Best Places to Visit in Dubai – 2021

On September 22, 2021September 22, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Asia, Dubai, Travel Tips1 Comment

Today we are featuring a guest post from fellow travel blogger, Neha Singh (DubaiWikia.com). Based out of Dubai, Neha has wonderful insights on the places to visit during a trip to Dubai.

Dubai is ever-changing. If there is one destination in the world that persistently tries to outdo its previous feats, it is Dubai. Dubai’s grit for innovative creation makes it one of the most sought-after destinations for travellers. Even if you revisit Dubai after a couple of years, you will find new additions to its city skyline. The emirate has a dramatic ambience and loves to surprise visitors with ground-breaking attractions. Nevertheless, amid this constant creation of new attractions, other landmarks and points of interest do leave a lasting impression and cannot be forgotten. In 2021, a variety of new experiences are lined up to welcome visitors. Here is a mix and match of what you should include in your Dubai holiday tour.

Burj Khalifa
No matter how much Dubai conjures up new architectural marvels, Burj Khalifa still remains an undisputed champion in modern architecture. The tallest standing structure in the world is indeed a marvel which every Dubai visitor should witness. Located in Downtown Dubai, Burj Khalifa looks jaw-droppingly stunning from ground-level, but there is more in store for you inside this colossal tower. You can find yourself among the clouds when you visit ‘At the Top – Burj Khalifa’, an observatory deck perched on the 124^th and 125^th levels of this magnificent skyscraper. From here you get breathtakingly beautiful views of Dubai Fountain, the emirate’s skyline, and the serene Arabian desert sprawling beyond the city. A visit to Burj Khalifa will never become a passé for a Dubai visitor.

Palm Jumeirah
The first of its kind in the world, Palm Dubai Islands were a visionary idea often considered impossible which Dubai managed to turn into a triumph with the unveiling of Palm Jumeirah. Today, Palm Jumeirah is an icon of luxury lifestyle and leisure recreation. Perched on the outermost arch of Palm Jumeirah is one of the most opulent hotels in the world – Atlantis The Palm. The island is home to the biggest waterpark in Dubai – Aquaventure waterpark, a fantastic aquarium – Lost World Chambers, and the largest water fountain in the world – Palm Fountain. It is one of the most popular places to visit in Dubai for family holidaymakers, couples, and friends looking to have fun times together.

Bluewaters Island
Unveiled recently, Bluewaters Island is a brand-new man-made leisure island set near Dubai Marina. Boasted as Dubai’s new hot and happening destination, Bluewaters Island is home to the world’s biggest Ferris Wheel – Ain Dubai which is also an observatory dock offering uninterrupted views of the modern Dubai skyline. The island is an excellent spot to explore chic shopping and dining experiences and offers luxury stay options which include the world-renowned Caesar’s Palace Dubai.

Global Village
See the world in a couple in a day at Global Village Dubai. This mega-cultural carnival takes place annually from October till April and puts together a kaleidoscope of cultural and flavoursome experiences of 90 countries making it one of the grandest and biggest cultural events in the world. Divided into distinct Pavillions, each representing a destination, you can easily go country-hopping and get a gist of the ethnicity and fabulous food and entertainment from around the world. It is a great way to go globetrotting and even getting a glimpse of destinations before you can add them to your travel bucket list.

Al Seef
The surroundings along the Dubai Creek is a rustic slice of Dubai that captures the old-world charm of the emirate perfectly. There is a treasure trove of experiences in store for you at Dubai Creek to explore the bygone humble past of the emirate. However, the newly opened Al Seef district has charmed visitors to explore this region in a convenient and leisurely way. This waterfront promenade lets you enjoy the vibes of Old Dubai with modern conveniences. Stretching 1.8 km along the Dubai Creek shoreline, Al Seef is a wonderful place to soak in Emirati history, view the charismatic Old Dubai setting while sampling cuisine from a fascinating range of restaurants, and indulging in retail therapy while wandering around.

