Dubai & Abu Dhabi — Ultimate destination for adventure and luxury
Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirates of Dubai, among the constellation of 7 emirates which include the following:-
- Abu Dhabi (The capital of UAE)
- Ajman
- Dubai
- Fujairah
- Ras Al Khaimah
- Sharjah
- Umm Al Quwain
Inception of trip
After our trip from Leh, my wife and I started brainstorming on where to go next for our next international destination.
Since we both are on the verge of celebrating the milestone birthday, we thought why not celebrate it beforehand lavishly ergo Dubai & Abu Dhabi trip was born.
We started booking flights, looking for places to explore, activities, and stay the whole jingbang.
Build Up
As the day was coming closer we started to go on overdrive as we still had to apply for our visa, book tickets for attractions, clothes shopping, etc.
For a Dubai visa, it’s a very simple process and the visa gets processed within a week, all you need is a valid passport with more than 6 months of validity and a PAN Card, and you're pretty much set. (Pro Tip: If you’re going to Dubai, apply for a visa 15–20 days before the date of departure, this is enough time for Indian Passport Holders)
Day 1 : Dubai Arrival | Dubai Mall | Burj Khalifa
It’s 1st October ’23 and I couldn’t sleep all night even though the flight was at 10:35 am from Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, Terminal 2. We embarked on our journey at 6 am taking into account the traffic at Bengaluru Airport and going through immigration, security, etc. To my surprise it was empty and we were through all the checkpoints by 7:45 am. We boarded our flight and away we went.
Arrived in Dubai around 12:30 pm (Dubai Time). Checked into our hotel and off we went to paint the town red. We were supposed to meet one of our friends but since he was ill, he couldn’t make it.
We went to Dubai Mall, where I went mad and my wife was controlling me all along the mall so that I didn’t start swiping my card all over the place. It’s heaven for a shopaholic person like me, I mean you can get any brand that you can think of, know of, and also the one you didn’t know, you will get to know about it. The mall was so huge that we walked almost 4 km inside and still, there were places left to explore. We went for Go Karting, which was fun as it was on the mall premises.
It was time for our Burj Khalifa tour, the line started to get long after we arrived there since there are slot timings on entering Burj Khalifa, and the system is automated so if you arrive early or late you’ll be denied access.
After entering the premises you enter the world’s fastest elevator which is cruising at 10 m/s to the 124 floors in one minute, I timed it so that there’s no funny business. 😜
Explore around 124 and 125 floors of the Burj Khalifa and let it sync that you’re at the top of the tallest building in the world, which is just an engineering marvel in itself, there’s also a gallery that will tell you about the idea behind the Burj Khalifa along with other facts about it.
After completion of the Burj Khalifa Tour, we had our dinner and watched the fountain show which was again on the Dubai Mall Premises, to go to Burj Khalifa you’ll be going via Dubai Mall itself. (Pro Tip: Wi-Fi is open and free to use, download the Dubai Mall App so that you can navigate around the mall)
Day 2: Burj Al Arab | Sky View Observatory | Desert Safari
It was a warm sunny morning and we were all decked up to go to Burj Al Arab, the only 7-star hotel in the world.
They have a time slot ticketing system in which you’ve 1 hour of a guided tour of the royal suite with refreshments, a museum tour, and souvenir shopping.
We were gathered near the Jumeirah Beach Hotel from there a buggy car will take you to the hotel reception hall where you will be welcomed by the hotel staff with cold towels and drinks to help you beat the heat.
Refreshed with the drink, the tour began as I walked past the lobby and looked up, I saw one of the world’s tallest atriums with a honeycomb-style grid. I must confess that the interior is stunning with the fountains all around, haven't seen the laminal flow of water like that ever in my life. Next, The express elevator takes us up to the 25th floor and as we go up, I can’t help but admire the view of the Arabian Gulf and Palm Jumeirah.
The royal suite the most lavish suite has two floors. As we knock on the door explained by the guide, a butler greets us. The ground floor consists of a dining room, living room, and office room along with a staircase. On the first floor was a king and queen room which was just exquisite and royal. I fell for the suite and wanted to stay there, curiously I asked the tour guide what will be the tariff for staying in the suite, and she smiled and told me it cost $40k/night to stay there. 🤯
It was indeed a luxurious tour.
