Dubai Layover
Conveniently, Dubai is on the way to India and the dots can be connected quite easily. This was my first visit to the UAE and the Middle-East in general. Everything about Dubai was modern and somewhat familiar. They have taken certain ideas and designs from Western culture and amplified them with stacks of cash. Arriving in the airport started this journey of modernity with gleaming columns and vibrant LED displays.
Dubai itself isn’t too large of a city so the taxi ride from airport to hotel took me past some of the city sights. The highway was large and very excessively American. Lanes as far as the eye can see, anticipating traffic flows that may or may not ever come. Looking out of the car I was able to see the Dubai Frame. Despite how the picture portrays it, this is a massive structure akin to the St. Louis Arch. I imagine you can appreciate it best from a helicopter tour where the city sits neatly in the center of the frame.
My hotel was a twin towered, 70+ story skyscraper. Of course I had to get Bonvoy points so this Marriott was more than sufficient. My room was on the 59th floor and my views were superb. Or at least they could have been if it weren’t for the haze, potentially it was smog, maybe dust in the air, maybe fog? Whatever it was, the haze somewhat obscured the not so far off Palm Jumeirah. I could also just make out the Burj Al Arab, another enormous man-made creation for the enjoyment of onlookers and wealthy guests alike. These amazing structures were everywhere! What struck me, however, was that the city didn’t have much history. Instead of a healthy mix of buildings of varying sizes and ages neighboring each other, Dubai had skyscraper next to empty desert, next to skyscraper, next to vacancy. The patchwork seemed unlike any other city I have been to.
My trip to Dubai was short so to make the most of it I had to see the building to top all buildings, to truly scrape the sky. I visited the Burj Khalifa. It is ever present from almost anywhere in the city. Its distinct slender form literally towers over everything around. To me, it was a beautiful sight from any perspective I saw it from. I decided to do the touristy thing and go to the top. However, I never made it all the way to the top. The tickets for this were hilarious. Something around $350 to go to the top so I opted for the next tier down (only ~$175… what a deal…) to go to a somewhat lower floor. They enticed customers by saying you can stay as long as you like and have some refreshments. I enjoyed some orange juice and dates while I looked all across the city. Being in the building itself was similar to a plane in that you were just above everything. You could see every rooftop pool and gleaming glass structure in every direction. I took my pictures, as that is really what you are paying for right?!? I found that I could appreciate the marvel of the building much more from anywhere else but actually in it. Seeing it was much more exciting to me than actually being up on top. I am glad I had this skyscraping experience but I wouldn’t say it is worth a repeat.
Attached to the Burj Khalifa is the Dubai Mall. It had every store you could ever imagine. All the designer brands were necessary to offset what must be a staggering A/C bill. I only bought airpods as mine had died somewhere along the journey. All this way to buy a product from an American company. Clearly I am no shop-aholic.
I did manage to find a very unique experience that I certainly couldn’t have found in the US. I was able to get a ticket to the Dubai Museum of the Future. Similar to the Frame, this structure looks like a sculpture but in reality is a multi-story building filled with exhibits. I was taken on a “spaceship” and enlisted as an astronaut to help save the planet. This was not just a museum but a whole experience. One section of the museum was this amazing library of plants and animals. Each acrylic item had a unique species that filled a huge room from floor to ceiling. This place is a must-see if you ever visit the city.
The special experiences didn’t end at the airport door as they sometimes do. Instead I was treated to Emirates Business Class for my flight to India. This allowed me access to their airport lounge. The lounge was massive, seemingly spanning the entire length of the terminal, 1 floor above all the “normal” travelers. I was treated to several international cuisine food stations and most importantly a dedicated champagne bar. This was an occasion where getting to the airport 3 hours early made a whole lot of sense.
Once on the plane, the luxurious experience continued. I was offered a wine list and a full 3 course food menu to choose from for the ~4 hour flight. My seat had the ability to fully lay flat (which would have been very nice on a longer trip). This was also the first time I have ever had a white table cloth draped on my tray table before food was served. This is what air travel should be all the time! Off to India again!
