Emirates Airlines

There is so much to put in this post that I don’t know where to start – so why don’t we go to the beginning.  It began with my first experience flying with the infamous Emirates Airlines (sorry Delta, I cheated on you but I could not beat the fare and the direct flight). Emirates reputation did not disappoint us.

I decided to pre-purchase our seats (which is recommended) and if I recall we were in Row 43 – it is actually the third row in the economy (not at the back of the bus like one would think). I wish I booked earlier and snagged a bulkhead seat because they did look awesome and an exit row wasn’t possible due to my son’s age. Suggest that you call a few days in advance on the bulkhead to see if it has opened up.

I have to admit the seat was snug, If you are tall you will have a problem for long flights. I am 5 ft 4 and my knees were almost hitting the seat in front of me. Emirates economy did give me the vibe of the domestic business class minus the leg room. The service was exceptional! The attendants were super friendly and always looking to help you.

Overall I was extremely happy with the price I paid and that it was a direct flight. I have to admit my son and I did look up the stairs wishing we were in a laydown. I could not justify that expense, however, I did read information on The Points Guys on how to score a seat in Emirates business class using points. I’m definitely banking my points for that strategy next trip.  Please note that there were a lot of large families traveling together connecting through Dubai so your flight might have a crying baby on board (or more). Bring noise canceling headphones and before you know it you will be fast asleep. We fell asleep and woke up with three hours remaining. Can you blame them – 13 hours on a plane if I could I would cry too?

The entertainment screen was nice and big however I did have some sort of buzzing sound in my headset using my Beats on my flight home. I switched my headset to the Emirates headset and the problem was fixed however they were not noise canceling.

Atlantis Palm Dubai

We decided to stay at the Atlantis Palm Dubai for four nights while Doug was working in Abu Dhabi. I ended up upgrading to the Imperial Club for the lounge access and to keep my growing teen’s belly full. The club level is definitely worth it if you have little ones and you are using the kids club, breakfast and then the lounge snacks. However, I’m not sure it was worth it for my son and I.  We never made it down to breakfast because we slept in, suffering from the time difference, however, we did make it down for the snacks.

The private beach was nice however it was a bit away and I noticed nobody was really on the other beaches so they all were basically secluded. The beach was definitely a little plusher and the service was very attentive. My jury is still out on whether the Imperial Club is still worth the plunge. You really need to take advantage of the lounge access for the financials to work out.

Excursions Gone Bad via Atlantis

Do not book excursions through the hotel – we had a bad experience in this area that still has not been resolved.

We booked a boat ride around the Palm through a company that is located inside the lobby of the Atlantis, however not under or run by the hotel itself. The Gentleman showed us a picture of the YACHT we were supposed to go on however when we got to the marina we were presented with a smaller boat. The taxi already left and what was I supposed to do?  We decided to push forward and boarded for our tour.

Well, we enter the Persian Gulf and the swells are pretty big and this small craft cannot handle it. I directed the captain to turn around and go back to the hotel as I did not feel comfortable with the size boat we were on – mind you we are not even quarter through the excursion.

Doug and I have talked about this situation.  We are crossed on whether the tour operator farmed out jobs to his friends which led us to a boat not what we had booked.  Or possibly when we showed up at the marina, there were cancellations of tours and this was the only one left for us to get on.  

Either way I was highly disappointed in the tour, and for the hotel not vetting the companies they allow to do business.  We called and emailed to resolve this issue but it has not been actioned. Will reach out to them again about our displeasure with the treatment and hopefully, we will put an end to this.

Abu Dhabi

My son and I took a car to Abu Dhabi for one night to meet up with Doug, go out to dinner with friends and go to Ferrari World the next day. We were bracing ourselves for our one night stay at the Premier Inn based on his feedback (no frills but ideally located next to the convention center which is a big plus for him).

The Premier Inn is equivalent to a bare-bones Holiday Inn. To our surprise, we were quite taken back by how personable the people who worked there were. It’s really the little things that count for me and the lady behind the desk knew my name and was expecting my arrival. She gave us a BOGO for coffee. The barista noticed Logan added sweetener to his coffee so the next time we went there she put it in for him and held a pleasant conversation.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was such a sight! I actually toured it by myself however I ended up meeting the kindest sweetest strangers. Many of whom who insisted on taking my picture. Some of my new found friends did not speak the same language however we a common sense of humor, respect and kindness. Days like this give me hope in humanity.

Ferrari World/Yas Island

Yas Island is equivalent to Disney World on steroids without lines. We were only able to see a small part of but our main goal was Ferrari World – we were impressed. Some very good takeaways are that do not have to pay for every locker you use, food is reasonable and you do not have to wait two hours to get on a ride (are you listening to Disney?). The thirteen-hour plane ride was looking better to me already

We whipped through the park which made it so enjoyable! You can actually take a Ferrari out on the highway for a reasonable rate if you have a license. We opted for the indoor simulator experience. It is indoors and air conditioned! YES people, AIR CONDITIONED, barely any lines and you can easily do this park in a half day. Need I say any more.

I did notice the merchandise was expensive but you can opt out and order on Amazon prior to your visit. The highlight of this park is the Formula Rossa which is the world’s fastest roller coaster. It goes from 0 to 149 mph in 4 seconds and I was not expecting that! I felt every piece of loose skin on my body flap in the wind and my picture shows that! This coaster was the whole reason why we went to Abu Dhabi (sorry Doug) as we could have just waited in Dubai for Doug to arrive however we wanted to experience it and we did. Doubt I will go on it again but am sure my son will.

