What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well. -Antoin De Saint-Exupery Save
Chillout Ice Lounge – Dubai, UAE
This will be my last post about the UAE (at least until I remember something else or go again one day). One of the days in Dubai, we didn’t have much planned so we looked up random things to see and do. We came across a very interesting place called Chillout Ice Lounge. We contemplated for a while whether we should go or not but ultimately ended up going because, well, why not? When else would I experience an interior which is mostly made out of ice? It gives you a taste of winter which is a good concept for the people who live in such a hot climate. The entrance fee includes thermal clothing to keep you warm as well as a voucher for a hot chocolate. Unfortunately, I don’t really remember the hot chocolate being memorable (but I liked the cup it was served in). It was a pretty unique experience…
Madinat Jumeirah – Dubai, UAE
Imagine being able to stay in a place that takes you back to ancient times. The hotel, Madinat Jumeriah does exactly that. It’s designed to make you feel like you are in a traditional Arabian town and I absolutely loved it! I came here solely to check it out as I did with so many other hotels during my UAE travels and I think this ended up being my favorite one. You will know why as you continue to look through the pictures! We walked in from the entrance and through the hotel to the back. (I don’t even know if it was the back or not because it has so many different areas.) Regardless, we came to the part with the canals which have boats that take you on a tour of the hotel. You even have a good view of the Burj Al Arab from here! Honestly, I don’t even…
Atlantis Hotel – Dubai, UAE
*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on them will not cost you anything. Should you purchase an item, I may get a set commission from it which will help me continue to run this blog.* A lot of you have probably heard of the Atlantis Hotel. It’s pretty famous and I had the opportunity to stay in the one in Dubai (there is one in the Bahamas as well). This one is situated on the iconic Palm Jumeira Island in the middle of the Persian Gulf. It has incredible views of the Dubai skyline and the gulf. Also, I just want to point out that the service and hospitality here was so good! When we were checking in, we hadn’t paid for the skyline view room, but they gave it to us anyway! Here is our room: There was a wooden sliding door that opened up to the bathtub in the bathroom. There…
Desert Safari – Dubai, UAE
*This post contains affiliate links, clicking on them will not cost you anything.* If you are ever in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), you HAVE to go on a desert safari! Without any hesitation, I can tell you that this was by far my favorite thing the entire trip! What happens is, you show up at the location of the tour and wait to be taken into an SUV. When it’s your turn, you sit with a guide who drives you into the desert. It looks exactly like how you would have imagined it. You are in the middle of sand dunes that stretch for miles on out. Everything looks exactly the same and you wonder how the guide knows where to go. There are no markers or anything else, just piles and piles of sand everywhere you look. Then, you come to a stop. Everyone comes out of the car…
Burj Al Arab, Dubai, UAE
*This post contains affiliate links* Now on to the things I did in Dubai! My first post is about the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel that Dubai is so famous for. It sits in the Persian Gulf on a man-made island in the shape of a sail. The idea behind it was to have an icon that Dubai would be known for much like Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Statue of Liberty in New York City. The structure was designed by Tom Wright and completed in 1999 just in time for the millennium celebrations. The interior was designed by Khuan Chew and is a fusion of contemporary and classical design. When you enter this self proclaimed seven star hotel, you find yourself in a sea of vibrant colors and shapes. Then, you are pulled towards the escalators that lead you to the atrium (my favorite part). When you look up,…
United Arab Emirates – A Dream
It’s about time that I share one of the most epic international trips I did a few years back in 2010. Being a lover of interior design and architecture, I was always in awe of the structures and designs found in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and it was one of my dreams to go there. I had been planning on going for several years, but having traditional Pakistani parents it was almost impossible to get permission to go. After trying to convince them for two years, my mom finally agreed and convinced my dad to let me go as a graduation present.What helped was that I had made a really good friend who was from the UAE. Her father still lived there so we would be going and staying at his apartment. This trip was like a dream (#blessed). It was the first time I was going somewhere internationally with a…