DUBAI - Hot and Humid
After a long haul from Gold Coast, 24 hours later we flew into Dubai. From the plane window, the city was engulfed in what we thought was smog, but turned out to be a strong haze that is constant during Summer due to the humidity. As we stepped off the plane we were confronted with heat and humidity at 7am. I have never encountered such heat and humidity, which was unrelenting the whole time we were there. You will constantly see this haze in my photos, and several locals told us it embraces the whole of Dubai throughout the summer.
Dubai is breathtaking, from huge skyscrapers, modern designs, to the older more traditional structures. Having only 3 days in Dubai, we only touched the surface. There are so many things to do and see and I'm sure another trip will be on the cards. We were however, lucky enough to experience a desert safari. If you're interested check out my Dubai Safari blog.
The taxi drivers in Dubai are crazy....hang on tight and just know they will, hopefully, get you there in one piece; oh and get used to hearing the beeping of the horn.
Our first view of Dubai airport - the humidity haze and the size of the airport.
The Burj Kahlifa, a truly empowering building; the tallest structure in the world standing at 829.8m (2,722 ft). After 5 years of construction, the external of the building was completed in 2009. You can pay to go to the viewing platform on Floor 124, but we found it better value to have cocktails and dinner at At.mosphere Lounge on Floor 122. We had read reviews on how to get there and checked that out in the morning; however on arriving 20 minutes early to allow us to casually stroll to the At.mosphere Lounge, we were told we were not at the right place. It would be a 20 minute walk outside in the heat or as suggested, a better option was to take a taxi. The taxi driver didn't know how to get there, but in the end we were about 20 minutes late. The inside of the building is immaculate and the ride up and down in the lift was "ear popping". The service was the best I have ever experienced and the food delicious.
A complimentary birthday cake - pure chocolate and rich cream. Whilst the meals at the Burj Kahlifa are not cheap, you are required to have a minimum spend when you make a reservation. We had 3 cocktails, which were divine, and 3 plates of food. We met our minimum spend and I can certainly say we were not hungry. The food was delicious, the service outstanding and the cocktails perfect.
This was the view from our window table at 6pm. I moved my camera slightly up, to take a distance shot and the image below is what we saw. There is so much construction in Dubai and so many varying views in such short distances.
The views from our window table. The first on arrival around 6.00pm, the next as the sun was setting and the final a night time view.
Burj Kahlifa by night.....notice the humidity haze.
You cannot visit Dubai without strolling casually through Dubai Mall, all 502,000 square meters of it.
Take a short stroll outside Dubai Mall and encounter the beautiful blue lagoon and below impressive accommodation.
Dubai Mall has it's own Aquarium - one of the first things we saw as we walked in the doors.
The fountain display outside the Dubai Mall. This magical display occurs every 30 minutes. We never saw it during the day, but the night time show was spectacular. So much so, that I had to watch it twice. I found the display fascinating and would guess that some of the water reached a height of around 50 metres.
The taxis that travel along Dubai Creek.....believe me, so hot to take in Summer.
Dubai creek - you can take a free boat cruise if you purchase a ticket on the Big Bus tour. There are several routes you can take on the tour over several days. Well worth checking out.
One of the photos taken on the Big Bus tour.
The view from the roof top of our accommodation Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel. We experienced fantastic service and hospitality. The room was lovely and the views fantastic. Breakfast, whilst expensive was delicious. There is a 24 hour supermarket across the road, which we found very handy.
Dubai Beach. Not sure how you can handle the beach in the heat of the summer. Air conditioning please.
