More to do in Dubai

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One of the things I started when I first moved to Dubai in 2012 was to try to do one new thing every week (usually the weekend). It could be something simple, like seeing a new mall or eating at a new restaurant, or a bit more planned like a tourist activity or visiting another emirate. I tried to do the same when I came back in 2018, but with more international travel, I don't always see those weekly new things as write worthy. Every now and then I'll do a hiking post or the Expo or I did one where I discussed life during Covid. So, I thought I would catch up on some of the things I have done and seen over the last year or so. In particular, I did a lot of new things when my sister and her family visited last April and when my Dutch friends visited in October, so a lot of the below will come from those two visits (and make up for any weekends I skipped in favor of lazy days). I'll do other blogs for other Emirates. For now, this is just for Dubai.

Etihad Museum

Let's start with one of my favorites! This is a museum that is dedicated to the history of the UAE, particularly the founding of the country. I knew in general the dates and key players, but it was very interesting to see the history before and why the timing worked. The British stated they would leave the region in about 1969 to 1971 and what were then the Arab Trucial states as a tribal confederation were to be left on their own. Sheikh Zayed from Abu Dhabi worried about protection and so approached Sheikh Rashid of Dubai about unifying into one country. They met at a neutral area between the emirates to discuss, eventually bringing in other leaders from Sharjah, Umm al Quwain, Ajman, Fujairah and Ras al Khaimah (who wound up joining a few months after the official founding); Bahrain and Qatar decided to form their own independent states.

I have to say, I see why Sheikh Zayed is so revered here. He valued education foremost and approached the local families to send their eldest son to school, paying the families so that they would not suffer from the lack of hands on the farms. With the increase in oil money, Abu Dhabi paid for the infrastructure and critical facilities such as healthcare for the entire country, so the smaller emirates would see the value in joining. In return, the Abu Dhabi Ruler was President and Dubai Ruler Prime Minister, though all rulers held prominent positions, were part of the signing of the Constitution, and were involved in decision making.

I started at an (empty since I do my usual arriving the moment it opens!) auditorium which had a video playing on loop. This consisted of various Emiratis who knew Sheikh Zayed and discussed his personality as well as their memories of times before the unification of the country. Then you continue to walk down and pass the photos of the original founding rulers with a description of their lives and a bit of memorabilia associated with them. You go into a room where there is a short video about the time when Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid met. Then the rest inside is mostly displays of historical objects, photographs, and some further information. At this point, you are below ground, but can look up through the skylight to see the flag pole with the original UAE flag right above you.

Next, you can go outside across the courtyard and past the flag to the actual circular building where they signed the constitution and officially became the United Arab Emirates. A little further on is the "guest palace", used for VIP's. You can see some of the typical furnishings and rooms.

All in all, very well done and one of my actual favorite museums ever. If you live in the area or have any interest in the history of the area, you definitely should not miss this place.

Dubai Mall Aquarium

I actually did this when I first arrived in 2018, but it was more fun to see with the kids. This is in the Dubai Mall and you can't miss the huge crowds of people looking at the large glass display of the aquarium behind. I went with my sister and her family to do the full tour, which includes walking in the glass tube within the aquarium, taking a ride in the open boat at the water surface, feeding the fish, and then seeing the indoor zoo which includes fish, reptiles, crocodiles, and penguins! The kids loved it. I was able to get half off all our tickets using the Entertainer.

Bab al Shams

This was a last minute plan and it was everyone's favorite part of the trip! I wanted to take my sister and her family somewhere besides my cramped (but nice!) downtown apartment so they can get a different perspective of life in Dubai. I had planned to book the next day, but while checking my email, I realized it was this day and we had to quickly run through our current plans and pack to head out to the desert. I drove with the kids, while my sister and her husband took a very expensive taxi. One of the reasons we were on a time crunch is because you can ride a camel for free at around 4pm each day and the kids were dying to ride a camel, especially the youngest. So, we were quickly checked in, briefly enjoyed our amazing rooms (girls vs boys) and made our way to the camel. I was a short ride, but more than enough - it is a gorgeous setting, the camels are well cared for, and you can also see and pet a falcon while waiting for your turn.

