The Miracle of Dubai
Due to my recent misadventures in India, I got to spend a couple of days in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Actually it was three days, but I don’t count the day we spent sleeping after being awake for 45 of the previous 48 hours. What can I say about Dubai, except WOW!
If you are thinking of going to Asia, I would strongly urge you to stop in Dubai en route. In fact, you may want to make it your primary destination if you are an urban traveler and like lots of city life activity.
Dubai is an anomaly. I have frequented several Arabic cities, and while I used to love Cairo, for example, most Arabic cities are - let me be kind here- somewhat dirty and definitely chaotic. Not so Dubai. Here the streets are clean and the traffic orderly.
Dubai has some of the finest restaurants I have seen in my travels, with most of the better ones quite pricey. But there is enormous selection, including such American chains as MickeyD, TGI Fridays, and scores of others, so a family on a budget can do well. But, then again, why go to Dubai and eat KFC?
The big thing about Dubai photographically is its urban architecture. Dubai has the most skyscrapers of any city in the world. It has the tallest building in the world. And shopping? Fuggedaboudit! There are more upscale malls than you can possibly imagine. There are museums, cultural events, terrific walks along the river that bisects the city and along the Arabian Sea coastline. The nightlife is also incredible, with animated water fountains, nightclubs, concerts and more. And I doubt you’ll ever see so many Ferraris and Lamborghinis in one place in your life.
The energy is the city is palpable. Everywhere you look skyscrapers are being erected. The pace is a bit frenetic and the shopping malls are packed, drawing shoppers from Asia and Europe. One of the Malls even sports an indoor ski center!
I only had time on this visit to take 3 bus tours, all in one long day. I assembled a quick gallery of images for you to get an idea of what the city is like. All were shot from the upstairs, outdoor deck of a bus, hand held. One thing is for sure, we plan to stop back for 4-5 days en route to Sri Lanka in March, 2016, when I next teach my Nikonians workshop there. I’m already planning some images using my tripod, tilt-shift, and accessories.
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I added tag-lines to the photos, so you’ll know what you are looking at. I hope you enjoy.