Out and about in Dubai

Walking around in Dubai had its drawbacks. It was always hot and as some of the areas I wandered into were filled almost entirely with males, being a lone female foreigner, I was (perhaps unduly) ill at ease.

I did not however face any difficulty with people or with getting about anywhere.

My first foray was to the Al Fahidi historical area. For this I took an Uber. Not only did it take a long time to pick me up, the driver had never heard of the Coffee Museum I was looking for. To be fair to the chap, I do tend to look for obscure things because no one else I knew in Dubai knew that a coffee museum existed!

After paying a silly amount to go to a place that was closed by the time I got there, I decided to walk in future.

I have a dear dear friend whom I tease often for his dependence on Google Maps while in our hometown but when abroad, I recommend it highly. I saved money by finding my way back on my own and I was able to visit other places en route.

However, trekking about in the blazing sun for long distances is a recipe for disaster. For such journeys I relied on the Metro or Uber. There are buses and taxis as well.

People at places I dined at or made purchases from were friendly and spoke enough English to get by. I was inordinately pleased to be greeted with a subha udasanak ('Good morning' in Sinhala, my mother tongue) at the Arabic Tea House Cafe on my second visit by the waiter who had asked me where I was from on my first visit. The fact that my visits had been two days apart made his effort impressive.

On the streets though, people are not friendly. Being stared at and studied doesn't bother me but it is noticeable.

There are places to eat everywhere. There were fast food outlets like KFC and dozens of Indian food outlets and Lebanese and Pakistani ones. I enjoyed trying a few things though they tasted familiar as similar food is readily available in Sri Lanka.

I did love that insane amounts of hummus are dished out with practically everything you buy along with a garlicky dip that I quite fancied as well.

Dubai Mall

I don't like shopping very much but it being a much talked-about place, off I went to take a look around Dubai Mall.

There are well-known brands from around the world, souvenir shops and little stalls with knick-knacks down the centres of each wing. I don't worship at any designer temples so I didn't do any shopping per se, only looked around and got a few gifts for friends. I was impressed with the mall in spite of my lack of enthusiasm in general.

Then I got lost.

Well, not lost exactly. I had wandered around and when it was time to get the train back to my hotel, locating the exit to the Metro from the mall was a chore. This is reputedly the largest mall in the world after all!

Also, the walk from mall to Metro was reminiscent of a trek I went on recently with friends because by this time my feet were sore 😩
In reality it's only a 10-15 minute walk even for unfit me as I found out the next time I went.

Other than shopping, there's also plenty of food to try on each floor from main meals and snacks to desserts and drinks. As I wasn't hungry, I only tried some 'spaghetti' ice cream from Morelli's - very nice.

There's also The Waterfall. It runs down the entire height of the mall. I had hit saturation point by the time I chanced upon it so I was not particularly impressed but in hindsight it isn't a piffling creation at all. Something to take a look at if you're ever in Dubai Mall.

The famed Dubai Fountain is right outside the mall. I stepped out and stepped right back in again because there were so many people crowded around it, I couldn't even see where it was! 😆

I did go back again a few days later and enjoyed the show.

Travel quirks

These are my preferences or travel tips to myself.

Let's get this one out of the way: When to buy airline tickets or which sites to book accommodation through - a whole lot of luck and research are involved. I don't seek out low prices to the point of gambling on last minute deals so my input on this isn't noteworthy 😀

I have however found it best to compare the cost of airfares on a price comparison site against the airlines' own site. Weirdly, it can be cheaper through the latter quite often.

I tried airbnb once (Maldives) and it worked out well but the second time (UAE) I wasn't so happy with the options and booked a hotel instead. Therefore, I'd best try it a few more times before coming to a conclusion.

Agoda appears to be more transparent and offer better deals than Booking.com in my experience.

When I travel alone I prefer an aisle seat on the plane because I can get in and out to stretch my legs or to go to the loo without bothering strangers. This does mean everyone else bothers you when they need to get out. And you may also run the risk of being attacked by the refreshments trolley but I find it far better than the window seat.

On the other hand, if your flight is during the day and you're a photographer, a window seat does afford a great view. Mind you if you get a seat near the wings you might as well nap unless you fancy some pics of white metal 😆

Travel light. Regardless of where you're going, who you're going with or your means of travel, always, always, pack light. You can do laundry. You can buy supplies.

After 21 countries I can say that no matter how little I pack, there is always be one item of clothing that isn't worn. I'm yet to figure out the optimum number at some point.

Carry your phone charger - USB cable and plug-in type. Nowadays this means a single item with the cable being detachable from the plug. Many airports, airplanes and trains have either plugs or USB ports at hand as do coffee shops.

