Blogs from United Arab Emirates, Middle East - page 28

Dubai July 2 2015 So this it. We are returning to the UK for the first time since June 21, 2014. Having given up my job to go it was always going to be a life changing trip. We know we have been so lucky to have this opportunity. There are numbers of readers who have read many of the blogs from this trip and I hope in some way they have amused and enlighten anyone who has taken the time. Thank you. It has helped me keep my brain ticking. I hope you have got a picture of the many interesting people, both locals and fellow travellers, we have met along the way. We are very grateful to them and the relatives and many old and new friends who have supported us throughout the journey. ... read more

Geo: 24.4764, 54.3705Taxi to Rome Airport, and the usual wait for boarding etcSeven hours later we landed in ABU DHABI, geez its hot here.Fast taxi ride to our hotel and checked in easily.A light dinner at the best Greek restaurant in AbuDhabi, and off to bed.Buffet breakfast again!Shopping at Abu Dhabi Mall, then off for a swim, and a pizza for lunch.Relaxing afternoon, then pre dinner drinks followed by a local arabic buffet dinner.Another 3 course buffet breakfast, then off for a huge day tour.Private car tour of ABU DHABI sites, then off to DUBAI for more sites to see.We took heaps of photos, and braved the swealtering heat of 40+ temperatures.The female garment required for the Grand Mosque was too much, way too hot!Had a ball wandering the Dubai Mall, managed to find somewhere to ... read more

The Murphy family are off on another month long journey to far away places, this time Dubai, Spain and Italy! We kick start the trip with 3 nights in Dubai visiting Kylie's sister Annie, her husband Mark and baby Henley. From there it's onto Spain for 2 weeks and then Italy. Currently at the airport in Brisbane, very excited about the trip and ready to go! Stay tuned for the adventure that awaits.... K... read more

There is something quite surreal about this place. It's seriously hot, over 40 every day. I like to walk when visiting places but it's very difficult to walk for more than about 20 or 30 minutes in this heat. A sandy haze has also covered the city each day. You pass from Dubai emirate to Sharjah emirate without realising but the latter is "dry" in another way and more conservative following the dictates of its ruler. It is bigger than I expected and the public buildings are impressive--all built to last in attractive stone. Under construction about a kilometer from where Lyn lives is an amphitheatre modelled on the Coliseum. I have been to the Museum of Islamic Civilisations and an information session for non muslims at the Al Noor Mosque where I was the only ... read more

Day Two and we decided to split up as the boys wanted to go to the Dubai museum, which happened to be placed very handily across the road from our Hotel. The girls hit the streets for a bit of browsing the local shops and to make sure we hadn't been ripped off at the Gold Souk the day before. The heat was so intense that at times we pretended to go into a shop to browse, just for a bit of light relief. After a lunch in our rooms of camel burgers (just to see what they tasted like) we prepared ourselves for our Desert Safari. Our guide picked us up in a Four Wheel drive and after about an hours drive North of Dubai we drove off road to begin our 'dune bashing'. Never ... read more