I was very excited to be in Middle East for the first time in my life! One of the most “tourist-friendly” area in the Middle East, Dubai is one of the seven emirates that makes up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Peace Boat stopped by the most populous city in the Emirates for about 1.5 days (12-13 September, 2015) after a 3-day voyage from India.
Once we disembarked, we were hit by the suffocating heat of the desert. It was almost 40 degree Celsius! I was advised to to ditch my shorts and flip flops and put on decent pants and shoes in the “conservative” city. At the entrance of the port, we managed to get a cab after being hustled by a gang of cab drivers. We hopped on the cab and headed to Jumeirah Mosque. As we were too early for the tour, we decided to splurge at Hugo Café.
1. Jumeriah Mosque
Jumeirah Mosque is the only mosque in Dubai that is open to the public. The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding hosts visits of the Jumeirah Mosque.
Tour days: 6 days a week (Closed on Fridays)
Time: 10:00 a.m. (No reservation required. Wait at the main entrance of the mosque by about 9.45 a.m.)
Duration: Approximately 75 minutes
Price: 10 AED per person (free for children under 12).
* Modest dress code (traditional attire can be borrowed)
We were led inside the mosque and spent most of the time sitting on the nice carpeted floor as the tour guide introduced the mosque and the history of Islam.
2. Burj Al Arab
Like any typical tourist, I wanted to see the iconic sail-shaped hotel, Burj Al Arab, so we took the bus and stopped by Jumeirah Beach Hotel. We tried to pretend to be dignified, rich hotel guests as we wandered through the luxuriously furnished hotel lobby. The plan was to try to get as close to Burj Al Arab as possible. It is not possible to enter the opulent hotel unless you are a hotel guest. Obviously, our plan failed.
We checked out the prices of the restaurants in Burj Al Arab but were not really surprised by the exorbitant cost. In the end, we bought expensive drinks at the Dhow and Anchor (D&A) bar in the lobby of Jumeirah Beach hotel and admired the hotel-which-we-can-never-afford from a distance.
3. Souqs
We visited the Spice, Gold and Perfume souqs. A souq is an open-air marketplace usually found in West Asian or North African cities. The souqs are large tourist attractions. We wandered around the souqs and bought some typical touristy souvenirs. I was fascinated by the wide range of spices as well as the huge population of migrants.
4. Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa
As the sun set, we slowly made our way to Dubai Mall. When Dubai Mall opened in 2009, it was the world’s second largest mall. Over 13 million square foot (equivalent in size to more than 50 football fields, Dubal Mall is so big that it has an aquarium with the largest acrylic panel (even bigger than Okinawa’s Churaumi aquarium) and an ice rink. We just walked through the mall to get to our goal of the night – the free fountain show. Set against Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, it is the world’s largest dancing fountain show. Initially, we wanted to visit the Burj Khalifa observatory despite the expensive entrance fee but we could not book a visiting time slot (due to Wifi issues). Many Peace Boat participants were there to enjoy the fountain show and some had the fortune to witness how I was “water-attacked” during the show. The interesting day in Dubai ended with me going back to Peace Boat half drenched by “expensive” Dubai fountain water.
The Dubai Fountain Schedule
Afternoon Shows
Daily except Friday: 1:00p.m. & 1:30p.m.
Friday: 1:30 p.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Evening Shows
Daily: 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
(Every 30 Minutes)
Warning: Do not stand too near to the railings. The powerful airborne water sprays beyond the railings.
6. Dubai Desert Safari Ride
The next day, I signed up a desert safari ride tour with a number of GET teachers. We got into the 4-wheels vehicle which were parked neatly outside the terminal and reached the desert in about 40 minutes. We had an adrenaline-filled desert dune-bashing ride by a daredevil driver. He entertained us with an amazing driving soundtrack and patiently answered all my questions about the UAE.We had a hearty Bedouin breakfast in the middle of the desert and took a lot of photos in the desert.
Read more about Peace Boat here and what I learnt from travelling around the world here!