DUBAI, UAE: ROAD TRIP

Dates: 13.09.2023 – 21.09.2023

RIX – DXB

13.09.2023: We’re heading to our furthest eastern destination so far – the United Arab Emirates. We’ll be taking a direct flight from Riga, departing at midnight. I think the Riga–Dubai direct route was only launched relatively recently. Hopefully, after getting at least some sleep, we’ll be ready to start exploring deserts and skyscrapers at 07:00 tomorrow.

No visas are required, and the Arabs also recognise Latvian driving licences, so all that’s left is to drive. This time, public transport won’t really be involved. We’ll be going everywhere ourselves in a rental car, which will hopefully be waiting for us directly at Dubai International Airport.

We’ve planned a fairly comprehensive route through several emirates. Originally, we also wanted to cross into Oman, but because of unrest near the Oman–Yemen border, rental cars aren’t allowed to leave the UAE. The area we wanted to visit is actually a tiny Omani “patch” completely surrounded by the UAE at the very northern tip of the peninsula, while the Yemen border is at least 1,000 km south in a straight line. Oh well, another time. Rules are rules. If you can’t, you can’t.

DUBAI AIRPORT

14.09.2023: The flight turned out to feel pretty long. AirBaltic planes probably aren’t really designed for flights longer than 3–4 hours. Sitting itself was fine, but finding any position suitable for sleep was basically impossible. I spent the whole flight twisting around, playing games and reading a book. Altogether, I probably slept around 1.5 hours. Madara spent most of the flight very convincingly pretending to sleep, but her result was about the same as mine.

We decide to have breakfast at the airport before collecting our car from Dollar Car Rental and driving to Abu Dhabi. I choose a Turkish omelette. Madara still hasn’t figured out what kind of person she is this morning, so she orders the same. Car rental prices here are very reasonable – maybe because September isn’t exactly peak tourist season? Eight days with full insurance costs us €190.

Picking up the car at the airport is also extremely easy and efficient. Literally 200 metres from the terminal exit, our little MG ZS SUV is already waiting for us. We had planned two or three short hikes during the trip, but the moment we step outside and the first +40°C blast of hairdryer wind hits us in the face, it becomes immediately obvious that there will be no hiking. Staying outside for long periods is already going to be difficult enough, never mind doing physical exercise.

ABU DHABI: SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE

14.09.2023: The drive from the airport to Abu Dhabi goes very smoothly. And there’s a reason for that – the road infrastructure is epic. Traffic is very heavy, but it gets spread across highways that are sometimes eight – yes, EIGHT – lanes wide in each direction, with a speed limit of up to 140 km/h. Our little MG SUV does eventually reach that speed, although not without considerable effort. After around 1.5 hours of driving, we arrive at our first attraction – Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

From the moment we enter the grounds, the organisation is impressive. We’re shown exactly where to park, a shuttle picks us up directly from the car park and takes us to the entrance, which leads underground. There’s a small shopping centre below ground level where you can eat and buy traditional Arab clothing. This is mainly so unprepared tourists can still visit the mosque, because the dress code here is quite strict – especially for women. We’ve prepared in advance. It’s also very obvious that everything has been designed to minimise the amount of time people need to spend outside.

The mosque is absolutely enormous. Construction was completed in 2007 and the complex covers around 12 hectares. Everything is covered in shiny white marble. The central courtyard is so blindingly white it looks like a row of teeth in a Colgate commercial. It’s difficult to describe just how impressive it looks. Apparently, this is currently the largest marble courtyard in the world. We photograph everything, everywhere, nonstop. There’s going to be a lot of material to sort through later. And this is only the first attraction of our week-long trip.

The walking route is organised so carefully that you couldn’t really get lost even if you tried. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan himself never actually saw his masterpiece completed. He died in 2004 at the age of 86 and was buried here within the mosque grounds. The mosque itself was completed in 2007 after 11 years of construction. With 82 domes, it is currently one of the largest mosques in the world. The central dome reaches an impressive 32.2 metres in diameter and 85 metres in height.

Inside the main prayer hall, enormous glass chandeliers hang above the world’s largest carpet. It covers more than 5,000 m² and apparently cost around €8 million. The whole visit is very impressive and takes us roughly 40–50 minutes, depending on how quickly or slowly you want to move through the rooms and courtyards.

