Feel like a Billionaire in Dubai

Finally my dream destination: Dubai😍💖🔥

I think everybody has a dream destination. I have been thinking about Dubai for years, but in MAY 2019 my dream became real!! Definitely, I will visit again this amazing city (like Arnold Schwarzenegger's quote in Terminator - "I'll be back" in Dubai 😂).

At 9 P.M. I landed at Al Maktoum International Airport. Everybody was tired after a 5 h flight from Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport, but I was full of energy because I wanted for so long to arrive there.

If you land at Al Maktoum International Airport, the first thing you will do is Passport Control. Usually here is a big queue, but in Ramadan period you'll stay around 10-15 minutes. After Passport Control, you can do the following things:

- Money Exchange

- Buy a prepaid SIM card ( I bought from Etisalad a 2 GB prepaid SIM card for GPS - around 180 AED)

- Buy a transport card (Nol Silver Card it's a good choice if you plan to travel a lot - I charged 100 AED and it was enough for 7 days. You can get your money back at the end of the trip if you charge too much at first. I took my money back from Dubai Internet City Metro Station and then took a taxi from hotel).

How to use Nol card? Simple! You must validate the card at the beginning of the journey and at the end. With Nol Silver Card it is included the bus, tram, metro. If you want to go to Atlantis The Palm (click the link https://www.booking.com/hotel/ae/atlantis-the-palm.en.html?aid=1971070&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&label=ATB) you have to buy a ticket from Monorail.

From the airport you can take the bus F55 to IBN Battuta Metro Station and after you can use the metro line. Or if you are lazy (like I was in that day) just take a taxi. Be careful because at the front of the airport are luxury taxis. If you go to low budget, I suggest to take the normal one. I stayed at ATANA HOTEL (click the link https://www.booking.com/hotel/ae/atana.en.html?aid=1971070&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&room1=A%2CA&label=ATB) for 7 nights.

It's a 4* hotel and I had a wonderful experience there. Everybody was really kind and I felt like a movie star there. My room was on the 19th floor and I could admire Burj Al Arab (click the link https://www.booking.com/hotel/ae/burj-al-arab.en.html?aid=1971070&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&label=ATB) from my bed. I recommend this hotel because the services were professional and it's near to Dubai Internet City Metro Station.

Day 1

After breakfast, I took Atana's special buses from the hotel to Mall of the Emirates (try to be on time if you don't want to go on the 40 degrees Celsius heat to the metro). It's a big modern mall and if you like winter sports, go to Ski Dubai. After, I went to Jumeirah Emirates Towers and Financial Centre to take pictures with amazing skyscrapers.

Outside was really hot! Try to protect your skin with sun cream and a hat. I hurried to go to Dubai Mall because I booked online my tickets to Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. This mall is big like a city. It's really fancy and I spent the whole day discovering every corner. If you get lost you can easily find screens to find out where are you.

People are very kind and it's a pleasure to spend the day there, especially when you know that outside the temperature reached 42 degrees Celsius. At 7 P.M. I went to the highest building in the world (Burj Khalifa click the link - https://www.booking.com/landmark/ae/burj-dubai.en.html?aid=1971070&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&label=ATB).

I booked the tickets online because it's a big queue here. Why did I choose 7 P.M. ? Because I can admire the view at sunset. It's a magnificent feeling when you admire The Dubai Fountain up in Burj Khalifa. Because it was Ramadan, I received chocolate dates and coffee there. It's a breathtaking atmosphere there!!!😍Another great view of The Dubai Fountain is from Armani Ristorante.

Day 2

I began the day with Dubai Butterfly Garden. I felt like a Disney Princess because everywhere you look there you will find a wonderful butterfly. It's a fairytale! Near is also Dubai Miracle Garden, but unfortunately was closed in May. Anyway, I took a taxi to admire Burj Al Arab and near you can walk to Souk Medinat Jumeirah. Here I had lunch and bought a wonderful bracelet.

After, I took the bus to Monorail to visit Atlantis The Palm (click the link Atlantis The Palm). A two-way ticket was 30 AED but was a great experience. There you can visit The Lost Chambers Aquarium and take great pictures on the island.

At sunset I took the tram from Monorail and stopped in Dubai Marina Walk. From my point of view it's the most beautiful place in Dubai. Each skyscraper is different. My favorite skyscraper is Cayan Tower. I walked till I reached at Dubai Marina Mall (click the link https://www.booking.com/landmark/ae/dubai-marina-mall.en.html?aid=1971070&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&label=ATB). Even I was really tired, I really enjoyed that walk.

