United Arab Emirates - 2013
Dubai
In May 2013 we went on a 33-day "5-Stans" Central Asia tour.
Melbourne - Kuala Lumpur - Kazakhstan - Kyzgystan - Uzbekistan - Tajikistan - Turkmenistan - Dubai - Melbourne
We had a 6:20am flight from Ashgabat in Turmenistan to Dubai.
It was a 2-hour flight.
Our hotel in Dubai was in a good spot overlooking Deira Creek.
The view over Deira Creek from our hotel window.
The next day we went on a double-decker hop-on hop-off bus tour of Dubai.
A station on the modern metro train system in Dubai.
Buildings with spheres on top belong to Dubai Telecom.
Some African Flame trees were in flower.
A first glimpse of the Burj Al Arab.
The Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs) is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
At 321 metres, it is the fourth tallest hotel in the world, however 39% of its total height
is made up of non-occupiable space.
Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island, 300 metre from Jumeriah Beach
and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge.
The shape of the structure is designed to mimic the sail of a ship.
A British journalist who visited the before it opened described the hotel in her article as
"above and beyond anything she had ever seen and called it a seven-star hotel."
You can only visit if you are staying there or have a reservation at one of their restaurants.
I did not have a coat and tie with me so we did not visit it.
Photos of Jumeirah Beach Hotel
The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial archipelago created by land reclamation.
The island is in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds,
and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 11 km long breakwater.
The island is 5 by 5 kilometres.The crown is connected to the mainland by a 300-metre bridge
and the crescent is connected to the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel.
Construction began in 2001. By 2007 it was the world's largest artificial island.
Driving out to Palm Jumeirah.
They are extending the Metro out to it.
Atlantis, The Palm Hotel.
The indoor ski-slope in the distance.
The Dubai Mall, the largest mall in Dubai with over 1200 shops.
Prices were dearer than those in Melbourne.
Inside there was a multi-storey aquarium which had the largest single acrylic panel in the world.
The Burj Al Khalifa, the highest building in the world is linked to the mall.
We had a 2:30pm viewing from the 124th floor.
WAFI Mall, another mall. There was a number of big mall complexes in Dubai.
The mall had an Egyptian facade where they had a short sound and light show at night.
Old-style cooling towers. Wet fabrics were hung on the protruding rods cooling the air as it blew in and down inside.
We continued our "big bus" tour at night.
The National Bank of Dubai Building on the left,
and the head office of the Dubai Chamber of Industry and Commerce Building on the right.
The next night I went back to The Dubai Mall to see the musical fountains.
The 10-minute show that I saw had Whitney Houston singing "I will always love you."
A similar fountain show to that outside the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
Not surprising as both were designed and built by the same company.
The Burj Khalif lit up at night.
Night time on Deira Creek.
The Burj Khalifa
829.8 metres high, it is the tallest building in the world.
It has 163 floors plus 46 maintenance levels in the spire and 2 parking levels in the basement.
Khalifa means "one who succeeds".
We were able to visit the observation level on the 124th floor.
Waiting in the foyer at the Dubai Mall before being escorted
to the lift to go up to the 124th floor.
Construction began in September 2004.
The exterior was completed in October 2009.
The building officially opened in January 2010.
Looking up to the top from the observation deck on the 124th floor.
Views from the 124th floor.
You can see that Dubai is a city in the desert.
Looking down on the roof of the Dubai Mall. (at lower left)
We met a newly-married couple from nearby Oman.
New Years Eve fireworks on The Burj Khalifa.
The Burj Khalifa at night.
I went on a "big bus" tour to Sharjah.
Our plane home
After 31 great days in Asia we flew out of Dubai at 10:30 am direct to Melbourne.
It was Qantas flight QF8406 but an Emirates plane.
It was our first flight on an Airbus A380.
A very comfortable and smooth 12¾ hour flight. Margaret did not realise that we had taken off.
A choice of 339 movies out of more than 1400 entertainment channels.
Our Emirates A380 at Dubai airport.
