Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene. Every second car around me seems to be a Porsche, Lamborghini, Maserati, or Jag. Tourist city and home for the richest Emiratis. A significant percentage of Emiratis can’t afford to live in Dubai – they travel 30kms into work from Sharjah each day.
And the “Malls”where everyone socialises, seriously test your walking capacity. Dubai Mall for example, is the world’s largest- equivalent in size to 50 football pitches; has 14,000 car parks; 1,200 shops and a waterfall feature (right).
You walk through it to get to the Burj Khalifa, an 830m-tall tower, that dominates the skyscraper-filled skyline. Awesome view of Dubai in the evening from the top.
At its foot lies Dubai Fountain, with jets and lights choreographed to music. Incredible spectacle from the top and bottom.
Mall of the Emirates has a ski slope and snow adventure playground.
The lovely Miu Singapore restaurant entrance in the Mall of the Emirates.(left).
Heaps of construction happening in the downtown area partly funded by Govt and partly privately, a property development company Emaar dominates the skyline.
Burj Al Arab is set on an island in a striking sail-shaped building, this luxury hotel has 
opulent suites featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with gulf or city views. All have 24-carat gold iPads, offer Egyptian linens, designer toiletries, whirlpool baths and butler service. Upgraded suites include snooker tables, libraries, cinemas and private elevators. I went for lunch to the restaurant which has an awesome aquarium. A bit squirmy to watch their relatives swim by as you are chomping into a turbot….
The wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel complements the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab! 
On artificial islands just offshore is Atlantis, The Palm, a resort with water and marine-animal parks. 
The 52 floor of the Marriott Hotel offers lovely views of the Dubai marina and palm Jumeirah area. 
Designed by Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi architect and Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, the striking 842m long, 64 m high Sheikh Zayed Bridge is said to be the most complex bridge ever built. Its curved arches evoke undulating sand dunes of the desert.
Corniche Rd roundabout view of Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Bag Al Qasr hotel. Etihad Towers is a complex of buildings with 5 towers that sparkle iridescently in the sunshine and a reflection of everything that Abu Dhabi wants to be -modern, sophisticated and luxurious. Had lunch at Observation Deck 300, 74 floors up – magic sunny day with clear views of the Fairmont Hotel being built; Emirates Palace Hotel and Presidential Palace of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (son of Zayed).
Drove from Muscat to Birkat Al-Mawz (“Pool of the Plaintains”), one of the famous villages in ruins in Oman and home to the 1500 year old Falaj system irrigation system listed as a UNESCO heritage (using a well to pump up water from underground and water channels being directed across terraces to the land to be irrigated). I walked 
through one of its palm tree oasis’ and through the village. 
The village interior could be described as Oman’s “Positano” – steep stairs that weave down and across the mountainside, levelling out on occasions to allow for mud homes with palm frond roofs, to be built on solid rock alongside the agricultural terraces, gardens and plantations. 
Heavy going in the midday sun, when I arrived. But discovered a lovely little oasis called “Misfah Old House” at which to have a cold bottle of water, coffee or lunch. 
Or all 3, as happened in my case. And as I rounded a corner after lunch, a beautiful little model prepared to pose for me….
Glad I had that prep the day before…a desolate road, the tarmac giving way to a dusty unpaved bumpy road that requires a pair of skilful hands to navigate! No guard rail, so even a small oversight means disaster, hurtling to the bottom of the local canyon! But once up the top, what a vista! Especially from the Al Nakhr Canyon, the “Grand Canyon” of Arabia.
You must be logged in to post a comment.