Sunday, June 19, 2011

Dubai Day 23 - Pics to follow internet being silly

Here is a place I would want to spend at least a week in if not 2 weeks 
 or more.......Katie and friends arrived back about 2.30am and then we 
 had to be up at 7.30am for our first Princess Tour of the day. 
We left  about 15 mins late and our first stop was at the Mall of the Emirates 
 with the indoor ski slope, very impressive. Skiing, snowboarding , 
 tobagganing and it was a very pleasant  -3 degrees. We didn't go inside 
but others from the ship did independantly and had a ball. We had about 
 40 mins to check out the mall but with over 300 shops didn't see much, 
 Katie did buy a new SD card for her camera for a very good price,
 so we  were happy with that. Our guide gave us commentary about Dubai and the 
other 6 emirates along the way, which is always nice to get history and 
 facts about where we are. We then had our trip up the Burj Kalifa to the 
126th floor, you couldn't even feel the lift move and it wasn't until 
 our ears popped at about the 80th floor did we realise how fast and high 
 we we going. And yes the view was worth it, I don't particularily like 
heights but it didn't worry me in the slightest (I must be getting  old!). 
 After taking some photos we went back down to the mall and  bought food, 
it was then out to the beach next to the Burj Al Arab (Sail shaped Hotel) 
for some pics. The beach was beautiful and the water looked very tempting but
 we were on a schedule and didn't even dip our  toes in. 
Photos were taken quickly and we jumped back into the cool of 
the bus. Next stop was a mosque for more photos and then we were dropped 
back at the ship where we had a nap before we were off on our 4wd desert 
safari. The 4wd trip was a Princess Tour and has been the highlight of our trip
 so far. We were in a convoy of 30 4wd's with 4 passengers and a driver 
in each car, I was in the middle in the back with a lap seatbelt and I
 had a great view from there. We were in car 10 and we generally kept in 
order, first off was the drive out to the desert along the highway with 
Sam our driver giving great commentary, first stop was to deflate the
 tyres once off the highway and we pulled up where we could take some 
photos of camels in pens. Once into the desert ( it was a conservation 
area so had to follow a general set path) the fun began. We travelled
 up, down and around the dunes for about 20 mins until we had a stop for 
drinks and a photo or 2, we then continued the bouncing around for
 another 15 mins when we had another photo stop for the sunset. Around 
another 15 mins of 4wd and we arrived at our desert camp. First up was a
 ride on a camel which was great fun, Katie and I shared ours. We then 
 ventured into the camp (which was just for our group, they have another
 camp for general tourists). Katie and I got henna tattoos and then got a
 drink and sat down at a long table. We were sitting on cushions on 
carpet over the sand, next was scrummy food and the night at the camp 
ended with the most gorgeous and talented belly dancer. She was 
incredible and beautiful and had everyone mesmerized by what she could 
do! We then sadly had to leave, but everyone who took this tour was as
 happy about it as Katie and I. I would recommend it to everyone as
 something not to be missed. In hindsight (wonderful thing that it is),
I wouldn't have done the  morning tour, but we weren't to know when I
 booked it that the ship  would be delayed and our time cut short in Dubai
(and none in Abu  Dhabi). Instead we would have just taken a taxi to
 one of the malls and  spent most of the day there before coming back 
and doing the 4wd safari.  I still would have gone to the top of the Burj Kalifa
 but would have  bought tickets online (they are much cheaper in advance)
  and done it  ourselves. In fact there is so much to see and do,
I would really love  to return here. Though I did say to Katie,
each new city seems to  entrall me.........(and her). The good thing about
Princess or other  tours is that you learn a lot from the guides,
which you wouldn't get by  just doing it all on your own. So despite
 the heat and humidity (but no flies at the desert barbeque,  so yay),
Dubai was great. Hope to get pics and video of belly dancer from the blokes 
who were closer and concentrating more..............   

3 comments:

  1. Sounds like great fun. Perhaps you can extend your stopover on your way home to enjoy more time in Dubai.

    All your other posts were formatted differently to this one. This one appears to be in courier type, unjustified, with words breaking across lines and it fills the whole frame. Don't know why that has happened - hopefully it is only a small glitch.

    Keep on blogging.

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  2. G'Day

    Congratulations on spending your time so well in Dubai. We were there in April for 4 days. The Desert BBQ was our best experience in Dubai done with 4 cc friends and booked privately. We are reading several blogs on this cruise and you guys certainly had the best time in Dubai. Cheers Ros

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