Since entry is free, we might come back tomorrow after dark. It should look completely different. Our hotel is only about ten minutes away by car, so it would almost be silly not to.

ABU DHABI: MILLENNIUM AL RAWDAH HOTEL

14.09.2023: We’re staying at Millennium Al Rawdah Hotel. It’s officially a five-star hotel, although around here it feels like stars are handed out fairly generously, so I’m not sure how seriously they should be taken. The lobby is large, spacious and respectable. While the receptionist sorts out our room, some Arab guy creates a huge scene because he’s apparently been waiting far too long for his key. Two nights cost us around €120. The room isn’t exactly brand new, but it’s perfectly fine. Huge bathroom, a sofa and even a terrace we can’t actually access. To be fair, with +40°C outside, we probably wouldn’t be sitting there in direct sunlight anyway. Right now we need a short reset after the sleepless night before heading into the city for the evening.

Jumping slightly ahead, the following day we also test the hotel pool. We go in the late afternoon when the sun isn’t frying quite as aggressively, although it’s obviously still hot. The pool is mildly refreshing. In this heat, I could probably wish for colder water, but it’s pleasant anyway. Over the terrace railing, we can see the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the distance. The locals – okay, I have no idea if they’re actually locals, but at least the other hotel guests – swim fully dressed. We’re almost the only “naked” ones. Nobody seems particularly bothered by us though.

ABU DHABI: ETIHAD TOWERS

14.09.2023: Turns out Abu Dhabi is a big city! From our hotel to the centre is almost 20 km and around 30 minutes by car. Looking at the map beforehand, it somehow didn’t feel that large. Probably because most of the city is laid out in such a straight and regular grid that it creates a bit of an optical illusion. We park near Etihad Towers – better known to the wider world as the skyscrapers where Dom and Brian jump a stolen Lykan HyperSport between three towers in Fast & Furious. There’s a light haze today, so the panorama isn’t perfect, but the impressive buildings are still clearly visible. The complex consists of five skyscrapers ranging from 218 to 305 metres. Abu Dhabi actually has relatively few skyscrapers, so these buildings stand out. Of course, “few” is relative. Compared with Riga – loads of high-rises. Compared with neighbouring Dubai – suddenly not that many at all.

Even in the evening, the temperature is still around +35°C, so there won’t be any long walks. In 20 minutes, we meet exactly one tourist. The other four people we see are local workers wiping down the white marble slabs in The Founder’s Memorial park. It looks like this is how we’ll plan the next few days as well – up to 30 minutes outside, followed by recovery in an air-conditioned car, hotel or shopping centre.

Before returning to the hotel, we stop at Marina Mall. Every possible shop is here, plus a Mercedes-Benz showroom in the middle in case you suddenly feel like buying a G-Class on the way home – they’re extremely popular here. In the supermarket, we even find Riga sprats. The Arabs have everything.

ABU DHABI: UAE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE – QASR AL WATAN

15.09.2023: After around 25 minutes of driving through the city at 100 km/h, we arrive at today’s main attraction – the official presidential reception palace of the United Arab Emirates. First of all, we’re slightly surprised to discover that the UAE even has a president. We thought “sheikh” was basically the highest possible title. But what do we know…

Even the final roundabout before entering the grounds is paved with shiny marble tiles. Entry costs 65 dirhams, and immediately after the ticket desk an air-conditioned shuttle picks us up and drives us to the enormous palace entrance. By the way, the palace has only been open to the public since 2019. The size of the doors could probably compete with Florence Cathedral. We head inside quickly because it’s ridiculously hot outdoors.

The moment the doors open, the luxury and scale in front of us are difficult to process. It’s hard to describe in words and equally hard to fit into photographs. Even with a 0.5x wide-angle camera, the whole scene doesn’t really fit into the frame.
You can only stare at the sheer scale and wonder that buildings like this are still being constructed in modern times. Arab oil money makes it possible.

We go through every accessible room – the library and House of Knowledge documenting the origins and development of the Emirates, meeting rooms, dining halls, the Spirit of Collaboration chamber where major decisions are made, and of course the central dome, which is 37 metres in diameter.

