Hello, Dubai
At the end of the day, somethings in life are better experienced than explained. After all, privileged luxury has no boundaries. A recent trip to Dubai proved this.
Imagine the world’s tallest skyscrapers towering above the city, the world’s largest malls with huge oceanariums located inside, seven-star hotels made of 24-karat pure gold, souks where pearls, diamonds and gold jewelry are lined up like fresh produce in a market, a spectacular airport constructed in less than a year where a fleet of Emirates Airlines competently services all routes in the world. Co-existent with such progress, there are Bedouin campsites where camels take inquisitive passengers for rides on the desert, land cruisers like rollercoasters taking guests on exhilarating sojourns through the desert and hot air balloon rides magically transporting you across the dramatic landscape.
Indigenous natural vegetation isn’t much except for date palms and shrubs with poisonous fruits but whatever they imagine, they manage to acquire to recreate a stunning futuristic playground beyond your wildest fantasies. Dubai is an amazing synergy of modernism while preserving the values and cares of their kindred culture. It is this eclecticism that proves to be the heart of Dubai’s charm.
With a vista of skyscraping sculptures, out-of-this-world hotels and mesmerizing mosques, it is hard to imagine that little more than 50 years ago, Dubai’s desert skyline was vastly undiscovered. Despite the development and progress of Dubai over the last decades into one of the most progressive cities in the world, the local citizenry remains a staunch advocate to their heritage, culture and legacy. The late President of the UAE, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, wisely said, “A country that knows not its past has neither present nor future.” And this motto adequately describes the United Arab Emirates of which Dubai is a part of today. Other emirates include Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
Arabic qualities of traditional family values, respect, hospitality to all, religious tolerance and pride in their ancestral virtues remain among the top prized assets of its society. Tourists visiting Dubai will be impressed with the overwhelming and friendly welcome they receive. With the multitude of warm and caring Filipinos working at the airport, hotels, shopping complexes and other places, it is like being home away from home. Dubai fascinates the world with its famed four S’s — sun, sand, sea and shopping.
Fast-forward to the 21st century and things are radically different. At one point, the vigorous development and construction took place at a breathtaking pace with more cranes operating per square foot than anywhere else in the world. Dubai has transformed into a city of contrasts, an oasis of golden opportunity. Today, it boasts an unprecedented sanctuary where cultures synergize in amazing harmony. I had the privilege to explore the most opulent hotels from the seven-star Burj Al Arab, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel adjacent to the amazing 12-acre Wild Wadi WaterPark, the newly built Atlantis, The Palm — but nothing beats the cozy and loving ambiance of the elegant Flora Creek Hotel Apartments and Flora Park Deluxe Hotel Apartments where the warm and loving staff caters to your every need with a congenial smile.
Gracious Flora Creek manager Manoj Chandran welcomed my group to the deluxe property conveniently located beside the Deira City Centre, every shopper’s dream haven. Our two-bedroom suite in Flora Creek Hotel Apartments had all the modern amenities you can think of and we were able to whip up fabulous meals in the kitchen. Before going to the jewelry convention, we would take quick laps in the indoor pool, hit the gym and drop by the salon for our beauty treatments. The Serenity Spa is an additional treat. Flora Creek’s proximity to Dubai International Airport, Deira City Centre the famous Dubai Deira Creek Maktoum Bridge and floating bridge makes it the perfect choice for the discriminating traveler.
A visit to White Sands Travel office, your destination management company in Dubai, enlightened me as to the diverse things to see and do. Sunny Augustine, president of White Sands, aggressively advocates convenient travel to Dubai and other emirates and allows agents and wholesalers to even book their guests on their direct booking access system. I had a city tour of Dubai to familiarize myself with its history and culture as well as its progressive estates. I also did the desert safari, toured the gold souks, the old souks and the shopping outlets.