Just like the rest of the days, the kids enjoy swimming and just absolutely loved the sprawling pool complex here. After the ride, we changed into our swimsuits and made our way to the pool. There is an infinity edge the looks over the desert and we had an amazing view of the sunset. I think we stayed here until it closed at dark.

This was Ramadan, so I planned to take them to their first iftar here. We walked down a subtly lit stone path through the sand from the hotel to the big restaurant. And wow, this is probably the best iftar I have been to, and the family definitely enjoyed it! There seemed to be two sections, one reserved for hotel guests without a reservation, and an area for those with reservations for everyone. I was more than happy with this. It was a huge section we were in which was mostly empty, but it had just about everything else the other section had except for the stage where the belly dancer and whirling dervish performed, which we just walked out to see. Food was located all around the interior perimeter of the section, so much to choose from. I love these types of iftars because so many traditional food choices are available, some of which are only offered during Ramadan (especially some desserts). My oldest nephew loooooved the iftar - he is a growing boy and got his fill. The kids loved the Turkish ice cream where the servers mess with you and make you work for that cone! After dinner, they have a show on the sand dunes you can see over the wall. It is like a skirmish with some on horses and others on camels with some excellent music. Then the kids were able to quickly ride a camel again but my niece chose the horse instead. So, if you are here during Ramadan - definitely plan on iftar at Bab al Shams!

The next day we had a great breakfast and went right back to the pools! We checked out on time, but they allowed us to stay at the pool all day if we so chose, and we did. It was quite hot, but we got some fruity drinks and snacks during our breaks. Soon, it was time to head back to my home..... we should have done another night but it is not cheap and there was still plenty to do!!

Green Planet

I always wanted to visit here near the City Walk area. It was a bit more than I thought it would be but we spent about two hours here. You enter into a waterfall atrium area, then proceed to the 4th floor to work your way down through the cloud forest. I really liked it! They even had a hidden sloth or two. G, T and I also visited the bat cave, separated from the rest of the floor with very heavy curtains - I have always liked bats. A couple of lemurs (I think!) were above the bat cave door. The main drawer is the giant (fake) tree in the middle where you can see may types of colorful birds flying around or perched - such as toucans and parrots. Along the walls as you get further down are displays of other types of creatures such as anteaters, and then a hall where you can see reptiles, including snakes you can touch and hold. Then you can go into a dark room with nocturnal small mammals, a couple of which are so cute! Afterwards, we went to get juices outside on the covered patio while the kids played on the playground.

Dubai Glow Park

I also waited to visit here until my friends came! I really liked it, a nighttime light park. We purchased tickets that included the dinosaur park, which is where we started. It was pretty well done, with clearly animatronic dinosaurs, but with good descriptions and views of the Dubai skyline at night. You walk around in a fairly large circle, before coming back out into a street food area. Then you can do another circuous route through the actual lit up gardens. I will say, it was nothing super spectacular and even some of the displays were a bit tacky, but it is a very nice park, with good views, and the lit displays kind of blend in with the surroundings. I loved the giant peacock, and the displays sitting on the lake. They also had some cute pandas, and trees with lots of lights. So, very pleasant, especially with kids.

The View at the Palm

My friend L booked this one, which was new to me. Instead of the famous and expensive Burj Khalifa, we went to the top of the trunk on the Palm islands. Here you can go to the View at the Palm, which gives you 360 degree views of the Palm at the 52nd floor. But first, after you take the elevator up from the mall, you buy your tickets. Then you are lead through a virtual, interactive display of when and how the Palm was constructed, which was nice. Then you go into a large room, which is more museum-like with a lot of descriptions continuing on regarding the history - why was it done? How did it change the coastline? How long did it take? Etc. This you do at your own pace, so you can skip it or take your time. Afterwards, you go outside and around the very large balcony that circles the museum. We were lucky with a very clear day, and it was early, so not busy at all, You can access little steps that are built above the glass give you unimpeded views. I definitely recommend this, especially if you find the Burj Khalifa too busy or too expensive, this is a nice alternative.

