Thursday, January 23, 2014

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

I went to Dubai for the first time in summer of 2009 with the whole family back. I went back in December of 2010 with my brother & sister and celebrated new year's eve there. This time, it was just me and my sister and we just wanted to spend some time there before heading to Karachi since it's only 2 hours away by plane. 

We took Qatar airways (14-hour-flight from Montreal to Doha and about an hour flight to Dubai with connecting time of 2 hours and 30 minutes). We were scheduled to arrive at 11 PM on September 14, but our flight from Doha got delayed by an hour. Luckily, the arrival process (passport control and luggages) didn't take long. We finally took the cab and got to our hotel (Crowne Plaza Deira). We were really hungry so ordered KFC (ahhhh finally some halal KFC).

Click here to read about my brief review of hotels, transportation, malls, etc. 

You can also read more about our trip below but to see more pictures, visit my website

Day 1: Nstyle Nail Lounge
September 15th 2013

We decided to relax on our first day. We took the cap to Mall of Emirates for a bit and then headed to Dubai mall, where we went to Nstyle Nail Lounge. I got my haircut there and then my sister and I got our mani/pedi while drinking tea. It was so relaxing! 


You can view their menu of services online.
What I got
  • Cut N Style - Medium hair
  • Parlez-vous & Snappy Steppers (French mani/pedi)
What my sister got: 
  • With a twist & Toes with the Twist (mani/pedi with color)
We were both satisfied with our nails and I liked my haircut too but I personally find it was a bit pricey (usually I pay much less in Montreal for same type of haircut). The employees were really nice and professional. I will definitely go back there whenever I get a chance but just for nails. 

Day 2: Burj Al Arab Afternoon Tea 
September 16th 2013

My sister and I always wanted to go to Burj Al Arab and when we found out they had afternoon tea there, we couldn't resist. We found it a little expensive at first for afternoon tea (425 AED per person without glass of champagne) but after going there, we realized it was totally worth it! I would suggest anyone to go there at least once. 

Click here to read more about the experience and information about reservation, menu, pictures, etc.


Day 3: Atlantis & Jumeirah Beach
September 17th 2013

Although we have visited Atlantis before, we wanted to take the Palm monorail from there to Palm Gateway station and back to Atlantis (25 AED for round trip). We just wanted to get an elevated view of the Palm Island. Then we went to Jumeirah beach, where we got to watch the sunset. After that, we decided to have dinner at an Indian restaurant called Gazebo (Deira City Centre). We got the Murgh Hyderabadi Biryani (see menu here) in a pot covered with pita bread. Luckily my sister and I shared it because it was a big portion. Biryani was okay (nothing special) and it was a little spicy for us but their kulfi falooda was really good. 


Day 4: Dubai Mall
September 18th 2013

We decided to spend our day at Dubai Mall. Before heading out, we got "Royal dinner box" from Only Parathas delivered to our room (view their menu here). We regret not sharing a box because it was too filling and we couldn't finish it.

Our first stop in the mall was Burj Khalifa, tallest building in the world. We went on the 124th floor and got the view of the city, desert and ocean. Click here to read more about our experience. 


After that, we headed to Ladurée. We always wanted to try this place and it was worth the wait. Click here for my review. 


Then we stopped by the aquarium and shopped around. We weren't that hungry, so decided to grab something from food court. We decided to get poutine from New York Fries. It wasn't like the poutine with thick gravy sauce like in Montreal but it was still delicious!


Then we went to the Dubai Fountain. Even though we have seen the show during our previous trips, we still enjoy it! It's so spectacular! You also get to see Burj Khalifa all lighten up during night. The view is stunning! 


We made our last stop at Chocolate Bar and had chocolate fondue. We walked around fot a bit more in the mall and finally took a cab back to our hotel. What a great day spent at the mall!




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