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.