Check the plug type in the country you're visiting because you sometimes may not need to lug a bulky converter with you if your electronic items already have the same plug type.

Carry US dollars. USD is accepted everywhere. It's loved almost everywhere.

Be willing to walk. Be sensible about it obviously. If you can explore a new place on foot without putting yourself in danger, do it. It's cheaper, you see how the locals live and you get your bearings.

Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo

When it comes to aquariums and zoos I'm torn between wanting animals to be able to wander free and the knowledge that without these establishments I can never hope to see most of these creatures up close.

Fortunately the zoos I've visited in adulthood have had spacious enclosures and a clean track record to my knowledge.

The Dubai Aquarium is mostly a 10 million litre tank. I say 'mostly' because there are also other tanks with an octopus, nautilus, rays, jellyfish and some fascinating transparent fish whose species I cannot recall.

The tank is amazing. There are sharks and rays flitting about in gloomy silence and what feels like a million other fish I didn't recognise.

The tank can be seen from Dubai Mall inside which the aquarium is located. So there are lots of people around looking at the tank and taking photographs. You enter by walking through a glass tunnel, which affords you a very close look at the fish. On a different floor you can also stand above the tank, which was very cool!

The underwater zoo doesn't house anyone wildly exotic apart from a rather large crocodile and his missus. Not that the night creatures of the UAE weren't interesting. I did find the desert hedgehog a bit worrying though because he kept doing a loop round and round his little garden/enclosure while his mate/roommate did far less scurrying than that.

Burj Khalifa

I don't know what to say about Burj Khalifa. Of course it's impressive. Just knowing you're inside the tallest building in the world is enough. There it stands. Towering above everything and rising up into the clouds like Jack's beanstalk.

The light shows at night are amazing. I got to see it from all angles during the day and at night while going by metro or by car. It's a sight to behold!

I went up to the 124th and 125th floors. The lifts to go up are quite cool with an electronic display and timer.

The lift takes you from floor 1 to 124 in one minute to the accompaniment of a good soundtrack.

Inside you can walk out to an outdoor viewing platform-like structure from which you can take photographs. Dubai stretches out before you for miles. A mix of stretches of sandy desert and high rise buildings and to one side the sea shore. You can also walk around the floor inside the building and up to the 125th floor.

There's a gift shop on both floors and some really annoying camera crews who try to rope you into taking photographs. I didn't stay to find out whether an arm and leg would be required on top of the AED185 entry ticket.

The 125th floor has a postbox from which I sent postcards to my sister and to my best friend. At 456m above sea level, it was definitely the highest postbox I've ever used 😎

Burj Al Arab

I've been fascinated with this place since 1999/2000 when I first heard about the unusual hotel being built on an artificial island in Dubai. I read up on it. I took the virtual tour when it opened. I made plans.

And there I was having breakfast at Bab Al Yam, a restaurant within Burj Al Arab!

🎉😊🎊😆💥👸

The food: They serve an international buffet with the usual cereals and breads as well as salads, cold meats and freshly prepared eggs and meat. The food was very nice. I have a soft spot for hummus and was rewarded with the best hummus I have ever tasted! I must confess I had it with everything! 😁 I was also rather surprised to find the toast exceptionally good. They really must pay attention to every little thing.

The service: Excellent. I'm going to assume that all guests receive this treatment – The lady who greeted me at the entrance to the restaurant then took me around while running through what was on offer. After I had been seated, a pile of magazines was brought over for me to select from should I feel like reading something during my meal. Toast and coffee (whatever type you request) were brought over later. They pay you the right amount of attention without being too intrusive or neglectful.

I did however overhear the couple at the next table getting quite shirty about their coffee being late. Whether this was because they hadn't had their coffee yet or whether there was a significant delay, I don't know.

The atmosphere/view: This restaurant is on the first floor looking out over the Arabian Sea. The view is great. At breakfast time there's no one in the adjacent pool so it's quite peaceful as well.

The interior of the hotel itself is quite ostentatious. It has to be I suppose to tout itself as the world's most luxurious hotel. I can't say I care much for such extravagance but it is certainly impressive.

The cars lined up in front of the hotel speak for its clientele. I'm no auto expert but I spied a Ferrari, a Bugatti, a Lamborghini, a Rolls Royce and more than one Mercedes Benz.

Dubai, UAE

I made it! Finally visiting the Middle East instead of only flying through.

This will be an altogether different experience because I'll be combining solo exploration with accompanying a friend who lives here.

On a side note – before I forget – Emirates is a pretty good airline. I have flown Emirates some years ago but I don't think I was paying too much attention back then.

