Dubai: Crown Jewel of the Gulf
A WEEK WELL SPENT- by Isheeta Mohan
We usually go out for a nice family holiday whenever my vacations are on. This time we decided to give Dubai a try. We had heard a lot about it from our friends.
We landed in Dubai at around 11 in the morning and headed straight to the hotel due to extreme heat and went for Dune bashing in the evening after having rested for a while. The camel rides, camps, traditional dances and songs, food, bike riding in the sand and safari in the beautiful desert among the sand dunes, made it a mesmerising experience.
We had pre-booked our passes for At the top- Burj Khalifa and so, on the second day, we went there. As explicit as it looks from the outside, it makes up for an even better view from the inside. The architecture left us all spellbound. Also, the view from the tallest building is something nobody would like to miss. It also had devices which would let you see how the view would be like during afternoon or night.
After this, we went to The Dubai Mall and spent the rest of our day there. Being the largest mall, one day wasn’t enough to see it all and shop but we tried our best! We also visited the Dubai Aquarium and underwater zoo located inside the mall. It started off with a huge tunnel filled with sharks and then led us to the zoo with mesmerizing wooden architecture. In the evening, we saw the much famous fountain show.
On the third day, me and my brother caught a bus to Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi while our parents went to meet up with some relatives. Ferrari World is something car freaks like me and my brother would really love. The rides were totally worth it specifically the fastest roller coaster. It was THE BEST PART of it. After spending the day there, we were back to our hotel by late evening. Then, we went cruising in the marina sightseeing cruise.
The fourth day started off by us hitting the Wild Wadi water park. The water rides, specifically the slides were simply beyond fabulous. The day ended with a long walk along the Dubai Creek and a mouth-watering dinner of khubus and falafel sandwiches.
Our fifth day was spent getting tanned under the sun in the Jumeirah beach. In the evening we took a ride along the Palm Jumeira and ended the day with dinner in the Atlantis.
On the sixth day, we first took a ride in the Dubai Marina and then spent the rest of the evening in the Global Village. I have to say, it is one of the best places to visit there. The rides, the food, the cultural functions- it was all so colourful and so lively.
The seventh day was when we were supposed to head back to Delhi and so we decided to shop till our flight’s time. We went to the Ibn Battuta Mall. The architecture was literally out of the world. It was something none of us had expected. Apart from that, the luxurious and ethereal brands kept us engaged. The food, on the other hand, never failed to impress us either. After this extraordinary shopping experience, we rushed to our hotel, packed our bags and headed to the airport to catch our flight (even though we absolutely hated the fact that we had to come back so early.)
I would just like to conclude this by stating the obvious that Dubai, without a doubt, is one place which HAS to be on your Bucket list to visit before you die.
– Isheeta Mohan
