Dubai has changed a lot in the 2 years since I last visited. Many more buildings, more hotels, more skyscrapers, and the new Dubai Mall with over 1200 shops! And the Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world. It was hot and humid too, the temperature was in the 40Cs during the day and in the high 30Cs at night. There is so much to do here. We went out the Arabian Desert, ‘dune bashing’ in a 4WD and having dinner at a desert camp. Very touristy but being out in the desert was a lot of fun (kind of the same sick feeling you get on a roller coaster). For accommodation, this time I stayed in 5-star luxury which was fabulous. I can handle average accommodation but after the low budget accommodation for 2 weeks in Morocco I loved the luxury! People say that Dubai is an expensive city, and I suppose that although this may be true, especially when purchasing alcohol, any city can be expensive if you make it so. We spent a lot of time in the shopping malls (air conditioning was fantastic) and there was plenty of choice for eating out there, from the fast-food outlets (which were comparable to home price-wise) to decent restaurants and high-class places. You get what you pay for! It is fascinating to see the Arab men dressed in white robes and head coverings, their robes are just crisp and spotless and they look fantastic! ( I would hate to be the one doing all that laundry, starching and pressing). The Arab women dress in black robes and burkas, so only their eyes are visible. This is a little off-putting as you can’t see their facial expressions or anything. Very different. The women’s robes are somehow stylish and elegant, some are embroidered with silver or gold thread, sequins, very classy and flowing beautifully. The Arab women are huge shoppers: jewellery, designer clothing and handbags and shoes, which they wear at home. There is a lot of money here, evident by the ever-present Lamborghinis, Porsches, Audis, BMWs, Rolls-Royces and so on. The new metro system (under construction 2yrs ago) needed a try-out. Unfortunately no-one has much information about it and it was very confusing! Some of the stations, although constructed, are not in use yet. But it is fast, clean, and efficient. I loved Dubai the last time, and loved it this time too. Can’t wait to visit here again. They have a massive 5-year plan in the works, building the biggest/tallest/brightest/most expensive things in the world. I have often heard horror stories about slave labour, poor working conditions, 3yr old Indian children being 'bought' for use as camel jockeys (as recently as a few years ago). I have not seen this part of Dubai, only the good stuff.