Bucket list

I don't have much of a bucket list. I've even added some things to it after I've done them just so I can cut them off! 😁

My list

- Seeing a tiger in the wild > Made it to India. Made it to Rajasthan. Didn't get to a tiger reserve

- Seeing a snow leopard in the wild > I might have to strike this off because the chances of me making it to Siberia are slender than slim I reckon. I did see a snow leopard in the Geneva zoo. That should count for something right?

- Gazing upon a living fossil > Tuatara. New Zealand. Check.

- Stepping inside "the world's most luxurious hotel" Burj Al Arab

- Taking a dip in the infinity pool atop Marina Bay Sands

- Visiting the Atomium in Brussels, Belgium > There's a photograph of my father in front of this structure from the 80s, which stuck with me. Six years ago, I took my own.

- Seeing a glacier > Been to the site of a former glacier in Lucerne, Switzerland and to the Franz Josef glacier in New Zealand, so I think I may be allowed to cross this off

- Trying unusual dishes from different cultures > I do enjoy culinary adventures but not being a voracious meat eater, I don't go on too wild an adventure .. So, this is an entry with a personal twist.

The accidental additions are

- Taking a sleeper train > Travelled overnight by Livitrans Express from Hanoi to Sapa, Vietnam

- Going up in a hot air balloon > Did it right here in dear ol' Sri Lanka!

- Visiting some of the best chocolate producing nations > You'd think a chocoholic would have already had this on their list but noooo. Only after I'd been to a few of them did I think it best to put it on there

- Visiting Halong Bay > Watching the sun set over the bay while bobbing about in the water as flying fish sail past you has got to be one of the most amazing experiences in the world!

Where to stay, where to stay

Finding accommodation is the more enjoyable part of travel preparation for me. I like doing research and finding bargains.

In Europe, it's hostels all the way. Hostelling International has a great network.

People of all ages are welcome. Beds are comfortable and clean. Prices are reasonable. In most places, breakfast is provided. I've seen many backpackers grab a few extra slices of bread for the road and they weren't chased down that road by irate hostel staff so I'm guessing that's a pretty regular practice.

On the one hand, if you'll be out all day there's no sense in paying for a hotel room.

On the other hand, if you're staying in one place for several days, a hotel does make some sense because the alternative is to lug your possessions about with you or to find a locker to rent for the day.

In Asia, hotels, minimum three stars, are best in my experience.
The hotels I stayed at in India and the Maldives were really good. So were most in Malaysia, except the one in Kuala Lumpur with its leaky shower that drove the room's occupants a bit crazy over time.

What I got to experience in Vietnam was quite special. There were hotel stays, a night in a bunk bed on a train, a home stay in a remote village sleeping on mattresses on the ground and a night on an anchored boat.

I stayed with family in the USA so I can't comment on what to try or not over there.

In New Zealand, because the tour I took catered to a slightly older crowd, the hotels were a bit fancy. And I was lucky because as a solo traveller, even though I had agreed to share with another available traveller, I got my own room in every city. So, I stayed in near luxury! 😆

Budget vs luxury travel

As I'm planning my next holiday, I'm torn between cutting corners and treating myself.

Scrimping and saving for a low-budget holiday is an experience. Nomadic backpacking teaches you to pack light and survive on the bare minimum, be it clothing or nourishment. And you quickly learn a thing or two about a nation by their transport system, which you have to navigate on your own. Where to buy tickets, their validity, which bus/train goes where etc. On top of which you have to read up on the sights you see and their locations. You could splurge on audio guides everywhere you go, but that cost kinda piles up.

Taking a medium- to high-end tour once in awhile is great too I tell ya! Your luggage is picked up and delivered so you don't have to worry too much about how much you've packed. Your meals cover all food groups and don't need to be inhaled in three minutes before your transport leaves. And you are taken about in a large comfortable coach with a lovely guide regaling you with humourous stories and fascinating facts about whatever you see.

I find a mix of both extremes works best for me. Choosing a hostel over a hotel softens the blow of dining at a fancy restaurant. As does taking public transport to a star attraction where entrance costs the GDP of a small nation!

The first

I didn't start exploring Sri Lanka in earnest until I had been abroad a few times. I succumbed first to the lure of the greener grass that is foreign travel.

I remember little of my first journey abroad other than that it was a KLM flight, my first and last time in Business class and that I was on the passenger list as Mrs!

Oh and having reached my destination, Holland, I accompanied my sister to a recital where I promptly fell asleep. I'm told my dulcet snores did nothing to improve the performance! 😄

This would be the time to mention that my first air travel was alone and took 25 hours 😋 I was knackered!

