Going to bed at midnight here is like heading to bed at 3:00 in the afternoon at home. Our bodies did not get the trick we were trying to pull on them. After a rough night’s sleep we bounded out of bed (I jest) both mornings to explore this desert city that used to be a small fishing and trading village but is now a mecca for upscale vacationers and shoppers and home to 3.5 million people, mostly foreign expats.

Katie, our Tulsa-based concierge travel guru, set us up with a private tour each day, so after a late breakfast we got our spoiled little selves to the lobby where we, Walter, and Cleone met our guide and driver. Over the course of two days we were awed and amazed by some of the many things this city has to offer. Here’s some of what we had the chance to enjoy.

Dubai Miracle Garden
This unique garden is described as the world’s largest natural flower garden. Natural … really? It boasts over 150 million flowers from all over the world arranged in various artistic designs, shapes, and patterns. Think full size airplane, Smurf village, oversized elephants and horses, cottages, a clock, and more. This riot of color is stunning and definitely a one-of-a-kind!

Dubai Frame
Think gigantic picture frame: 492 feet tall/305 feet wide. We enjoyed a multimedia exhibition on the history of Dubai before going all the way up one side of the Frame to a viewing platform at the very top. We walked slowly across the top of the Frame before going down the other side. There is a large section of plexiglass floor at the top that made me a little queasy. When we looked out one side and glanced w..a..y down we saw new Dubai with its signature architecture and skyscrapers and when we crossed over to the other side of the walkway we saw old Dubai with its less awesome buildings.

Al Bastakiya / Fahidi District
Before the tourism boom, before the discovery of oil and gas, and before the union of the Emirati tribes in 1971, the UAE was an area of sheikdoms – where Bedouins lived as herders, date farmers, and fishermen. These two districts gave us a glimpse into that period of time. We strolled through tight, winding alleyways lined with ochre-colored buildings made from a mixture of coral, mud, gypsum, and palm wood. Most of the houses were built with wind towers used to pull hot air up and our.

Jumeirah Grand Mosque
This beloved house of worship, dating to 1979, was a gift to the city from the father of the current ruler of Dubai. The design was borrowed from traditional Syrian and Egyptian architecture and can accommodate approximately 1,500 worshippers.

The View at The Palm
The idea is to get a view of one of the three island communities that are designed to look like palm trees floating in the Arabian Gulf. The View at The Palm is an observation deck on the 52nd floor of The Palm Tower. From there we had a terrific panorama of Palm Jumeirah as well as the Arabian Gulf with the Dubai skyline in the distance.

At the Top Burj Khalifa
This is the tallest building in the world and, no brainer, visible from all over the city. We zipped up to level 154 in an elevator that moves at 10 meters per second ! There we enjoyed unlimited drinks and snacks in a beautiful three-level lounge, the world’s highest lounge! Not for the faint of heart but worth a lot of bragging rights. We left just as the sun was setting over Palm Jumeirah.

Abra ride
An Abra is a traditional small ferry used to taxi people across The Creek. The ride was about five minutes and took us from the water station on the Bur Dubai side to the water station on the Deira side.

Gold and spice souks
The Gold Souk is located on Dubai Creek’s south bank and on the opposite side of the Creek is the Spice Souk. They sell just what their names imply. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s gold passes through this market. The government tightly controls what is sold and by whom, so there’s no worry that buyers will walk away with anything less than the real deal. Bargaining is recommended though, so the less than savvy shopper could easily pay too much for the real deal.   

Le Perle
This was our only nighttime activity and a wow of an activity it was. The show is performed in a tailor made aqua theatre where the stage is flooded with water and drained within seconds. Combine awesome aerial acts of various kinds, fire, drums, water falls, a pool, imagery, technology, and stunts and you have yourself a fabulous show with a slippery little storyline having something to do with a pearl.

As we traveled around town we kept a close eye on the license plates. The lower the number the richer the person. Number 5 was sold for $8,000,000 awhile back. The proceeds went to charity! Just imagine what number one is worth!!!!

… Oh Really …

The city of Dubai is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai which is made up of
a number of smaller communities and areas way less developed than the city of Dubai.

Where does all the water come from to maintain the plants and people here you might ask?
The UAE has 16 desalinization plants.
When I asked what was done with all the salt, our guide said he heard that a lot was sold to Scandinavia to use in dealing with snow. All but the palms and the jojoba trees would die in a flash without the intricate irrigation systems that keep everything alive.

Speaking of rain, we learned today that the UAE seeds the clouds when possible
which can produce short periods of rain or days of rain.

Dubai had a population of 60,000 in 1960.
Once the city was reimagined the population slowly exploded.

Pakistanis, Indians, and Filipinos make up the largest, by far, communities of foreign nationals.
English is the common language.

Dan was in and out of Dubai a number of times on business.
I joined him once a few years ago making this my second visit.
It reminded me of Disney meets Vegas
when I was here last, and I have to say I’m left with the same impression this visit.
It is a testament to what money, ingenuity, and an open mind can create.