It strongly reminds me of the gigantic cathedrals we saw in Andalusia, Spain, except here there’s no thousand-year-old “smell of history” and everything uses modern solutions because construction of the palace was only completed in 2017. But it isn’t one bit less impressive. An hour disappears almost instantly. Before leaving, we each have a small Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Unfortunately, it’s been frozen far too hard and isn’t particularly good.

ABU DHABI: CORNICHE BEACH

15.09.2023: We’re not exactly expecting a refreshing swim, but we still want to tick off the Persian Gulf. Corniche Beach is actually quite famous among holidaymakers – with the important clarification: during tourist season. Right now it’s +40°C in the shade with a “feels like” temperature of +63°C. It’s difficult to imagine what +63°C should feel like anywhere outside a sauna, but it’s hellishly hot, so we’re willing to believe it.

Once we reach Abu Dhabi beach, I experience something new: for the first time in my life, I have to get OUT of the sea to cool down. The water feels like a hot bath. There aren’t many people here. More specifically, besides us there are two lifeguards, one woman, another guy and four locals – although I’d guess they’re actually migrant workers. The woman is even sunbathing, but she’s the only person attempting such an extreme activity. After lightly roasting ourselves in the sun and getting wet in the extremely salty Persian Gulf, we decide it’s time to search for some cold air conditioning.

We drive across the small bay to a kind of pier or peninsula with an enormous UAE flag and a view over the Corniche Street promenade. The skyscrapers are once again hiding behind a light haze.

As it turns out, Heritage Village is also open today, despite Google Maps very clearly telling us it’s closed. There are historical buildings, local craftsmen and their products. I buy the traditional white kandura worn by Arab men for what feels like a very reasonable 130 dirhams. Tomorrow we’re going into the desert, so we’ll test its effectiveness!

On the way back, we stop at a shopping centre. Then an interesting situation develops. We walk into the car park looking for the C-D/12 spot I carefully memorised. No car. We walk backwards and forwards across the whole car park. Nothing. After around 30 minutes, one of the “car wash guys” approaches – practically every car park here has someone ready to wash your car for 20 AED – and asks what’s wrong. I explain that I can’t find my car. He points upwards and suggests trying the second floor. Second underground floor? There’s another one? Sure enough, we’re in exactly the right parking area, just on the wrong level. I had already started wondering whether someone had actually stolen our rental car. That would make us the unluckiest people on Earth – managing to lose a car in a city with practically zero crime. All good. We drive on.

ABU DHABI: SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE – EVENING

15.09.2023: It’s only a ten-minute drive from the hotel to the mosque. This time we already know everything like professionals and walk in confidently. Nobody even needs to ask where we’re going. A few minutes later, we’re once again standing in front of the enormous mosque gates because there are very few people and no queues at all. In the darkness, all the domes are illuminated in blue tones. The marble tiles in the huge courtyard reflect the lights like a smooth water surface, creating some very interesting optical illusions. This time we also manage to get a photo of the two of us together. I test my new kandura as well. Fits nicely, although in the darkness it doesn’t create much of an effect. The real test will be tomorrow in the sun.

At the entrance to the prayer hall, where tickets are checked, the security guard is surprised that we’re from Latvia. Apparently tourists from Latvia are very rare here. Nice that he immediately knows our country, which is smaller in area than the Emirate of Abu Dhabi alone. Personally, I feel like the UAE has become quite a popular destination among Latvian travellers over the last few years.

HATTA: HATTA DAM

16.09.2023: Today we’re heading to the next town – Hatta. Around 250 km or roughly 2.5 hours away. The road for the entire journey is EXCELLENT. Almost nowhere does it drop below three lanes in each direction. Most importantly, it’s surprisingly empty and free of traffic. For most of the route, the speed limit is 140 km/h, although our car doesn’t really go that fast. So at least we don’t have to worry too much about speeding. Interestingly, even though the legal speed is already very high, there are speed cameras literally every few kilometres. There must be a reason for that.

We see quite a few wild camels along the roadside. I do wonder what exactly a camel eats out here when 99% of the visible landscape is sand. It’s also funny seeing locals transporting camels in trailers. To be fair, the animal doesn’t look remotely bothered by sitting inside the box.

About 50 km outside the big cities, the roadside starts revealing scenes that feel more like everyday life. Locals transporting camels in trailers, huge infrastructure projects, small villages and so on. Honestly, this was also high on my “must-see” list in the UAE. After a while, all major cities start feeling somewhat similar, while small towns are always real and unique. That’s why I wanted to get outside glamorous Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well.

