UAE Trip: Dubai & Abu Dhabi
We are back from our trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi! Since it's so fresh in mind, I thought it would be perfect timing to share the experience. In the next few days, I'll create posts to share a more detailed description of some of the following and update it with hyperlinks later.
In the meantime, here is a trip recap of our vacation in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on November 23-November 30, 2016. This can give you some inspiration if you are looking for suggestions for your upcoming coming 🇦🇪 UAE trip.
DUBAI
WHAT TO DO
- Chillout Ice Lounge (sub-zero lounge with ice sculptures and fun for pictures)
- Burj Khalifa (world's tallest building! How could you not go here when visiting Dubai?!)
- Dubai Mall (free parking? Thank You!)
- Dubai Foundation Show (a fountain show with the Burj Khalifa in the background! You could watch it all evening until 11pm)
- Wild Wadi Waterpark (Complimentary tickets with our stay at Jumeirah Emirates Tower. We love free!)
- Desert Safari (we bought a Groupon that includes sand dunes, camel rides, dinner, show, etc)
- Burj Al Arab (stunning design inside and outside!)
- Dubai Miracle Garden (absolutely loved this place and wish there were more like it around the world)
- Mall of Emirates (passed through out of curiosity what it looks like and it's huge!)
- Boulevard Shops in Jumeirah Emirates Towers (you can see how futuristic things are like the robot we saw in Japan)
WHAT TO EAT
- COYA (2016 Time Out Dubai Restaurant of the Year)
- Serafina (fantastic, outdoor view of the Dubai Fountain Show)
- Muntaha (inside Burj Al Arab)
- Al Manama Hypermarket (hypermarkets seem to be everywhere in Dubai)
WHERE TO STAY
- Jumeirah Emirates Tower (corporate rates)
ABU DHABI
WHAT TO DO
- Saadiyat Island
- Emirates Palace
- Observation Deck 300 of Jumeirah Etihad Towers (free entry when you stay at the hotel!)
- Lulu Hypermarket (we love checking out local grocery stores for snacks/food when we travel!)
WHAT TO EAT
- Sayad Seafood (inside beautiful Emirates Palace)
- Sontaya Restaurant (inside St. Regis Saadiyat Island)
WHERE TO STAY
- Marriott Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi (redeemed our 1-free anniversary night from Marriott!)
- Jumeirah Etihad Towers (corporate rates)
- St. Regis Saadiyat Island (corporate rates)
TRANSPORTATION
- Emirates Airlines (round-trip direct economy flight from JFK to DXB)
- Europcar (we usually use Hertz, but this was much cheaper for a 2016 Audi)
- UAE Taxis (we used it for times we did not want to drive and it is pretty cheap and easily accessible to grab when needed)
MISC/FUN FACTS
- Highest Amount of Expats - A cab driver told us there are over 80 nationalities of expats living in the UAE from all over the world to enjoy the rich and rewarding lifestyle of no income taxation.
- Futuristic Architecture - UAE has a record of tallest buildings in world and they continue to build with construction everywhere you turn. It was quite amazing to see the futuristic designs of many buildings that you've never seen before. It is a great place for architecture inspiration!
- Expensive Cars - Vroom, Vroom! If you want to see luxurious cars casually driving around, Dubai is the place to be. We didn't see any, but they have have police cars that are a Lamborghini.
- Dubai Expo 2020 - If you are looking to visit Dubai, try to align it in 2020 to see the World Expo they are hosting between October 20, 2020 - April 10, 2021.
- Where Are You From? - This is a common question you cannot escape whenever you travel. Many people looked at us like they rarely see Chinese. We told people we are Chinese living in NYC. One person actually approached us and said we have very nice skin color and that he loves Chinese. He continued chatting to say he is married to a Chinese and showed us a picture of his daughter. Our observation to share is that people are genuinely really kind in the UAE.
