Winters can seem pretty long in the UK, so by the time March rolled around, we were in need of some serious sunshine. Not to mention we just got our visas renewed (yay!!!) so we were itching for an adventure. We decided to explore a part of the world we haven’t ventured to yet: the Middle East! I (CB) had been to Dubai on a long layover, but it was great for both of us to get a chance to explore the city and add a few others to our list!
First view of Dubai–from the air!
We stayed at the beautiful Conrad Dubai, which has a gorgeous pool and amazing views!
The room was massive!
Windows were a bit dirty, but you can see the Burj!
We had taken the red-eye to Dubai from London so we were pretty tired and hungry. Where did we go? Dubai mall and….Chili’s! Sad–I know, but it’s a guilty pleasure because we can’t get it often! Don’t judge!
A little too excited about that Quesadilla Explosion Salad…
After some lunch, we decided to do a bit of wandering…
We found it! The tallest building in the world: the Burj Khalifa!
After a restful first afternoon, we went to Souk Madinat for dinner.
Souk Madinat–with the Burj Al Arab in the background!
Dinner our first night…I am one lucky lady!
The following morning, we headed straight to the pool for some relaxation time!
Morning relaxing by the pool
Next, we headed to the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa where we went to the 124th floor!
Shadow of the Burj Khalifa–dwarfing everything else!!!
Loving the view!
Fountain Show from Above
Enjoying the incredible view at sunset
Loved our experience “At the Top”
A Guinness World Record!
Then we watched the Fountain Show from a different vantage point.
Our view of the Fountain Show from Dinner!
The next morning, more pool time was in order. We really been missing the sunshine!
The next morning: more relaxation
After a morning by the pool, it was time to check out and get ready to head to our Cruise Ship! But first, we had a little afternoon tea…
John took me to afternoon tea before we got on the boat!
Our first night on board the Splendour of the Seas!
On the boat. Bon voyage, Dubai!!!
Our first stop was Khasab, Oman. Unfortunately, our fjord cruise was rained out–but we opted to go into the town to check things out!
Khasab, Oman
We found some goats wandering the streets!
We popped into a local coffee shop to try the local brew. We ended up having tea which reminded us of teh si in Singapore! It was a taste we have definitely missed!
As the afternoon went by the clouds lifted, revealing some gorgeous scenery.
Reading with a view
Right before we sailed away, I found a rainbow 🙂
Evening acrobatic entertainment!
Next stop: Muscat, Oman! When we arrived, we found a taxi driver to take us around for the day. He was wonderful–we have his mobile number if anyone is in Oman and needs a taxi! He even helped me tie the scarf on my head for the mosque visit–he did a great job. I could barely get it off when we left!
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Women’s prayer room
Stunning architecture
Inside the main prayer hall
The detail is incredible
This was is huge. This was the largest carpet in the world until the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi was built.
Our driver opened a Quran so we could see the beautiful calligraphy
Lovely
We had a GREAT tour guide 🙂
As we left the mosque, we were taken to an outreach centre where we could ask any questions we had about Oman, Islam, etc. They gave us TONS of dates (I think we ate at least 10 each), Arabic coffee (with a bit of cardamom), and ginger tea. All this while asking about our about our faith and explaining theirs. This experience was probably one of our favourites from the trip.
Next we went to the Royal Opera House in Muscat. Unfortunately it was closed to visitors for the day, but that didn’t keep us from taking in some incredible views!
Royal Opera Muscat
Next, we stopped by the Ritz Carlton (Al Bustan Palace Hotel). The scent of frankincense was heavy in the air as we looked at the beautiful architecture.
Frankincense scenting the air at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel
Our last stop was the city centre, where the palace is located!
Muscat!
Sultan’s Palace
Our taxi driver dropped us off near the boat and recommended a local hangout for some freshly caught fish. We had a good meal then had a bit of a shop before heading back to the boat for the evening.
One of my favourite pictures from Oman: at a local eatery with the mountains and locals in the background, enjoying some freshly caught fish. Delicious!
Mutrah Souq: one of the quieter souks we have been in
Muscat was lovely. The best part: the people. All we encountered were extremely hospitable. It felt a bit like being in the American south. All Omanis were also very proud of their country and its beauty. This made our time there very enjoyable, indeed.
Enjoying the sunshine–sail away party from Muscat!
Sultans Palace from the Water
After a lovely day at sea, the next stop was Abu Dhabi, UAE! Our first stop in Abu Dhabi was the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which can accommodate over 40,000 worshippers. This place is massive!
Sheikh Zayed Mosque
The outside was stunning–couldn’t wait to go inside!
We hopped on a free tour–so glad we did! It gave us a bit more context to understand the UAE, Sheikh Zayed (who was the “father” of the UAE), and the place of this mosque in the greater community.
So photogenic
Waiting for the tour to start!
This is the mosque that took the “world’s largest carpet” title from the mosque in Muscat.
Inside the main prayer hall
You can see lines in the carpet–this is to help organize worshipers so they can maximize capacity!
The amazing carpet
Big mosaic
We really enjoyed our tour of the mosque!
After the mosque, we paid a quick visit to the Heritage Village where we learned about the Abu Dhabi of the not-so-distant past, when it used to specialize in pearls.
View of Abu Dhabi from the Heritage Village
Next stop: the beautiful Emirates Palace.
Camelcinos–I was very very excited. The date syrup on top is even in the shape of a camel!
Abu Dhabi
Emirates Palace Hotel
Our final stop in Abu Dhabi was the Manarat Al Saadiyat. This was an exhibit showing Abu Dhabi’s future “cultural district” which will include a Louvre Museum and a Guggenheim. We are definitely going to have to go back when these museums are open!
Manarat Al Saadiyat: Learning about the future of Abu Dhabi!
Then we headed back to the ship for the last leg of our journey.
My dinner date 🙂
Our final day was another full day in Dubai. We saved one of the most anticipated activities for this day: a desert safari!
Riding on Humphrey! One of the highlights 🙂
Before we got out onto the sand, our guide let air out of the tires reducing the PSI from 35 to 15! We were rocking and rolling for about 15 minutes, sliding up and down the dunes (AWESOME!!!!!) when we got a flat tire! The tire wasn’t flat per say-it just slipped off of the wheel! After a quick tire change, our caravan was back on the move!
The dune-bashing was so intense, we got a flat tire!
The desert landscape was amazing–like nothing we had ever seen before!
The scenery was amazing!
Then, we had to try a little bit of sand boarding!
Sand-boarding!
I did it, too!
After taking in the scenery and running up and down the dunes, it was time to head back to civilization.
We found a camel roaming in the desert!
After the safari, we headed back to Dubai-proper and went to the Al Fahidi Historic District for some Arabian Coffee, dates, and freshly baked bread!
A little too excited–probably don’t need the caffeine!
Abra ride across the Creek to Deira
Spice Souk
Gold Souk
We spend out final night on the ship enjoying a delicious meal, dancing to live music, and just enjoying our holiday.
The following morning, back to London!
Virgin Atlantic celebrated their 10th anniversary by giving everyone a cupcake–I was definitely on board!
London on our final approach to Heathrow!
Oman and the UAE were beautiful places–distinctly different from each other and fascinating to us. We found the people to be warm and welcoming and can’t wait to go back and explore more of this part of the world!
As always, thanks for reading!!!
John and CB's Most Excellent Adventure 