It is no question that one of the most sought after destination in the world is Dubai. It is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is widely known for its remarkable building designs and architecture, and man-made islands. It is also home to thousands of Filipino workers who aspire for a better future for their families.
We're not different from the ordinary Filipinos. We also aspire to achieve our dreams and provide a better life for our future children. This is the reason that drove us to go on a two week trip to Dubai in December 2015.
We booked our tickets a year prior so we were able to take advantage of the promo fare and paid almost PHP 13,000 for our round trip tickets from Cebu to Dubai (good for 2 PAX) via Cebu Pacific.
THE ARRIVAL
It was a boring 12 hour flight from Mactan International Airport. When we finally reached Dubai, I could still remember the excitement on our faces. We were tired but we were happy to set foot on another foreign land. The long travel was worth it!
It is true that Dubai is an expensive city. This is why we carefully planned our itinerary and went there for three reasons - first, to try our luck in getting a job in the IT sector. Second, to explore the country as much as we could and third, to see my Sister-in-law, Cha-Cha who is based in Qatar.
WHERE TO GET VISA
Applying for Dubai visa was a challenge for us. Good thing that we have some friends who referred to us an agency that processes and issues e-visas. The rates vary depending on how long you plan to stay in the country. We got our visa from Aisha Tourism LLC and paid PHP 6,220 (for 2 Pax) for our 14 days stay in the UAE.
OUR ITINERARY
Day 1 - Arrival in Dubai | December 29
We booked our accommodation through Booking.com. We stayed at Royal Prince hotel which is situated at Al Sabkha Deira. It is accessible to the metro station, museum and fast foods like KFC and McDonalds.
You can check for the hotel photos and reviews in this link:
https://www.booking.com/hotel/ae/royal-prince.en-gb.html?aid=304142;label=gen173nr-1FCAEoggJCAlhYSDNYBGi0AYgBAZgBMcIBCndpbmRvd3MgMTDIAQzYAQHoAQH4AQKSAgF5qAID;sid=f82bdedce2bb09d2212a693989bcf4b0
We did not get to explore the area during the first day due to the jet lag. After dinner, we just stayed at the hotel and rest to reserve our energy for the next day's activity.
Day 2 - Explore Deira, area around hotel | December 30
We woke up at around 6 AM to explore the area around our hotel. First on the list was a local Gadgets shop to buy a Sim Card that we can use so we can have Internet while on the road. It was a unique experience since buying a Sim Card in this country would require you to present a passport. In the Philippines, we can buy a sim card anywhere - even from street vendors and they do not ask us to present any valid IDs to acquire one.
After registering the card, we left the shop and proceeded to the bus terminal. We were hesitant to commute at first, so we decided to book a cab to Al Mamzar Park so we can chill and just take photos of the place.
We left Al-Mamzhar Park at around 12 noon then we headed to Dubai Mall for late lunch and did some shopping before meeting Genebelle, a friend, to see Burj Khalifa and witness the Dancing Fountain. Burj Khalifa definitely stands out despite the influx of visitors / tourists.
Day 3 - New Year's Eve with the Infiestos | December 31
In celebration of the New Year's Eve, Vic and I headed to Sharjah to meet Francis and spend the night there. We had drinks and food and had a fun time singing our hearts out, and of course the Fireworks display was incredible even from afar.
Day 4 - Miracle Garden & Dubai Global City | January 1
This was my favorite part of the trip - A visit to the Miracle Garden and Dubai Global City.
Dubai is a deserted land but look at how beautiful this garden is.
Dubai Global City is also a must-visit attraction. It features iconic places from different parts of the world. It feels like you are already touring different countries at one place.
Day 5 / 6 - Ferrari World & Yas Waterworld | January 2-3
Together with my Sister-in-law, we traveled to Abu Dhabi via bus to experience the Ferrari World and Yas Waterworld. We're proud to say that we've overcome our fears and experienced the world's fastest roller coaster and water rides.
Day 7 - The Desert Safari Experience | January 4
One of the highlights of our Dubai trip was definitely the Desert Safari. It's a whole day activity which includes camel riding, belly dance show, sand boarding and of course riding the Land Cruiser to experience the thrill of dune bashing. The tour package also comes with free food and drinks served at a private camp.
Though the overall experience for me was nice, but due to the fact that it's jam-packed, we were not able to get enough food and the camps were also occupied, so there were no available seats. Good thing that there were fellow Asians who invited us to sit at their table to eat and chat.
Day 8 - A Visit to Jumeirah Beach, Burj Al Arab & Dubai Marina | January 5
It's good to reunite and share laughter with people you've known since High School. That's what we did in Day 8. We met some old friends and acquaintances who are now based in Dubai and had a really good time.
We spent the rest of the evening at Dubai Marina to watch street acts and do a lot of catching up of what transpired in our lives after High School graduation.
Day 9 - Dubai Building Designs and Architecture | January 6
For the succeeding days, it was all about job hunting. We were out attending interviews and submitting our CVs to companies in the IT sector. While en-route to these companies, we were pretty amazed of Dubai's great infrastructures and building architecture. Here are just some of the photos that we took.
Day 10 - Food Tripping | January 7
Today was all about exploring food. We tried their famous Shawarma for 6 AED and loved it, then went to a Popeyes Restaurant for lunch just a few minutes from the hotel. We also had Baskin Robbins ice cream (my favorite) for dessert and headed to Juice World with some friends.
Day 11 - Touring Dubai's Famous Shopping Malls | January 8
Dubai is known for its malls too, so we decided to check them out in Day 11. It was easier to hop from one shopping mall to another because of their fast trains, and because of the holidays in Dubai, we were able to buy some goods at a discounted price. There were really a lot of nice items that we can resell in the Philippines - from bags, chocolates, clothes, shoes. Name it, they have it.
Here are the malls that we visited:
- Dubai Mall
- Mall of the Emirates
- City Centre Deira
- Festival City Mall
- Dubai Marina Mall
Day 12 - Pasalubong Shopping | January 9
Three days prior to departing from Dubai, we did some pasalubong shopping for our loved ones back home. As recommended by a friend, we visited Baqer Mohebi in Bur Dubai to buy chocolates at discounted prices.
Day 13 - Rest | January 10
We intentionally did not plan for any activity for Day 13 so we could rest and prepare for our flight the next day. By this time, I was really homesick and missing everyone back home and very excited to be back in the Philippines.
Day 14 - Depart from Dubai | January 11
It was indeed a very memorable experience in Dubai. We enjoyed our trip and we are looking forward to having another vacation in the United Arab Emirates.
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