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Δευτέρα 26 Σεπτεμβρίου 2011

DUBAI

DUBAI

A DESERT THAT HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A PARADISE
A LUXURIOUS PARADISE!


DUBAI WAS JUST A SMALL TRADING PORT AND FISHING VILLAGE. THE INHABITANTS WERE PRACTICING THE PEARLING INDUSTRY AS WELL. IT WAS A GATEWAY BETWEEN EAST AND WEST. 
DURING THE YEARS DUBAI HAS DEVELOPED INTO A MODERN ARCHITECTURAL MARVEL WITH BIG SKYSCRAPERS, HUGE SHOPPING MALLS, LUXURIOUS HOTELS AND RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.

DUBAI HAS A LOT TO OFFER FOR EVERYONE…

AL BASTAKIYA IS THE ORIGINAL OLD CENTRE OF DUBAI. IT HAS NARROW LANES AND HOUSES WITH TALL CHIMNEY-LIKE STRUCTURES, CALLED “WIND TOWERS”.

IN THE AREA, YOU WILL FIND THE DUBAI MUSEUM, WHICH IS HOUSED IN AL FAHIDI FORT. LIFE-SIZE FIGURES AND SOUND EFFECTS DISPLAY EVERYDAY LIFE IN OLD DUBAI. 
A VISIT IN THE MUSEUM IS A MUST TO GET TO KNOW DUBAI’S COLORFUL PAST.
A WALK ALONG THE EDGE OF THE CREEK IN THE BASTAKIYA DISTRICT WILL TAKE YOU TO A NUMBER OF OUTDOOR RESTAURANTS. IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO ENJOY ARABIC FOOD WHILE WATCHING THE RIVER TRAFFIC.

A VERY ROMANTIC WAY TO ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL AREA OF THE CREEK IS A DINNER CRUISE BY THE CREEK, ON A DHOW. (DHOW IS THE TRADITIONAL ARABIAN SHIP).
YOU CAN ALSO TAKE A TRIP DOWN THE CREEK ON AN ABRA (TRADITIONAL WATER TAXI). (IT’S VERY-VERY CHEAP)
A VISIT TO THE CULTURE VILLAGE, WHICH FEATURES MUSEUMS, EXHIBITION HALLS, ART AND CRAFT GALLERIES, WILL ALSO GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO KNOW DUBAI OF THE PAST.

SOME OF THE PARKS OF DUBAI WHERE YOU CAN SPEND A LOT OF FUN TIME ARE:
WILD WAFI WATERPARK IS A 12-ACRE WATER PARK, WHERE THE FUN NEVER ENDS!
CREEKSIDE PARK BOTANICAL GARDENS, FISHING PIERS, JOGGING TRACKS, BARBECUE SITES, CHILDREN’S PLAYING GROUNDS, RESTAURANTS AND AN AMPHITHEATRE .
THERE IS A CABLE CAR THAT YOU CAN GET, TO ENJOY THE PARK.


JUMEIRAH BEACH PARK IS A BIG AREA BY THE BEACH, IN THE GULF OF DUBAI. WHITE SAND, PALM TREES AND CLEAR WATERS ARE WHAT YOU WILL ENJOY IN THIS PARK.
DUBAI GOLF CITY IS A VERY BIG AREA WITH RESTAURANTS BY THE WATER AND OF COURSE A HUGE GOLF GROUND. VERY BEAUTIFUL AT NIGHT TIME, WHERE THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY ARE MIRRORED IN THE WATER!
DUBAI MARINA IS HUGE! AND IT IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION (2010).
LUXURIOUS HOTELS, CAFÉS, RESTAURANTS AND PLAYGROUNDS.
A CRUISE WITH A DHOW IN DUBAI MARINA IS ALSO A VERY BEAUTIFUL WAY TO SEE THE AREA.


DUBAI IS THE COUNTRY OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT. EVERY NOW AND THEN, A BRAND NEW BUILDING IS READY FOR PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO ENJOY.

SOME OF THE PROJECTS ARE:

THE PALM ISLANDS: THE PALM JEBEL ALI, THE PALM DEIRA AND THE PALM JUMEIRAH, WHICH IS ALREADY FINISHED AND INHABITED!

THE WORLD, WHICH COMPRISES OF 300 ISLANDS!
THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WILL BE CORAL-SHAPED ISLANDS, TO BE USED AS RESIDENTIAL AREAS. (15-20 YEARS TO BE COMPLETE!)  
BURJ DUBAI IS THE TALLEST TOWER IN THE WORLD!
DUBAI TOWERS ARE TWO TWIN BUILDINGS THAT ARE ALWAYS RECOGNIZABLE IN THE DUBAI SKY.

