DUBAI!

Oli and I visited Dubai for the first time earlier this week, staying over for one night. We flew out of Muscat at 8am and landed 50mins later in the UAE giving us two full days to explore. Dubai is nothing like I have experienced before - a strange mix of so many different places all coming together to form something I can't quite categorise. The city doesn't seem to have a set identity but rather feels like a combination of Muscat, L.A., Spain and Shanghai, a bizarre mix enhanced by the presence of so many different nationalities (80% of the population are expatriates). The airport is clean, modern and impressive and its exterior is akin to that of Heathrow T5. Travelling only with hand luggage we could bypass luggage claim and exit the airport quickly. Travelling to Dubai is made even easier by the added bonus of free visa's for British citizens.

The Metro became our most frequented form of transport and cheaply and conveniently got us from A-B with little hassle. It was a dream to use the transport system after having had to rely solely on the use of a car in Oman. That said, it became apparent that Dubai would be far easier to explore with our own transport.

Picture of the a Metro Station Stop.

After a brief visit to Khalid Bin Al Waleed station (an area not dissimilar to Muscat) we headed in the direction of our Hotel - the Shangri-La! Last minute booking pays off sometimes and we were lucky enough to get a great deal on a room there. The hotel is located down Sheikh Zayad road - the huge, crazily busy highway that runs parallel to the beach. My first impression of the road was influenced by the hugely tall buildings lining the street. The architecture is impressive and super modern but feels almost as though it doesn't quite fit. Our hotel room was on the 21st floor, giving us a fab view of the city and excitingly the Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world!

View from our hotel room.

The summer heat meant that sightseeing was not as easy as in the winter months however we were able to visit the Dubai Mall, the Mall of the Emirates and the Burj Al Arab hotel. We also managed to take a water bus down the Creek (a stretch of water dividing Dubai in two). The Dubai Mall (a metro ride and short bus ride away) is amazing and heaven for those who love to shop. It has absolutely everything you could need and ranges from affordable shops such as H&M up to the beautiful but largely unaffordable designer shops. It was reassuring to see so many shops from back home including Debenhams, Boots, New Look etc. The food options are expansive and we ate lunch in a great value cafe which I will most definitely visit again when we are next in the city. The mall also has an ice rink, a cinema, water features and a Waitrose! Outside of the Mall is a great view of the Burj Khalifa.

A view of a water fall feature in the mall.

A view of the Burj Khalifa (what I could fit in the camera!).

The ice rink.

The Mall of the Emirates, though slightly smaller than the Dubai Mall, is large and beautifully decorated. The colouring and use of street lamps gives the mall a luxurious, French feel.

Inside the Mall of the Emirates.

We visited the Burj Al Arab hotel in the evening excited to see it all lit-up. Only guests can enter the hotel so we were limited to only enjoying the exterior of the hotel.

The Burj Al Arab at night.

Much of Dubai is beautifully designed and well maintained. Its buildings are wonderful and the green palm trees and park areas help make the city more attractive. There are however parts of Dubai that hint at the divide between the haves and have-nots and its is clear that the city is still developing. In my opinion Dubai has a way to go in terms of developing its unique identity, its Arabic traditions seem somewhat quashed from sight and becoming a fully developed place is a little way off. However, it is an exciting, young and vibrant place which is definitely worth a visit.

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