{"id":18191,"date":"2015-04-19T22:23:49","date_gmt":"2015-04-20T05:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/first2board.com\/pointssummary\/?p=18191"},"modified":"2015-04-20T14:33:34","modified_gmt":"2015-04-20T21:33:34","slug":"the-sights-and-sounds-of-downtown-dubai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/first2board.com\/pointssummary\/2015\/04\/19\/the-sights-and-sounds-of-downtown-dubai\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sights and Sounds of Downtown Dubai"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was my first time in Dubai and I was fortunate enough to have a friend who lives in Dubai pick us up from our hotel and drive us around for the day (even though we had rented a car). When in Dubai, you definitely need to rent a car or take taxi\u2019s everywhere because it\u2019s quite large and it feels like LA (everyone drives). Sure, there\u2019s a metro in Dubai but it\u2019s slow and it doesn\u2019t go everywhere since there\u2019s only 1 line.<\/p>\n

Introduction to the Middle East<\/a>
\nEtihad Airways Chauffeur Service to LAX Airport<\/a>
\nLAX Airport Star Alliance First Class Lounge<\/a>
\nLAX Airport Star Alliance Business Class Lounge<\/a>
\nEtihad Airways LAX-AUH 777-200LR Diamond First Class<\/a>
\nEtihad Airways Chauffeur Service at\u00a0Abu Dhabi Airport<\/a>
\nAjman Saray Resort Hotel Review<\/a>
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Ajman United Arab Emirates<\/a>
\nLe Meridien Fairway Dubai Hotel Review<\/a>
\nSheraton Deira Dubai Hotel Review<\/a>
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Downtown Dubai<\/a>
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Deira in Dubai<\/a>
\nThe Sights and Sounds of the Gold Souk in Dubai
\nThe Sights and Sounds of the Spice Souk in Dubai
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Deira Creek in Dubai
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Jumeirah Road in Dubai
\nLe Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi Hotel Review
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi
\nThe Sights and Sounds of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque
\nHilton Al Ain Hotel Review
\nThe Sights and Sounds of the Al Ain Souk
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Al Ain United Arab Emirates
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Hili Fun City in Al Ain
\nDriving Across the United Arab Emirates Border to Oman
\nCrowne Plaza Sohar Oman Hotel Review
\nThe Sights and Sounds of the Sohar Market in Oman
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Sohar in Oman
\nLe Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort Hotel Review
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Fujairah United Arab Emirates
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Sharjah United Arab Emirates
\nThe Sights and Sounds of the Souk Al-Arsa in Sharjah
\nThe Various Eats in the United Arab Emirates
\nDubai Airport Terminal 1 Marhaba Lounge
\nDubai Airport T1 International Business Class Lounge
\nTurkish Airlines DXB-IST Economy Class
\nThe Sights and Sounds of the Bosphorus in Istanbul
\nThe Sights and Sounds of the Spice Market in Istanbul
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Old City Istanbul
\nThe Sights and Sounds of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul
\nIstanbul Airport HSBC Premier Lounge
\nTurkish Airlines IST-FRA Economy Class
\nLe Meridien Parkhotel Frankfurt Hotel Review
\nThe Sights and Sounds of Frankfurt Germany
\nLufthansa FRA-LAX 747-8 Economy Class<\/p>\n

My friend had an appointment at the famous \u20187 star\u2019 Burj Al Arab hotel for expensive afternoon tea at the Skyview Bar, so we dropped him off at the front entrance. It was quite jaw dropping to finally see the famous only \u2018seven star\u2019 hotel in the world in person.<\/p>\n

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My \u2018driver\u2019 friend suggested that we go to the Souk Madinat Jumeirah for better views of the Burj Al Arab from afar.<\/p>\n

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The Souk Madinat Jumeirah is an upscale air-conditioned traditional Arabian market located right next door to Dubai\u2019s luxurious 5 Star Resort, the Madinat Jumeirah Hotel.<\/p>\n

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The layout is like an ancient bazaar without the crowds with a lot of souvenir shops, jewelry, handicrafts, and even a havaianas flip flops store.<\/p>\n

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You can also find a Gold to go ATM Machine at the Souk Madinat. You can purchase gold jewelry and even gold bars right from the touchscreen.<\/p>\n

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The best part about the Souk Madinat was the view of the Burj Al Arab. It\u2019s tough to get a good view of the iconic sailboat shaped hotel without actually staying there or having afternoon tea.<\/p>\n

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Next, we took a 10 Dirham ~ $2.72 USD taxi ride to the Mall of the Emirates which boasts an indoor ski resort called Ski Dubai where you can ski or snowboard in the desert.<\/p>\n

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Afterwards, we headed to the Dubai Mall which is the largest shopping mall in the world. The mall is so big that stores are categorized by section and you can get lost quite easily (don\u2019t forget where you parked!).<\/p>\n

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In addition to the plethora of retail, there\u2019s also a ton of cafes and restaurants.<\/p>\n

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The coolest thing inside the Dubai Mall is the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo where you can see all types of fishes from the world\u2019s largest acrylic panel.<\/p>\n

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A lot of local emiratis and ex-pats come to the Dubai Mall during the scorching summer heat for its amazing air conditioning. Another cool thing about the Dubai Mall is the outdoor area where you can gaze at the many skyscrapers.<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s also the Dubai fountains where many people gather and watch the fountain show (much like the water show at the Las Vegas Bellagio Hotel).<\/p>\n

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