The Big Trip Begins - Day 1 in Sunny Dubai

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Arrived safely in Dubai after a pretty effortless flight on the new A380 with Emirates. Must confess we did look down with a little pity on those who were only on a two hour stopover before heading off for the 13 hour trip to Oz.

We were at the hotel Fairmont Palm by 10am which is very nice and perfect for a relaxing stopover.

Our everyneed is being looked after by "Minty" the butler, which is a first for me but already Michele and kids have added this to the list of essentials for future hotels.

Sunday was spent chilling out on the beach and in the lovely pools with just a short mid afternoon rest to catch up on some sleep in order to enjoy the evening.

Dubai remains the most surreal place on the planet for me, sitting on top of an artificial island looking at a skyline which is reminiscent of New York or Hong Kong. However it has all the ingredients of warmth, luxury and relaxation so just perfect for the first leg of the trip.

After a late afternoon family jog on the beach and swim we got spruced up and ventured out to the Dubai Marina which is a relatively new addition to the Dubai skyline. Had a lovely walk and meal in the Marina area surrounded by the most sepctacular buildings.

Got back around 9.30 and headed off for a well earned rest so that we were in good shape for Day 2

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