Got 3 days off, finally I was able to fulfill my desire to watch Abu Dhabi.
Have been a couple of times in Dubai, but never to Abu Dhabi.
With one colleague, Rachid, we arrived in Dubai Airport by Emirates (I used my 15,000 miles to get the ticket), we took a rent car (AED 190 booked at Emirates website by Dolar Rent-A-Car), and drove directly to Abu Dhabi.
We stopped by at Dubai Marina to have a coffee before put our tires on E11 Dubai Abu Dhabi road.
Our first stop was Ferrari World in Yas Island.
It said to be the largest indoor theme park in world. Everything about Ferrari was there.
We arrived just the park about to open at 11:00. The ticket was AED 225.
There were 4 games categorized as “Thrilling” or scaring… one of them was the fastest roller coaster in the world.
We were too old for the scaring rides and decided to take the “Family” category ones
There was one acrobatic show, which was really cool.
My favourite attraction was the Pit Wall, where we could experience being as a staff in the race.
I can’t remember how many times I said WOW.
Most were marble white, with gold ornaments.
The inside was equally amazing, the chandelier and the wall ornaments, the carpet.
The location was just on the highway on the way to the city center, next to Abu Dhabi new feature building, Park Hyatt Hotel (leaning tall shape) and near Exhibition Center in the embassy area.
The interior design was super cool, especially the rooftop bar, @Relax 12.
Rachid took the control of the wheel that night, he drove automatic car like driving manual car with sudden braking, before finally getting used to it.
Rachid driving and my navigation got us lost for hours that night finding the way back to our hotel.
The next day, we checked out the hotel at 12:00 then went to cornice to see Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village.
Volvo Ocean Race was a yacht race traveling the world one round. It started in Alicante, Spain and will finish in Lisboa, Portugal.
Abu Dhabi was one of the stop over location.
Started 31 Dec.2011, for couple of weeks, there will be many events held in the Destination Village.
We were lucky being able to visit the Village enjoying events like race simulator, golf over the sea, 3D cinema, and photo with falcon.
There was also amazing airplane acrobatic show.
Most hotels in Dubai were fully booked when I tried to book one by Booking.com, finally I booked the cheapest hotel in Deira area, not far from the airport since the hotels nearer to Burj Khalifa were all full.
Our hotel called Baisan Hotel and Apartment was located in a convenient area, near Al Rigga metro station, a lot of shops and restaurants around.
The room was large, though it was dated.
We planned to watch fireworks at Burj Khalifa with my friends living in Qatar, Sami, Yuka, and Yanis, they were separately coming to Dubai with the same reason with mine.
Sami and Yuka finally found a place to watch the fireworks, at The Address Downtown Hotel bar called Neos.
In the phone, Sami informed me the price was AED 450, including 1 drink and buffet.
Since Rachid agreed to go, we asked Sami to buy the tickets for us.
Since Sami didn’t inform clearly the bar name, we stopped at the wrong The Address Hotel Dubai Mall, then finally informed that we had to walk passing the Dubai Mall to The Address Downtown.
Being ping pong at the reception, my tiredness and frustration were peaking, that I asked Sami to come down from the bar to the reception.
Yanis arrived a while after we met Sami.
Finally we were able to enter the Neos bar where we would watch the fireworks.
But I was so disappointed, despite of the expensive ticket price of AED 450, we didn’t get a table, and we were asked to be in the bar, not allowed to stand near the window. No drink since we arrived after 9pm, and food was served only for table. So we had to pay AED 450 only to get into the noisy and crowded bar, without getting any drink and food, and not being able to watch the fireworks!
Fortunately, we could access the other bar downstairs outdoor, so with Rachid and Yanis, we went there to watch the fireworks, which was amazing.
After the fireworks, we returned to the 63th floor Neos, but couldn’t find Yuka and Sami.
Being so hungry, we decided to leave the bar and get some food outside.
Luckily we found a sushi rotating restaurant inside Dubai Mall and we were happy to get our first meal in 2012.
