Check out our new adventure in the UAE and discover the reign of luxury and it surprising and constant evolution
"What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well" - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
On the Persian Gulf, among the boundless and magic desert, Dubai and Abu Dhabi can enchant you with their ancient traditions, audacious architectures, and great hospitality. A perfect destination for a quick stopover if you are traveling to further destinations, to start your honeymoon or simply to relax with your family enjoying the luxurious atmosphere.
We visited for the first time the Emirates on Summer when the temperature outside can be sometime challenging; anyway the beauty of these places worth the weather conditions and there are plenty of activities you can do indoor, alternating the time spent outside.
Our itinerary in a nutschell
26/08/2017: Dubai
27/08/2017: Dubai
28/08/2017: Abu Dhabi
Dubai - Deira & Bur Dubai
Our adventure starts in the second largest Emirate of the country: the fascinating Dubai. Disembarking from the airplane a warm current hits us reminding that summer here can be very hot, also during the night. Arriving to the ROVE Hotel (https://www.rovehotels.com) by taxi we admire the night skyline of the city with the immense Burj Khalifa standing out all the other buildings. The receptionist welcome us in the modern and lovely hall and immediately we perceive the great sense of hospitality of Dubai.
Early in the morning we head to the Bur Dubai, one of the oldest part of the city north of the creek which provides a sharp contrast with the modernity of the other areas; our first leg is the Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood where we wander around the ancient alleys observing the typical wind towers topping the sand-colored walls of the houses. As a primordial form of air conditioning, these high towers trapped the wind and funneled it down into the houses. Today most of the buildings hides lovely inner courtyards and have been converted into craftsmanship shops and art galleries where we find shelter from the sun.
From here we decide to cross the Creek with a traditional boat (abra), direction Deira and the Dubai Old Suq. The colorful spices suq surprises us with its vibrant atmosphere and its hundreds of flavors; spices and aromatic herbs spills from the baskets of the pleasant vendors which greet us at every turn inviting to visit their shops and trying to be part of all the pictures we try to take.
Dubai - Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah
After a refreshing ice-cream we move to the Dubai metro heading the Marina area. Before arriving there we decide to stop in the famous Mall of the Emirates to see the indoor ski resort. Interiors of this Mall are really sumptuous with every kind of store and restaurant, and we stop here looking curiously the people riding the slope from the great glass wall.
Our next stop is the Palm Jumeirah, a symbol of this city we could not miss. It is really impressing how men can shape the land to create an artificial island resembling a giant palm tree. From the land it is not easy to read the shape of the island, so we decide to take the special train to Atlantis the Palm, the 5 star hotel at the hearth of the isle. Unfortunately we do not have enough time to relax on the beach here, but we enjoy the atmosphere ordering a fruit juice and chilling for half an hour.
Dubai - Downtown & Burj Khalifa
It's afternoon and we decide to come back downtown to visit the Dubai Mall and the impressive Dubai Fountain show at the sunset. The show can be seen from every place along the promenade and we find a really nice elevated view from the terrace of the Apple store in the Dubai Mall. With the Burj Khalifa standing out the artificial lake, the light and music show creates a really charming atmosphere.
Burj Khalifa is the tallest building of world and the 360 degree view from the 124th level is something incredible. Getting dark the light of the buildings sprinkle everywhere, designing the borders of the city with the outer desert.
Abu Dhabi
The last day is fully dedicated to Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate. We decide to take part to a full day guided tour organized by Arabian Adventure (https://www.arabian-adventures.com/) and the choice could not be more effective! Our guide is really nice and prepared and give us a lot of interesting info about the recent evolution of this city.
We begin our visit in the famous Yas Marina Circuit, venue of the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, 30 minutes far from the city. We are welcomed by the staff with a fresh drink served in a panoramic garden from which we can see part of the circuit. We take a stroll around the circuit for half an hour before our next stop: the Abu Dhabi corniche, eight kilometers waterfront from which we can enjoy a beautiful view of the Emirate Palace.
After a quick stop for lunch in the near Marina Mall, we head to the amazing Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This mosque is one of the few open to non-Muslims people in the country but the rules for the visit are really strict: legs and arms need to be covered, clothes should be opaque to avoid any transparency and female are requested to cover their hairs.
Once in, we remain astonished by the beauty of the courtyard and its white marble columns decorated with gold and precious stones. Reflective pools outside the courtyard create a suggestive view contrasting the white of the building with a deep blue color of the water. Walking around the courtyard is really relaxing.
The prayer hall inside can be visited as well and it is famous for two records: the world largest carpet and chandelier. Our guide explain us that the 5700 square meters carpet has been realized in two years of work by more than one thousand artisans hand knotting it; the result is absolutely impressive.
To discover more about these places have a look to our posts and stories dedicated to UAE dated August 2017 on our Instagram page @2intour
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