The highway is literally carved through rocky, sandy hills as we approach Hatta. The slopes are heavily reinforced. Nothing has been left to chance. The Arabs have thought of everything. Even on steep descents, there are escape ramps – basically uphill sections where, according to our interpretation, you’re supposed to drive or roll if the brakes overheat and fail. At least then you’ll stop beside the road instead of ending up at the bottom of one of the many ravines immediately beyond the asphalt.

There’s major construction happening below Hatta Dam. It looks like they’re building a hydroelectric power station. For 120 AED, we rent a double kayak and paddle around the reservoir. Hatta is slightly cooler than the big cities, which apparently is normal. By “cooler”, I mean +35°C instead of the usual +45°C.

If there’s an opportunity to rent kayaks, we usually take it. The views around Hatta Dam are interesting, although probably not quite breathtaking. If you have a few hours to kill, it’s a good option. But if the weather allows, I think hiking would be a better way to experience the local nature and views – for example up towards the giant HATTA letters on the mountain outside town.

HATTA: FORT HOTEL

16.09.2023: The most expensive hotel of the trip – Hatta Fort Hotel. €170 per night. It sits slightly outside town in its own grounds at the foot of the hills, overlooking the giant white “HATTA” letters. By the way, Guinness World Records recognises them as the largest landmark sign in the world at 19.3 metres high, beating even the world-famous Hollywood sign.

We’re staying in a small bungalow-style terraced room. Very cosy, with a terrace and an outdoor temperature that is actually survivable. The hotel offers plenty of activities. We see small deer, goats and peacocks and feed some tortoises.

After a short rest in our little house, we head to the pool. Basically the entire pool is ours. At first, two other couples are lying on loungers and swimming, but soon both disappear and we’re left alone. Well, us and the lifeguard supervising us in case we somehow drown in a 1.5-metre-deep pool. The bars and cafés, however, are completely dead. I had hoped to get one of those drinks that are supposedly forbidden in Arab countries, because earlier I noticed they serve them here. No luck. We’ll survive.

FUJAIRAH

17.09.2023: In the morning, we’re greeted by a huge breakfast buffet. There’s something for practically every taste in the world. We sit next to the pastry table. One employee treats the croissant display like his life depends on it, making sure the mountain is always perfectly arranged and complete. The moment anyone takes a pastry, he immediately appears to repair the structural integrity of his croissant pyramid.

Our first stop is about an hour away in the Emirate of Fujairah – Fujairah Fort. As soon as we leave Hatta towards Oman, the roads become noticeably more mountainous and serpentine. At one point, we drive right up to the border crossing. This country will remain unticked for now though – literally 100 metres before the border we turn towards Fujairah.

This seventh-largest city in the UAE is no weak little settlement either. There are plenty of skyscrapers along the main Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Sharqi Road. Fujairah Fort itself looked bigger in photos, but it’s still interesting. Entry to the 16th-century fortress is free. There’s even a guy sitting there in the +35°C heat who comes over and tells us a little about the place. We can’t really understand whether we’re supposed to pay him or not, but after his little explanation he simply says, “Bye bye! Have a nice day!” at the exit. So we continue. We also wanted to visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah, the second-largest mosque in the UAE after Abu Dhabi’s, but it’s currently prayer time and the mosque is closed to ordinary visitors. No problem. We still need fuel anyway before continuing towards Jebel Jais.

JEBEL JAIS

17.09.2023: It’s around a two-hour drive to the UAE’s largest canyon and highest point, reaching 1,892 metres above sea level. The highest point of the overall mountain range is actually 1,934 metres, but that lies on the Omani side. The border between the two countries basically follows the mountain ridge. Along the way, we meet some camels right beside the road. Until now we’ve only seen them from a distance, but these specimens are literally roadside. We drive quite close, but they seem completely unbothered and continue dealing with whatever camel problems are currently important to them. We take some photos and happily continue. We could perhaps have got out for a closer shot, but we’re slightly worried that one of them might decide we’re less friendly than we look and start doing unpredictable camel things.

