Setting My Sights High in Dubai

 Half of the fun arriving into the Dubai International Airport may just be

the airline you choose to get you there.  If money is no object (which seems to

be a common theme in Dubai), then fly non-stop into Dubai from Dallas-Ft. Worth  

or New York on Emirates Airline.  For a mere $19,000 your first class ticket gets you

there on their A380 plane in first class style with your own private suite with its own sliding

 door plus a seat that reclines into a bed.  You also will enjoy a "shower spa" with heated

 floors and a lounge with a bar with your first class ticket.  Your seven-course meal is

 served on Royal Doulton china and it will be topped off with Dom Perignon champagne.

 Get use to the extravagant lifestyle, because Dubai is high on all things opulent.

You may picture Dubai looking a bit like this desert...

...and you would be partially correct in assuming so since I took these

photos just on the outskirts of Dubai while we were on a wild ride

over the desert dunes through an excursion company

 called Arabian Adventures.  It was hard to believe how 

quickly the land went from this...

...to this!  However, once oil was discovered around

the mid-1960's, Dubai changed from a small re-export country to 

the vibrant, modern, business-centered city-state it is today.  

This sprawling desert oasis is as cosmopolitan as it gets.  It's 

like no other city you can imagine...

Trying to capture a single view of the city skyline is a near

impossibility as sky-high buildings are in every corner.

Unlike any city you have ever laid eyes upon, there are skyscraper

buildings everywhere you look.  And, they aren't just your average

office buildings, they are practically new with more under construction.

 It must be an architect's dream to design one of these buildings

because they are so distinct and spectacular in their own right.

Luckily taxis are safe and affordable so you don't have to figure

out the multiple of freeways.  

The medieval-style Jumeirah Mosque is the only Muslim house

of worship in the United Arab Emirates that is open to non-Muslims.  

You can go on a tour there on Thursday and Sunday mornings.

There are hundreds of hotels to choose from in Dubai but

my two favorites are located on the man-made Jumeirah Palm Island. 

Palm Island literally was built up from the sand in the shape of a palm tree

and many condominiums and hotels adorn the "palm branches".

The One & Only Palm Resort sits on one of the crescents of the

man-made palm-shaped island....

 ...you are sure to capture great views of Dubai while

enjoying a drink at the 101 Bar at the 

One & Only Palm Resort.  

Another is the Atlantis on the Palm.  Although it's
1,500 rooms, 2-story aquarium, Aquaventure Water Park
 and 16 restaurants and bars are not what lured me to
this hotel, it's spa, location and views surely did keep me there.
The Atlantis sits at the peak of Palm Island...

...I highly recommend you request a room on one of the
upper floors so that you can enjoy these spectacular views
 of Dubai and Jumeriah Beach.

You can't escape the view of the Dubai skyline from

the pool at the Atlantis...

...or from the beach at Atlantis.

And, even while looking at all of these tall buildings,

you still aren't looking at the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

You will appreciate a dip in the pool because temperatures will

soar to the 120 degree mark in the summer.  The best time to

enjoy Dubai is between late October to mid-March where temperatures

will drop to the mid and upper 80's for highs.

The calm and tranquil waters are a welcome relief

after a busy day in Dubai.

Standing at over 2,700 feet and more than 160 stories.

 the Burj Kahlifa is the world's tallest free-standing 

structure in the world.  Make sure to schedule a

 reservation to visit the observation deck.  To see the

views at night as well as during the day will be

 equally spectacular so maybe you should do both.

Located inside the first floors of the Burj Khalifa building 

is the way cool Armani Hotel.  With 160 guest rooms and

suites, it would be my choice if I were not going to

stay at a hotel located on the beach.

But if you don't feel like forking over the $1,000 plus

per night to stay there, you might want to check out

their restaurants because four of them are considered

to be the best in Dubai....

Hashi serves up contemporary Japanese cuisine and

offers indoor and outdoor dining with views of the outdoor 

Dubai Fountain light show around a man-made lake called

Burj Khalifa Lake.  And, not just any fountain show,

the Dubai Fountain is choreographed to music and shoots up 

500 feet in the air.

Mediterraneo is the perfect choice for Mediterranean

contemporary cuisine, Ristorante serves Italian culinary

art at its finest and Amal has fantastic Indian cuisine

prepared in the time-honored traditional cooking methods.

Here is a view of the Burj Khalifa Lake during the day through

the Armani Lounge windows.  

It's nearly impossible to capture the Burj Khalifa 

from ground floor to the very top of the building

without the use of a wide-angle lens.

Book a reservation for lunch or dinner at At.mostphere

which serves fine dining and spectacular views of Dubai from

 the 122 floor of the Burj Kahlifa. 

The views are simply amazing from

the observation deck, called "At The Top", 

 which is located on the 124 floor.

The views looking down towards the

Burj Khalifa Lake and fountains are spectacular.

When leaving the Burj Khalifa, you end up wandering through

the Dubai Mall which looks like your typical shopping mall in the United

States since all of the stores are chains that we have located here.  It happens to

be the world's largest shopping and entertainment destination.  "Largest", "Tallest",

"Most Expensive" and other over-the-top wording pretty much describes everything

in Dubai.  "Typical" is not a word that is used much in Dubai.  One thing

that is definitely not typical of most malls is this fabulous bronze two-story fountain

of life-size human divers called The Waterfall .  It is a stunning piece of art.

For an experience that reminds you that you really are in the UAE, take time 

to visit the Gold, Cloth, Spice and Meat & Vegetable Souk markets...

...it's one of the few areas where you sense

the old traditions of the region 

 and is a must to see.

Just minutes away from the souk markets but 

lightyears away in style and glamour, is the Burj Al Arab --

one of the most photographed hotels in the world and the

fourth tallest hotel in the world.  The design of the hotel

is to mimic the sail of a ship.  You will need a dining or

room reservation to get past their gates.

Palatial interiors abound.  This view looking up from
 the lobby to the ceiling is just amazing.

There are 202 bedroom suites at the Burj Al Arab which

vary in size from 1,820 square feet to the Royal Suite which 

is over 8,400 square feet and will set you back over $18,000
per night.

With all of this extravagance, it's no wonder that Mercedes,
Rolls Royces and helicopters are the hotel's "shuttle services" of choice.

Be sure to enjoy a drink atop the opulent

Burj Al Arab at the Sky View Bar.  Drinks start at

$35 for fruity concoctions and go up, up, up.

Stunning views of Jumeriah Beach from the 

Sky View Bar.

A light lunch in the Al Muntaha will cost 

over $200 per person plus any drinks you may order. 

Dubai was an experience I will never forget.  But, I

barely touched the surface and there are so many things 

still left to experience such as the indoor snow skiing at Mall of 

the Emirates, the view of  "The World" which is being pumped

 up out of the ocean floor and will take shape of every country

 in the world, and taking a dive into the world's most luxurious

underwater hotel that is under construction, etc...

No doubt I left with a lot less Dirham than I

arrived with, but I saved memories that will last

a lifetime.

With so much land around Dubai left to be developed,

there is no telling what lies ahead in Dubai's future.

Stay tuned....

May you always reach for the sky.

TRAVEL M GIRL