THE DUBAI HOTELS SCREAM TO EACH OTHER OF WHICH ONE IS THE BIGGEST AND THE MOST LUXURIOUS!...

SO….DO NOT MISS A VISIT TO:

BURJ AL ARAB HOTEL: LUXURY, LUXURY, LUXURY AND ALL OF THAT IN THE SEA!!! YES IN THE SEA! (IS THE HOTEL OF THE PICTURE ABOVE). YOU NEED TO HAVE A RESERVATION FOR ONE OF THE HOTEL’S RESTAURANTS, OTHERWISE YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET IN! RESERVATIONS WELL IN ADVANCE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS FULL! IT IS A BIT PRICY BUT BELIEVE ME, IT WORTH’S IT!

JUMEIRAH BEACH HOTEL: RIGHT OPPOSITE THE BURJ AL ARAB, BY THE SEA OF THE AREA JUMEIRA. VERY IMPRESSIVE!

AL QASR HOTEL: WHAT CAN I SAY…..WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH!...
A HUGE ARABIC STYLE COMPLEX OF LUXURIOUS ROOMS, RESTAURANTS, CAFES AND A SOUK (SOUK MADINAT).  ALL OF THAT SURROUNDED BY A HUGE ARTIFICIAL LAKE, SO CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT YOU WON’T BELIEVE IS MAN-MADE!
AND THE “ABRAS” PASSING THROUGH THE CANALS OF THIS LAKE, SO THAT YOU CAN CATCH ONE AND HAVE A MINI CRUISE BY GOING TO THE DEFERENT AREAS OF THE COMPLEX!
IT’S MAGIC!…YOU CAN SPEND HOURS AND HOURS PAMPERING YOURSELF IN AL QASR!


MINA A’ SALAM HOTEL IS LOCATED IN THE SAME LAKE AS AL QASR, AND IS AS BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL AS AL QASR.
ATLANTIS HOTEL, THE PALM IT IS LOCATED IN THE PALM JUMEIRAH AND IS THE TWIN OF THE ATLANTIS HOTEL OF NASSAU, BAHAMAS IN THE CARIBBEAN. HUGE AND LUXURIOUS. TROPICAL GARDENS, BEAUTIFUL BRIDGES, LAKES, AQUARIUM AND SO MANY OTHER WONDERFUL THINGS TO ENJOY…

THE LIST OF THE HOTELS OF DUBAI ARE ENDLESS…AND IT IS GETTING BIGGER BY THE MINUTE!... I JUST MENTION A FEW, BUT YOU CAN FIND MANY-MANY OTHERS AS WELL.
BARE IN MIND THAT MOST OF THE HOTELS HAVE RESTRICTED AREAS IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE PRIVACY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS.
BUT THERE ARE MANY GROUNDS OF THE HOTELS THAT YOU CAN ENJOY BY YOUR VISIT. AFTER ALL, DUBAI IS TO VISIT AND MARVEL THE EXTREME ARCHITECTURE OF THE HOTELS AND OTHER BUILDINGS.

DUBAI IS UNDOUBTEDLY A SHOPPER’S PARADISE! WITH SO MANY SHOPPING MALLS, MODERN ONES AND TRADITIONAL ONES. WITH THE “SOUKS”, BETTER KNOWN AS “BAZAARS”. AND THE PRICES; OF THE WORLDS BEST! YOU CAN GET A HUGE RANGE OF ELECTRONICS, FASHION WEAR, TEXTILES, PERFUMES, GOLD JEWELLERY, LEATHER GOODS, SILVER AND BRASS ITEMS, PERSIAN CARPETS AND MANY MANY MORE…IT IS A SHOPPER’S PARADISE!

ENJOY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING, OR EVEN BETTER, ALL OF THEM!

SPICE SOUK THE AIR IS HEAVY IN THE TINY LANES AND ALLEYWAYS OF THE SOUK. THAT IS OF THE AROMAS OF THE SPICES, DRIED FRUITS, PERFUMES AND ARABIC COFFEE.
THIS SOUK IS AN ENJOYMENT FOR THE EYES BECAUSE IT IS FULL OF COLORS!

GOLD SOUK IS UNDOUBTEDLY DUBAI’S MOST FAMOUS SOUK. IS WHERE YOU CAN GET VERY HAPPY BY BUYING GOLD!  THE PRICES ARE AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD!!!! AND DO NOT FORGET THE BARGAIN IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD IS A CUSTOM. YOU CAN GET REALLY GOOD PRICE BY BARGAINING!

