Dubai, UAE - Revisited.

Dubai has become my 2nd most-visited-country, first one being India. Making use of the staff travel concession , we flew Emirates as usual.Maybe I should soon write a detailed post about Emirates. If you are wondering how we get the concession, it's through my sister who works for the Airlines.

This time we had ample time to roam around the city. Almost 1 month stay there has made me miss Dubai once I reached home - Singa-Land. I made use of this opportunity to visit each and every corner which the tourists most likely wont have a chance to see. Did you know what the city has a small Hindu Temple and a Sikh Gurdwara? For most of the people, It's just a city of huge malls, big brands, posh cars and rich people. But there are much more things that are unseen.

Note that although Dubai is more of a westernized compared to the rest of the Middle East , it still has some clothing restrictions especially during the Ramadan month.Therefore,It's better to avoid wearing skimpy clothes to avoid needless attention from the people surrounded by you. It's always good to respect other religion and culture, isn't it?

Here is a list of places you might want to see on your visit, with the my most favorite place on top.

Gold Souk

It's a waste of time and money if you don't pay a visit to the Gold Souk when in Dubai, if not for buying gold, at least for seeing and clicking pictures! I have never seen a place like this where they have jewelries displayed just like sweets in a sweet stall. In Singapore, I have only seen it having securely placed behind a glass showcase and locked. The sales person would get it out for you only if you are really interested in it and request him to do so. I was just amazed to see thousands of shops along both sides of the Gold Souk area. The array of gold jewelries displayed at each shop was so eye-catching that even a person who is not so into gold jewels would be tempted to buy something. Ranging from Arabic to Indian, they have a wide range of collection for you to check out.

Desert Safari

Another exciting place. The money you pay is worth the experience you gain. Especially for people like me who are from a city that basically has not much of cultural places to visit. I had been on a desert safari during my first visit to Dubai which is way back in 2008. The price range differs according to which kind of tour package you choose to go with. It's one one my favorite place that I had been so far. It was basically an adventurous ride through the desert and sand dune bashing. Then, we were taken to the camp where we have a chance to take pictures wearing traditional Arabic costumes such as Abaya & Hijab for females and Dishdasha for males.

The other activities at the camp includes camel ride, free henna, shisha, Belly Dance performance and Arabic dinner buffet. Do note that you will miss (just like I did!) the Belly Dance performance if you chose to visit Dubai during the Ramadan month of the year which usually falls during the month of September/October.

Burj Khalifa & Burj-Al Arab

First one famous for being the tallest building in the world and the later one (a hotel) known for its unique yacht shaped architecture definitely adds beauty and value to your Dubai photo album.

Dragon Mart

A place that occupies hundreds of stores mainly consisting of goods from China.The Arial view represents the shape of a dragon which is a symbol of the Chinese emperors.It's worth paying a visit if you are looking to do some shopping. Do remember to bargain as the shop keepers quote a price that is at least double the amount of what it can cost.

Bur Dubai

The ever-busy place where you can see thousands of shops selling Indian and Pakistani wears. This is where the museum is located. Hence, worth visiting for a few hours to click pictures if you have some free time to spare before you jet-off.

Jumeirah Mosque

Though I have heard of Mosque tours for Non-Muslims during certain timing of a day, I have never been for it. But I feel it'd be a good opportunity to understand Islam religion and culture. I'm definitely up for it the next time!

I was happy that I had ample time to visit many places as compared to my last 2 visits and do some nice shopping (just like I always do!). I should also mention that my mom also had a nice time shopping for clothes and gold jewels and spending some quality time with my sister and my Brother-in-law.

Yeah,did I mention about my first time at a Gujarati cuisine? I'll probably write about it at a later time!