Our holiday celebration wouldn't be complete without a year-end trip. I suppose the FIL got tired of our previous destinations so he decided to take us to Dubai. It was a good thing because the kids were getting tired of those destinations too. I was afraid that there'll be nothing to do but shop and I am trying to veer them away from consumerism.
Luckily, PAL came out with promo fares last February to introduce the new destination. I couldn't believe that adult promo fares were cheaper than full-price child fare. Because we got promo tickets, we had to leave and arrive in Manila on a weekday.
It was also a coincidence that one of SEPI's clients owns a travel agency. He was the one who took care of our day trips. We also had a van and a driver at our disposal during our whole stay. To give you an idea, this was our working itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival in Dubai. The flight took 9 hours and it ate up our whole day. We arrived at the hotel in the evening. We stayed at Cassels al Barsha, a hotel near Mall of the Emirates.
Day 2: AM City Tour - Jumeirah Beach, The King's official Palace, Gold Souk and other famous landmarks
PM Tour - Desert Safari (Dune bashing, camel rides and BBQ at the desert)
Day 3: Shopping at Dubai Outlet Mall, Evening River Cruise, Mall of the Emirates
Day 4: Abu Dhabi for the Grand Mosque and Ferrari World
Day 5: Aquaventure at Atlantis
Day 6: Shopping at Dubai Mall
Day 7: Departure for Manila
Dubai is a nice destination to learn about the Muslims and their culture. It is an open city that is quite progressive despite the strong hold on customs and traditions. It has a nice mix of the old and the new. It is perfect for retail therapy too, specially if you visit during the Dubai Shopping Festival.
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