Where do they go?

Seriously, where do all the photographs I take for visa applications each year go? I couldn't find a single one. There must surely be dozens among which must be at least one where I look both human and current, but no, no such luck.

So I had to get a new batch done.

The studio that has stood at the top of my road since I was a wee girl seems to have picked up its skirts and disappeared overnight.

The sign on the shutter said something about Battaramulla. The number given was for a videographer who kindly gave directions to his establishment but had no idea where the studio had got to so I made a trip to Battaramulla. Of course the studio wasn't there. Life is never that simple for me.

So, much to the amusement of my taxi driver, we rode right back to where we started and discovered that the studio had in fact only moved a few metres away.

Oh well ... At least it only took five minutes to be handed a new glossy set of photographs.

Visa woes

I hate applying for visas! It's the one drawback to this goal I've set myself - to visit a new country every year of my life.

The passport I hold carries no weight in the global arena. I looked at the (short) list of countries that offered visa on arrival to those from Sri Lanka and almost wept with relief when I realised that the Maldives offered visa on arrival and wouldn't bankrupt me for a weekend's visit.

Walking through the airport, getting a visa stamped and going on my way was such a novel experience. A far cry from the usual visa circus months ahead of a journey. I loved it! And love the Maldives for it!

The number of times I've suppressed the desire to reach across a counter and shake an infuriating visa officer for giving me the runaround!

To go to the Republic of Ireland last year, for example, the daft website was not updated; therefore, I had to make two journeys to the visa office because when I went there the first time I was told they needed a copy of my entire passport, not just the page the website mentioned. And for me that's two passports, copied front and back. Sigh.

And the office was on the sixth floor.

And the lift was broken.

Making friends

This amiable fool spent 10 minutes today taking photographs of three ladies who wanted the right look for their holiday snaps.

Now I wish I'd taken one of them for myself. They were really quite sweet posing in a triangle fanning out their baggy, colourful trousers.

Later in the day as I stood in front of my hotel people-watching, a gentleman stopped in his tracks, retraced his steps and asked whether he may speak to me.

He proceeded to go from wanting to speak to a stranger "too pretty to ignore" (😂) to something else entirely but hey it was another new experience. Can't have enough of those! 😉

Centara Ras Fushi

The belligerent skies aren't a happy sight after forking out USD135 to spend the day on Ras Fushi.

This includes passage to and from your hotel to Centara Ras Fushi, a very good buffet lunch and all the beverages your heart desires. Yes, this means alcohol too.

It didn't rain too much at first fortunately so I got the chance to sit by the beach and read more of Desert Flower by Waris Dirie. Now I'm watching reruns of Friends under a tarp by the dining tent - the only reasonably dry spot I could find outdoors.

Thanks to this general air of dampness, I'm not enjoying this day out as much as I did Embudu but that isn't really to do with the resort I'd say.

There are loads of activities to try your hand at, many spots to sit and stare at the sea and a little souvenir shop to browse. Some of the products in the latter come from Sri Lanka. Working on the basis that something from any South Asian island will do the trick :D Tourists are notoriously gullible aren't they?

The streets. The food. The people.

I love exploring a new country. A new city.

A constant drizzle adds a certain twist to it I must admit.

The people of Male' are not exactly friendly as you bump into them on their narrow streets or perhaps they're not used to seeing a single, South Asia female wandering around but they aren't unfriendly either. I received friendly smiles and service in every shop I walked into and didn't feel particularly unsafe on my little forays into the warren of crazy little streets.

I love trying new things so, I had to try some local food. Various types of fish-based creations and sweets. I liked them all.

I couldn't tell you what any of them are called though =|

Embudu Village

Embudu is about 9km from Male' and is well worth a visit.

Apart from the glorious beach, the resort is quiet, the staff friendly and the food is pretty good.

Living on an island myself I expected rather more seafood than was available but I don't know how the seas and seasons impact these things.

Is Wow a colour?

I don't know how to describe the colour of the Indian Ocean that laps the shores of the Maldivian islands!

So blue. So clear. And the sand? Wow ...

Imprinting

Ducklings do it apparently ... And I think tourists need to too! 😆

Unless you've travelled or lived abroad, people of different races tend to look the same. I'm fairly certain one of my psych professor covered this. If not, I just made a terribly racist comment.

My er point was that if you have a tour leader, guide, driver, agent to return to or follow, you have to be able to pick them out from a crowd of locals.

Destination #20

I've been asked many times why I don't write about my travels. So here goes nothing 😊

Because spending quality time in an airport doesn't really count, this will be the 20th nation I set foot on.

The Maldives.