Still dabbling in the delights of Dubai

After grabbing a less than satisfactory breakfast (bread and jam from the supermarket, definitely not up to the standard of British jam!) we headed off on the metro to see the almighty sail; the Burj al Arab. Sadly the closest metro station was a little further away than we thought and we spent a good forty five minutes walking in the baking heat with very little water. Mistake! We arrived outside the Burj where there was the most tempting water park, but we had no swimwear and wearing just undies in Dubai might have been frowned on so we gave it a miss. We did try to make our way past the barrier on the drive way to the Burj but got turned away for looking too poor.

There was however another way to get up close and personal with it; a boat tour! So after a brief lunch we climbed aboard with one other couple for a trip around the Palm Jumeirah Island, taking in the royal beaches and the Burj al Arab. The boat was really fun although the views didn’t live up to expectations. We thought we would be seeing lush beaches around the palm, but what we got was a hotel guide to Dubai with a dusty island thrown in.

In the evening we still had some time after packing to kill before our flight out so we headed back to the ultimate time slayer; Dubai Mall. And were we lucky! We spent a good hour getting cricks in our necks admiring the beautifully lit Burj Khalifa in the early dusk.

On overhearing some rumours of a fountain show outside the Mall we rushed around the Khalifa to the Khalifa Lake (yes it has its own man-made lake!) to witness the most stunning sight ever; the Dubai Mall fountain show. It goes every half hour and we stayed for three shows, pushing the boundaries on our arrival time at the airport. It was worth it though as words cannot describe how truly breathtaking it was.

Rex’s Rules of the Road

• Don’t make the mistake of walking in the blistering heat. Taxis are relatively cheap and air conditioned (pink ones for the ladies too!).

• If you want to see the Burj al Arab up close you may need more respectable clothes than the normal travelling fare. Trousers, shirts and closed shoes required.

• Palm Jumeirah Island as it turns out is not very beachy. Be prepared for lots of hotels and unless you can fork out for a house you aren’t going to see the fronds of the palm.

• Dubai mall show – go. If you do nothing else in Dubai make sure you see this show.