Dubai, United Arab Emirates

June 16-18, 2025

"Dubai will never settle for anything less than first place."
- Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

• Accommodation:
  • The St. Regis, The Palm - They recognized our anniversary with balloons, flowers, and dessert.
• Noteworthy:
  • It was hot! The temperature reached 111 degrees one day. It was the beginning of Summer in the UAE.
  • Chocolate, chocolate everywhere! We were offered chocolate on each Emirates flight. We were given boxes when leaving the Emirates flights. There were boxes on our hotel bed every evening. We brought many bars and boxes of chocolate home!
  • We learned about - and experienced - a traditional ceremony involving dates and arabic coffee (cup only half full!)
  • Desert Safari:
    • This was a fantastic safari that lasted nearly 8 hours.
    • We were dressed in traditional Bedouin headscarves and then traveled to different locations, occasionally dune bashing.
    • We were treated to a falconry performance while drinking tea, a special nonalcoholic cocktail, and eating canapes.
    • We visited a remote lake and bird sanctuary.
    • We rode camels at sunset.
    • It included a 4-course meal in a remote area of the desert. While eating, we watched an acrobatic and fire show.
    • We smoked from a hookah and had dessert.
    • Then, we were given a guided stargazing tour of the desert sky.
    • Finally, we were given a beautiful gift box containing camel's milk chocolate, Iranian safron, Sidr honey, and Arabic Oud ("black gold").
  • Museum of the Future
  • Burj Khalifa:
    • This is the tallest building in the world at 2,717 feet.
    • We had wine and canapes in the lounge on the 153rd and 154th floors at sunset.
    • We visited the open-air terrace on the 152nd floor and looked straight down!
  • The Dubai Mall:
    • Over 6 times larger than the Town Center Mall in Boca Raton, FL. It included an aquarium, waterfalls, a large-scale dinosaur fossil exhibit, an ice-skating rink, theaters, and more.
    • Workers used rags and spray bottles to clean any spot seen on the floors.
    • Workers used dusters to remove dust from OUTSIDE trash cans.
  • Gold Souk:
    • Historic location with many examples of jewelry and gold artifacts.
  • Emirates picked us up from the hotel in a beautiful BMW 7 Series limousine.
  • The famous Dubai Fountain was under renovation so we did not see the world-renowned show.