Dubai Frame
When it comes to viewing Dubai’s stellar skylines, there are a few Dubai attractions that pop up in the minds of a Dubai visitor. However, the view from Dubai Frame stands out as a unique experience as it offers the best of Dubai’s past and present scenic panoramas. Strategically located at Zabeel Park, the world’s biggest picture frame captures and showcases the splendours of Old Dubai and Modern Dubai from one spot. Dubai Frame is a landmark that one needs to visit to get a gist of Dubai’s charming past, the innovative present, and visionary future. This eye-catching architectural marvel glistens and gleams in the Arabian sunshine in the day and at dawn lights up in vivid illuminations – a sight to behold.

Dubai Canal
Most Dubai Tour packages would often feature a cruise trip on Dubai Creek or Dubai Marina. Now, you can add one more option to that cruise experience. Dubai Canal – an artificial water inlet that extends around 3.2 km from Dubai Creek is a new way to explore Dubai’s fabulous city panoramas from a cruise tour. The trendy Dubai Canal meanders along some of the iconic sights of modern Dubai and is decked up with a contemporary bridge and walkway which illuminates in vibrant colourful neon lights at sundown. It is a wonderful way to spend a day sightseeing in Dubai city.

Dubai Expo 2020
Dubai had excitedly geared up with some amazing modifications and new attractions for the Dubai Expo 2020. However, the coronavirus outbreak dampened the momentum and the mega event had to be postponed to 2021. Taking this as an advantage chance, the emirate made use of the time to perfect the venue and is all set with safety protocols in place to welcome guests from around the world to the most anticipated world event of the year. For those visiting Dubai in 2021, take this chance to explore a world of innovative pavilions, extraordinary works of modern architecture, and much more.

Conclusion

Dubai is the only city in the world that can tackle the odds. Even while the world was reeling from the effects of a widespread pandemic and shutting down borders as a safety measures to curb the Covid-19 spread, Dubai managed to ensure that the tourism doesn’t get completely halted in the emirate. For those yearning to escape the woes of pandemic daily life, Dubai welcomes you with open arms to experience some of the most awe-inspiring spectacles and architectural landmarks in the world. 2021 will also bring in some addition to Dubai’s long list of stunning attractions and also a refreshing look to Dubai’s dramatic landscape. So, if you are waiting for a holiday break in 2021, choose Dubai and gear up for a fascinating journey of a lifetime.

Mixed Feelings Regarding Our Visit to London During Our First Trip to Europe

On September 20, 2021September 20, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn England, Travel Tips6 Comments

Let us start by saying that we hope to visit London once again in the future as it is a wonderful city with an amazing history. During our first trip to Europe, many years ago now, we spent several days in London before going on to Stratford-upon-Avon and Manchester. We rented a flat on Kings Road and enjoyed getting around and visiting the major sites in London such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Tower of London, and Tower Bridge. Although we did have a wonderful time, when we look back on it after many, many trips since that time, we aren’t sure that we made the most of our time in London.

One of the things that was very different about our time in London compared to other places that we have visited is that we took the tube (underground railway) to get from one location to another. It was quick and convenient and who can’t quote what is aired over the intercom as the doors start to close, “mind the gap”. In hindsight, we felt like gophers who popped up from one hole here to see something and then popped up in another hole there to see something. Walking the streets gives you a much better sense of a city than just seeing a small section at a time.

We do have wonderful memories of our time in London. We went to the famous West End to see the play Wicked and the tour of Tower of London was quite fascinating. We also watched the pomp and pageantry of the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and had some blue skies overhead as we walked around the Victoria Memorial in the roundabout just across from the palace. Certainly no visit to London would be complete without going to Westminster Abbey with all of the memorials to the historical figures of science, literature, and politics. Seeing the iconic clock tower at the Westminster Palace, commonly referred to as Big Ben is certainly a must as well.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon

After spending a few days in our flat in London, we continued on to historic Stratford-upon-Avon where we had the opportunity to have mulled wine and see the locals celebrate the start of the holiday season as it was late November when we arrived. Being the birthplace of Shakespeare, there is certainly plenty of history and we also enjoyed seeing Warwick Castle nearby town of Warwick. After a couple of nights, we took a train north to the city of Manchester where we would enjoy a murder mystery at a local manor house and then go to watch a football (soccer) game, which was a highlight for us.

