TRAVEL: DUBAI

When I was little, I wanted to be an archaeologist , tour guide or even stewardess to discover the world . It was my ultimate dream . Finally I went to a whole other area, but it does not mean that I lost the desire to discover the world.
One of my best childhood friends, Shyra , went to live in Dubai about 8 years ago. And in 2009 , after a rather annoying breakup , I told myself it was time for me to visit him, just to change my mind. What better after a heartache than to afford a good vacation well deserved ! And here I am to discover this sumptuous city of the United Arab Emirates:

DUBAI

And you know what, I was completely dazzled by this majestic city , sparkling with lights , fireworks ... Since that year, I went there 6 times, I even wanted to settle there for everything to tell you, but professional projects came to disrupt my plans.
So some people say to themselves:
- No, too superficial for me, I prefer simple things
I can totally understand you , but Dubai attracts a lot of curiosity. Because of all the hustle and bustle around this city, people always end up wondering:

But what the hell is going on in Dubai ???

You must know that Dubai is in permanent evolution, it is the city of superlatives and a thousand and one follies , where everything seems possible. They still want to do more, be the biggest , the most imposing , the first !!! And they succeed !!! And in addition, they are really lucky, they are even spoiled weather, since in Dubai it is sunny all year long .

• The only 7-star hotel in the world built on the sea: the Burj'al'Arab with its helicopter runway at the top. I went there once with my friend Shyra. They have a lot of security there, which is the happiness of all these celebrities or powerful businessmen who seek tranquility . If you do not have a relative who lives in the hotel, where you do not sleep, it is almost impossible to enter the Burj al Arab hotel complex . Fortunately Shyra knew a friend, and this one let us squat his suite while he was in business meeting. The interior decoration of the hotel is predominantly gilded, yellow and blue , andHer suite , how to tell you, was royal !!! The decoration, heavy, with large seats, gilded ornaments, columns, carpets, marble. . In short, very royal, you have to like the style. On 2 floors, it had about 4 bedrooms upstairs , and 3 large living rooms on the ground floor, with a large kitchen , and I do not tell you the number of bathrooms , it was much bigger than my Parisian apartment. Without talking to you about the view , on the 23rd floor, which overlooked all Dubai by a bay window.We then put on our swimsuits and went to laze on the beach, filled with deck chairs and bed, where nice waiters stood ready to bring us the best of services.

• You have also heard about this great tower, the tallest in the world : the Burj Khalifa (828m) rising above the city as a finger of honor at other world tours .

• It is in this tower that we can find the hotel Armani . Much more modern and stricter than Burj'al'Arab , predominantly black and brown.

• As well as the Armani club , very dark nightclub with a giant screen all along the wall.

• There is also the Italian restaurant Armani on the ground floor, very chic, very quiet, refined, the food is delicious.

• And we also find the highest restaurant in Dubai, the Atmosphere, which is located on the 123rdfloor, with a crazy view of all of Dubai.

• Level shopping , it is served, there are several shopping centers including the largest in the world (of course): the Dubai Mall , just at the foot of Burj Khalifa . Besides if you go shopping in a Mall, cover your shoulders mydemoiselles, the law forbids us bare shoulders, and they distribute leaflets in the mall to warn you.

• there is even an ice rink inside, it is here that I learned to skate the first time in my life . Finally, learn is a big word since I am completely zero!

• Their cinemas are downright equipped with ultra comfortable seats , and please, you can alsoorder food , chicken wings for example, during the movie:

• In another mall, the Emirates Mall , there is a ski resort . You can ski in the desert, the first year I went there, the "Ski Dubai" had just been created, I was completely enthralled by such an idea, a ski resort in Dubai , and there It's freezing cold !!! :

• The Atlantis is the perfect hotel for families. It's like a city in the city, you can find everything from restaurants to fast food, shops, a giant aquarium , and you have an AQUAVENTURE theme park right at your fingertips. I had fun well elsewhere !

• And to continue in originality, in Dubai you can find a series of about 300 islands representing the continents, each plot selling for millions of dollars.

