united arab emirates - Travel With A Butterfly

Technically, it’s been 6 years and 9 months (as of the time of this writing) since I last went to Dubai in December 2016. Which is significant in the sense that a) I went to Dubai in December so the weather was cooler than it was when I went this time and b) it felt more Christmasy last time I went, so the mood of the place was different.

A lot of the things I did do this time was similar to what I did last time, except less fancy restaurants, and more time in souks and the malls and stuff. If you want to read my previous blog about Dubai, you can read my post, Dubai is not a Walking City, but a Dining City to read about the things I did last time. I also highly recommend doing a day trip tour to visit Abu Dhabi, which is a little over an hour to get there from Dubai. You can read my post, Forget Dubai, Visit Abu Dhabi! (Day Trip) for my recent experience over there, and after seeing the photos I promise you that it will make you want to go there. For places to eat that we went this time, check out Where to eat in Dubai 2023

The reason why we stopped by Dubai again was because we were taking a flight with Emirates to go to Vienna, so we decided to check out Dubai. I think 7 years is a good time to check it out again, since people have been saying a lot of real estate have tripled in price, a lot of crypto influencers and founders are currently based there, and a lot of expats love to go there as well, since there is 0% tax there.

That being said, after my second time in Dubai, I have to admit while I can see myself going there time to time for a visit, it definitely won’t be a place I will come again as a tourist, and I’ll explain why later. Continue reading It’s Been Almost 7 Years Since I Last Went to Dubai

Travel

Forget Dubai, Visit Abu Dhabi! (Day Trip)

ByRyan Lee

And no, this is not a paid post even though I’ve written the title as such. It’s just that, we signed up for a day trip in Abu Dhabi on Tripadvisor, guided by OceanAir Travels, and we had a fantastic experience, both because of the guide and the landmarks themselves, that we were blown away when we went there. Even when I posted these places on my Instagram story, a lot of my friends were also impressed and asked where these places were. Here’s the Tripadvisor that we joined – Dubai to Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque & Qasr Al Watan Palace. I liked this tour because rather than skimping over many different mediocre places like the Yas Island, this tour concentrates in visiting the Grand Mosque, the Presidential Palace, and the Etihad Towers for the observation deck, giving you ample amount of time to visit each of them.

Just a few quick pointers – the tour bus will probably pick you up at around 8 to 8:30am, so be ready at the lobby before then! Water bottles will be provided. Men will need to wear clothing that covers their shoulders, tummies, and pants longer than their knees. With ladies, the guide will provide a black abaya and a black scarf that you’ll have to return after the mosque visit. Women will ideally have to cover their ankles and also their entire arm. You must also hide any tattoos that are present in the body. And the tour will end roughly at around 4-4:30pm, but since it’s about a 1 hour and 15/30 minutes ride one way from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, you’ll be back to your hotel probably latest by 6pm.

I think a day trip to Abu Dhabi is so underrated at the moment, so you definitely should book a trip to visit their palaces and mosques before it starts getting too popular.
Continue reading Forget Dubai, Visit Abu Dhabi! (Day Trip)

Travel

Things to Do In the Dubai Desert

ByRyan Lee

When you visit the Dubai desert, you’ll understand why the Arabs feel such an intense devotion towards it. The seemingly seamless desert of Dubai with its red dunes is the true home of Arabs from around the world. By experiencing the desert, you too, get to share in this legacy. So get ready for your desert safari in Dubai, to explore the fascinating contrast of virgin blue skies with red sands and to ponder its mystical silence. Listen to the strange susurration of the granules of sand as they move with the breeze. Let the magic seep in!

*this post was guest written by Neha from dubaiwikia.com

(if you’d like to do any of the activities below, visit RAYNA TOURS at https://www.raynatours.com/city-tours/tours-by-type/Desert-Safari-Tours-11694.aspx) Continue reading Things to Do In the Dubai Desert