We were limited with our time however Yas Island has so much to offer. It is the home to Warner Bros, Yas Marina, Yas Mall, Ferrari World, Falcon Hospital, YAS Marina Circuit, and F1 United Arab Emirates Grand Prix. There is definitely more stuff in the works, we notice a new indoor skydive facility being built during our visit.

Fish Market at Intercontinental Hotel

This was an amazing hotel and is highly recommended – just listen to the directions on where it is as it can be tough to find on the property as it sits on the other side of the marina (yes, we went the wrong direction).

They have an amazing selection of fresh fish with an open kitchen concept. The chef will come out and explain the process to you for ordering your starters and mains, how it is prepared, what kind of sauce.  He has a basket with him that he fills with your selections. Just be careful on how much food you order – they didn’t caution us on our order so we had way too much food.

The dinner and service were beyond exceptional, and most importantly, the company made the evening. We ended our night being serenaded a Happy Birthday song from one of the personable staff members.

Dubai Part Two

We headed back to Dubai to start our family vacation portion of the trip with Doug now that his convention was over. With his travel schedule, we have to be creative sometimes when it comes to planning our family trips – in this case, it worked out well in that we were able to visit Dubai (on the bucket list), allowed me to enjoy some time with Logan and then all of us at the end of the week.

This section of the trip we stayed at the Hilton Jumeirah Beach which was ideally located to popular Dubai attractions. Jumeirah Beach is Dubai’s version of Miami. We were greeted with a nice fireworks display as we were checking in and we discovered a super quiet rooftop bar. If you want a cocktail in Dubai you can only get one at a hotel they do not serve at restaurants. The beach was equipped with a ton of activities if you were up for a banana boat ride or a jet ski. If you did not want to eat in the hotel you had a good amount of restaurants just a short walk away but bring some extra Dirham ( UAE Currency) for the street vendors. You will definitely spot some of those famous Dubai swanky cars driving by or parked on the street outside a restaurant. Jumeirah definitely had a fun vibe and we loved it!

The key is that you need to plan in advance to have a bit of your itinerary in place – excursions of course but also some key “things to do” when you have a limited amount of time.  Without further ado, here is what we did.

Platinum Heritage Desert Safari

If you had to choose only one excursion this would be the one. As always I can not stress enough to do your research!  Platinum Heritage stands out in the competition of the other Desert Safari companies offered in Dubai. There are many advertisements in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for desert safaris but you need to be careful about which one you choose. We were pick up by our pleasant guide, Tiago, in a really plush 2019 Range Rover which I wish I could have taken home. He took us on the hour ride out to the desert and we had a wonderful conversation on many topics like the UAE, where to live, family, etc. Next, we got into a 1950’s Land Rover and headed out for our wildlife tour. We stopped for some pictures, walk barefoot in the desert or to just to roll down some sand dunes. They even had a drone following us for video footage which was included if you booked directly through their site. Platinum Heritage is the only Desert Safari company in the UAE operating inside the grounds of Royal family members. You could see their house and elaborate grounds while we were touring.

We got up close and personally with this amazing falcon named Trooper! We learned all about the sport of falconry and how they were used to help Bedouin’s hunt. They played a crucial part in the history of the UAE. Presently in the UAE falconry is considered a sport for the wealthy. Hunting is prohibited in the UAE so if you want to take your falcon to hunt you will have to leave the country. There is a viral photo of a bunch of lucky falcons on board a first class flight heading to a hunt. We did a quick stop for some sand surfing on our way to the camp.  

Finally, we ended our night at the most majestic authentic Bedouin desert camps built traditionally using natural materials like stone, wood and goat hair and operating 100% on solar power.  The service was so inviting and the food was delicious. We were able to enjoy and not feel rushed. We opted for the private tour so Logan could stop and do the sand surfing so we ending going to a camp that was a little more private. Doug and I tried Hookah Logan loved the local coffee. Four pristine camels sat outside the camp if you wanted to go for a ride. The night ended with a traditional dance and music which I joined in. We really enjoyed and plan on booking the overnight excursion next visit.

Atlantis Snorkeling Adventures – After staying in a room overlooking the aquarium at the Atlantis we felt like Doug missed out (and he loves aquariums), so we booked the VIP snorkeling in the main aquarium.  We swam with sharks and many types of fish and we took great pictures and were on display for the hotel guests to watch us! Such a great experience and it’s definitely an excursion that everyone in the family takes part in.

Burj Khlifa VIP Tour with Boardwalk access – This excursion was so worth the arrangements mainly to beat the queues. I’m not sure what going on with me as I get older but I have no patience for long lines and I will pay the extra money to get a pass to fast track any lines. Besides, we only have so much time in Dubai and I do not want to waste any of it. This tour started by taking us into a separate room where they served very strong Arabic coffee. Next, we went through security and up the super fast elevators to the 148th floor. We were greeted with light snacks and drinks. Walked outside on the observatory deck, took some great photos and proceeded to the stairs to the lower level. We also did the virtual reality tour in which I provided the whole floor with entertainment! It was a great laugh for all.

Dinner at Dubai Mall –  Plan it right and you will get to see several of the fountain shows.  This is a must. We at Logma which serves traditional Emirati food – it is a chain but the food and service were delicious.  A lot of the restaurants in the mall will have outdoor seating overlooking the fountain – if you can get a seat there to go for it!