We were on our way to Dubai, a great place to take a break during the long flight from New Zealand (NZ) to Europe, where we would spend the next 6-months. We had three days in Dubai, and were looking forward to spending some time in the Arabian Desert that surrounds the city.
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| In the Arabian Desert, Dubai |
Arriving in Dubai, we caught a ‘pink women’s taxi’ to our hotel, booked ourselves on a Dubai desert safari for the next day, then tried to sleep. Leigh had caught a really bad cold before leaving home, and we really thought she wouldn’t be able to fly. She still wasn’t fully recovered so needed rest.
We had planned to fly to Dubai out of Auckland NZ after spending some time there with friends, and were relocating a Thrifty Rental 12-seater minibus to get there. But on the way, Leigh was so unwell that we stopped at friend Diana’s in Tūrangi so Leigh could recuperate. A few days later she got the all-clear to fly, so we were glad to finally be in Dubai.
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| Safari vehicle in the Arabian Desert, Dubai |
The next morning, we were off on our desert safari, which involved a 4WD ride out into the desert to ride the massive dunes. The desert is vast, occupying almost all of the Arabian Peninsula. It is the 2nd largest desert in the world after the Sahara, covering 2,330,000 square kilometres (900,000 sq mi), and although there were other safari cars around, we still felt small in that huge expanse of golden sand.
We had a great time with our driver screaming across, up, and down the dunes at a great speed – very exhilarating!
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| Us on Champagne the camel in the Arabian Desert, Dubai |
Following the desert drive, we stopped at a small desert camp where we were to have a camel ride, meal, and floor show. The camel ride was a highlight, with both of us on ‘Champagne’ the camel. Camels are the most awkward things when it comes to kneeling and Leigh almost fell off as Champagne kneeled to let us dismount. It was hilariously funny and we were both laughing madly!
It was probably the most uncomfortable ride ever, but great fun, even though we both had a couple of bruises to show later! All up, we had a great time.
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| Marg in the Arabian Desert restaurant, Dubai |
Leaving Champagne, we headed for the eating area. It was nicely laid out in the open air with low tables and cushions for seats. The meal was a traditional kabsa consisting of rice, chicken, vegetables and spices.
We met other people who were also on the trip including a couple from the UK and a couple from Nederland. We had a lovely time chatting and exchanging views and travel experiences. The weather was balmy and the whole atmosphere was friendly and relaxed.
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| Tanoura whirling dancer, Arabian Desert, Dubai |
The Tanoura is the skirt that the male dancers wear. It is weighted so that when the dancer spins, the skirt flies out in a whirl of colour. Keeping the spinning going is part of the dancer’s skill and we were stunned at how long they could maintain it.
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| Leigh with a traditional trading teak dhow in Dubai Creek, Dubai |
The next day, we spent some time around the Dubai Creek with its colourful and traditional teak dhows. The Creek is a natural tidal inlet that divides Dubai into two main parts. On the western side is Bur Dubai, the historic area of Dubai, while on the other side is Deira, which has the largest gold market in the world. We’d visited there last year and went back for another look on this trip.
Although Dubai as we know it is relatively modern, over 40,000 years ago it was a number of small fishing settlements dotted along the coast of the Arabian Gulf. It sits on the ancient trade route between old Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, and the Dubai Creek is part of the route.
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| Marg at the Dubai Museum |
We enjoyed riding on the small quaint taxi-boats that ply their trade along the Dubai Creek, and visited some museums, Mosques, souks, and some of Dubai’s newer and significant buildings.
Later, deciding not to overdo it in the extreme heat, we headed back to our hotel. We’d done quite a bit of sightseeing in Dubai last year, so were quite happy with a few days this time around.
Very soon, we were on our way to Prague, the capital of Czechia (Czech Republic) – but that’s in the next blog.
This blog was written
during our stopover in Dubai on the way to Prague as part of our 6-month
motorhome trip around northern and eastern Europe.