Let’s finish the list on 10 things you could do in Dubai, while coming to Qatar World Cup – Part 2

Will take the opportunity to finish the list of things you could do here in Dubai, making the most of your time in the Middle East for the world cup in Qatar. Many of the big Airlines have announce the use of Al Maktoum International (DWC) airport to serve as a bridge between the 2 countries during the soccer event. Dubai is just 1 hour flight from Doha so definitely doing a couple of days here can be a great addition to what will be the biggest sport event of the year.

6) Explore the Dubai Mall and see the city atop the Burj Khalifa

In Dubai breaking records is a common thing, is not strange to find the second biggest shopping mall and tallest building in the world next to each other. They are both located in downtown Dubai, thousand of people go there daily to shop, dine and entertain. It is crazy to see hundred of people walking in bunches from the metro station to the Dubai Mall entrance, just the walk is 1 mile long.

Impressive view of the Burj from the outside

Once you are inside the mall, there is plenty to do… Some of the attractions are full hockey court, 22 movie cinema, Fountain show (Las Vegas Style), 150 million old Dino Fossil, VR Park, 1,000+ stores, more than 100 restaurants (Fine dinning, Casual dinning, Fast Food, Cafes). You need to plan ahead just to not get lost!!!

Dino is here to salute you… 150 million years old

From the Dubai Mall you can directly to the Burj Khalifa entrance where you can take an elevator and go up to different floors and admire Dubai from the altitude. In the lobby you will find interesting information on the development of the building and all the great technology it has. It is an impressive building from the inside but for me is more spectacular admiring it from different places of Dubai, you can see the building from many miles in the distance

Night View of the Burj Khalifa, being part of the Fountain show

7) Visit Dubai Marina and have a good time in one of the many restaurants

30 minutes by car from the Dubai airport you will find Dubai Marina an artificial canal city that opened in 2003 and now makes home for more than 50K people. Getting to Marina is very easy, you could take the metro and get down in the Dubai Marina Metro station, from there you can walk to many places or take the tram that will make it more accessible to move toward the outer parts of marina.

You can find great places to eat and have fun, during day or night… check for daily brunches and happy hours to benefit of good specials in food and drinks. There are places with great views of the Marina and JBR, some of the places I like are Pier 7 (7 restaurants under one roof), Bliss Lounge (great view to the Dubai Eye), Chalco’s Cantina at Marina Gate (Great Mexican food and Corona Beer, you will find me here during the World Cup). Very close from here is Dubai Harbor one of the places that will have FIFA fan zones to enjoy the games.

8) Jump into a Water Taxi and admire Dubai Skyline from the sea

In Dubai you will see a huge number of exotic car on the streets, you can even rent a Ferrari for 60 minutes and take it out for a spin; there is also many public transportation alternatives and one of them is a water Taxi service where you can move to key locations around Dubai. It is a great way to see a little bit of the city from the see with great skyline views of Dubai.

Enjoy a different view of the Dubai Skyline

Some of the locations you can go and start a trip are: Dubai Marina, Dubai Creek, Al Ghubaiba (Old Dubai). Depending the distance you will pay between $6USD to $20USD, taking the longest route will bring you some great views of different landscapes of the city. For sure is a great activity for all people, and you can combine it with other transportation methods to cover all the city.

This one takes you from one end to another end of the Dubai Marina

9) Visit Expo 2020 site and watch a game in this FIFA fan zone

In October 2021 with a delay of 1 year the Dubai World Expo 2020 opened, for this even that run until March 2022 Dubai created a city from zero a place where more than 180 countries got together to share the best they have to offer from innovations, culinary arts, folklore, business opportunities. It was an event that brought more than 20 million visitors in 6 months, and now the Dubai Expo site is being prepared to become a center for entrepreneurs to develop ideas and foster innovations that will impact the world.

In October they are reopening some of the country pavilions and activities that where part of the Expo, and during the world cup the central plaza will be converted into a FIFA fan zone where you can go and enjoy football with for sure thousand of people of different nationalities. It will be clearly a place to go during the world cup and after it, since it is reopening as Expo City Dubai.

Good Parks at expo, you will find some big screens

10) Make a short trip to other Emirates, they are all very close

If you want to explore beyond Dubai there are other great Emirates and activities to do a couple of hours from downtown. Here are a couple of ideas if you want to adventure: Go to Abu Dhabi just a 40 minute drive and do a day tour to see this Emirate and enjoy Ferrari World, WB Park or try some car racing in the Yas Marina Circuit. I will be doing a full post on Abu Dhabi so I can share detailed information on the richest Emirate of the UAE. The second idea is go and do the longest Zipline in the world at Jebel Jais in the Ras Al-Khaimah Emirate is around 2 hour drive, you will not be disappointed with this adventure.

There are many other things to do in Dubai but this 10 that I just shared are definitely must do if you have the time, the World Cup in Qatar is near and Dubai will be a great destination to enjoy the event. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Going to Qatar for the world cup… You could jump to Dubai for a couple of days… Part 1

This last August mark my first year living in Dubai, what was a six month assignment is now a one year and still going adventure. I will tell you that time flies… and more when you are having fun, during this past 12 months been having the opportunity to go to different countries in the AMEA region (Asia, Middle East, Africa, Australia), met great people and experience closely their cultures, something that you don’t get to experience so intimate living in the USA or Mexico.