Camel Racing

In all my time in the middle east, I have never gone to the camel racing clubs. Boy, was I missing out! I have put it on the list to take all the people who come visit moving forward! We went to the camel racing club on Saturday randomly, not sure what the rules were. We met a couple of very nice Emiratis who gave us hot tea and let the kids ride their camels around the parking area, the camels having already raced earlier. The main guy then brought us to his farm (me following him in my car), where we got up close and fed a couple of his camels. He then suggested we come back the following weekend for the actual races. The young camels race on friday, females on Saturday and males on Sunday (I may have the last two switched).

The next weekend, we did as suggested and came on Saturday and it was awesome. First, we followed the path around the racing club, where we could see the workers leading dozens of camels around the outer track for exercise. This was at our own pace and we got to see so many up close. Then we went inside, where they were in the middle of the races. There is a huge camel waiting area outside the club and many of the waiting camels were all dressed in bright colors. One guy angrily told us no photos (the absolute only unfriendly person we met there), so we just went to the bridge over the starting line. So Cool!!! We could be right above them and see how they were allowed into the waiting pins to start. It was like clockwork. The inner track is 10km (I think) and as soon as the previous race completes the next race starts. I think we got to see at least 10 as it was so constant. So, we watched the start of the race a couple of times, then made our way toward the finish line, seeing the camels make their way in, first standing on the sideline, then sitting up in the stands. The 'jockeys' on the camels' backs are little robots and they feed to their owners' cars, so while the camel race is happening, there is also a race running along the outside of the track with all the land cruisers following along. It is definitely a sight worth seeing. And them camels are so cute. I believe they are each run once, and then done for the day. So much energy!

Dubai Safari Park

I also waited until friends came until I visited this park. The safari park was under construction for a long time and just re-opened, so I was looking forward to finally visiting. It was better than I expected, though extremely quiet. You park, get your tickets ina huge welcome center, then you take a tram which has a couple fo stops. We took it to the further portion, Africa, where we started our day with the chimpanzees, where there was a nice informative house about all primates, also seeing pygmy hippos, lemurs, and some deer-like creatures, as well as a reptile house. We even saw a few lions - they were so huge! There was also a giant net-covered aviary. After lunch, the kids got to do a giraffe feeding, then we walked toward the safari where we rode in an open air vehicle and seeing oryx, deer and ostriches. Finally, we got to see smaller or domesticated animals. It was a fairly pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Dubai Solar Park

Another little-known favorite! I had wanted to visit here for a while and it totally exceeded my expectations. My friend and I picked a random Saturday to go visit, somewhat early. It was unclear if reservations were required, but we figured we would try anyway. The guy at the desk was super nice and it was easy to get entry. The place is sooooo clean and the architecture is amazing. We went up a couple floors to first watch a movie until two other guys also joined us and we had a guide to give us a tour. The first room was probably my favorite. There was a wall section that talked about the history of power in Dubai - exponential historical population increases / demands and the ongoing growth. However, the rest of the room was more devoted to electricity as a whole and went through the entire history of the development of it, including little known people alongside the more famous. It was well done and informative.

Next we went through a room that showed displays of light waves and refraction. This was followed by how solar panels are made and how they work. Then you go into another large room with displays of relevant discoveries (such as the Fresnel lens) and the plan moving forward with this particular solar park. There is a replica of the solar panels and tower and how they work. Another room was more of future plans, such as Dubai's goal to reduce its carbon footprint and to rely on renewable energy sources, along with the proposed plans on how to do it. Lots of people talk about this, so it was refreshing to see what the plan was and knowing that some of it was currently being implemented. At the top, you get a great view of the empty desert around you and the solar park itself in the distance. Really, well done and I highly recommend it!

