Wanderlust Tales : Dubai Diaries

Posted by storiesbyankita November 17, 2017

Wanderlust Tales : Dubai Diaries - MARHABBA DUBAI

After the fantabulous trip to Pondicherry - I was in for a surprise when one fine morning, Dad just popped the question - "How about a trip to Dubai, beginning of the week?!" 😗

Would I not be kidding, if I didn't want to go to Dubai on an all expense paid trip!!😀😂
Left totally aghast - I couldn't have been more excited.😃

The Pondicherry Trip had not sunk in yet and here I was ready for another trip - not to mention an international family vacation! Oh, I was just beaming with joy.😈

Dubai - brings back loads of childhood memories of being in the Gulf - those memories aah... etched forever as irreplaceable and unforgettable. 😊

The moment I landed in Dubai, a very definite sense of belonging-ness embraced me. It felt so good to be back - I just wish I could stay on for more and more. 😐

MARHABBA DUBAI

Since it was not a planned trip - I was just picking up 'must visit places' from either TripAdvisor or other travel blogs available over the internet.

Dubai should be in your bucket list - especially now that it has so much to offer from it being traveler's paradise, a shopping haven - it is a city filled with skyscrapers, where almost everything is touching the sky - not to forget their architectural indulgence. They are equally blessed with natural beauty of the desserts and the sun & beaches. 💛

It has a lot to offer from its kitty!!

GLIMPSE INTO THE HISTORY:

Dubai, is the capital of Emirates of Dubai and one of the seven emirates that make up the country.

It is now a global city and a major business hub of the Middle East.

You will be surprised to know that Dubai is an all monarchy country with King's ruling. 😊

It is located on the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf.

There are many theories that have been proposed about the origin of the word of "Dubai". An Arabic proverb says, "Daba Dubai" meaning "They came with a lot of money". The word Dubai came from the word "Daba" referring to the slow flow of the Dubai Creek inland.

Dubai lies directly within the Arabian Dessert - it is just profound to see how the city has emerged from a desert to a world-class hub. 👌

Dubai has something to offer for all - a traveler's abode.

HOW TO GET HERE:

Dubai has an on arrival VISA for folks holding the valid US visa at a cost of 120 Dhirams. It allows you to stay in the country for 14 days. There is a special counter where they provide you with a receipt on receiving the payment and that's it - you are sorted.

Indians can apply for a regular visa which would take about 5-7 working days to process.

They do offer an express visa which is processed in approximately about 2 days barring their non-working days. It allows you to stay in the country for 14 days.The express visa is costly and costs about approximately INR 10K to 11K. 😑

PLACES TO SEE:

Dubai has wondrous places to visit - listing out a few we covered:

Dubai Mall
Burj Al Khalifa
Ibn Butata Mall
Atlantis
Wild Wadi
Dubai Creek
Old Dubai
City Center
Desert Safari
Dubai Marina
Emirates Mall
Kite Beach
Jamal Hameet Mountain
Souks
Take a ride in the metro
Dubai Water Canal
Sky diving
A ride in the Abra
Dubai Frame

I missed out on the Global Village which started from the 1st of November. 😒 But you must make it there.

BEST TIME TO VISIT:

With a typical hot desert type climate - end of October starts the good time to visit the country.

A 3 day trip is sufficient to cover Dubai - unless you are in a mood to just self indulge, then even 7 days would fall short!! 😁😂

GETTING AROUND:

Taxi
Metro train
Metro bus

Self driving could be a problem, since Dubai follows a left hand driving and their traffic, road rules are tougher to follow,if you don't have the right driving skills - plus every mistake is automatically fined. 😄

Note : to travel in the metro buses or trains, one needs to hold a metro card.