We were in Dubai for 2 weeks over Christmas and what an amazing experience it was!

The world loves it as it’s at the top of the list of the world’s most visited destination, 47 year old Dubai is an architectural miracle, a major stop for tourists who want to see the world’s biggest, tallest, fastest and richest.

Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. The Dubai Mall is the 2nd largest mall in the world. The souks boast a world renowned abundance of gold, textiles, teas and perfumes and still the second safest city in the world, preceded by Abu Dhabi.

You’ve got everything you need for a couples and or a family getaway: incredible landscape, top rated entertainment facilities, a large choice of super accommodation, Arabian desert, sun, sea and sand, the list goes on.

Top 10 Things we loved doing and recommend if you’re in Dubai for 5 days or more:

1.Burj Khalifa: At The Top – Burj Khalifa! Rising gracefully out of the desert, the Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building.  You’ll enjoy stunning views and dramatic vistas from the top of this 163-floor structure. No trip to Dubai is complete without a visit to At The Top, the tower’s exclusive viewing deck. Spanning floors 125 and 148, At The Top gives visitors a full view of the city from the vantage point of the world’s highest outdoor observatory. From this perch, you can take in the Dubai Fountain show, enjoying the synchronized water spectacle from an eagle eye point of view. With panoramic visibility on the rest of the Emirate, it’s the perfect spot for taking photos to remember your trip.

Tip. There are queues so be there about a half hour before your appointed time. Also, memorable souvenirs of varying cost are available so make sure you have enough in your budget!

Fun fact. Burj Khalifa was originally named Burj Dubai but was renamed in honour of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan after a financial rescue.

2.Dubai Fountains – Similar to the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, this dancing body of water is sensational. Being the world’s largest choreographed fountain system, at the center of the Downtown Dubai, it’s well worth stopping for 5 mins (FREE) to see outside the Dubai Mall and in front of the Burj Khalifa. Evening shows begin at 6 pm and are every half hour until 11 pm. There are also 2 performances in the daytime; at 1 pm and 1.30 pm (1.30 pm and 2 pm on Fridays). You can also pay a token fee to step on board a unique viewing platform and get up close to the largest performing fountains in the world!

3. Dubai Mall: All we could say was WOW! A part of Dubai’s 20-billion-dollar Downtown complex and home to 1,200 shops, Dubai mall is the second-largest mall in the world by total land area, and the 21st-largest shopping mall in the world by gross leasable area. It is beautiful! It has a VR park where we spent a significant amount of time, an amazing cinema complex, a children’s theme park and the largest indoor ice skating facility we’ve been to.

Tip: Dubai Creek Tower is coming by 2020c an observation tower under construction at a preliminary cost of AED 3.67 billion and is expected to be taller than the Burj Khalifa!

4. Dubai Aquarium. The 10-million litre Dubai Aquarium tank, located on the Ground Level of The Dubai Mall, is the largest suspended aquarium in the world. It is spectacular. You could be forgiven for thinking you’ve seen it all just observing the generous wall to ceiling presence in the mall but don’t be deceived, there’s so much more inside.

5. Atlantis: Atlantis the Palm hotel is the most beautiful hotel we have had the pleasure of staying at and not just for the spectacular presence and ocean view, the peace and tranquility of the surroundings, the beach and surrounding areas but the service is second to none! It offers a real escape from reality, offering a water park, a dolphin pool & an indoor magnificent aquarium, plus a very lush spa & 23 world renowned restaurants.

The Waterpark at Atlantis The Palm, offers something for everyone, from those seeking hair raising adventures to those thirsty for marine knowledge. One of the only places on earth with more than 20 different marine exhibits including sharks and stingrays, where you can whiz through a lush water tunnel accompanied by heroes of the ocean. You can even feel a real starfish in the aquarium’s touch tank, or learn about the different types of fish from the aquatic center’s experts.

Tip: Look out for Aquaman in the gigantic aquarium.

6. Desert Safari: Ride a Hummer Jeep and experience the majesty and beauty of the Sahara desert just the way the traditional Bedouins have done for generations! This tour was breathtaking, ending the night with a camel ride, a photo with Dubai’s favourite animal – the falcon, henna drawings, shisha experience, belly dancing show and star gazing all available whilst enjoying a five-star buffet set-up at an Arabian fortress sipping on a glass of bubbly. Take pictures as the sunsets with your loved one for a lasting experience.

7. Mall of the Emirates. The world’s first shopping resort, featuring around 630 international brands, the Mall of the Emirates is one of the best malls in Dubai visited by both locals and international shoppers. We enjoyed dining here and exploring the range of shops. Dubai topped the record books again with the opening of the region’s largest indoor ski resort (in one of the world’s biggest malls, of course). We aren’t ski fans but here is the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East with 22,500 square meters of indoor ski area where you could have a truly white Christmas!

8.Dubai Miracle garden. This place has to be the most romantic place we’ve been to. Opened on Valentine day in 2013, occupying over 72,000 square metres, making it the world’s largest natural flower garden featuring over 50 million flowers and 250 million plants. It truly is a miracle what is done with flowers here. Look out for the 30 foot Mini and Mickey, as we await the opening of Dubai World!

9. Global village. When you walk into a district that has shops representing all continents and 90 countries’ cultures, no doubt you can identify yours, it’s touching in a way we can’t explain. The Global Village is the world’s leading multicultural festival park and the region’s first family destination for culture, shopping and entertainment, claiming to be the world’s largest. But of course, would you expect less from Dubai?

10. Souks. We have never seen so much gold in our lives! The souk consists of over 380 retailers, most of whom are jewellery traders. Home to Guinness book of records largest gold ring, you’ll find this walk way packed with bracelets, necklaces, rings, diamonds, emeralds , rubies, sapphires and more. Don’t be afraid to haggle with the sellers for your best price and after you’re done bargaining at the Gold Souk, walk along to explore exotic herbs & spices at the Spice Souk! Along the same streets, you’ll find the Perfume Souk – home to Arabian scents such as oud. Further into the same Dubai Creek, wander through the Textile Souk to dig through a wealth of brightly coloured silks and embroidered fabrics. Tip. Look out, there are many people here pulling you to buy designer copies!

And if you’ve got more time…

Stroll along ‘The Beach’ at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) and have lunch at one of the many outlets along the beach, or sunbathe and take a swim at Kite Surf Beach.

Other souks in Dubai also offer a modern take on the Arabian market, for example the Souk Madinat Jumeirah and Souk Al Bahar overlooking the Dubai Fountain both make great souvenir stops.

Also you could venture out further to the recently built Dubai Frame for views of Dubai that’ll take your breath away or the Outlet village, which is a stretch but an enjoyable short visit for those designer bargains.

If you enjoy golf, the courses designed by Colin Montgomerie and Ernie Els are amazing spots. The city’s most famous course, the 18th hole Emirates Golf Club or at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club would certainly be worth your visit.

Another fun thing to do is the RIB Speed Boat Sightseeing Tour! Yes it’s fast but it slows down sufficiently for photos at stunning locations including

• Burj Al Arab

• Atlantis The Palm

• Jumeirah Beach Hotel

• Dubai Marina

• Jumeirah Beach Residence and Bluewater Island

• The Dubai Mall

Known as the world’s only 7-star hotel, we can’t finish talking about Dubai without mentioning Burj Al Arab, a luxury hotel which many boast about for its views, gold decor, gold drink and unmatched luxury!

There’s so much more for us to do and see that 14 days simply wasn’t enough for us to cover everything we wanted to do. So look out for the next entry to our UAE tour.

Come along with us as we travel together.

#authentic #together #seetheworld✈

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