Highlights and New Years Eve Dubai UAE
In December 2010 we flew to Dubai for New Year's Eve to celebrate at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel with a view of the fireworks at the Burj al Arab.
Sprache wechseln zu: Deutsch
Our hotel, the Emirates Grand Hotel
12/2010 Since the Emirates Grand Hotel had only opened a few weeks before, there were slight problems upon arrival. As Indians are wont to do, our Indian taxi driver nodded and said yes-yes as we left the airport, but without really knowing where he was supposed to take us - he probably only understood the street name and just went in that direction driven. However, Sheikh Zayed Road is around 20 km long. Luckily, there was an older hotel nearby on our city map that the driver knew.
The Emirates Grand Hotel is a four star hotel that opened in October/November. Everything was new, chic and clean. However, many processes in room service and the restaurants were not yet working. The biggest disaster was the elevators. There were only five elevators (one for staff only) for 47 floors. Unfortunately, either all the elevators stopped or (usually) none of them stopped. So it happened that we often waited 10-20 minutes for an elevator. When someone stopped, it was usually overcrowded with annoyed guests. Once, after 20 minutes of unsuccessful waiting, we walked down the stairs to the lobby from the 10th floor. Otherwise everyone was very friendly, the breakfast was good (also the view from the 46th floor).
The wellness area also looked good, but we did not have a treatment. On the roof there was a hot tub and a well-heated swimming pool (30 degrees).
The very best thing about the Emirates Grand Hotel is its location. The Financial Center metro station is less than a two-minute walk away. Here you can take the train very cheaply to the city center at the Creek, but also in the other direction to Jumeirah and Ibn Battuta. Across Sheikh Zayed Road at the Financial Center Metro Station there is also free WiFi at Applebees - a good American chain. In the hotel you had to pay 20 Dhs per hour for an internet connection.
Going out and nightlife
The most has changed here since our last visit in 2004. Where once there were 5-6 skyscrapers, a skyline now rises into the sky. The marina, a small marina, is worth seeing day and night. In the evenings, the street restaurants are full of locals and tourists. Highlights can be found at Grosvenor House. A Budda Bar and Bar 44 with a view of the Palm. The marina is within walking distance from the Marina metro station.
Also nearby is The Walk. The street is rather boring during the day, but also lively in the evening with many restaurants. If you want, you can go to the small public beach between the Ritz Carlton and the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort.
Just one metro stop from our hotel is the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. Unfortunately we did not make it to the viewing platform, all time slots were fully booked until January 2nd. Be sure to book in advance on the website. The Burj Khalifa and the water fountains are also impressive from below. The water show with music takes place every hour, even every half hour in the evening and even with fire pillars when it gets dark. As a consolation, we got a window seat in the Neos Bar in the hotel The Address on the 63rd floor. The service and cocktails were poor, but worth a strong recommendation for the view alone.
Malls and shopping
The Dubai Mall is also worth a visit. Basically everything you need is here. If you have had enough of shopping, you should buy a ticket for the aquarium. You can admire the largest glass pane (38x8 meters) even without a ticket. In the aquarium, however, you can walk through a glass tunnel and look at various fish and underwater creatures in small aquariums.
One of the most visually beautiful malls I have seen so far is the Ibn Battuta Mall. Arrival directly by metro to the final station Ibn Battuta. The parts of the building, designed in various Arabic and Asian architectural styles, are a real eye-catcher and there are also great shops.
One of the largest malls is the Mall of the Emirates. The best way to arrive is by metro. However, if you have seen the Dubai Mall before, you would not find much new here. Only the ski hall (Ski Dubai) is unique. You can compete with many others on various descents.
A little further outside of Dubai is the Dubai Outlet Mall. We bought some cheap clothes and shoes here. However, you should have at least 3-4 hours to browse. Afterwards we drove to the Global Village. Located in the middle of nowhere near the Dubai Outlet Mall, the attraction is a mix of funfair with rides and exhibition stands from different countries. The Global Village opens in the evening and costs Dhs10 per person. If you would like to see the local population of Dubai in full form, you should definitely come here. Otherwise you have the chance to view and buy products (clothing, jewelry, perfume,...) from various Arab/Asian countries. The live acts and shows that also take place are rather bad. As far as we could find out from a German-speaking Turkish dealer, the Global Village is only open from October to March.
Of course, a visit to Dubai Creek should not be missed. What pleasantly surprised us was the construction work on historic Arab houses on the creek, some of which were well advanced. In a museum house you could follow the development of t
Atlantis Aquaventure on The Palm
If you are in Dubai, you should definitely go to one of the water parks. Because the Wild Wadi Park is currently under renovation, we went to the Aquaventure water park attached to the Atlantis Hotel. Entry costs 200 Dhs per person + locker for 20 Dhs. Definitely worth a visit. The swimming area with slides and beach are awesome! Two slides even lead directly through a saltwater aquarium in a glass tunnel. Otherwise you can float on the swimming rings in endless water channels. Sometimes you get through wild water canals, sometimes through wave canals and sometimes you are taken on the conveyor belt up to the Mexican-looking pyramid and can go down one of the great slides.
After the park, you can visit one of the restaurants at Atlantis. We tried the buffet at Kaleidoscope Restaurant for Dhs185 per person excluding drinks. I have never experienced greater variety in a buffet restaurant - it is really awesome! Be sure to arrive and depart from Atlantis by taxi. There is also a Skytrain that runs from Atlantis to where the Palm meets the mainland, but the Skytrain is much more expensive than a taxi and the final stop on the mainland is in the middle of nowhere between highways and the desert. Instead of the official taxis, there are only unofficial cutthroats here. After waiting in vain for 10 minutes for an official taxi, we grudgingly got into an unofficial one and got a ride to the marina for three times the normal price.
New Years Eve with fireworks at the Burj al Arab
Highlights in Jumeirah are certainly the Burj Al Arab and the nearby Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The Uptown Bar of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel has the best view of the Burj Al Arab and the Financial District/Burj Kalifa. We used this for New Years Eve. Tickets cost Dhs695 per person including many free drinks. The dress code in the hotel this evening is super chic. The super rich meet at the gala on the beach. The fireworks are correspondingly great - simply gigantic! However, the drive home after the party is quite a disaster. We stood in the taxi queue for two hours and were lucky enough to jump into another couples taxi while we were still waiting in the middle of the queue.
More exciting articles
Follow us on social media