As previously mentioned, we definitely have revisiting London on our list of places to go and will likely go back there in the relatively near future. We were actually fairly fortunate as far as the weather goes with our trip having been in November, but a visit during the summer months would definitely be a plus. Since we are more seasoned travelers now as compared to our original visit, we will likely do it quite differently and we would certainly take more photographs than we did back then.

The Importance of Selecting the Right Guides for an African Safari

On August 25, 2021August 25, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Africa, Kenya, TanzaniaLeave a comment

The guide company that you select for an African safari will most likely determine your overall experience. They can’t guarantee what animals you will see or what the weather will be like, but they make all of the arrangements for the places where you stay, ensure safe travel between the various parks and reserves, as well as take you on game drives and provide expert information on the animals that you see. For our trip, we started by researching individual guide companies that were recommended to us or we found on TripAdvisor. We were finding the process overwhelming, so we went to Safari Bookings where you can provide details on the type of safari you’d like to take and they will have guide companies reach out to you and provide quotes. This worked out much better as they only work with verified experts and ensure that the companies are reliable.

Picture of David with Us at the Maasai Village

We received several different quotes and even created a spreadsheet to compare the different tours, the parks that were included, the places where we would stay, and the overall cost of the safari. After narrowing it down to a few choices, we reached out with questions and considered how responsive each company was and how willing they were to work with us to potentially make changes to the itinerary. We also went out and looked at each of the camps and lodges that were included in the safari package to help us determine if it was right for us. We decided on what is considered a mid-tier safari, which made the price more reasonable, but it also meant that we would spend more time driving through the country versus flying from location to location. Actually seeing the country in addition to the parks was something that was important to us.

Shabani Set Up a Twilight Toast for Us on Our Last Night in Tanzania

We ended up choosing Africa Marvel Tours for our safari and we couldn’t have been happier with our decision. Before our trip even started, we chatted via WhatsApp as well as email and added a couple of nights to the original package, a decision that would provide us the opportunity to get close to white and black rhinos at Lake Nakuru as well as a tour of Nairobi. They also provided guidance on getting the COVID tests that we would need and checked with the different places that we would stay as to specific amenities that they offered. Then, when our flights got delayed, they made arrangements to pick us up at the airport instead of the hotel as originally planned. From the moment they met us at the airport and gave us Maasai blankets as a gift to our arrival back in the United States they stayed in touch with us to ensure that we had a safe trip home, everyone at Africa Marvel Tours were amazing.

We had two specific guides during our safari, David for our time in Kenya and Shabani for our time in Tanzania. Each of them were extremely knowledgeable about the parks and knew where we were likely to find some of the most fascinating animals. Not only did we see the big five, elephants, lions, water buffaloes, rhinos, and leopards, but we had many other incredible experiences, including getting close enough to pet a lion (which we definitely did not) with Shabani and having a cheetah jump on the hood of our Land Cruiser with David in Maasai Mara. They both took excellent care of us and we appreciated all of their help and guidance.

Clearly we had an absolutely amazing experience during our safari adventure and that was in large part due to the selection of Africa Marvel Tours. There are a lot of other factors that will make the experience better including patience to wait and watch for the wildlife, just having a relaxed attitude and not getting stressed, and not putting too many expectations in advance as to what you will see. It is also important to remember that the guides are their to ensure your safety and use their expertise to guide you, but it is your safari and you can request changes as well. It was certainly an experience of a lifetime and we will remember all of the various wildlife encounters for the rest of our lives.