We drive through quite a few villages. Looking at the route afterwards, some of their names seem pretty funny. For example, Mudfak or Seih Al Beer. Come on, those are funny, right? All the villages share a few things: excellent roads, a market on the main street through town and a mosque that looks disproportionately large compared with the size of the settlement. This is exactly something I wanted to see during the trip – even if only a tiny glimpse of everyday life outside glamorous Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

With some effort, our MG finally climbs the Jebel Jais serpentines, right up towards the border with Oman. There are several activities available at the top, although most are probably better suited to days when it isn’t +40°C. This is also home to the world’s longest zip line. It’s almost 3 km long and riders can reach speeds of around 150 km/h. We eat ice cream, drink Fanta, absorb the mountain views and slowly start heading towards Sharjah. The canyon is beautiful and definitely worth visiting, although once again there’s a slight haze preventing us from seeing the full potential of the sandy mountains. I also have to admit that driving these serpentines would be much more entertaining if our car were technically a little more capable. Have to leave something for the next visit!

SHARJAH

17.09.2023: Our final stop before today’s destination is the Blue Souk, the central market of Sharjah, capital of the emirate of the same name. Sharjah is the third-largest city in the UAE after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Since January 1, 2022, Sharjah has had an official four-day working week and a three-day weekend. Not bad, huh?

I had imagined the Blue Souk would have all kinds of leather products and handicrafts, but in reality you can mostly buy every possible variety of gold jewellery – real gold, presumably – plus abayas, scarves and the occasional carpet. So we don’t stay too long, despite the market being enormous. It consists of two separate long two-storey buildings connected at both ends by bridges crossing the road between them. Around 600 traders operate here.

We also wanted to walk around Al Majaz Park, but couldn’t sensibly solve the parking issue – more specifically, how to pay for parking – so we decide to continue to Dubai. Still, even from our brief express visit to Sharjah, it’s obvious that the city is large, the buildings are modern and the infrastructure is developed to an extremely high level. If we return to the UAE, I’d happily spend more time here.

DUBAI: MILLENNIUM ATRIA BUSINESS BAY HOTEL

17.09.2023: Tired, but we’ve arrived. The drive from Sharjah to Dubai is impressive in terms of gigantic infrastructure as well. At one point, we’re on a highway with twelve – TWELVE – lanes in each direction. Driving culture and general traffic behaviour are surprisingly manageable and fairly friendly even for a visitor like me, although you need constant concentration to make sure you’re in the correct one of those twelve available lanes. Without navigation, getting where you actually want to go would be pretty hopeless.

When we arrive at the hotel, the receptionist notices that today is my birthday and gives us a free room upgrade. Later, they even send a chocolate cake up to the room with “Happy Birthday” written on the plate. A small thing, but very nice. The cake itself is a small thing. Giving us a better room for my birthday, though, is genuinely cool from the hotel manager. Four nights here with breakfast cost us €438.

From the room, we video-call everyone back home. Then we immediately go and test both the rooftop pool on the 25th floor with a view of Burj Khalifa and, in proud isolation, the hotel restaurant for dinner.

After the birthday video-call marathon with family and friends, all that’s left is to sit on the terrace and enjoy the evening in a “feels like” +44°C temperature. Thinking back over today, I realise this inter-emirate road trip was exactly what the English phrase means: “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” Yes, the canyon and fortress were beautiful, but the camel standing beside the road and the random guy walking through the desert 50 km from the nearest village towards some unknown destination left just as much of an impression. We’re here to find new experiences we’ve never had before, right? So far, it’s working.

BURJ KHALIFA

18.09.2023: First thing this morning, we head straight for the tallest building in the world – the 828-metre Burj Khalifa. Everything here is the tallest, fastest or biggest in the world. Travelling at 10 m/s, we shoot up to the 124th floor at 504 metres in one of the world’s fastest and longest uninterrupted elevator rides. There are relatively few people first thing in the morning, so we can enjoy the view and take photos without too much interference. We can also walk up to the 125th floor. Once again, the same haze slightly limits visibility in the distance, but all the mega-skyscrapers along Sheikh Zayed Road are still clearly visible. Most of the other buildings we can see would count as some of the tallest buildings in practically any other city. From Burj Khalifa, they look tiny. That includes Gevora Hotel, visible from the window and supposedly the tallest hotel in the world at 356 metres. Worth remembering that Burj Khalifa is more than twice as tall…
After around 40 minutes at the top, we continue exploring Dubai.

