The tallest building in the world, luxurious hotel complexes & gigantic shopping malls … No city is growing as fast as Dubai. I had been fascinated by this modern Orient for a long time, I wanted to find out whether this Dubai hype was justified. We therefore decided to spend a couple of nights in Dubai in combination with a beach stay in Fujairah.
Already during the taxi ride to the hotel we noticed that Dubai was anything but quiet – traffic without end and a construction site on every corner. When we arrived at the hotel, we decided to pack our bathing bags and go for the cool water. Exploring the city made absolutely no sense at 40 degrees, that could definitely wait.
Room view with a view of the famous Hotel Atlantis
Atlantis The Palm – strongly zoomed
After sunset we dared to leave our resort. The location of the hotel was perfect, a few steps and you were in the middle of the Dubai Marina.
The next day we had planned a Dubai City Tour. Burj al Arab, Gold & Spice Souk, Burj Khalifa …
Burj al Arab
at Dubai Creek
Spice Souk
The heat was unbearable and I was looking forward to our last stop like a small child – the much too strongly air-conditioned Dubai Mall, which is also known as the craziest shopping street in the world.
To be honest, I felt lost 100 times … well, admittedly, I don’t have the best sense of direction 😉 Actually, this place should be heaven on earth for every woman, but I was so overwhelmed with over 1200 shops that I left empty-handed ended the shopping spree. I found the aquarium, the ice rink and the delicious desserts much more exciting 😋
Right next door is the tallest building in the world – the Burj Khalifa (828 m). We drove up to the 360 degree viewing platform on the 124th floor, at a height of 442 meters.
unfortunately we had a bad view of The Palm
Directly in front of the Dubai Mall there is an impressive water, light and sound show every day from 6 p.m. (every half hour) – the water features of Dubai. They are among the highlights of a trip to Dubai and are currently the largest water features in the world. Around 1000 individual fountains work together at the same time and reach a height of up to 150 meters.
Despite my less than good impression of the Dubai Mall, we gave the Mall of Emirates another chance on our last day in Dubai. I didn’t find anything again, but I spent some time watching the skiers on the man-made indoor slope. If you are a kid from the mountains and you know the 4 seasons, this picture seems very strange.
After the turbulent time in Dubai, we longed for a little more peace and quiet. We took a taxi to Al Aqah Beach in Fujairah, about 2 hours away.
Hotel Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort
The hotel complex was probably only half full, we hardly met any international guests. However, many local families vacationed here, and we probably caught the vacation season in the United Arab Emirates.
I’m basically very open to other cultures and always adapt to foreign countries, but here I felt discriminated for the first time in my life. On the beach, the loungers next to us were rarely occupied, at most once by international tourists. It felt like everyone wanted to avoid us. Well, at least that way we had more than enough space 😉 It was also very funny to watch the Arab women in full-body bathing suits splashing around.
We had a weird experience on the way to the tennis court or gym, I don’t know exactly where we were going … definitely for sport. At 40 degrees you definitely don’t wear a long training outfit, do you? Sven and I were standing in the hotel elevator with two people, where there would be room for 10 people, when an Arab with his three wives wanted to enter the elevator. When the Arab saw us, he abruptly stopped the women from entering the elevator and did not look at us. That moment kept me busy all day. I wasn’t sure if he just wanted to be polite and therefore kept his distance or if he absolutely didn’t want to share the elevator with us – but I strongly trust the second option.
If you are in Dubai you should definitely go on a desert safari. Our guide picked us up from the hotel in the late afternoon and raced with us in an SUV over the golden sand dunes – absolutely nothing for a sensitive stomach. Before we enjoyed the sunset, we had the opportunity to watch a falcon show.
After sunset the guide took us to a desert camp. To pass the time, there was delicious traditional food, shisha, belly dancing, camel rides & henna painting … of course everything was staged for tourists, but that didn’t bother us. Our highlight, however, was when all the lights went out and you could admire the silence and the starry sky for a few minutes.
Now our time in the United Arab Emirates was over again. I honestly have to admit – I normally find an attraction in every destination – but I don’t have to go there a second time.
Our personal opinion about Dubai and the United Arab Emirates:
- Dubai is an exciting city, but 2-3 days are enough
- Highly recommended as a stopover
- There are more interesting destinations for beach holidays
- relatively high price-performance ratio
- way too hot in summer
Best travel time:
Dubai is very dry all year round. The most pleasant temperatures prevail from November to the end of March. We would rather avoid May to September.
Hotel recommendations:
- Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa in Dubai
- Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah
More tips & recommendations:
Be sure to bring appropriate clothing. As soon as you leave the hotel grounds you should cover your knees and shoulders to show respect.
Our highlights were the Dubai water games & the desert safari.
