The Right Choice

Option one for a trip from the UK to Perth, Australia: Leave mid morning Friday, fly for six hours to Dubai, hang around in the airport to catch another 10 hour flight at 2.00 am to Perth, arriving at 6:30 in the evening… or;

Option two: Leave Thursday evening, arrive Dubai at 7:30 in the morning – spend the day seeing the sights and soaking up the Dubai atmosphere, catch the same 2:00 am onward flight to get to Perth at 6:30 Saturday evening.

Option two was the right choice and I made it.  OK you don’t get much overnight sleep on the flight to Dubai, (if they didn’t wait an hour before starting to feed you, that would help a bit), but you do get some.

Once I’d sorted somewhere to safely store my hand luggage at Dubai airport (Emirates usefully still checked my main baggage through), I was in a taxi and off in to town.  The taxi driver advised against places like the famous Gold Souk, as Dubai shuts on a Friday.  So I ended up at the Mall of the Emirates a place that Mall is far too smaller name for.  The largest shopping centre outside of North America, boasts 450 shops, 70+ eating places, 14 cinema screens, a theatre, and indoor amusement park, are all joined by an indoor ski center with an enormous glass wall so that you can see all the suitably tanned locals running around in unaccustomed padded ski suits to keep them warm.

Onwards to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, with its internal 25 floor high illuminated wall that makes everyone stare upwards in reception.  Food on the terrace with glimpses of the stunning Burj Al Arab hotel next door through the palm trees, made lunch a relaxing experience.  I kept wishing for a helicopter to come and land on the pad near the top of the Burj Al Arab, but you can get everything.

3:30 brought a Toyota Land Cruiser to collect me for a sand safari.  An hour drive north we arrived at a shop selling drinks, etc. where there must have been thirty other Land Cruisers having air let out of their tyres along side ours.  Then it was off across the dunes at breakneck speed, sliding sideways down the faces of dunes, tipping se-saw like over the peaks.  I did intend to take lots of photos, but spent the whole time hanging on.  we did stop for a while hence this picture.  Then it was on again until we reached the purpose built walled oasis.  Initially camel rides were on offer, followed by an excellent barbeque at low tables with cushions to sit on.  The tables surrounded a large flat carpeted area, where as night fell we were treated to belly dancing under the stars.

The safari company dropped me back to the airport with a good three hours to spare before having to board my onward flight to Perth.  I slumped in to my seat and slept much of the way to Perth.

Did I make the right choice? I certainly did.  I would recommend anyone who is connecting through Dubai to consider doing the same. 

Now its on to see the sights of Perth before worrying about my presentations for this trip down under.

Technorati Tags: Richard Wallis, Talis, Dubai, Perth, Sand Safari