Dubai - Where Imagination Becomes Reality

WHY DUBAI?

My grandfather and grandmother went to Dubai when I was 15 years old and they were so impressed that it was all either of them could talk about for weeks. That’s was when Dubai became more than a point on the map for me…

Dubai is definitely hands down my dream vacation, I haven’t heard anything against it only stories that you see in movies or your imagination. My grandfather is also like me and the fact that he loved it so much I knew that I would probably love it more. So I have done some planning for my dream vacation and am ready to share my truest thoughts about this wonderful trip that I hope to have in the future.

 

CURRENCY 

The currency used in Dubai, is dirham, below is the conversion of 1 Canadian dollar to one Dirham and vise versa

1 Canadian Dollar = 3.70651 Dirham
1 Dirham (AED) = 0.26980 Canadian Dollar (CAD) 

TRIP DETAILS

WHO: Friends

WHEN: Hopefully when I graduate in May!

DURATION: 5 days and 4 nights (2days are devoted to travelling)

WHERE: Dubai

GOAL: To kick back and enjoy life!

HOW: By plane on economy flexibility!

FLIGHT: Price summary – round trip

Total: CAD  $2,825.87

Adult x 1 - $2,328.00 CAD

 Tax 497.87 CAD

 Total CAD - $2,825.87

 
ACCOMODATIONS:

Burj Al Arab Spring Dream Package

< May 2012 >
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
29	30	AED 7191 (CAD ~1K)	AED 7191 (CAD ~1K)	AED 7191 (CAD ~1K)	AED 7191 (CAD ~1K)	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Total Cost:

Total Base: AED 28,764.00 (CAD 7,767.74)

Tax & Fees: AED 5,752.80 (CAD 1,553.55)

Total Cost: AED 34,516.80 (CAD 9,321.28)

BURJ Al ARAB 

Burj Al Arab known for its luxuriousness in hotels dominates the Dubai skyline, at a staggering 321 meters high. This breathtaking skyscraper is designed in a way as to resemble a sail fluttering in the wind. The symbolism being that going to a Dubai is a holiday, fun and sophisticated all of which can be associated with yachting, which seems to fit with Dubai's nautical heritage.

Second to it’s reverence, my grandfather would talk of it’s the superb staff, highly qualified and trained to be at your beck in call including a personal check in desk on each floor and a chauffer with a Rolls Royce to take you wherever you wish … now that’s what I call a vacation! This building can be seen very nicely in the movie Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol, I’ve included a link for the trailer for those of you who might be interested. Enjoy!

 

THE SHOPPER MEETS THE ADVENTURER

As a girl growing up with five sisters, I’ve always adorn fashion, admiring the different styles designers come up with and the way models well model them. But mostly the fact that a person can be completely transformed with just their clothes and accessories and how they wear it. Get ready for this girls but the Dubai Mall has just about every major fashion brand in the world, and is said to be the next fashion capital of the world. It doesn’t stop there, the Dubai mall also has an in built ski resort, so that if you get tired of their hot weather, you can just hit the slopes indoor. Don’t believe me check it out yourself below.

 

 

Being an avid skier myself this is completely ideal for someone like me who can get best of both worlds, hot and cold! My dad was the one who taught me how to ski ever since I could walk and back then I hated him for putting me through all those scary lessons but now I’m happy he did cause it’s one of the most exhilarating sports I’ve ever experienced.

Now I know what you advanced skiers are thinking how could there possible be a slope challenging enough for you inside a mall, but don’t worry there is, they also have black diamonds that could give you a run for your money.

 

  THE CULTURAL SIDE

The hookah pipe is part of Dubai’s culture and its often common to see this in lounges or people’s houses there. There are many different flavors my personal favorite is the green apple, but in Dubai the flavors go beyond the normal ones we are familiar with. I would probably bring back a couple of my favorite ones to share with my friends and family back home.

Camel Riding is a must do in Dubai being known for their amazing deserts. I have never ridden on any animal before so this would be a nice treat and a great way to experience the desert terrain of Dubai. Maybe even have a cute picnic under a tent as a break as was done in the movie Sex and The City 2 which takes place in Dubai in Abu Dhabi. Watching this movie only further my interest in Dubai, seeing all the wonderful sights mixed with fashion and not to mention the entertaining storyline.

