October 8th 2023.
Everything is plush and posh in Dubai. As our car approaches the 150 metre-high gold frame, the iconic landmark captures the views of both Old and New Dubai. We are in awe of the beauty of this city, a man-made mountain top in the middle of a concrete jungle that looks like a photo frame. We reach our destination, the Atlantis The Palm. The 19-metre grand lobby is a dazzling interplay of water, light and sound with a wall of windows offering stunning vistas of the sea. The 10-metre-high glass sculpture at the centre of the lobby, we learn, took about two years to complete. With its brown, orange, red, and tranquil blue crystals, the sculpture makes for an ideal selfie point. The high arched ceilings feature hand-painted murals on canvas depicting Arabian mythology, solar calendar, constellations and planets.
We soon check in to our room with a breathtaking view of the azure Arabian Sea and white open shacks. We opt for the underwater rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows looking directly into the aquarium that connects the entire walkway of the East tower on the ground floor. We learn that Shah Rukh Khan had stayed in one of the rooms during his visit to the resort. It is an interesting experience to sleep in the middle of an ocean aquarium with a herd of illuminating sea creatures keeping us company.
We enjoy a luxurious stay with gourmet breakfast at Saffron, lunch and dinner spreads at Michelin Starred-restaurant Bread Street Kitchen and Bar and South American En Fuego respectively. We also try adventure rides at Aquaventure, dolphins encounter, and an enriching tour of Dolphin Bay and Sea Lion Point. The up-close encounter with sea lions and dolphins is mesmerising. We take a quick tour with a marine expert to learn how marine life is taken care of. The dolphins and sea lions swim freely and crawl to the slab near us. As we walk forward, we are straight into the medical laboratory. Expert veterinarians and technicians provide the highest level of care and welfare for marine mammals. In the kitchen, the food for these sea creatures is prepared with due diligence of cleanliness and temperature.
We also try a shark safari which doesn’t require us to be an experienced diver as a prerequisite and is open to first-timers. We take a Dubai balloon ride and realise there is so much truth in the city being designed like a palm. The spectacular view of the city literally makes us feel 'on top of the world'.
The day ends with a wild dune bashing ride on a safari. As the sun sets, we enjoy the cool night air of the desert with dancers spinning to traditional tunes, covered in bright costumes. The fire show paired with dancing beats is the highlight of our tour. We also hop stores through the market keeping our eyes peeled for exciting dates, chocolates, saffron, and other edibles to bring back home.
Our next stop is the city of Abu Dhabi. The Grand Mosque is a special place with people from all walks of life coming together to take in modern architecture's beauty. One of the world's largest mosques draws us into an enchanting fairytale of 2D illustrations, carpeted floors and all-white walls. We admire the artistic work inside the mosque — gold-plated Swarovski chandeliers, vast marble mosaic artwork and reflective pools that mirror some of the many amethyst-and-jasper-embedded columns.
We then visit the renowned Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi which is worth the money. We get to see the revered painter Pablo Picasso’s artwork highlighting a distinct facet of his artistic process. The dazzling architecture combined with French designs and Arabic heritage makes it a beautiful site to visit.
Our visit to Dubai comes to an end with a grand visit to the iconic Burj Khalifa. The light and sound show in the evening is a sight to behold from the old town. We also hear of the Museum of the Future, which transports you to the year 2071. We are definitely coming back for more exploration of this city, especially the extraordinary destination of adventure and history - AlUla.
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