed Downtown to The Dubai Mall, one of the World’s Largest Shopping Centres. Due to Dubai having a Desert Climate summertime is quite unbearable, luckily the Mall is always air-conditioned for guests.

The Mall was nothing like had ever seen before. It was enormous and had every type of store I’ve ever known. From luxury labels to casual stores and of course my favourite electronic stores. You can find awesome sales throughout the shopping centre, if shopping isn’t for you there is a huge range of attractions: The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo which features a ten-million litre tank filled with different types of marine creatures, Dubai Ice Rink, The Dubai Fountain, KidZania – a children size city ran by kids! and of course At The Top Burj Khalifa plus many more.

Dining at the mall was possibly my highlight of this place, the range of restaurants from all different types of cuisines. I couldn’t help but have lunch at The Cheesecake Factory on my first day and to finish off my meal with an Oreo Cheesecake. Another great place out of Downtown to enjoy fresh seafood is Dubai Marina at Apron & Hammers.

I was lucky enough to stay right across the road from the Mall so I spent my afternoon relaxing by the pool and having a refreshing drink at the bar. Dinner tonight was at ……..you guessed it! The Mall, I found an American Chain Restaurant called Red Lobster and couldn’t help myself to have a nice steak served with a side of grilled prawns.

Day 2 I planned on doing more touristy things so what better way to see the city then to hop-on a city sightseeing bus, the bus tour has 3 routes that leave from the Mall and for this trip I did the Blue Route which is also known as the Modern Route. The route takes you around the city to the coastline, you can hop-off and hop-on anytime. Favourite points of interest on this route are: Burj Al Arab, The Palm Jumeriah, Mall of The Emirates and Jumeriah Beach.

The view of the city from the bus were incredible, you cannot help staring into the city skyline seeing the amazing architecture as well as The Burj Khalfia and the most luxurious hotel in the world Burj Al Arab.

My first stop was at Atlantis on the Palm Jumeriah, the island man-made into a palm tree and is home to many hotels and residential apartments. The Atlantis is possibly the most popular resort on the island with its in house waterpark as well as the aquarium which I went to. The resort’s theme is based on the mythical legend of the lost city of Atlantis which its aquarium perfectly fits. The waterpark is also based on the theme and offers many different water rides, a perfect place for kids away from the busy city, next time I would love to stay here to experience all this as it is included in your room rate.

I then hopped back on the bus and headed to The Mall of The Emirates, another great mall with shops like in Dubai Mall and home to Ski Dubai – The largest indoor ski resort. Great place to really escape the hot desert air.

My final night in Dubai ended at an Italian Restaurant in The Dubai Mall called Eataly, it is a marketplace style restaurant offering a restaurant, deli, bakery, retail items and a cooking school.

This city is filled with so much and I look forward upon returning to experience more exciting attractions and Arabian culture. A big thank you goes out to Emirates, Suntransfers, Roda Al Murooj and City Sightseeing Dubai.

Happy Travels,

TZULS 😛