Museum of the Future… Emirates Towers behind… Some of the great architecture you will find in Dubai

In November of this year the world will be looking to Qatar for the 2022 world cup, one of the biggest sporting events in planet earth. We expect more than 1 million people going to see matches there and many more just visiting Qatar as tourist. The UAE is also preparing for this event as both countries are very close just one our flight can take you from Dubai to Doha, so we expect to live the world cup like we were live in Qatar.

Dubai has great roads to manage huge number of visitors

As part of the world cup Dubai will have official FIFA fan Zones, and also hundreds of flights will be available to go and see a match in Qatar to then come back a couple of hours after the match ends. This initiatives plus other private initiatives are to support the tourist infrastructure of Qatar and generate tourism spend in Dubai taking advantage of the millions of persons coming to the region. We are all in Dubai excited for the world cup, not only for the sporting part, but also for the additional events (Artistic, Open Air Watching Parties) that will happen in Dubai during this very intense 30 days.

Qatar world cup will bring a good number of visitors similar to the World Expo on 2021-22

Taking into consideration that many people will be first timers in Dubai and maybe with limited time between the games, I just want to share 10 things that you should put on the list to do while in Dubai. Dubai has many things to enjoy, so the idea is to share some information that will help you decide what to do. I will separate the list into 2 posts so I can describe a little bit more each activity, weather should be great in November to be outside and enjoy 100%.

1, Take the Metro and connect to many attractions and Shopping Malls

Dubai Metro is a very simple 2 lines system connecting many great places for dinning, shopping, or entertainment. The red line is currently the longest self driving metro line in the world. You can buy tickets at every stop in machines or in a booth where personnel can help you. Cost for a single trip in the silver cabin goes from $1.50 USD to $3.00 USD, also there is Gold cabin that cost 2X. Some of the key attractions connecting the metro are: Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and Ibn Battuta Mall / Old Dubai has a stop / Museum of the Future / DXB Airport / Dubai Marina (connect to tram) / Expo 2020 (Site of Event).

The metro makes the city very mobile, you will need to use taxi or buses but the trains makes a great opportunity to see the city from an elevated track; if we have a clear day it makes for a great trip to explore the city. Metro runs from 6AM till 12/1AM depending the day so it is available many hours during the day, it can get packed during peak hours but you can always squeeze in.

2. Visit Jumeirah Mosque and learn a little bit of Islam

Close to La Mer Beach, you find Jumeirah Mosque a very beautiful place that open doors in 1979 and operates using the Open Doors, Open Mind program of the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) promoting and sharing of Muslim culture and Islam to non Muslims with the idea of better understanding their beliefs. The activity is 90 minutes long, where they share a little bit of what is Islam and the core values where it stands, also they open a session for questions looking to share some wisdom with the participants. For me was a great learning experience, that makes me more sensible to their culture and beliefs. There are some requirements (Women wear scarf covering head, Men have long pants), but is open to anyone that want to have the experience

3. Go to JBR beach and enjoy a bath in the Persian Gulf

Dubai has many beaches along the coastline, one of them is know as JBR. This urban beach is filled with many restaurants and hotels is the perfect place to enjoy a full day of beach activities with good food and cold refreshments. You can come with your car and park in one of the underground parking or if you are staying in one of the many hotels of the area just walk and find your place on the beach. You could easily forget that you are in the desert, once you sit and enjoy the sun and the calm water in front of you. JBR for me is special since you can find activities for everyone: Rent Jet Ski and go along the Palm, Rent a boat and go out to sea and see the sunset, Go to one of the many beach clubs and enjoy the pool, Get some food and have a picnic on the beach.

4. Go to the desert and have dinner under the stars in front of a Bonfire

One activity that for me was exceptional last year and also was lots of fun was an outing to the Desert, it is one of this things that you can do with different budgets. There are desert trips that you go and do dune bashing, sand surfing, live shows, BBQ, the whole enchilada or you could do a more intimate gathering to have good food and enjoy the company of friends and family. Be there by Sunset is a must, also be comfortable with sand on your shoes but most important admire the sky and the stars that you will see. The farther from the city the better as you will have less light contamination.

5. Visit Old Dubai, explore the Gold and Spice Markets

Before all the big building and majestic developments Dubai was a merchant port that was supported by maritime industry, Old Dubai is a place you can’t miss if you come to Dubai, here you will find some interesting stores offering wacky gold, diamond stuff like women clothing or you could try and buy the biggest gold ring in the world. The market is not only good for sightseeing but also prices are good for gold since Dubai does not charge taxes on it. Beside the gold market you will also find the spice market where you can get your favorite spice or explore new ones. A trip to this part of the city will take you 2-3 hours, you can get by using the metro.

