Olivia and John arrived into Dubai Saturday evening. It took one hour to get to Al Maha Resort. Quick shower to try to forget the 20-hour economy seats and the entertainment system that didn’t work, but all in all the flight actually didn’t seem that long. We got delayed out of San Francisco as it took almost an hour to coordinate the takeoffs and landings with the Blue Angels rehearsing their Fleet Week show.
Al Maha was wonderful and very different from Dubai itself. Sunday started out with a Birds of Prey display where both purebred and crossbred falcons showed just how agile and fast they were. The presentation finished with Hannibal – a beautiful and very noisy african Tawny eagle. The show was very impressive but missed by many. Maybe 6:00 a.m. is a little too early for those kinds of attractions. Jet lag worked in our favor!
We jumped into a Jeep once the birds were fed and went on a wild 4×4 sand drive. It was purposely scheduled before breakfast i.e. before you put something in your stomach. It was a lot of fun and we stopped to enjoy the desert view on the highest dune right after having rescued one of the other two vehicles after it got stuck in the sand.
Short siesta after breakfast but we started up again at four in the afternoon. The wildlife drive was a not quite on par with what we’ve seen in Africa, but well worth the hour nonetheless. We saw camels, oryx and antelopes and learned about the vegetation of the desert. Our guide Hendri was great and as good a ranger as they come. It turned out that many of the rangers were South Africans, and that the concept of which the camp is being run has been copied from African safaris.
We finished the day off with a camel ride into the sunset. Lots of fun – especially while the camel got up and down. For dinner we had ordered a special Sri Lankan tasting menu. Very spicy but delicious and it was fantastic to sit in the middle of the dark desert and wind down after a busy day.
We didn’t do a whole lot Monday – those 100 degree temperatures get to you – but had asked to get a tour of the presidential suite. It used to belong to Sheikh Maktoum but after his untimely passing the children handed the residence to Al Maha and for a small fortune you can sleep a family of six in complete privacy and with stunning desert views.
All the staff we had met came to say goodbye when we left for the city. Saying Goodbye or “See you later” is not something we enjoy and we’ll be back sometime soon. Al Maha certainly ranks high on list of places we’ve enjoyed to visit, and we highly recommend it even if only for a night or two.
Once in Dubai we checked into our room at Jumeirah Madinat. An ocean view and Burj Al Arab as a neighbor is hard to beat. Many parts of the hotels are connected an impressive canal system and “Abras” take you to the destination of your choice. We decided to walk instead and John got some more shots of Burj Al Arab. We were approached by a security guard after a little while and it seems they are still very protective of anyone photographing the hotel. Tripod is a no-no so we had to stop before the things got interesting and decided to go see Burj Khalifa instead. We found a table outside and enjoyed a pizza and the fountain show in front of the world’s tallest building. Pizza was walked off with a stroll in the Dubai Mall, and we enjoyed our roles as inspectors of the local Pottery Barn, GAP and Banana Republic. Pro Bone of course.
We woke up early Tuesday and walked up and down the beach collecting beautiful sea shells for a while, but decided they would be sad without their family members and left them in Dubai. We jumped in taxi after breakfast and was part of the morning tour of the Jumeirah Mosque – one of the only muslim mosques in Dubai open to non-muslims. The tour aims at bringing you a better understanding of Islam and we were happy that we got to see and hear it. Once out we went to Dubai Creek and took a short boat ride to the Spice Souq and some of the older bazaars. Lot’s things to buy – to our surprise many of them fake. Late lunch at the Kempinski Hotel and after watching the indoor skiing center we walked the Mall of the Emerates before heading back to our hotel for a late checkout, signature massages and late dinner.
The plane left for the U.S. shortly after midnight. We had a great mini vacation but we are always happy to be flying home to be with the girls again.