Museum of the Future

The architecture of this building is absolutely stunning. Tickets for this place were weeks in advance this whole past year or so, and I just figured I'd wait until finally I just picked a day. As I said, the building is incredible and so unique, inside and out and that alone makes a trip to see it worth it. The museum itself is ok. There are a couple of interesting features, I particularly liked the "Library" room which is a display of all the flora and fauna. The worker gave me a scanner and you can get information on each, and it will also tell you if it survived or is extinct and why. It really was a beautiful room.

Infinity des Lumieres

In the Dubai Mall there is an exhibit called Illuminations. It was not super cheap (110AED I think?), but I actually enjoyed it and stayed a couple hours. As usual, I picked the earliest time to avoid crowds, so was able to wander around in peace. About an hour in, you could see the crowds picking up. There is the main room, which when I went was devoted to Van Gogh, though I believe it is a different artist at various times. I enjoyed seeing the paintings, and I especially loved the display of floating lanterns and others after the Van Gogh session was concluded. I think it's 15 minutes, every half hour. There is another room that is more of a cosmos immersion, which was pretty cool as well!

Dubai Virtual Reality

In Mall of the Emirates, there is a Virtual Reality room where you can select one of the options for an immersive experience. I took my brother-in-law and the two oldest kids to try this out. It was pretty fun. We picked the undersea experience, where you ride an elevator down to do some kind of rescue operation or something. It was fun and well thought out. However, I used VR at my friend's house one time like 10 years ago, and that still stands as my favorite and most intense VR experience with so many options to choose from.

Love Lakes

Out past the Al Qudra area, is the popular Love Lakes. I had not been here before and I was pleasantly surprised. It is a very quiet, very peaceful area. We saw a couple of tents set up; I am not sure if you can spend the night, but people tend to do that here during the day to avoid the sun, especially if they plan to be here for a few hours. You can drive around a bunch of shallow, man made lakes, with water apparently pumped from the city. It is kind of a wetlands area and you can see many birds starting to make it their home. Love Lake itself is nice, with a path around the whole area.

Outside the park area, we were in search for dunes for photo ops. I do love this about Dubai - you can just park anywhere along the route and walk to the dunes. You can even pitch a tent and spend the night. We found some dunes to climb. We also took a random farm road and encountered some camels very close up. Like one actually came up behind my shoulder, very curious about me! Loved it.

Global VIllage

I had always wanted to visit Global Village, but just never got around to it. It is only in the cooler months, understandably, and for some reason, I just forget until it's too late! Well, I think I got more enthused after visiting the successful World Expo last year. I kind of expected a similar set up with kiosks and themes. I would not say I was disappointed; it was just not what I had pictured in my head. Some areas were well done, some were tacky, and some just did not make much sense. It was like typical markets in buildings with the themed construction. Occasionally, you would have a themed shop, like in the Japan area which I think was the best done, followed closely by what I think was Sri Lanka. Everything else was a bit helter skelter. However, I can see why people love it. If you want to shop or eat while hanging out with family and friends, this is a great place to do so. I saw a lot of families basically setting up picnics, with blankets on the ground and just relaxing and chatting. I also was able to get two more paintings done by my favorite Iraq artist!

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Comments

[Home and Away]

Thanks so much for sharing the sights where you live!
We often ignore what is around us, thinking that destination travel is the most interesting.

[D MJ Binkley]

Something new on weekends
You've found some great things to explore. We've been to Dubai but that was a long time ago. We'd like to come back and do all the Emirates. I'll have to keep this blog in mind for our return.

[lexispence10]

Changes everyday
If it's been awhile since you've been here, I am sure you will be shocked! This place is constantly evolving and does not even look the same to me as when I first moved here 10 years ago.