Blog PostS:

TRIP Highlights:

Dubai Mall: Diving Men Fountain, Dubai Fountain, Souk al Bahar
Burk Khalifa
City Tour with Wander with Nada
         www.WanderwithNada.com
Women's Museum
        www.womenmuseumuae.com
Desert safari with Platinum Heritage
         www.platinum-heritage.com
Miracle Gardens

Hotel reviews:

Taj DubaI

We very much enjoyed our stay at the Taj Dubai. Fascinated by skyscrapers, the hotel had an ideal location for amazing views of the Burj Khalifa. The service was quite excellent. Since the majority of the service industry are really not Emiraties, staying at Taj Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE makes the experience feel really international. The Dubai Mall is still a taxi ride away and with traffic, can turn in to 15-20 min drive! 

Jumeirah at Etihad

Definitely one of the best hotels we have every stayed in. Everyone was extremely accommodating, including taking off the hinges off the shower and toilet doors for my mother-in-law! She also left her glasses there and they shipped back to us! We were upgraded to higher floors and to the Grand Suites due to my Expedia Gold/VIP status (win!). There are plenty of luxury hotels in Abu Dhabi (Ritz, Four Seasons, St Regis, etc.) and many on small islands off the coast accessible by bridges. We opted for this one due to our shorter stay. I almost booked the Emirates Palace, because, why not? But ultimately with having to book three rooms, we didn't feel it was worth it. We did make a reservation to the Emirates Palace, and that was enough of an experience! Claim to fame, this was the hotel that they ran a car through in the movie Fast and the Furious 7. 

Restaurants:

Automatic

With a name like that, it was sure to be an interesting experience. My aunt swore this place had the best shawarma in Dubai. I had high expectations. I think I may have ordered the wrong dish (lamb). It was too dry for me, but the chicken was delicious. The potatoes were the best we had in Dubai. The prices were also the most friendly! Would I try it again? Maybe the one in Al Ghurair like my aunt suggested. As for me, I would say not worth it! We had quite an adventure trying to find this place. Ultimately, we were convinced not to go to Al Ghurair and instead go to the location by the Dubai Marina. There is no such Automatic location! I ended up walking along the Marina in my 4.5 in heels! 

Al Hallab in Dubai Mall

This was recommended by my tour guide and it was not a disappointment. I was on a quest to have as much Lebanese food as possible! If anything, go for the views. Ask for patio seating. There is an amazing view of Burj and the fountain show if you are there for dinner!

PierChic

I have mixed feelings about Pierchic. On the one hand, the food was amazing. The ambience is unbeatable! You are on the pier in Jumeirah Madinat (a massive hotel resort that is like its own city) and you have this amazing view of the Burj al Arab. On the other hand, the service was awful (we basically had a waiter that ignored us after we were served) and the place is difficult to get to. I think that if you gave yourself two hours to get to the restaurant (you have to take a taxi to get here from other hotels, you take a golf cart to the pier, and an optional boat in between. It's also extremely pricey (like $70 to $130 USD just for mains, ouch!).  

Ray's grill in Jumeirah at etihad

We dined here for the convenience. It had great views of the city as it was in the Etihad tower. I felt for the price, the restaurant was not worth it. Also, the price for wine in restaurants made it not worth drinking in the UAE. I think I payed $40 for half of glass of wine (half!!!).  

Mezlai in Emirates palace

We knew we wanted to dine in the Emirates Palace since we were not actually staying there. There are nine restaurants to choose from, and from what I have heard they are all pretty amazing. We opted to dine traditional Emirat food in Mezlai and we don't regret it. My mom had a camel steak (our second time trying camel meat) and it was delicious! It was hearty and should be shared. I ended up having a local fish that was prepared Emirati style and it was extremely delicious. If I could go back, I definitely would try to the camel burger and the (real) gold dusted french fries. You can order this in Le Cafe (cafe in the middle of the lobby). I am not sure how much it would cost, but I am sure for the experience, it is worth it! If your hotel makes a reservation, have them print out a confirmation as they ask for this when you enter the hotel grounds.