Day 1: 25-Dec-2020 (Dubai Marina)
We(Me + Prateek) departed from Bangalore with Emirates(EK565) at 10:25AM(IST) and landed in Dubai at 01:00PM(GST). This was my second visit to Middle east, the first being Israel. The emirates round-trip cost us INR 25,000/- which included complimentary Covid-19 cover including paid quarantine.
The check-in and immigration process at Bangalore was quick and we were happy to have breakfast in the lounge. At Dubai, there was a long line for the on-arrival testing(complimentary) which took almost 1.5 hours. We had got 1 test done in Bangalore itself through https://stemzglobal.com/ for INR 1,200/- and were supposed to quarantine on Day 1 until testing result comes in 24 hours.
We took the Hala(just wave!) cab in Dubai which is always cheaper than Careem and Uber and you can find it everywhere. They accept both card and cash. Visa, Amex and Mastercard are widely accepted in Dubai. We paid AED 109 to Hala till Dubai Marina.
I stayed at one of our friend’s place in Dubai Marina and this was definitely one of the best stays, on 72nd floor with an open balcony and seaside view with Burj Khalifa visible sometimes.
I was extremely hungry and decided to order food from Talabat (Zomato) from Pak Darbar Restaurant. We liked this restaurant a lot and ate multiple times.
Since, we couldn’t visit public places, we just clicked few pictures to wrap up the day 🙂
Day 2: 26-Dec-2020 (Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, Aquarium & Zoo)
Shutting down our nervousness, we got the results in the afternoon and we both were negative 😀 and we started planning the day. We covered Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Aquarium + Zoo.
First thing first, we got the RTA Nol card(used in Metro, Tram and Bus) made for us at Dubai Marina tram station. We took the tram + metro till Burj Khalifa(AED 5). We first roamed around Dubai Mall(World’s largest mall!) and clicked few pictures with luxury cars and Burj Khalifa in the background. This place has everything you can think of, luxurious brands, Aquarium, Zoo, Burj Khalifa and much more.
Thanks to Emaar card discount, we got access to VIP lounge + Aquarium + Zoo for just AED 229.5 (whopping 55% discount) and it gives you access to the topmost area of Burj Khalifa, i.e., 148th floor. Here you get complimentary snacks and tea/coffee with an amazing view of the whole city.
Following Burj Khalifa, we visited Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo which was part of our ticket which we purchased at Burj Khalifa. The aquarium is disappointing given the time we had to wait to get the tickets but the zoo is very nice.
We left from the zone after watching the fountain and laser show at Burj Khalifa which occurs every 30 minutes.
To our surprise, we met MS Dhoni at an electronic store in Dubai Mall. Apparently, he was looking for a screen guard to replace his broken one :P. It was a dream come true moment and a nervous one!
Day 2 ends at our favorite place of the trip, i.e., Marina Walk with a Starbucks hot chocolate and sheesha!
Day 3: 27-Dec-2020 (Hatta, Fujairah, Dibbi-Fujairah)
No trip is complete without a road trip and therefore we booked a mini van to visit Hatta and Fujairah for AED 600(4 pax). It took us 2.5 hours to reach Hatta Lake. You can do Hiking, Bee farm tour and Kayaking in Hatta Lake. We did the last and it cost around AED 150 per boat(2 paddles). After sending close to 1 hour paddling here, we left for Fujairah.
We then left for Fujairah where we first visited Khor Fakkan Beach and then Al -Aqah Beach which are part of the Gulf of Oman.
The next destination was Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Dibbi-Fujairah. Though we couldn’t go inside but the outside view was sufficient enough to soothe our eyes.
We started heading back to Dubai after visiting Fujairah which took us around 2 hours.
Day 4: 28-Dec-2020 (Burj Al Arab, Mall of the Emirates, Bur Dubai, Palm Jumeirah)
Prateek wanted to chill in the day, so I decided to stroll alone today and covered few places as I headed towards Old Dubai popularly known as Bur Dubai.
I took a bus(#8) from Le Meridien 2 to Burj Al Arab(AED 3). This place is a luxurious hotel inside the bay water.
Then I visited Mall of the Emirates and Bur Dubai. Mall of the Emirates has a skiing arena, penguin watching and ropeway :P. It was apparently the largest mall before Dubai Mall was built.
Bur Dubai is a shoppers and foodie paradise. I got a lot of dates and chocolates as well as tried few local dishes in the town. Also, got a glimpse of Gold Souk which is one of the largest gold market.
Later in the day, we visited Palm Jumeirah and Atlantis. The best way to reach there is take the Monorail from Dubai Marina to Pointe. We took a Hala cab though(AED 22).