Having said that the fashion here is amazing, the boutique stores with the craftsmen shoes and hand bags are simply gorgeous not to mention cheap, so if you are a thrifty shopper like me you will definitely get you’re money’s worth with these cute craftsmanship items. They would make great gifts for family and friends back home.

I’ve heard that they have the best humus in Dubai and so that is definitely on my checklist of things to do in Dubai … Eat a lot of humus and if possible bring back some for home to eat later and if my friends and family are lucky share I’ll share some with them.

THE PARTY ANIMAL SIDE

Now for some people the day begins with at 9pm when the blazing sun goes down and that’s ok because Dubai has one of the best nightlife in the world. Now granted there is a law that prohibits nightclubs after 4a.m. but whatever is lost with this is more then made up in the variety, ambiance and music of these clubs. For more information on this click on the link below.

http://www.dubainightlife.org/

I’ve always been the more quiet and timid girl from my friends but I feel like vacation is a time to experience new things and rediscover yourself and who knows you might like the vacation you better and make a few permanent changes when you get back or discover things you about yourself that may surprise you I would definitely be coming out of my comfort zone being a party animal but there is a wild side to me I know and hopefully Dubai will help me bring more of that side out.

THE TOURIST SIDE

The hotel in itself is definitely a site to see being built on a man made island completely sounded by the ocean. I would definitely check out the sites from a hot air balloon if given the option, being able to sightsee from a different perspective. I’ve done this in Mombasa, Africa experiencing the safari from a hot air balloon and its definitely something a person should try at least once if not more.  There is obviously a lot but given the duration of my trip I wouldn’t be able to see and do everything but that would just be a nice excuse to go back. However some of the sites I must see are the Jumeira Mosque, the biggest mosque in Dubai, opened for some of the time to non-Muslim tourists, although this wouldn’t be a problem as I am Muslim. I would be interested to see what a place of worship is like in a country where its one of their main cultures, and to be able to compare it to a place with such multi culture like Canada. I would also like to see the Al-Fahidi Fort, which is one of the oldest buildings in Dubai. I’m hoping this will give me some insight into the history of Dubai and how it came to be what it is. This upcoming touristic, technological and very rich country.

 

THE SAFE VISITOR:

It is important to be respectful of all the different ethnic backgrounds that one will meet in their stay of Dubai. The Muslim culture, which is predominantly in Dubai, is a very conservative culture in which Muslim women wear burkas to cover their body parts. It is especially important to keep this in mind outside the hotel. Here are some tips my grandfather told me if I were to leave the hotel in terms of safety and being respectful:

1)   Always have someone who can speak Arabic preferably a man to accompany you at all times

2)   Dress appropriately/conservatively

3)   Don’t make any kind of comment that can be construed as vulgar

4)   Make sure you travel in groups especially at night

Here is a small clip from the movie sex and the city of THINGS NOT TO DO in Dubai:

Given that I have many different sides of me, I would love to experience all of them while in Dubai. I’m more comfortable with certain sides then others but the best way to rediscover yourself is to come out of your comfort zone and what better place to do things when you’re somewhere foreign and on vacation. I’m excited  for this trip not only because of all the lovely scenery and amazing service but also because I’ll hopefully get to know sides of myself that I didn’t even know were there. My goal is to want to be able to enjoy life more and I don’t usually splurge on vacation and am bad with taking time for myself so this dream vacation means so much more to me than just a vacation. It’s a chance to allow me to take some time for me, stay in a hotel I normally wouldn’t stay in and to do things I normally wouldn’t do.

Now having said all that, this trip is very pricey and so the deal that my grandfather has made me is whatever money I put towards this trip he’ll match it so that means I would just have to come up with half of what my budget would be, my budget being ($15, 000). So right now I have $5000 saved up and so need only $2, 500. I was hoping I would have this money by May but given the circumstances it looks like I might have to wait one more year which is of course fine, just more time to plan for me.  My grandfather is a huge part of my life and has always been my strength in life, I appreciate helping me with this and will always be great full for having him in my life.