AL KARAMA IS A SHOPPING AREA WITH TWO CENTRAL STREETS LINED WITH LOTS OF SMALL SHOPS WITH REASONABLY PRICES ON CLOTHING AND “ALMOST GENUINE” DESIGNER FASHION.
WAFI CITY WITH PYRAMID-SHAPED ROOFS IS ONE OF THE MOST ELEGANT SHOPPING COMPLEXES IN DUBAI, HAVING THE ARABIC ELEMENT IN ITS DESIGN.
MADINAT SOUK SHOPPING IN OPEN-FRONTED SHOPS IN A BAZAAR-LIKE ATMOSPHERE AND DINING IN TERRACED RESTAURANTS AND BARS OVERLOOK WATERWAYS AND WIND TOWERS.(LOCATED IN AL QASR HOTEL).
MALL OF THE EMIRATES HAS 350 SHOPS AND THE KEMPINSKI HOTEL WITH THE WORLD’S THIRD-LARGEST INDOOR SKI SLOPE!
DUBAI MALL IS A SHOPPERS PARADISE WITH MORE THAN 1200 SHOPS, 160 FOOD OUTLETS AND AN AQUARIUM, HOME TO 33,000 SPICES OF FISHES.
OUTSIDE OF THE MALL, THERE IS A VAST AREA OF BUILDINGS INCLUDING HOTELS, SOUKS AND APARTMENTS. ALL OF THAT ARE BUILD IN THE CANALS OF A LAKE (AGAIN ARTIFICIAL! DO NOT FORGET THAT DUBAI IS A DESERT!). IN THIS LAKE THERE IS A “SINGING FOUNTAIN” SHOW, ABOUT EVERY 20 MINUTES. IT IS SOMETHING YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS!...
THE BURJ DUBAI, WORLDS TALLEST BUILDING IS LOCATED IN THIS AREA AS WELL.

EVERY FEBRUARY, THEY HAVE THE “DUBAI SHOPPING FESTIVAL”. IS THE BEST TIME FOR SOMEONE TO SHOP, AS THE ARE PUTTING UP MANY SPECIAL OFFERS. BUT IT IS VERY CROWDED AND THE HOTELS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE DUE TO HIGH DEMAND.

FOOD: FROM STREET-SIDE CAFES TO FIVE STAR DINING YOU CAN FIND A MIX OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL TASTES. FISH IS AT ITS BEST BECAUSE IS FRESH FROM THE GULF SEA. SHISHA PIPE (ARGYLE) IS VERY POPULAR IN LOCAL CAFÉS AND RESTAURANTS.
TOURS THAT YOU CAN ENJOY WHILE YOU ARE IN DUBAI:

EAST COAST TOUR: VISIT FUJAIRAH, ONE OF THE 7 EMIRATES (ABU DHABI-THE CAPITAL, AJMAN, FUJAIRAH, RAS AL KHAIMAH, SHARJAH, AND UM AL QUWAIN).
IN THIS TOUR YOU WILL SEE HAJAR MOUNTAINS, THE DIBBA VILLAGE, THE INDIAN OCEAN, FUJAIRAH’S OLD FORT’S RUINS AND AL BADIYAH MOSQUE WHICH IS THE OLDEST MOSQUE IN THE EMIRATES.
DESERT SAFARI :FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE DESERT RALLY, SAND SKIING, HENNA PAINTING AND TATTOOS, CAMEL RIDING, DUNE DINNER AT SUNSET WITH ARABIC MUSIC, ARABIC DANCE AND ARABIC BARBECUE. ALL OF THAT UNDER THE STARS…VERY ROMANTIC!

DUBAI CITY TOUR: THERE IS A DOUBLE –DECKER, BRITISH-STYLE BUS TOUR, THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MOST INTERESTING PARTS OF THE CITY.
YOU CAN-HOP-ON AND OFF WHICH IS VERY CONVENIENT.

DUBAI IS AVERY HOT COUNTRY, SO BRING WITH YOU SUMMER CLOTHS, (COTTON ONES ARE THE COOLEST) BUT DO NOT FORGET THAT IT IS AN ARABIC COUNTRY THAT YOU ARE VISITING AND MANY EUROPEAN STYLE CLOTHING ARE CONSIDERED “NOT APPROPRIATE”! BUT THEN AGAIN, DUBAI IS A VERY MODERN COUNTRY AS WELL! JUST DON’T OVERDO IT WITH THE CLOTHES OTHERWISE YOU WILL GET VERY STRANGE LOOKS FROM THE LOCALS. THEY ARE VERY POLITE BUT THEY STARE…

ENJOY YOUR VISIT IN DUBAI
AND COME BACK IN A FEW YEARS
IT WILL BE DIFFERENT!...


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