In my next post will finish the list of things to do in Dubai if you have a couple of days in the city, one thing is important Dubai will not fail. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Emirates Business Class and Airbus 380… one fine combination

When I moved to Dubai on August of last year, I knew that there would be a chance to try Emirates and the Airbus 380. It is known the high level of service and quality Emirates provides in Dubai and also how they are using the A380 to differentiate from other airlines when it comes to service and amenities for their customers. Before getting here I had read about the Emirates Terminal in DXB and how this massive building is able to manage millions of passengers in a year also how Emirates is the biggest customer of the A380 and is providing exclusive amenities to its customers.

Once you arrive to Dubai you see how Emirates is important to the growth of Dubai as one of the top tourist destination in the world. Dubai International Airport is the busiest international passenger based on traffic and is because of the massive footprint of Emirates in the country flying to more than 80 countries and more than 160 destination and the Airbus 380 is a big factor in managing those numbers. Emirates is the biggest customer for the plane with 119 of them in service more than 40% of the available planes in the world. If you add the foothold of the A380 plus Terminal 3 at DXB (Biggest passenger terminal in the world) you get Dubai recipe of having a record to show the world.

The Emirates Business Class experience start when you get picked in a BMW at you home/office and drop you off in the Business/First Class designated area at the airport. Is crazy to see the number of cars you can see in the road with the Emirates logo, but then you need to understand that an A380 has more than 70 business class seats. This initial service really set the mood for a smooth transition from your starting point to the airplane. Once you get out of the car you can select one of the many business class stations to do the check in, since the terminal is so huge they dedicate massive space for check in for all classes. My experience is that it takes 5 to 10 minutes for the check in as they have a good number of stations, after you get your boarding pass is onto the Business Class Lounge. The Security and Migration at DXB is a breeze, once you have your biometrics into the system you only put you passport on one of the smart gates and the doors will open to let you pass into the terminal. From the different airports I have been the efficiency in this one is phenomenal.

After you pass security there is a 5-10 minute walk into the terminal and towards the Lounges, one thing that I learned the first time is that the lounges (Business and First) are the size of the terminal; so if you flight leaves from door 35 you have an elevator that goes directly to the door and no need to leave the lounge to get to the door. Once you get to the lounge you can enjoy the big facility: have some food, enjoy a drink or just relax in one of the many areas they have for resting. The place is so big you can be get the right space for work, meditate, chat with fellow passengers while waiting for your departure. With one our to the flight boarding start, you will see it in the many monitors, the good thing is you check in from the lounge to the airplane.

After getting to the gate you can appreciate the size of the A380, for the airplane to work the airports needed to adapt multiple tunnels for the boarding, in some cases you can see up to 3 tunnels connected but usually there are 2: one for each floor of the airplane. Inside the airplane you start seeing beautiful details that are part of the Emirates brand, with some background music. Fun fact: in many of the boarding’s there are a couple of songs by Puerto Rican artists like Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Chayanne!!!

The A380 has some features that makes it unique, in first class you have fully enclosed seats with dinning at your leisure and yes the opportunity to shower at 40,000 feet in the air… As of now I have not experienced the first class service but my current experience in Economy and Business has been exceptional so definitely the experience in first would be out of this world.

Business section is huge, since is almost all the second floor of the airplane, but you can see a great number of flight attendants ready to support you during the flight. Once you get to your seat, there is the traditional champagne to start the journey and while they make last checks before flight. You will find business seats to be spacious with ample storing place, the configuration of the seating brings good privacy but if you are flying with someone you could get center side by side seats that by lowering a small board you have the ability to share during the flight.

After approximately 45 minutes of departure you can go to the Onboard lounge where you can go and have a drink or snack while in the air and have an share stories with other fellow passengers. Going there and just be an hour of the flight there is a very enjoyable experience, personally have met great people from other parts of the world and also learn a little bit more from some of the great flight attendants that support us during the flight.

Food in the flight is excellent with always good variety and taste, you will not get hungry in the flight. Full dining service in your seat and cold/hot snacks in the lounge, and obviously a good variety of beverages with a full bar and drink menu. They also have snacks likes olives, peanuts if you only want to calm your hunger.

Once you are in the air is easy to forget you are cruising at more than 500 mph / 35,000 feet in the air with the personal service, big spaces and the entertainment available (called ICE more than 3,000 movies and music) will make the flight memorable. I will miss this level of service when I finally go back to America to suffer in those regular seats the airlines offers (:-)

The airplane is powered by four big engines, and you would be surprised at the low noise you hear when in the air, I have been in smaller airplanes where talking would have been more difficult. Engine noise was an important issue that they manage as you will find tough regulations regarding noise levels at some of the key airports like London Heathrow, Lufthansa did a study and found noise levels 50% lower than their 747. Its avionics was taken from military experience and was a first in commercial aviation, more than 300 miles are installed in each airplane. Some people has said that part of the delay was in part to the complicated process of installing all this cables. In total more than 4 million components are part of each vehicle.

The combination of great service by the Emirates team, plus a great airplane in the A380 makes the experience unforgettable. Is important to remember that the travel experience is not only the final destination. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….