VACATION: DUBAI & ABU DHABI, 2013

Dah lama gilaaaa tak update blog and hari ni nak cerita pasal Dubai Anniversary Trip 2013

It was actually a business trip for me, but since tak pernah berenggang dengan Azad more than 12 hours, kitorang decide to make this our anniversary trip. My flight ticket, accommodation and meals were sponsored by company (during official duty), so expenses incurred cuma flight tiket Lan, Azad, meals..and yang lain2 tu macam taxi, souvenirs, tourist attractions entrance fee, shopping..

Terima kasih daun keladi to Kamal Nor yg jd tourist guide, tukang bwk kereta & baby sitter Azad masa kat Ferrari World.. and also Erwan aka Apam sebab memberikan penginapan percuma kepada kami anak beranak. Thanks a lot!

Details of our trip

Date:   14 - 22 December 2013 

Flight:  KLIA to DXB via Emirates Airline (approximately 8-hr journey)

Hotel:  Chelsea Tower Hotel Apartment

Places/tourist attractions we visited/seen

1. Dubai Mall
2. Dubai Fountain 
3. Dubai Aquarium 
4. Candylicious 
5. Burj Al-Khalifa 
6. Dessert Safari or Dune Bashing
7. Mall of Emirates 
8. The Souk
9. Ferrari World Theme Park, Abu Dhabi 
10. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

Useful Tips:

1. Dubai Mall
• Very huge, one of the largest malls in the world! Wear comfortable shoes coz u may need more than 5 hours to cover all area
• Siapa yg suka branded clothes ke handbags ke, bole la shopping kat sini. Banyak gila choice.. duit je tak banyak..
• Metro Station: Burj Al-Khalifa/Dubai Mall - distance from metro to mall entrance agak jauh; 15-min walk
2. Dubai Fountain
• Outside Dubai Mall, the biggest choreographed fountain system in the world
• The fountain show is 5 minutes, but the interval between one show to another is 30 minutes
• The best view is from TGI Fridays Restaurant but the queue is super long.Alternatively, cross to the other side of the fountain (the Souk)
3. Dubai Aquarium
• Inside Dubai Mall, the largest acrylic aquarium panel in the world
• Entrance fee: AED80 for adult
• Personally, i think it's not worth it..enjoying the view from outside is enough. But if you have money and time, why not kan?
4. Candylicious
• Opposite Dubai Aquarium, the largest candy shop in the world. 
5. Burj Al-Khalifa
• The tallest building in the world (so far)
• Take both day and night view pictures
6. Desert Safari or Dune Bashing
• Not baby friendly, but it was the highlight of our vacation!
• Can book via internet (beware of scam!), but we recommend to book via hotel. Insyaallah tak kene tipu because sure la hotel nak jaga nama baik kan? 
• Fee: AED200/adult (can get as cheap as AED150 i think, but we booked thru our hotel so a bit pricey)
• Package include transportation from/to hotel, Dune Bashing (naik 4-wheel drive), camel ride, BBQ dinner, magic show and belly dancing show
7. Mall of Emirates
• ala-ala Mid Valley wing lama.. kedai takde la se-grand Dubai Mall so nak masuk pun tak segan sangat hahahha!
• Metro Station: Mall of Emirates
8. The Souk
• Located in Deira, it is the place to get cheap jubah, shawl, spices, arab perfumes, dates etc. Usually shops are open until 10 pm.
• Negotiate the price, at least start at 30% of the price the shop put
• Metro Station: Baniya's Square
• Take the water taxi , AED1/person to cross the river and find more shops
9. Ferrari World Theme Park
• The largest indoor theme park in the world
• Fee: AED240/adult and AED195/kid-below-1.3m (General Admission)
• Must-try: Formula Rossa (the world's fastest roller coaster) - 240 km/h in less than 5 secs! And take the front seat!
10. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosques
• a must-see if you visit Abu Dhabi, the largest mosque in UAE and the 8th largest mosque in the world
• the chandeliers are magnificent! 

Other Useful tips (based on our experience)

1. Buy the Dubai Metro silver ticket (AED 20). Kalau beli single ticket, fee jadi mahal.. 
2. December is considered "winter" season. It can be quite chill and windy, so you may want to bring jacket/sweater..
3. Kalau duduk apartment and nak masak, groceries price comparable with Malaysia..cuma ayam mahal gila (around RM30)
4. Can buy choco-date at the Dubai Airport kalau tak sempat beli kat the Souk. Price ok and sentiasa ada discount..
5. Malaysia's Driving License is not valid, so kalau nak pegi Abu Dhabi etc, can take taxi or tour package that comes with it..

And here's some of our pictures!

Dubai Airport

Good morning Dubai!

The Souk

Azad with a Ferrari Car in the Ferrari World Theme Park

Formula Rossa's track in Ferrari World

Ferrari World Theme Park

High-end baby shops inside Dubai Mall

After the Dune Bashing

Shoe heaven inside Dubai Mall

Our hotel; 3-bedroom with kitchen, laundry etc

Sheikh Zeyad Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

Armani and Vogue Cafe inside Dubai Mall

Burj Al-Khalifa

Interior of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The Souk

Us with Erwan aka Apam

The famous Dubai Fountain

Inside Dubai Mall

Wall inside the Grand Mosque

Panoramic view of the Grand Mosque