Day 3

This day I spent in Abu Dhabi. If you are curious, check my article "A day to remember in Abu Dhabi". To get there you have to take the bus E101 from IBN Battuta Metro Station. After 1 hour you'll arrive there and it's 25 AED (two way 50 AED). You can use your Nol Silver Card. In the evening I spend my time in IBN Battuta Mall and took pictures at IBN Battuta Gate. This mall has something unique. Each part has a different theme.

Day 4

My first stop was Burjuman Metro Station. It's one of the most beautiful metro station that I have ever seen. Also I had to change the line to Al Ras Metro Station to get to Deira Gold Souk. Here is the old Dubai and you can buy very cheap everything you want (gold, perfumes, spices, clothes, dates, chocolate and so on). Souk Medinat Jumeirah it's a little bit fancy than Deira Gold Souk (click the link https://www.booking.com/district/ae/dubai/deira.en.html?aid=1971070&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&label=ATB).

After, I was hungry and I ate at Wafi Mall. It's an interesting mall because has the shape of a Pyramid. I took a taxi to visit one luxury hotel in Dubai (Palazzo Versace Dubai - click the link https://www.booking.com/hotel/ae/palazzo-versace-dubai.en.html?aid=1971070&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&label=ATB). It's a bit difficult to get there by metro, so taxi would be the best choice.

After a break at Atana Hotel, I went straight to Jumeirah Beach Residence (click the link - https://www.booking.com/landmark/ae/the-walk-at-jbr.en.html?aid=1971070&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&label=ATB) and took some remarkable pictures at JBR Graffiti. It's a street art in Dubai and you can also admire Bluewaters Island Dubai.

Day 5

All those days I traveled a lot. It was time to make a pause. Where? JBR Beach. It's a free beach where you can swim and relax. You have a lot of restaurants where you can eat. At 8 P.M I went to Dubai Glow Garden.

Here I felt like a 5 year old child. It's a great place to bring children to discover those 4 magical themes (Glow Park, Ice Park, Art Park and Dinosaur Park). It was around 100 AED/person to visit all. But if you don't want all you can pay 65 AED/person. In Dinosaur Park you can observe easily The Frame Dubai.

Day 6

Around 11 A.M. I went straight to Dubai Mall because I'm a chocoholic and wanted to taste the world’s most famous cinnamon rolls by Cinnabon (second floor). Of course, I discovered new corners from the mall and I stopped for some ice cream on my way to Metro Link. After lunch, I went back to the hotel because it was the Safari Day.

Generally, a Dubai Desert Safari Package includes:

Pick up from Hotel - Home - Apartment - Residence anywhere in Dubai
Dune Bashing by Desert Safari License Professional Driver
Beautiful Sunset Scene Photography
Traditional welcome at camp with Arabic Tea, Coffee
‘Hubbly Bubbly’ Smoking facility
Arabic Dress Photography
Camel Ride
Henna Painting
International Buffet Dinner with BBQ (Vegetarian & Non-vegetarian dishes)
Fire Show
Tanoura Show Entertainment
Drop back to your Hotel - Residence in Dubai

It's a once in a lifetime experience! I liked the most Dune Bashing. I felt like a kitty cat in the washing machine😂. Just kidding! It's not that bad. I expected to be worse but was really ok. The adrenaline is louder in a carousel than Dune Bashing.

Day 7

"It's the final countdown!". Yes! Unfortunately was the last day in Dubai. I wanted to visit Jumeirah Mosque but I didn't have the energy to go outside at 43 degrees Celsius. So I preferred to visit one last time Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. Of course, I discovered new corners of that mall. It's really huge!!!

But if you would like to visit Jumeirah Mosque you need to know that it's a guided tour at 9:30 A.M. or 1:30 P.M. It's 25 AED and you can take from Business Bay Metro Station the bus 9 (13 stops). The name station is Palm Strip Center.

This was my adventure in UAE. I didn't have time to visit everything that I planned. But I will return after 2020 when Dubai Creek Tower will be done (The World's tallest building). Till then, enjoy Burj Khalifa.

I hope you enjoyed the article and took some great info for your trip! Thank you for your time and have a wonderful and inspiring day!

Andra😘💋

P.S. : If you want to see some great stuff about Dubai, click the link Love in Dubai. If you want to feel in the mood when you are in Dubai, click the link One night in Dubai (imagine 7 nights😎🎶).