• They are even building the world's largest underwater hotel

What made me happy in Dubai , as a big eater that I am, is that everything is good, the restaurants are really worth seeing . And club level, I had great evenings. You should know that they all close at 3am so if you want to go out, that you have minimum 21 years (legal majority) be operational from 23h.
Did you know that most restaurants and clubs are in hotels? In fact in Dubai , only hotels can sell alcohol . You will never find it in self-service, in supermarkets for example. Moreover if you want alcohol, I advise you, when you arrive at the airport, to buy a bottle duty free , it will be cheaper than the hotel. Especially since some hotels do not sell alcohol. One day I arrived in Dubai on my birthday with a friend. We arrived late so we decided to stay in the hotel room and toast with my girlfriends, except that we had to toast with orange juice ,there was no alcohol in the mini bar or room service !!!

 

• Level restaurant, I recommend the Buddha bar near the Marina, Japanese atmosphere cozy , very spacious on two floors, with places a little more isolated if you do not want to eat in the great room:

• Zuma, is an excellent Japanese restaurant , very famous, besides it must be done several days to see week in advance to reserve a table, but it's really worth it and for the place, and for the food and for the atmosphere:

• Okko, very good Japanese restaurant that my dear friend Shyra made me discover recently. A lot of atmosphere, a lot of people, and the food is succulent:

• the Scho cho, Japanese restaurant in the open air , it is here that people go on Sunday evening, very pleasant, good atmosphere with the party restaurant and the party bar which always welcomes many people:

• the Cavalli, a sumptuous Italian restaurant with these large crystal chandeliers, often offers a show during dinner. The place turns into a very chic club after the restaurant. Located in the Fairmont Hotel , this   is my favorite place to go out at night . And the ladies' room is just amazing, a large living room, we could spend the evening so it's cozy with these hairdressers, these seats where we can chat while we re pampered quietly:

• The Act, which is located in the Shangri La Hotel, is a charming restaurant with Peruvian cuisine , and turns into a club from 23h offering spectacular shows throughout the night. I had a great evening on a Monday night, very good atmosphere, and the shows are incredible, not to be missed:

• the Cirque au soir, which is located in the Fairmont hotel , under the C avalli , is a club a little more popular and bigger than the Act but the show is also nice to see:

• the 360 ​​° is an outdoor lounge bar , in a circle located on the water, and as its name suggests it offers us a sumptuous 360 ° view, nothing better to watch the sunset over the ocean, with a view of the Burj al Arab also and the Jumeirah Beach (hotel shaped wave). Very nice place to smoke a shisha on the bed with DJ and good atmosphere:

• Looking for a place to walk in Dubai , go to the Marina , in the south, this is the place where the port is in the middle of all the great tours as weird as each other, you will find a lot bar and nice restaurant in a very pleasant setting:

• And if you go further south, you have a path on JBR called The Walk . Located between public beaches and Jumeirah residences, you will find several shops , pharmacies  and restaurants open between 8am and 11pm, including a subway open 24/24. It is a place where tourists and locals mix perfectly.

• Amidst all this modernity, passing a swim in the sea or a business meeting to d are designer boutiques , to a round of golf at a great Japanese restaurant , there are souks that plunge us in the past of the city and seduce us by their simplicity and their atmosphere.

• Level Hotel , I very much appreciated the Al Qasr Hotel , very close to the Burj al Arab , it gives a direct access to the souks Medinat . What I particularly appreciated is the fact of going in small boat (where golf car if we prefer to stay on earth) to his own room:

• the Ritz Carlton on JBR is super nice, in the south of Dubai, and the service is really on top. For a little anecdote, my friend Claire had one day forgotten her shoes in the taxi that brought us back to the hotel, she realized that 30 minutes later, we were asked at the reception if the customers got behind we would not have left his shoes, unfortunately no, but 5h after, clear has recovered. The hotel staff managed to find the taxi through the hotel's entrance camera, and called the taxi companies ... in short, they were successful! Claires was happy to be able to have her shoes so much to go out at night. In addition they have an excellent Spa ...

Of course there are many other very nice hotels such as Al Murooj Rotana , Jumeirah beach ... Actually in Dubai it is difficult to feel bad. Everything is done for the comfort of tourists. Even in the residences, there is a certain comfort, each building of residence with its own swimming pool, its gym and its spa for the lucky ones.
And I did not tell you about these beaches of fine sand , this warm sea of ​​the Arabian Gulf , this winter sun , this sky always blue , these cheap taxis , these ballads in dromedaries , by boat , or in jet ski ... Yes, I love this city !!!

It's decided, the next time I go back there, it's to test the 4x4 rides in the desert dunes.