Originally, my plan for my birthday was to take a solo trip to the island of Siargao in the Philippines, but last minute my mom brought up the idea of me joining my uncle's trip to Dubai to visit my aunt who currently lives there. And before I really had time to think about it, my mom had already sent me flight confirmation details for a trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). (9 day vacation)
This was my first time in the Middle East, so I was very nervous about this trip. I did my research on proper dress code and etiquette, currency exchange rates, safety and transportation measures, food recommendations, and more. I even tried to learn a little bit of Arabic. I made sure to pack more conservative clothing: garments that covered most of my torso, pants or skirts that covered my knees, and I always brought around an extra pashmina just in case I needed to cover up more.
I met up with my uncle, his two sons, and my aunt and her son. I was excited to see how this trip was going to turn out because it had been a while since I spent time with my mom's side of the family and with my younger male cousins (of different ages). Even with their big appetites and nerdy jokes, I had so much fun exploring and bonding with my cousins and relatives. And, I saw almost everything I wanted to see while in the UAE.
We visited a lot of places in Dubai. In addition to the places pictured below, we also visited the La Mer beachfront center, the City Centre Deira, and the Global Village Park.
I think my favorite thing from the trip was our Dubai Desert Safari adventure where we rode 4x4s across the sand dunes, took pictures with camels and other desert animals, and had a sunset dinner and show.
Top row (left to right): selfie in the desert with the wind blowing my hair, a photo taken by my cousin with my pashmina blowing in the wind, posing with a falcon right after getting out of the car. Middle and bottom photos: my cousin and I posing for pictures while on a camel ride
When I say that you should dedicate a full day to exploring the Dubai Mall, I mean it. We were there for the entire day just looking at the attractions, we didn't even stop to shop. Here, we went to the At the Top Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Aquarium, and the Dubai VR Park. At At the Top, we bought tickets to the 148th floor and were able to enjoy the open air sky deck (which was way less crowded than the lower decks) plus a fun and surprisingly quick elevator ride up. The boys also really enjoyed riding rides and trying VR simulations at the VR park.
Left and right photos: views from the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa
My younger cousin and I decided to go exploring one afternoon to try and catch the sunset on the beach, and after lots of walking around, we finally found a way to get to Jumeriah Beach. We got there just in time to watch sunset and take pictures with the Burj Al Arab. We decided not to stay long because we didn't want to worry my aunt if we got lost at night. With our luck, we ended up getting lost again and taking a taxi. But the taxi driver thought we were tourists and was definitely taking us the wrong way so we asked him to let us out at the nearest metro station and we just figured out how to walk home.
Left and right photos: sunset at Jumeriah Beach with the Burj Al Arab in the background
We also spent a day exploring the historical Al Fahidi Neighborhood to get a feel of life in Old Dubai. We started our adventure by having tea at the Arabian Tea House and then we proceeded to walk around and get lost in the maze of the buildings. The architecture of the buildings made it feel like it was a scene out of a movie. After exploring around the different little museums, we also took a boat ride across the Dubai Creek over to the Gold and Spice Souks. I just went to see the Souks, I didn't actually buy anything. But I did get to taste a free sample of a chocolate covered date and it was surprisingly really good.
Clockwise starting from top left: rooftop architecture on top of one of the museums, lost in the maze of buildings, tasting the House tea at the Arabian Tea House, overwhelmed with all the scents and smells of the spices, taking a quick break from walking around in the heat and sun, posing with carpets for sale that matched the design on my pashmina
To end my Dubai adventure, our last stop was visiting the Dubai Frame. While it was cool to see this landmark, I personally enjoyed the At the Top at the Burj Khalifa more because there was more to see.
Left: picture at the entrance of the frame. Middle: view of the frame from below. Right: food trucks in the courtyard after visiting the frame.
Since Abu Dhabi was only about an hour and a half of a car ride away from Dubai, we also decided to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Emirates Palace, and Ferrari World.
Pictures really don't do the Grand Mosque justice. It was breathtaking. It was regal but also very peaceful and calming. I felt very relaxed walking around and seeing the beautiful interiors and architecture. While it was a bit crowded, we were lucky enough to go during prayer time so we could hear the prayers echoing through the hallways. It was also a unique experience wearing the Abaya (provided by the Grand Mosque) although it did get very very hot in the end. Side note: I felt like Princess Jasmine in her castle while walking around.
Top photo: picture of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (which truly was grand). Bottom row (left to right): we got lucky and the crowd went in right before taking this picture outside the entrance, I was mesmerized by the gold and floral detailing on the pillars and on the floor of the Grand Mosque, the pashmina I brought coincidentally matched the Abaya I was wearing
I also stopped to visit the Louvre Abu Dhabi because I wanted to see the unique dome ceiling and to see the steps where the museum meets the Arabian Sea. Unfortunately, I didn't find the steps until after it was dark. It would have made an amazing picture to see them during sunset. Side note: I can't believe I missed out on the opportunity to take a kayaking tour of the museum.
Clockwise starting from top left: picture with the entrance sign of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, I found the famous steps but after it was dark, just an interesting piece of art that I saw in the museum, exploring the lower levels of the steps
After trying twice, we finally found a way to get in and see the inside of the Emirates Palace (at first we didn't know if we were allowed to go in, but the second time I asked the guards and they let us through). The Emirates Palace was also very pretty to see. Everything was gold, shiny, and grand. We stopped at the cafe and had chocolates and macarons (mainly for the ambience and experience).
Top row (left to right): stopped for a picture outside of the entrance, just one of the gold walls in the lobby, stopped for a sweet treat break at the cafe. Bottom photo: a view of the staircases and levels in the Emirates Palace
By the end of my 9 days, I was able to see most of the places on my list in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I had fun bonding and exploring with my relatives. I also learned a lot about Middle Eastern culture and food. It was a bit harder interacting with locals because English was not their main language, but there were a surprising amount of Filipinos there so if we were ever lost we could usually find someone to help with directions. I learned a bit more about how to haggle and negotiate prices from my aunt. I was also scared about the dress code and etiquette but it wasn't that bad. There were people dressed less conservatively than me but I didn't want to risk being disrespectful so I decided better safe than sorry. Overall, it was a good first experience in the Middle East.
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