DUBAI MALL & DUBAI FOUNTAIN

18.09.2023: Next up – one of the world’s largest shopping centres, Dubai Mall. It has absolutely everything. Around 1,200 shops, a huge aquarium, waterfall, ice rink and countless opportunities to get lost. Massive Turkish sweet shops, futuristic opticians, every luxury brand imaginable. Around 75 million people visit this shopping centre every year. There certainly aren’t any shortages of people today either.

Our goal isn’t to leave with shopping bags. We’re far more modest – the only thing we buy is a bad pizza from Pizza Hut. After loading some carbohydrates, we head outside for a 20-minute excursion to see Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain from the outside. Guess what Dubai Fountain is? Yes, correct – another one of the world’s biggest. At this time of day, there are very few people outside, and there’s a very hot reason for that. So we quickly take our photos and retreat back into the air conditioning. Originally, I had thought we might walk all the way around the fountain. Later, looking at Google Maps, I’m very glad we changed our minds because it would have been at least 3 km. That doesn’t sound like much, but when the temperature in direct sunlight is approaching +50°C, it feels like running a half marathon.
After yesterday’s long driving day, I’m feeling slightly soft today, so the hotel “nap” option sounds increasingly attractive.

In the evening, we return for Dubai Fountain’s famous show, which happens every 30 minutes after dark. The fountain pool is larger than two football pitches and the water literally explodes up to 150 metres into the air. I continue being amazed by Arab ambition and everything around us. The first time, the fountain show itself doesn’t completely grab me. Over several days, we end up watching it three times, and every show is different. Each time I like it more. The first two use Arabic music, while the final one is the perfect finishing touch – the theme from Mission: Impossible. Very appropriate, considering that in one of the films Tom Cruise, or IMF super-spy Ethan Hunt, jumps out of a window of Burj Khalifa. Good movie!

DUBAI MARINA

18.09.2023: This is apparently another “largest in the world” – Dubai Marina is one of the largest man-made marinas in the world. I have to admit that the yachts themselves look slightly underwhelming, at least right now. To be fair, we’re comparing them with the top league of the French Riviera – Saint-Tropez and Cannes. But Dubai wants to be the biggest, most expensive and best at everything, right? Maybe conditions simply aren’t ideal for keeping giant yachts here for long periods.

Whatever the world records say, this is one of the rare areas in Dubai with a proper pedestrian promenade. And it’s very impressive. Sometimes called the Manhattan of Dubai. A canal runs through the middle with countless small boats and yachts, surrounded on all sides by endlessly rising skyscrapers. The evening is hot but survivable. We even set a new outdoor-exposure record – 1.5 hours. We’re obviously completely soaked in sweat by the end, but satisfied.

On the way back, everything suddenly starts looking yellow. At first, I blame it on the fact that many buildings are brownish and dusk is approaching. Eventually, we decide it must be a very small sandstorm. Nobody around us seems bothered. So we keep walking too. It looks interesting.

MALL OF THE EMIRATES

18.09.2023: We still need to buy some food today. We’ll try making use of the kitchen in our hotel room. Combining practical needs with tourism, we head to another Dubai mega-mall – Mall of the Emirates. I’m sure there are countless other strange things here, but before buying groceries we only check out the most impressive and absurd one – a ski resort. In the desert! It’s +40°C outside and the sheikhs apparently thought it would be hilarious to build a ski slope inside a shopping centre. We walk up to the giant glass wall and yes – children are having snowball fights, people are sledding and there’s even a chairlift taking skiers up the slope.

I also wanted to drive along Sheikh Zayed Road today, where many of Dubai’s skyscrapers line both sides, finishing at another attraction – Dubai Frame. Unfortunately, after dark it turns out to be much less illuminated than expected. The haze from the small sandstorm also blocks the view. We’ll definitely drive through again during daylight.

THE DUBAI FRAME

19.09.2023: Last night’s attempt to see Dubai Frame in the dark wasn’t particularly successful, so today we try again in daylight. We don’t intend to go inside, but we do want to drive up and take a few photos. Turns out even the parking is paid, so this becomes a truly express visit. We literally stop beside the road, take a few pictures and escape.

