My time in the UAE barely scraped the surface of the oil rich country, but I do have some highlights from my journey to the east.
5. Good Eatin'
I'm a total foodie. Just follow my Instagram and it will become very apparent. When the perfect expression of love on Valentines Day is a food processor and a paleo cookbook there's really no room to question that fact.
Food is a cultural expression. It tells so much about a place or person. What type of texture do they like, what takes the majority of the plate--meat, veggies, starches? Is quantity important or is the focus on three bites of a sensory explosion.
Dubai, like any major city, offers a wide variety of experiences. The cuisine was a mix of Asian fusion, mediterranean, and western influence.
I tried many eateries in several of the elaborate malls across the city and found, what I consider, the best eating experience in Dubai. The TWG tearoom. A friend recommended it to me and it surely did not disappoint. Every food item is infused with a different tea, and my smoked salmon eggs benedict is the type of breakfast you dream of. Combine insane food with a picturesque waterfall and gracious servers with a wealth of stories to share--worth ever durum.
Every once in a while you also need to just pick a random metro stop, walk into a local Philippine restaurant, and tell the server you'll have what the man next to you is eating. I still have no idea what I ate, but it sure tasted good.
However, my favorite was no doubt the Lebanese food. Truly, I'm converted. The pita, the tabouli, the hummus...the goat. I'll never be able to eat chicken and rice happily again. It combined all my favorite mediterranean flavors and couldn't have been more authentic unless I had journeyed to Lebanon myself.
4. The Malls
The word "mall" is not an accurate term for these arenas of cultural expression. With over 60 currently standing and several others in construction you could spend days walking through just one climate controlled complex. The Dubai mall with it's extravagance, 1 mile circumference, and fountains; the Mall of the Emirates with the famous ski center; Ibn Battuta being my favorite mall ever. Dubai knows how to turn shopping into an experience.
And truly, anything with an aquarium wins points in my book.
3. Desert Safari
There is nothing more freeing than running through a sand dune.
There is also no better tourist experience than a desert safari. I saw my life flash before my eyes on the jeep ride across the desert dunes. I also realized that a two minute camel ride was all I really needed to get the iconic desert picture. Any longer and I'm pretty sure the camel would have turned on me. Between henna, tanoura and belly dancers, and a buffet of amazing middle eastern barbeque, this tourist trap is one worth falling into.
2. The Burj Khalifa
I'm sure within my lifetime another colossus skyscraper will be erected, it's peak scraping the ozone layer, but I'm still staggered at having stepped out onto the viewing area of the Burj Khalifa and seen what a city looks like from the 124th floor. They say the best time to go is at sunset. I say any time is worth it. You don't want to regret checking off this bucket list item.
1. Sunsets
I can't help it--I'm a sucker for that explosion of color across the horizon. You may always notice a sunset wherever you go, but there are some sunsets you just don't forget.
Truly, my favorite experience in Dubai was standing in the dunes, on the beach, in the mountains, or just in the city and watching the orange, desert sun melt into the ground.
That caps off my top five Dubai moments.
Don't forget to adventure today!
-Ray
Dubai is one of the best tour place in the world. I've taken all tours in UAE like desert safari, dhow cruise, city tour, Dubai Safari tour etc. I will highly recommend you guys visit UAE.
ReplyDelete