Dubai - Day 3

After breakfast we took a taxi to the Souk Madinat, an entertainment complex that includes a traditional Arabian souk (market) with plenty of shops, restaurants and bars, beware, abras here cost 60 dirhams, not the 1 dirham you pay for the real ones in the creek. We walked around, trying to get as close to the Burj al Arab as possible.

Then we took a taxi to JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residences, an area south of the Burj al Arab with lots of shops and cafés next to the beach. We didn't have our swimsuits on so we couldn't jump in the water, instead we walked to Dubai Marina, a nice artificial canal quarter, then we ended up in the Dubai Marina Mall (nothing special after seeing the Mall of Emirates and Dubai Mall, but worth visiting to go to Shakespeare & Co. for lunch or a cup of tea).

Jumeirah Beach

We went back to the hotel to get ready for a special dinner at the Burj al Arab.

entering the Burj al Arab

The Burj al Arab, the world's most luxurious hotel and one of the most photographed structures in the world, stands on an artificial island connected to Jumeirah beach by a private bridge. It was designed by a group of British architects and it took about 5 years to build. It has 202 luxurious two-level suites with jacuzzis, private butler and shopper, free use of the hotel's Rolls Royce fleet, etc.

You can only enter the property if you have a room or a reservation for dinner, afternoon tea, brunch, etc. So after some research online, I decided to book a buffet dinner at the pool restaurant, Bab al Yam (it was also the more affordable one at 325 Dhs, beverages excluded). I booked through the website of the hotel a couple of months in advance and I got an e-mail confirmation with the information and dress code (and a reminder as well) that has to be shown at the entrance to get through.
What can I say about the place? It really is amazing, luxury at its maximum expression: gold, lights, dancing fountains. We got there 15 minutes earlier so we could walk around the lobby and common areas. All polished clean, perfect; even the elevators smell delicious; bathrooms have fresh orchids and Hermés hand lotion.

floors

elevators

The Bab al Yam is the poolside restaurant, in the ground floor (you get there through the elevator). You are greeted warmly by the waiters who give you a tour of the buffet: mongolian barbeque, seafood (delicious lobsters all you can eat!) international dishes, sushi, Arabic mezes, cheeses, desserts and ice cream. Everything was delicious, the waiters were very attentive and polite, I just wish I had eaten more of everything! After dinner we walked around the pool and gardens, it was really a nice experience to finish our trip to Dubai.

The folowing day we shopped for sourvenirs in the Mall of Emirates and headed to the airport. Loved Dubai, wish to come back soon!