Dubai Frame is absolutely enormous, but I keep looking at it and wondering how pointless this building or structure actually is. When you stand next to it, you can photograph the frame, but all you see through it is sky. Pay money and go to the top, and then you can’t see the frame itself. There are plenty of other observation decks much closer to the actual skyscrapers. What they really need is a platform on the opposite side of the highway where you could view the city skyline through this giant golden rectangle.

GOLD & SPICE SOUKS

19.09.2023: Our first visit to Dubai’s Old Town takes us to the Al Buteen area, where the huge ten-lane highways turn into small streets densely packed with tiny shops and street traders. The markets are divided into zones according to what they sell – gold, textiles, carpets, spices and so on. A “souq” is basically a market.

We’re here fairly early and there aren’t many other people, so the traders spot “fresh blood” and literally throw themselves at us. And I mean properly throw themselves at us. Scarves are already being wrapped around Madara’s head. Perfume sprayed at us. Spices pushed under our noses. It’s interesting, but fairly extreme.

In one shop, we buy a spice set and some strange crystals that dissolve in hot water and release a strong menthol smell. Apparently you can inhale the steam to help with a blocked nose or sore throat. I’m not much of a bargaining master, so this style of shopping isn’t really my favourite. But the market itself is interesting to explore. With a few more customers around, it might be possible to walk more calmly and actually look at something before the seller attacks.

DESERT SAFARI

19.09.2023: Today’s main attraction is a desert safari. At exactly 15:00, as agreed, we’re picked up from our hotel. We’re the final passengers collected by the seven-seat Land Cruiser. After around 45 minutes, we arrive at one of the desert base camps, where we have about an hour to entertain ourselves. You can ride quad bikes, drive buggies or ride a camel – all for an extra fee. We do a ten-minute camel ride. Yes, it’s animal exploitation to some extent, but camels are fairly exotic creatures for us and we wanted to sit on one. Besides, we’re not that heavy. 🙂 Afterwards, we move on to the main attraction – dune bashing. Sitting in the third row of the Land Cruiser, we get thrown around quite seriously. It’s impressive how calmly and confidently our driver attacks the dunes. Even more impressive is how the Land Cruiser climbs ridiculously steep walls of sand. This was firmly on my must-do list because I wanted to see a real desert where there is nothing but sand all the way to the horizon in every direction. Impressive. I liked it! At one point, they let all the tourists out to take photos on a dune. Land Cruisers are running around the desert like ants in a colony, entertaining tourists. Luckily, there’s enough desert and sand for everyone without getting in each other’s way.

At the end, all the cars gather at a desert camp where dinner is waiting, accompanied by fire performances and belly dancing. Meanwhile, we get a chance to talk to the four women sharing our tour. One is Indian but now lives in Seattle, USA. Another is an Indian gynaecologist from India who could basically call herself a world traveller – she’s been almost everywhere, including our beloved Patagonia and even Antarctica. She has also visited Riga! The other two women are Moroccan and Tunisian/Libyan, both currently working in Dubai and having lived here for almost a year.

The price-performance ratio of this excursion is excellent. Six hours of entertainment, a huge dinner, hotel pickup and drop-off. A very efficiently spent day! The tour costs €36.50 per person. I booked it through Booking.com.

AURA SKYPOOL

20.09.2023: Today starts early. We need to be at our first attraction at 06:00, which means the alarm goes off at 05:00. Aura Skypool is located on the 50th floor of The Palm Tower. It’s a 360-degree infinity pool overlooking Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab, Ain Dubai and, of course, countless Dubai skyscrapers. I assumed the very early sunrise session would have relatively few people. Nope. It’s almost full.
We have a double lounger reserved in the front row overlooking Palm Jumeirah. This pleasure costs us 250 dirhams per person.

Standing in the queue downstairs, everyone looked like “ordinary mortals”. The moment they reach the pool, they all suddenly transform into influencers, trendsetters and, occasionally, slightly annoying selfie-production machines.
The first time we step onto the outdoor terrace, the view genuinely takes your breath away for a moment. An infinity pool with water flowing over the edge and the huge Palm Jumeirah stretching out in front of us. Impressive!

At first, we sit shyly in our reserved spot. Then we begin our lap around the pool. After about 30 minutes, we’ve completed the circuit and finished the first round of photos. Now we can order some drinks and actually enjoy the view. Naturally, drinks aren’t cheap either. Two cocktails and granola with yoghurt – Jurģītis is starting to get hungry 🤷🏻‍♂️ – cost us 180 AED. Including entry, the whole experience ends up around €170. But I have to say it’s worth it. This is something special. There’s probably little point spending too much on the food and drinks though. They’re expensive and not really much different from what you’d get elsewhere.

