15 May 2013
City Tour
I still haven't fully adjusted to the new timezone so I was up at 6 local time but I avoided the crowd for brekky so that's a bonus. I thought I had the morning free but after reading the info pack from the tour agency, it turns out I had a city tour booked; SCORE! The tour went to:
-The fort museum (a museum built on the oldest building site in Dubai, the original defence fort)
-A boat ride across the Dubai creek
-A spice market in the bazaar
-The gold souk (a bazaar full of jewellery shops)
-The Saga Mall (a super ritzy mall full of finery)
-The Burj Al Arab (sail shaped hotel)
Time for a swim
When I got back from the tour it was mid-afternoon and the heat was cranking: 38 degrees and humidity off the clock (as always) so I decided to jump in the pool. The temperature was perfect and the hotel shades you from the sun.
Safari
The evening activity was a desert safari. We drove out into the desert in a GLX-R 4.5L Landcruiser in super pimp spec (wood grain everywhere) and even a half roll cage. The driver was pretty sketchy on the road but did really well offroad, it was strange. We bashed through the sand hills in a convoy of 10 cars until we arrived at a Bedouin camp. At the camp we had a short camel ride, tried on some traditional robes but it was too hot with it over the top of other clothes so that didn't last long, watched a belly dance and enjoyed fantastic Arabian food.
First beer
Last thing for the night was a beer at the hotel bar with some English chicks I met on the tours.
Fun facts that I learnt today
1. Dubai has no taxes because the government gets it's funding from traffic violations and oil.
2. Dubai has enough oil to last the next 7 or so years but Abu Dhabi has enough oil to last the next 250-300 years
3. Dubai has hardly any crime because the government looks after the nationals very well:
If two nationals marry, they are given 70000 dirhams from the government on their wedding day.
When they have their first child they are given a free house (8 bedrooms) and the government pays for all the costs of raising the child (all children, not just the first) including sending them overseas for university in England, Australia, USA, etc.
When the child returns, they get a job really easily because all companies must have 20% of their employees as nationals.
This all sounds really great but before you rush over here and turn into a baby factory you should know that to be a national, you must be at least 4th generation born in Dubai.
Basically the government is trying to boost the population of nationals because only 20% of the people in Dubai are nationals.
4. Dubai is extremely clean because there's a 500 dirham on the spot fine for littering and a night in jail if your can't pay it
City Tour
I still haven't fully adjusted to the new timezone so I was up at 6 local time but I avoided the crowd for brekky so that's a bonus. I thought I had the morning free but after reading the info pack from the tour agency, it turns out I had a city tour booked; SCORE! The tour went to:
-The fort museum (a museum built on the oldest building site in Dubai, the original defence fort)
-A boat ride across the Dubai creek
-A spice market in the bazaar
-The gold souk (a bazaar full of jewellery shops)
-The Saga Mall (a super ritzy mall full of finery)
-The Burj Al Arab (sail shaped hotel)
Time for a swim
When I got back from the tour it was mid-afternoon and the heat was cranking: 38 degrees and humidity off the clock (as always) so I decided to jump in the pool. The temperature was perfect and the hotel shades you from the sun.
Safari
The evening activity was a desert safari. We drove out into the desert in a GLX-R 4.5L Landcruiser in super pimp spec (wood grain everywhere) and even a half roll cage. The driver was pretty sketchy on the road but did really well offroad, it was strange. We bashed through the sand hills in a convoy of 10 cars until we arrived at a Bedouin camp. At the camp we had a short camel ride, tried on some traditional robes but it was too hot with it over the top of other clothes so that didn't last long, watched a belly dance and enjoyed fantastic Arabian food.
First beer
Last thing for the night was a beer at the hotel bar with some English chicks I met on the tours.
Fun facts that I learnt today
1. Dubai has no taxes because the government gets it's funding from traffic violations and oil.
2. Dubai has enough oil to last the next 7 or so years but Abu Dhabi has enough oil to last the next 250-300 years
3. Dubai has hardly any crime because the government looks after the nationals very well:
If two nationals marry, they are given 70000 dirhams from the government on their wedding day.
When they have their first child they are given a free house (8 bedrooms) and the government pays for all the costs of raising the child (all children, not just the first) including sending them overseas for university in England, Australia, USA, etc.
When the child returns, they get a job really easily because all companies must have 20% of their employees as nationals.
This all sounds really great but before you rush over here and turn into a baby factory you should know that to be a national, you must be at least 4th generation born in Dubai.
Basically the government is trying to boost the population of nationals because only 20% of the people in Dubai are nationals.
4. Dubai is extremely clean because there's a 500 dirham on the spot fine for littering and a night in jail if your can't pay it
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| The type of boat we took across the creek. They have inboard diesels for those who are interested. |
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| Me looking bad-ass during the water/cool down break |
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| Destroying some sand dunes |
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| The world's largest ring as certified by the Guinness Book |
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| A bronze cannon, i.e. awesome! |
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| Trying on the traditional robes. I couldn't really figure out how to make the hat thing work so it looks more like an oversized bandana |
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| Me riding a camel |
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| The Bedouin camp. It was pretty comfortable actually |
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| The Burj Al Arab |
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| Spices at the spice market |
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| The entrance to the fort museum |
Haha rockin' the dubstep shirt!
ReplyDeleteThey were terrible and you know it
ReplyDeleteYer u needed to grow it more first then use a straighther on it
ReplyDeleteBurj Al Arab is amazing but that Dubstep shirt took much of my attention on that picture.
ReplyDeleteproperty shop investment
This website publish City Tour and Safari
ReplyDeletenews in Dubai. I have familiar with a good website in Dubai about UAE City Tours
Its as if you had a great grasp on the subject matter, but you forgot to include your readers. Perhaps you should think about this from more than one angle. desert safari deals
ReplyDelete