Dubai
We went in December so the temperature is very similar to Singapore. In summer (june) it can go up to 45 degrees Celsius!
Stayed in: Panorama Hotel (3*)
Price: SGD $126 a night booked from asiarooms.com.sg
Rooms had attached bathrooms, dont believe the website, it does not have a pool nor does it have a "trouser press" but it does have a very very noise Jockey Bar below which can be heard 6 storeys up till around 2-3am. But they have cable and a mini fridge.
Location: Very close to the city center and it has 2 pretty good 24hr supermarkets 5 mins away. Starbucks (10 min away)
Dune Bashing (SGD$60)
A dessert safari tour which started at ard 3pm and ended at 930pm.
The guy picked us up at our hotel ard 330pm in a four wheel drive. Picked up another couple and headed for Hatta Omar, 45min away on the highway to the sand dunes.
He stopped at a breakpoint where you can use the loo, buy ice cream, drink coconut juice etc while waiting for the rest of the four wheel drives. They let out some air from the tyres. (we saw a couple of singaporeans too)
Once there were about 5-6 cars, we went as a group (in our own vehicles) to bash the dunes. It was real fun and the driver was very skilled. Basically what it was is that we drove into the dessert and ride on the dunes (kinda like riding on the peaks of the dessert sand). It was a bumpy, roller coaster kinda ride, the driver let the car slide down sideways at times, forcing us to grip onto the metal bars more tightly and screaming wildly. Its so super fun!
The stopped for a while in the the middle of the sand dune for picture taking and sand skiing. Its really nice to take off your shoes to walk in the sand. So soft and smooth.
Drove out of the dunes to this place where you can rent a sand scooter 15mins for about SGD$30!!! , take photos with a camel and other animals etc. Then we drove off again to the "CAMP".
The "CAMP" is this place (about the size of a football field) where you can take photos with Arabic costumes, try the sheesha, drink tea, buy alcoholic drinks, take a camel ride. In the middle of the camp is a huge mat with low tables around it. Dinner was grilled food with Belly dancing (by a Lebanese though). All included in the $60 except for the alcoholic drinks. And the toilets at the camp site is cleaner than some places here in Singapore!
All in all it was fun, we spend our 1st Christmas in the dessert, under the Arabian Sky. How romantic is that! (ignore the strangers and other tourists)
Gold Souk
Nice gold. Be so extremely prepared to bargain! Note the Singapore prices of gold per gram then go there and compare. Prices are comparable to Singapore lar. But the first price that they quote is usually very very high!!! can bargain up to 60% off the asking price!
Spice Souk
Disappointing, nothing compared to the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul.
Malls
There are tonnes of malls and shopping centres in Dubai. Some are worth going to some are plain pathetic. So if you have limited time, choose wisely. Most of the malls are large, some may even be larger than our local Ngee Ann City.
Deira City centre- average prices. Carrefour.
Mall of the Emirates - above average prices. very nice, has a ski center!
Wafi-Didnt have the time to go.
Burj Al Arab http://www.burj-al-arab.com/
Went High tea (225 dirhams, about $100) at Sahn Eddar. The tea included finger sandwiches, pastries, cakes and a glass of mulled wine. Served on Birmingham (England) cutlery. It was sort of an alacarte buffet. Service was impeccable. Since it was the Christmas season, we had Christmas treats too!
The hotel is breathtaking. Enough of watching hosts of Travel and Adventure enjoy the pleasures of the hotel. It was time to experience it ourselves! We took a cab across to the island where the hotel was. Stopped and let the valet open the door for us. Sweet! Took photos of the hotel on the bridge and just ooohed and aaahed at it. Just opposite the hotel was Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the Wild Wadi. The water so clear blue and very pretty.
The interior of the hotel has a rainbow coloured theme with little fountains. Much care (and money) has been invested in this marvellous gem of a 7* hotel. we took the lift up to the 27th flour where there were more restaurants and a bar. We could see the "Palm" (or something like that)-David Beckham's future home in the making. The view from the elevator was so lovely. It faced the sea and it felt as though you were being lifted from the sea on a huge wave!
One night in that hotel will set you back about SGD$1.9k. So what are you waiting for?!!!
After the high tea, we took a walk along the beach opposite the Burj (Majlis) and we caught one of the most beautifullest sunsets ever!
DATES
I love dates from the Arab states especially Humar Amber. Its like one of the best dates in the world! One kilo of it can set you back up to SGD$40 per kilo (at Carrefour in Dubai)but if you go to the Fish Market (in Dubai) you can get it for much cheaper!
Dubai International Airport
Supposedly one of the cheapest duty free stores in the world. Well, the prices were similar to the departmental stores in Singapore (except for the alcohol and ciggies).
Its one huge place selling food, electronics, souveniors etc. We bought an alladin lamp for about $10, a couple of sheeshas for like $35 for the large ones and about $25 for the small ones, a couple of packs of tobacco (flavours: apple, cappucino, honeydew, grape, strawberry etcetcetc), some postcards etc.
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