Back to the actual experience. You reserve a specific lounger or seat, but you’re free to walk or swim around the entire pool. For around an hour, the area in front of us is occupied by a Spanish – or more likely South American – group that keeps taking photos, changing clothes and continuing to take photos without any signs of fatigue. It starts getting mildly annoying, although it’s entertaining at the same time. At least Madara can learn some posing techniques from the Latina mamacitas.
We have three hours here. Somewhere in between, I read the book my grandfather gave me – a travel-around-the-world account written by a Latvian in the 1920s.
The time disappears unbelievably quickly. Expensive experience, but I definitely recommend it. Worth it!

AL MADAM GHOST VILLAGE

20.09.2023: After our early morning activities, we hurry back to the hotel to catch breakfast. While eating, I realise I need some sleep before continuing. We take a nap for just under an hour and then head back into the desert.

We drive around 75 km to the abandoned ghost village near Al Madam, which is slowly being “eaten” by the desert. The small settlement was abandoned because its builders apparently couldn’t fight the constant sandstorms, which repeatedly caused damage and buried everything in sand. It seems the village was built without properly accounting for the surrounding terrain and prevailing winds, resulting in sand constantly being deposited exactly where nobody wanted it. Another few years and there may be very little left to see.

At the moment, the place is freely accessible to visitors. Some houses are already half buried, and entering through the doorway requires crouching or even crawling on all fours. The atmosphere feels pretty apocalyptic. I’m dressed completely in local clothing and feel surprisingly comfortable in the open desert despite +42°C in the shade and something around +55°C in direct sunlight. Madara’s feet are burning in sandals with exposed skin.

Interestingly, there’s no ticket or entrance fee. The nearest inhabited place is Al Madam town, around 15 km away across bare desert, yet at the entrance there’s a guy sitting inside a tiny one-square-metre hut supervising something. What exactly? No idea. He doesn’t need anything from us and we don’t need anything from him.

JUMEIRAH BEACH

20.09.2023: Since we’re in Dubai, we also want to tick off the world-famous Burj Al Arab, often referred to as the world’s only seven-star hotel. Ordinary mortals can probably see this sail-shaped building best from Jumeirah Beach, so that’s where we go. While we’re there, we also get ourselves wet in the Persian Gulf. “Wet” is the correct word because there’s absolutely nothing refreshing about this sun-heated, extremely salty water.
We splash around for maybe 20 minutes, Madara collects a few seashells and we move on. We simply can’t tolerate direct sunlight for much longer.
Unfortunately, another hotel built in front of Burj Al Arab blocks the best view. I assume the beach on the other side of that hotel is where most of the famous photos with Burj Al Arab in the background are actually taken.

LEVEL 43 SKY LOUNGE

20.09.2023: The final entertainment of the trip is a rooftop bar – Level 43 Sky Lounge at Four Points by Sheraton. I had marked several alternatives in case we couldn’t get in here, but Level 43 looked the most promising because it sits directly on Sheikh Zayed Road, giving a view over Dubai’s skyscrapers at night. We’ve seen the skyline from above several times during the day, but we haven’t yet managed to see the illuminated concrete-and-steel jungle in the desert from above after dark.

We hit rush-hour traffic, which makes the taxi more expensive than we’d prefer. But from above, watching countless infrastructure interchanges at night, the cars look like tiny ants running around a colony. It’s actually quite relaxing to watch such intense traffic from a distance – or more precisely, from above.

This bar also serves real beer and wine, which is still a relatively unusual luxury in the UAE. We take advantage of the opportunity and enjoy some properly refreshing drinks.
We briefly consider going back to Dubai Fountain one last time for another fountain show and a walk, but decide to return to the hotel instead. We have to wake up early tomorrow and our bags still need packing.

Total trip costs:
Transport (flights, car rental, fuel, etc.): ~1,150 EUR
Living expenses (accommodation, meals, etc.): ~950 EUR
Entertainment (admission tickets, souvenirs, etc.): ~650 EUR
Total: 2,750 EUR
Cost per person per day: 172 EUR