We Envisioned It And We Did It!!!-
As it got closer to my travel day, the excitement got more intense. A group of travel adventurers from Orlando, Fl decided to journey to Dubai on 2/13/2019 for five days to celebrate the birthday of Lincoln Salmon, a longtime friend of mine and the group. It was the first for all eight travelers so we all were in for the surprise, thrill and excitement that Dubai had to offer. We envisioned the glitter and the glamour from all the videos we watched and all the different blogs we read. However, we all went with an open mind to learn and explore this place sitting in the sand and surrounded by deserts.
Well, to our surprise, the skyscrapers were out of this world. After checking into our hotel, our first tour took us to Burj Khalifa 148th floor, the tallest building in the world. Now if you want to get over your fear of height, this is a must. The elevators do three floors per second. That’s some speed you want to experience.
View from Burj Khalifa
Who would travel this far and not do Red Dunes & Camel Safari and a BBQ at Al Khayma? This was a must and it was a success. The day was not scorch hot but temperatures in the 60’s, making the day out perfect for sand bashing and quad biking. We were entertained by a guided tour in the Arabian Desert including camel ride, local Arabic attire and Falcon photos and barbecue buffet with welcome drinks, coffee. The fun just never ended and as the night drew closer, I never imagined sitting in the desert in the far east with the moon shining so brightly over us.
Squad Bikers
The next day we drove to Abu Dhabi which took about an hour from Dubai. We visited the Sheikh Zayed mosque, Heritage Village and Corniche. This experience will last for a lifetime.
We ended the day with a dinner cruise on the Marina where we sailed around Jumeirah Beach and the Palm Island. The view at night is incredibly.
Dubai Marina
Getting close to the end of our short, fun packed, thrilling trip, the last day we went on a tour of the city and visited the Frame. It’s like a real picture frame taking you more than 75 floors up and overlooking the city while standing on a glass floor. We visited the aura and charm of Dubai at its birthplace, Dubai. Viewed the iconic Atlantis Hotel and learned about the historic photo stop at the Jumeirah Mosque. Old Dubai by water taxi was the first for us and we visited the gold souk and bought an array of spices at the market. Oh, by the way, visiting Old Dubai is so much fun as the locals will call you by the names of celebrities such as “Michelle Obama and Keke”.
It was time to get packing for the 16 hours flight back home. The best time to visit is November to March whereas the weather is pleasant and suited for all kinds of outdoor activities.
Looking to visit Dubai, don’t hesitate and just go. You will never regret it.
I want to thank Nadine McLean from Over The Top Travel for planning this trip from day one to finish including our flights, hotel, transportation and the for all the work she put into organizing with the different tour companies.
This was written by Donna Pelekai and was published on February 26, 2019 – Dubai, United Arab Emirates.