I remembered the Filipino film entitled Dubai, starring Aga Muhlach and John Lloyd Cruz, while on the fun-filled desert safari, a must-do for anyone coming to Dubai. A Toyota Land Cruiser picks you up from your hotel and you are driven to the Big Red, an hour away from Dubai, stopping en route to check the car tires. Then you engage in some serious dune bashing over enormous deep red and yellow sand dunes — just like a rollercoaster speeding through the dramatic terrain. Suddenly, you are whisked off again to the middle of the desert for some sand boarding and whiz down the sand dunes on a ski board. You have the opportunity to watch the sunset in the desert with the deep red golden dunes as backdrop and a slight wind constantly changing the pristine landscape.
As night falls, you are taken to a Bedouin campsite where you can ride the camels, dune buggies, watch the exotic belly dancers, try a shisha pipe and the delicious buffet dinner of Mediterranean cuisine. Arabian coffee and their world- class dates are served endlessly. As night deepens, they request everyone to lie on the cool sand and face the sky as they turn off all the lights. A moment of silence is requested as you focus your gaze on the star-strewn sky and imagine how life was in the past in this surreal and serene desert. Truly, a slice of heaven on earth.
Other attractions include an incredible selection of sporting activities like paragliding, diving, kite surfing, fishing and cruising, golfing in impressive courses designed by Greg Norman. As the rest of the world has discovered the treasures of this Arabian gem over the last half century, global events, too, have found their way to its unrivalled stage. The Dubai desert classic golf tournament, Dubai Tennis championships and the world’s richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup, Dubai International Film Festival are all testaments to this emirate’s appeal.
What is perhaps their biggest attraction now is the Dubai Shopping Festival this month and the two-month Dubai Summer Surprises organized by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). If shopping was an Olympic sport, Dubai would certainly bag the plum prize, hands-down. Dubai has five of the seven largest shopping malls in the world. The DSF, established in 1996, has reaped so much success that it is now an annual shopping extravaganza attracting people from all over the world to take advantage of the incredible deals they have to offer. A lot of items are discounted by as much as 90 percent. Other features include daily winners carting off big cash prizes, luxury cars and even gold bars. Last year, shoppers spent over DHS10.4 billion between Jan. 15 and Feb 15. Dubai is renowned as the shopping capital of the Middle East with over 50 shopping malls, the variety of all kinds of commodities from haute couture to electrical goods, cosmetics, perfume, leather carpets, gold and more. Because of the tax-free shopping and low-import duties, goods are distributed at extremely competitive prices and these savings are ultimately passed on to the consumer.
One must visit the Dubai Outlet Mall, the only outlet concept mall in the Middle East and host to famous retail groups and brands such as Gucci, Valentino, Mark Jacobs, Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Prada, Missoni, Boutique 1, DKNY, Mexx, Rodeo Drive, Aizone, Bally, Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, Datch, Adidas, Puma, Nike Techibo and The One. In total, there are 800 premium and top fashion brands in individual and multi-branded stores. The mall is dedicated to being a true-value retail destination where you can snap up between 30 and 90 percent discounts on majority of their products 365 days of the year.
As I hopped aboard the futuristic Dubai Metro, my eyes gazed upon the cloud-busting Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building that has just been inaugurated. This building dwarfs all the rest. Burj Khalifa is a salute, a bewildering testament that if man can conceive it, he can achieve it. Nowhere in the world is this more prevalent than in Dubai, the City of Dreams. There is no better time than now to check it out.
It’s time to fly to Dubai.
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For more information, check out Flora Park & Flora Creek Deluxe Hotel Apartments at +971 4 294 3231 or log on to www.florahospitality.com. The Dubai Shopping Festival will be held from Jan. 28 to Feb. 28. Flora Creek has partnered with DTCM by offering a special rate that can be availed through various travel agents. E-mail White Sands Tours & Travel, sales@whitesands.ae or log on to www.whitesandstours.ae or call +971 4 282 6800. Also, call Ligaya Tabirao, GM of Meteor Philippines Inc. at 986-5137, 0918-912-5177 or e-mail meteorphils@gmail.com
Emirates Airlines flies to Dubai twice daily. For reservation, call 858-5300.
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E-mail the author at miladay.star@gmail.com.
