Michelle in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Our advisor Michelle recently visited the United Arab Nations and had an incredible trip! During her eleven days she saw both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, stayed at four amazing hotels, and was able to experience both the desert and the city experience that the country has to offer! Below is her day by day trip journal for your inspiration!

To begin our trip, my brother Marshall and I flew Emirates Airlines to Dubai. The business class seats were amazing and the service was excellent!

When we arrived in Dubai we took a pink taxi to Abu Dhabi which is an hour away. We stayed at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi with a view of the Croniche and the bay. When we arrived the Red Bull Air Race was underway and we could see it from our hotel which was very cool! That night we had dinner and went to sleep because we were exhausted from traveling.

On our first whole day in Abu Dhabi we enjoyed a great complimentary breakfast before setting out on the “Hala’s Story of Abu Dhabi,” a half day tour. Our tour began with walking through the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is the largest Mosque in the UAE.

After two days in Abu Dhabi, Marshall and I moved to the St Regis at Saadiyat Island. Our first day was spent at Ferrari World. Ferrari World is the largest indoor theme park in the world and has indoor rides, museums, show rooms and roller coasters. It is home to the fastest roller coaster in the world! We also visited Yas Marina Circuit, which is home of a Formula 1 track. We went on a tour and Marshall had a private drifting lesson on the racetrack. It was a blast and definitely a highlight of the trip for him!

After two days at Saadiyat island, we ventured to the Al Maha Desert Resort. This was the highlight of the trip for me! Here we enjoyed a desert safari, camel sundown tour, “dune bashing” (off roading on the sand dunes in a jeep) and a lesson on falconry. I loved all the activities and the atmosphere was so different from the city!

After a night in the desert, we moved to our final hotel in Ajman. One of my favorite outings was our “Sundowner Safari.” On the way to dinner were able to watch another falconry show and go “dune bashing.” The food was traditional Middle Eastern. There was camel riding, smoking shisha (hookah) and an area where you could dress in traditional Arabian attire. We ate on the floor and watched a belly dancing show. It was a blast and would be enjoyed by people of all ages!

On our last day we took a taxi to Dubai and finally we were able to go up the Burj Kalifa, the tallest building in the world! You can purchase tickets to the 124th floor (the "At the Top" pass) or the 148th (the "At the Top SsKY" pass)! It was amazing to learn how it was built and cool to say we have been to the top.

Overall, UAE has so much to offer and was an amazing trip! This country is like nothing I have ever seen and I had so many new and incredible experiences. If you want to learn more about my trip, feel free to contact me or better yet, let me book you on your own journey to the UAE! Contact Michelle at michelle@sanderstravel.com or your Sanders Travel advisor today!