Day 0 (Travel Day)
I chose December to travel to Dubai. This is a perfect scenario because not only do Western students get time off but also the climate is much cooler at this time. My journey will begin in my hometown, Vancouver. Because there are no direct flights, I will depart on a 21 hour flight with many pit stops on the way. The distance traveled once I land in Dubai will total 9,502 miles. Pictured below is my flight schedule and total costs of flying.
This airport itself is something magnificent. It consists of three terminals, and the terminal we will be landing in (Terminal 3) is the largest airport terminal in the world. It is so impressive that in 2013, National Geographic aired a ten part documentary series entitled Ultimate Airport Dubait that featured Dubai International Airport. A clip of the documentary can be seen below. The entire documentary can be found on the Dubai Airport YouTube page.
The flight will land at around 9 – 10PM, anticipating delays. After the lengthy journey, I feel my body will need rest so I will arrange for transportation to a hotel. This will probably be through taxi. If you prefer not to wait in traffic and are near a station, the metro is an exceptional alternative. The metro is impeccably clean and is also very affordable. At the same time, taxis in Dubai are also very cheap and reliable. A taxi to a hotel costs approximately $25-30 Canadian, or 100 dirham. I plan to stay in Dubai for eight days, spending the duration at the Burj Al Arab in the panoramic suite. This room offers:
…two levels of floor-to-ceiling windows offering 180 degree views overlooking the ever-changing panorama of Dubai and the Arabian Gulf, the one bedroom Panoramic Suite is perfect for modern day princes and princesses. Stretching an impressive 315 square metres, this suite is perfectly located to indulge while watching the world pass by.
Description off Burj Al Arab Jumeirah website
To stay at this hotel for eight days, the total comes to $8490, quite a hefty amount. However, this cost will be split into three as I will be travelling with my brother and sister. This means it will come to $353.75 a night per person. (8490/3 = 2830/8 = 353.75) A much more reasonable rate.
Costs Day 0
Flight = 1341.91
Taxi = 30
Hotel = 353.75
Total = 1725.66
Day 1-2
The layout for the first two days is to get acquainted with the land and culture of Dubai. We will begin our day by visiting the Jumeirah Mosque and participating in a tour throughout this place of worship. Afterwards we will take a walk through the Bastakia Quarter. This is one of Dubai’s beautiful heritage sites, which was built by Persian merchants attracted to the city in the 19th century. The quarter is home to one of Dubai’s oldest building as well as the Dubai Museum. We plan to spend the entire day here immersing ourselves in this enchanting setting.
Waking up with new eyes, we will treat ourselves to a delicious traditional breakfast of kahi, fatayer, and sfiha (all pastries). With our bodies full of both food and energy, we will be picked up at the hotel to embark on a Desert Safari. This Safari runs from 3:30 PM to 9:30 PM and is recommended for anyone visiting the city. The tour departs in the afternoon to take you on a marvelous journey through the desert. You begin by dune bashing through the endless sand in a 4×4, including photo-stops on the way. Eventually you will reach your campsite, just in time to view the stunning sunset. While at the campsite, camel rides, sandboarding, henna tattoos, and shisha are all activities you can participate in. An interesting thing about Dubai, you can skii on both sand and snow in the same day there, pretty amazing. All food and drink is provided, and the night will end with a delightful dinner accompanied by belly dancing under the the moonlight.
Costs Day 1-2
Transportation (Taxi, boat, etc.) = 100
Jumeirah Mosque Tour = 70
Misc (Food, gifts, etc) = 100
Hotel = 707.5
Desert Safari (with Sandboarding) = 80.86
Total = 1058.36
Day 3-4
There will be days of recovery at the hotel, or in other words, being as lazy as possible. The Burj Al Arab provides access to it’s own private beach. It includes comfortable sun beds on white sand, mineral water facial sprays, cold towels and light refreshments. There are also a selection of water sport activities such as kayaking and para sailing. This is where we will spend the majority of our days, soaking up the sun. If you prefer to take a break from the heat, the hotel also offers in-door infinity pools, as well as a spa to relieve all your stresses. Inside the housing, there is a multitude of restaurants. However, we look forwards to spending an evening at Al Mahara. This restaurant boasts to offer the best seafood in dubai, as well as having a impressive floor to ceiling aquarium.
We also wish to make a stop at the Palm Jumeirah. This is a man made island off the coasts of Dubai that takes the form of a palm tree. This will be accomplished through a 90 minute boat tour provided by Yellow Boats. This tour will give us a stunning ocean view of the Palm Jumeirah, and the Burj Al Arab among other spectacular sights.
Costs Day 3-4
Hotel = 707.50
Misc (Food, watersports, gifts, etc.) = 150
Yellow Boats Tour = 87.14
Taxi = 30
Total = 974.64
Day 5-6
Travelling with my sister means there is going to be some shopping. We decided to spend a day at the Mall of the Emirates, and a day at the Dubai mall. Each mall has its vast selection of luxury stores, but also offers unexpected treasures. First is the Mall of the Emirates. This mall features over 700 stores on 234,479 square meters of land, and is one of the largest shopping malls in the world. However, what attracts me most about this mall is their ability to provide real snow over on this side of the Earth. Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort with an 85 meter high indoor mountain and 5 slopes of varying difficulty. Skiing is one of my favorite hobbies and I definitely wouldn’t mind spending a day hitting the slopes.
Following the Mall of the Emirates will be the Dubai mall. This mall includes over 1,200 shops on 502,000 luxurious square meters of land. As with the mall of emirates, the Dubai mall also allows visitors to gaze through the Dubai Aquarium and Under Water Zoo. The aquarium is home to over 33,000 living animals, representing more than 85 species. And not losing to Ski Dubai, you can also spend your time at their indoor skating rink if you wish to satisfy your craving for cold.
Costs Day 5-6
Hotel = 707.50
Taxi = 30
Misc (Food, clothes, gifts, etc.) = 100
Ski Dubai Day Pass = 85.59
Dubai Aquarium Pass = 27.99
Total = 951.08
Day 7-8
I depart this wonderful city at the crack of dawn (1:05 AM) so I wish to spend my final day climbing one of the greatest wonders of the world, the Burj Khalifa. This tower is the tallest building in the entire world. It stands at over 828 metres (2716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories. Being the tallest building in the world comes with benefits, as the Burj Khalifa also holds records including: Tallest free-standing structure in the world, highest number of stories in the world, highest occupied floor in the world, highest outdoor observation deck in the world, elevator with the longest travel in the world, and the tallest service elevator in the world. I hope that this final destination will cement the entire trip into my mind and heart, as I will never want to forget this adventure.
Day 7-8 Costs:
Hotel = 353.75
Taxi = 30
Misc (Food, etc.) = 50
Burj Khalifa Pass = 46.65
Total = 480.4
Grand Total = $5190.14
This is a very expensive trip and may take me awhile to save up for, but it truly is my dream vacation.
Dubai 