Getting dumbstruck by the luxury of the only 7-star hotel in the world, we made our way towards Sky Views Observatory for some adrenaline rush. As we already booked tickets online for Sky Walk, Glass Slide, and Glass Walk, we embarked on our journey. Before the walk, they will give you some guidelines, suits, and other information to make your experience a memorable one. The moment I stepped out, I was freaked and scared as hell but the guide was very jolly, giving me a little bit of a pep talk after which I was able to swing and get some snaps with Burj Khalifa as background. It was an amazing experience and I am really glad that I did it.
We came back to our hotel, had a quick lunch, and away we went with our Desert Safari experience. The tour guide came to pick us up and it almost took an hour to reach the first point i.e. the ATV ride — after getting ourselves roasted in the sun with the ATV ride, I got a photo with an eagle in my hand (Bucket List Complete).
Completing the above activity we went for Dune Bashing and ended up seeing the cultural show at one of the tents and returned to Dubai.
Day 3: Museum of the Future | Atlantis The Palm | The Lost Chamber Aquarium Atlantis
It’s a new day and it’s time to check out from our current stay and go for a stay at Atlantis The Palm after completing Museum of the Future.
Museum of the Future is an advanced place in Dubai where you can see multiple robotic animals, birds, etc. which tells us what the future looks like 50 years from now. As you enter the atrium, you will see the quotes written in Urdu lighting up which looks awesome. There are 5 experiences which start from the 5th floor to the 1st floor.
Dazzled by the charms of the future, we continue our journey to Palm Jumeirah and the crown jewel present at the center end of the island i.e. Atlantis The Palm. As we entered the parking we were welcomed by a fleet of luxury cars all around and I was flipping just looking at it.
We bid adieu to our cab and the hotel staff helped us out with a seamless check-in experience. It has two towers (West Tower and East Tower) and by combining both towers there are 1548 rooms. The main lobby consists of a glass centerpiece that is 32 feet high, I was just in awe of the sculpture.
As we got comfortable we realized that we didn’t have food and subsequently we also had to meet one of our friends who was coming to Palm Jumeirah just to meet us 😇
We rushed for lunch and realized that we finished early 😜, to kill time we went to The Lost Chamber Aquarium. (FYI: If you’re staying at Atlantis you get complimentary multiple passes to go inside the water park as well as the aquarium, all you need are room keys).
After finishing the aquarium tour we met our friend and shared a good conversation over a coffee cocktail (because I am on vacation 🤪) had dinner at Gordon Ramsey’s Restaurant and retired for the day.
Day 4: Aquaventure Waterpark | Dolphin Experience | Dolphin & Sea Lion Habitat Tour | Nobu Dubai | Dinner by Heston (Michelin Star Restaurant)
It’s a new, jam-packed day for us 🤩. We woke up early to see the sunrise from the balcony and start the day.
To kick-start the day we needed to have breakfast, so we went to Saffron Restaurant on the premises there was a huge spread of eateries present, including Indian, Continental, Chinese, Multiple Chocolate Fountains, etc. I mean hotel staff were there to show you around it was that huge of a spread, if you catch my drift here. Straightaway I went to the bar counter and gulped a couple of Mimosas along with breakfast.
It was a wholesome meal and went towards the waterpark. (FYI: Hotel guests get access to the park 30 minutes before the opening time.) We took full advantage and went to all possible rides before it got crowded, you also have an option for a fast-track line, which you can pay for, and go to the ride peacefully without any hassle skipping the normal queue. Finishing all the rides possible it was time for the Dolphin Experience.
We gathered at Atlas Village inside the water park and awaited our turn to meet friendly dolphins who are kept, trained, and looked after in a controlled environment.
There are a couple of experiences that they provide, we opted for shallow water dolphin meet and greet. After getting ready we were divided into groups and we met our dolphin named Ini.
We got to know a lot of interesting facts about it along with them doing tricks and getting multiple photographs for our memory. Once the experience was over I was curious about how they maintain the facility, I asked one of the personnel and they told us that there is a session which happens at 3 pm every day, where they tell you about the animal. We were stoked and wanted to go for that experience.
We went to our room, freshened up, and went to the experience center. We met our guide as we reached there and they started showing us around the facility, where they’re keeping sea lions and dolphins. They told us about their eating habits, kitchen, meal preparation, etc. It was an informative session learned a lot about their habitat, the reasons why they’re going extinct, and the preventive measures they’re taking to keep them alive and procure their kind.
It was a long day but it’s still not over.
We took a reservation at Nobu Dubai for drinks and evening refreshments.