Dubai
In May 2013 we went on a 33-day "5-Stans" Central Asia tour.
Melbourne - Kuala Lumpur - Kazakhstan - Kyzgystan - Uzbekistan - Tajikistan - Turkmenistan - Dubai - Melbourne
We had a 6:20am flight from Ashgabat in Turmenistan to Dubai.
It was a 2-hour flight.
Our hotel in Dubai was in a good spot overlooking Deira Creek.
The view over Deira Creek from our hotel window.
The next day we went on a double-decker hop-on hop-off bus tour of Dubai.
A station on the modern metro train system in Dubai.
Buildings with spheres on top belong to Dubai Telecom.
Some African Flame trees were in flower.
A first glimpse of the Burj Al Arab.
The Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs) is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
At 321 metres, it is the fourth tallest hotel in the world, however 39% of its total height
is made up of non-occupiable space.
Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island, 300 metre from Jumeriah Beach
and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge.
The shape of the structure is designed to mimic the sail of a ship.
A British journalist who visited the before it opened described the hotel in her article as
"above and beyond anything she had ever seen and called it a seven-star hotel."
You can only visit if you are staying there or have a reservation at one of their restaurants.
I did not have a coat and tie with me so we did not visit it.
Photos of Jumeirah Beach Hotel
The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial archipelago created by land reclamation.
The island is in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds,
and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 11 km long breakwater.
The island is 5 by 5 kilometres.The crown is connected to the mainland by a 300-metre bridge
and the crescent is connected to the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel.
Construction began in 2001. By 2007 it was the world's largest artificial island.
Driving out to Palm Jumeirah.
They are extending the Metro out to it.
Atlantis, The Palm Hotel.
The indoor ski-slope in the distance.
The Dubai Mall, the largest mall in Dubai with over 1200 shops.
Prices were dearer than those in Melbourne.
Inside there was a multi-storey aquarium which had the largest single acrylic panel in the world.
The Burj Al Khalifa, the highest building in the world is linked to the mall.
We had a 2:30pm viewing from the 124th floor.
WAFI Mall, another mall. There was a number of big mall complexes in Dubai.
The mall had an Egyptian facade where they had a short sound and light show at night.
Old-style cooling towers. Wet fabrics were hung on the protruding rods cooling the air as it blew in and down inside.
We continued our "big bus" tour at night.
The National Bank of Dubai Building on the left,
and the head office of the Dubai Chamber of Industry and Commerce Building on the right.
The next night I went back to The Dubai Mall to see the musical fountains.
The 10-minute show that I saw had Whitney Houston singing "I will always love you."
A similar fountain show to that outside the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
Not surprising as both were designed and built by the same company.
The Burj Khalif lit up at night.
Night time on Deira Creek.
The Burj Khalifa
829.8 metres high, it is the tallest building in the world.
It has 163 floors plus 46 maintenance levels in the spire and 2 parking levels in the basement.
Khalifa means "one who succeeds".
We were able to visit the observation level on the 124th floor.
Waiting in the foyer at the Dubai Mall before being escorted
to the lift to go up to the 124th floor.
Construction began in September 2004.
The exterior was completed in October 2009.
The building officially opened in January 2010.
Looking up to the top from the observation deck on the 124th floor.
Views from the 124th floor.
You can see that Dubai is a city in the desert.
Looking down on the roof of the Dubai Mall. (at lower left)
We met a newly-married couple from nearby Oman.
New Years Eve fireworks on The Burj Khalifa.
The Burj Khalifa at night.
I went on a "big bus" tour to Sharjah.
Our plane home
After 31 great days in Asia we flew out of Dubai at 10:30 am direct to Melbourne.
It was Qantas flight QF8406 but an Emirates plane.
It was our first flight on an Airbus A380.
A very comfortable and smooth 12¾ hour flight. Margaret did not realise that we had taken off.
A choice of 339 movies out of more than 1400 entertainment channels.
Our Emirates A380 at Dubai airport.