Well what can i say - hmmm sorry! ... for not posting anything for about 3months. No excuses - can't say i wasn't bothered coz i still kept reading other blogs but i think i just needed some motivation and now just feels right :)
Hmmm so where did i leave things ...oh yep Dubai! This is just one of the best places to be ... its was like super hot but also amazing ... lots of skyscrapers, clean beaches, classy hotels and cheap but tasty food...yumm :)
Also went to the Wild Wadi - water park which is actually themed ..so like you get thunder storms ...calm sun ...windy breeze etc Its got awesome rides and some which are just relaxing like a giant inflatable ring ride round the entire park (thats where i was most of the time )
Entrance to the Wild Wadi Water Park!
This ride starts about 30 metres above ground and they say you reach speeds of 80kph on your way down!
This was a cool place to relax on the sunbeds near the wave machine
Here you can just about see the doughnut ring rides and yep thats the 7 star Burj Al Arah Hotel - its soooooo GOOD - i don't think any picture would do it justice - you have to be there to experience it!
This was another cool water feature - its actually a massive bucket at the top which is full of water and when it gets to a certain angle it tilts and crashes down on everyone below - i guess thats one way to get refreshed!
Apart from the Burj Al Arah I kinda liked the Jumeirah Beach Hotel which is a 5 star hotel and has its own beach and docking area. Not as expensive as the Burj but its just as classy and looks great...
BIG NEWS FOR INDIAN FILM FANS!
Whilst just roaming around guess what! ...We heard Shahrukh Khan was filming in Dubai just whilst we were there ... it was so exciting and of the very few contacts we had we tried to track him down but it seems we were always a few hours behind :( Didn't even get to find out what film it was or who the leading lady was - oh well maybe was not meant to be.
Desert Safari!
On another day we went to the Desert Safari. At first i was thinking ok sand dunes and camels. But I had never expected the actual ride we took to get to a remote location in the desert would be so cool and scary!
We started with a convoy of 12 4x4s mostly all Toyota's and have to say they were really nice - leather interiors and nice refreshing a/c in the hot sun!
Looking from here it seem quite straight forward 4x4 climbing up the hill but the speed they have to get to and turns of the wheel they have to take to keep the car balanced was just incredible. The drivers under-go special training and ours was the best i reckon as the others kept finding it difficult to get uphill having to try a few times :)
A 4x4 trying to navigate its way down a slope.
Pit Stop! ....Halfway mark - all 12 car stopped to cool down by opening their hoods - the drivers also release air in the tyres - i guess to make the ride easier and help them with the driving!
Anyways finally after lots of bumping and jumping about in the car we finally got to our destination ... a open area where there were activities such as camel riding & mini 4x4 driving ...And inside an opening there was a large area where they were selling novelities, served refreshments and more...
The open area with a kinda carpet dance floor in the middle.
This guy was making sand art. Really cool stuff like he would write your name using different colours of sand and do this all in a bottle. In another one he actually had created a picture of a hotel!
They also had another stand where mendi was being drawn like this one!
Finally after having literally a 3 course meal in the desert we watched a belly dance. This was no ordinary dance though as first all the lights went out ...then from above we saw a helicopter land and this woman came running towards the stage and started dancing. She tried to get me to get up on the stage but i was too full from the food and let the others have a go ;) Still she was really good and moved very well. After a few dances she again left by helicopter and vanished into the midnight sky ....
Last Night In Dubai
Final evening was spent doing some shopping and ended with a night river cruse. It was just beautiful with all the lights ...in a nice way reminded me of Embankment and now i guess i can say i have seen the best of both. All the boats were decorated in lights from top to bottom.
On board we had a buffet meal which was good but i can now say that i'm not so good with food on a boat as i felt a bit queasy nearing the end.
There are so many things that i haven't mentioned like the beautiful Palaces of the King / Princess and the shopping in Dubai (they mostly have shopping centres like us just a lot bigger - prices are the same - however you can get good bargains at smaller shops in the city centers). We also got to see the development of stunning islands that are being build in the ocean - there are now 3 where work is in progress:-
1) The Palm, Jumeriah, 2) The Palm, Jebel Ali and 3) The Palm, Deira
The Palm Islands, also referred to as The Palm Dubai and The Palms, are the world's three largest man-made islands, which are being built on the coast of the emirate of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Overall i definately recommend Dubai to anyone who wants a change from the norm and wants 2 see sun, beach, relax in amazing hotels and enjoy some of the friendliest people around.
Wow I started off wanted to catch up to today but it seems that just one week has past - damn ... well at least its kicked me off again - shall up date this blog more regularly :) yeah thanks pan for all that pushing :p
Early start tom - 7am ...gonna go for now ... nite night!