Day 5: 29-Dec-2020 (Mall of the Emirates, Miracle Garden, Global Village)
Today we started of with some shopping in Mall of the Emirates
Next we went to Miracle Garden(AED 55 Entry ticket) and it is again the World’s Largest Garden 😛 This place is an ideal place to spend 2-3 hours chilling and eating on a weekend.
Next, we took a cab to Global Villages(AED 68) which is a huge artificial, villages consisting of pavilions of various countries of the world. Each pavilion has food stalls and shopping counters where you get to shop for the local items ranging from food to clothes to home decor.
My favorite pavilion was Turkish pavilion and then Indian as both of them had a lot of food options and were quite big 😛
Day 6: 30-Dec-2020 (Red Dune Safari)
We booked a Red dune safari through a local agency which cost around AED 250(Red Dune Safari + Night Stay + Food + Camel Ride) + AED 100(Quad Bike). This was one of a kind experience and always chose the Red dune safari. It is a better sand to do safari on without any bushes.
We chose not to do a night stay as there was only 1 couple apart from us staying and hence decided to go back to Dubai. The tent provides you complimentary buffet dinner and tea/coffee.
It took us 2 hours to reach back Dubai and we decided to spend some time at the JBR, Dubai. It is a very lively street with good food options and walking avenue.
Day 7: 31-Dec-2020 (Ibn Batuta Mall, JBR, Burj Khalifa New Year Fireworks)
This was my shopping day, so I went solo to Ibn Batuta Mall to purchase few items to take back to India. This mall has has multiple pavilions of different countries with numerous outlets.
The plan for the night was to watch New Year Fireworks of Burj Khalifa, so we booked with the same person. He charged us AED 700 for 2 Land Cruisers as we were 7 and due to Covid restrictions, max 5 people could travel in the Land Cruiser. We reached a point near Dubai Creek and Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary on Highway E66 to view the fireworks.
Post viewing the fireworks, we started our drive back to Marina which essentially took us close to 1.5 hours as there was heavy traffic pile up all along the way.
Once we reached back home, we did a house party and to our surprise, we made few Egyptians dance on a Bihari song(easy to guess :P)! We danced until 6AM and slept off after having breakfast at Pak Darbar Restaurant, Marina.
Day 8: 01-Jan-2021 (Ferry, Goodbye Dubai!)
We had kept this day to ferry on a private yacht along the coastline but unfortunately the rates were to high and most of them were booked. So instead we booked a Ferry by Dubai-RTA(AED 50) from Dubai Marina to Creek for 1hr 45mins which wold take us along Marina, Atlantis, Burj Al Arab and Bur Dubai. It is a must do item according to me to enjoy the high rise of Dubai as seen from the sea.
So after all the fun and travel in 1 week, it was time to say goodbye to Dubai until we meet again! We booked an executive cab from Marin till DXB through Booking.com (INR 2,005/-)
We made 2 new friends Ankit & Jyoti and I want to thank them for adding extra energy to our trip 🙂
Notes
- Download the S’Hail app for the Metro + Tram + Bus live tracking
- Get the Nol card for public transport. It is very cheap
- Prefer Hala cab over Careem and Uber. It goes by meter!
- If you want to do Skiing in Mall of the Emirates, book well in advance as you might miss certain attraction which are overbooked
- An average meal would cost you AED 50, average metro ride would cost AED 5.
- Hala cab minimum charge is AED 12. From airport to Marina, it costs around AED 109 while from Burj to Marina, around AED 60.
- Electronics are really cheap in Dubai and clothing collections are usually very different which we don’t ever see in India. Always ask for the Planet VAT refund sticker if your bill amount is greater than AED 225. You can claim refund at the airport.
- Carry medicines, cash & international travel adaptor
- There is no concept of tap water in Dubai and you would always need to buy water bottle which costs around AED 2 for 1.5L
- Airtel international roaming works like a magic and it costs around INR 1,200/- for 30 days (100 min incoming and outgoing calls in UAE + India, 1GB Data). This plan is only available in prepaid.
Recommended Places/Things
- Hatta
- Fujairah + Dibbi
- Dubai Marina
- Palm Jumeirah + PointE Fountain Show
- Burj Khalifa VIP Lounge at 148th Floor
- Abu Dhabi
- Skiing in Mall of the Emirates
- Bur Dubai
- Ferry from Marina to Dubai Creek
- Dubai Mall + Ibn Batuta Mall for shopping
- Miracle Garden
- Global Village
- Sky diving
- Dubai Ferry
Estimated Trip Cost: INR 84,700/- (excluding stay)
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