Reaching the restaurant reception, they asked is it your first time with us or if you’ve come before since it was our first time we told her the same and she took us to our table, as we were going to our table she shouted irasshaimase (means Welcome in Japnese) and all the staff repeat the same. It was a grand reception for the first-time guest and we had a great time with their range of cocktails, sake, and food (Recommend: Vegetarians can have Shitake Mushroom Salad and Shimeji Spicy Lemon, which was just delicious). They have an extensive menu for non-vegetarian, vegetarian, and drinks.
Getting our buzz on from Nobu's delightful service, and food. We went to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, taking a shuttle from the lobby to reach Atlantis The Royal. The lobby exudes luxury and as you go ahead toward the restaurant you keep noticing the wow factor placed all across.
Asking around we got to know that the restaurant is on the 1st floor and was escorted to the lift, as you go close to the door, it automatically opens and is followed by another door which will lead you to the inner sanctum which was designed by Mad Scientist (Heston Blumenthal) so that people could enjoy and relish their food. It was a dark setting where the lights were focused over the table, the music was smooth which just elevated your excitement and to make things amazing was the food, and staff service.
Escorting to our tables, a waiter came across explaining to us about cue cards which were created by the chef to let the people enjoy their culinary journey by placing the cards. There were three kinds of cards, one would let you eat in peace, where staff comes, give food, and take away the plate by just telling you the dish name. On the second card, they’ll tell you a little bit about the dish and the ingredients that go with it. The third card, which will come with the dish, tells you about the origin of the dish, the dish content, and how the chef has come up with the idea along with his twist on it. The food was delicious, I was full up to the brim in my stomach but I couldn’t stop myself eating. It was indeed a lifetime food heaven experience for us.
Day 5: Grand Mosque | Louvre Abu Dhabi
Getting awed by last night's Michelin experience, we’re leaving Atlantis and heading to Abu Dhabi.
Started heading to Abu Dhabi around noon to cover the Grand Mosque, and Louvre Museum followed by hotel check-in.
As the name defines, the mosque is indeed grand. It’s the third-largest mosque in the world which is laid by the world’s largest carpet at the hall. The largest chandelier placed inside the hall is the world’s second-largest chandelier in the mosque and the third-largest chandelier in the world.
Completing the tour of the grand mosque in the scorching heat of Abu Dhabi, we head towards the Louvre Museum. It took us almost 2 hours to cover the museum, it had a lot of artifacts from different eras which was fascinating and informative.
Day 6: Warner Bros World | Ferrari World
Good Morning Abu Dhabi!
It’s time to conquer two theme parks today and it’s going to be a long day. We started our day early and reached Warner Bros at 10:45 am, getting our tickets upgraded to express pass was the first thing we did and I entered the hall, Bugs Bunny was waiting for meet and greet 😍.
Entering the doors, I saw a huge plaza with a false ceiling and a show going on in the center. It’s the world's largest indoor theme park divided into 5 sections:-
1. Bedrock
2. Dynamite Gulch
3. Cartoon Junction
4. Gotham City
5. Metropolis
Each section has different sets of rides which include a roller coaster, 3D shows, and other kid-friendly rides.
Going through all the rides and having the best time of life, we powered through to the next amusement park which was Ferrari World.
Ferrari World is a dream place to go for any of the automotive aficionados and thrill seekers. We start our experiences with a couple of 2D and 3D shows on the way toward the world’s fastest roller coaster known as Formula Rossa, the ride goes at 240 km/h speed for about a minute and it is just awesome. Finishing the ride it took us some time to gather our thoughts and start exploring other activities all around the vicinity. Take an express pass it’s available at the reception as you enter the main gate.
You can also do a roof walk and see the world’s largest Ferrari logo. After a long day of hopping through multiple rides, experiences have come to an end with our hearts filled with joy and tired bodies, heading back home with a lot of memories that will be echoed all my life.
Conclusion
I would like to say thanks to my wife, who came up with the idea of pre-celebrating both our birthdays in such a fashion, which could be the start of a new tradition. 😜
Things to note:-
=> Make reservations for all the restaurants, and experiences and stay beforehand as you’ll get charged a lot over there.
=> Take express tickets for all the amusement parks, it will save you a lot of time standing in the queue.
=> Be courteous to staff, we got a lot of good deals at Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa, and Sky View Observatory just because we were courteous and had patience.
=> Get an International Driving License if you’re planning for UAE and you’re a gear head you can drive all the possible vehicles you want.
=> Public Wi-Fi is available almost everywhere.
=> If you’re not into art, I strongly suggest not visiting the Louvre Museum instead go to Emirates Palace for High Tea.