We were forced to walk to next station, only to find also such crowded that the policemen kept yelling and playing with the sticks trying to control the crowd.
We felt like being treated like animal, only to try to ride on the metro.
Being frustrated with the situation, Rachid started to wave to taxi and Yanis decided to walk home.
After being refused with many taxi, our luck finally came when a good and honest driver took us to our hotel with meter price, cost AED 25 only.
We gave the Kerala driver AED 40, thanking for his nice attitude and honesty.
On the New Year day, waking up at 11:30, we missed the complimentary breakfast in our hotel.
We drove to Mall of the Emirates, to fulfill my plan to ski on the New Year.
It cost reasonably AED 180 for two hours use of lift, including rental of ski set and wear.
It was my second time skiing there after Christmas 2010.
It was Rachid’s 3rd time skiing in his life, but I was surprised he could ski well.
It was already dark when we headed our car to Atlantis Hotel in Palm Jumeirah after having Afternoon coffee at More Café.Since we couldn’t find parking area near the Atlantis Hotel, Rachid decided to go directly to the airport.
After returning the car and checked in, I decided to take the benefit of Emirates airline Silver card holder, being able to use business lounge in Dubai airport (even if I fly Economy), even though I had to leave Rachid alone since he had no Silver card.
However, I was turned down at the lounge in Terminal 3 and was informed that I could only use the old lounge in near gate 122 in Terminal 1, 1km far away.
I was angry with the Emirates crap benefit.
Imagine, the benefit said that being a Silver card holder, if we fly with Emirates, even in Economy, we can use the business lounge in Dubai airport.
Since all Emirates flights are in Terminal 3, there is no other way but to walk 1 km to Terminal 1 to enjoy the benefit!
What a crap!
However, I was happy with the old lounge. Only few people were in the lounge and the food was really good.
I prefer this old lounge, since the new lounge in Terminal 3 was really crowded and too big, and too hustle.
Have been a couple of times in Dubai, but never to Abu Dhabi.
With one colleague, Rachid, we arrived in Dubai Airport by Emirates (I used my 15,000 miles to get the ticket), we took a rent car (AED 190 booked at Emirates website by Dolar Rent-A-Car), and drove directly to Abu Dhabi.
We stopped by at Dubai Marina to have a coffee before put our tires on E11 Dubai Abu Dhabi road.
Our first stop was Ferrari World in Yas Island.
It said to be the largest indoor theme park in world. Everything about Ferrari was there.
We arrived just the park about to open at 11:00. The ticket was AED 225.
There were 4 games categorized as “Thrilling” or scaring… one of them was the fastest roller coaster in the world.
We were too old for the scaring rides and decided to take the “Family” category ones
There was one acrobatic show, which was really cool.
My favourite attraction was the Pit Wall, where we could experience being as a staff in the race.
 |
| Ferrari World at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, with Rachid |
We decided to leave the park because we were tired.
We continued our drive to Abu Dhabi and stopped at the most beautiful mosque I have ever seen, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan mosque.I can’t remember how many times I said WOW.
Most were marble white, with gold ornaments.
The inside was equally amazing, the chandelier and the wall ornaments, the carpet.
 |
| Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan mosque, Abu Dhabi |
Just before getting dark, we continued our drive to our hotel, Aloft, a Starwood hotel.
The hotel was better than I was expected since a lot of negative comments at Booking.com, where I booked the hotel for AED 520 (including tax and service) for upper level twin bed room.The location was just on the highway on the way to the city center, next to Abu Dhabi new feature building, Park Hyatt Hotel (leaning tall shape) and near Exhibition Center in the embassy area.
The interior design was super cool, especially the rooftop bar, @Relax 12.
 |
| Hotel Aloft Abu Dhabi, rooftop bar @Relax 12, in the far we can see Hotel Park Hyatt |
Late at night, after couple of hours rest, we drove to Marina Mall to have a dinner.
Then we drove back to Yas Island because I wanted to take picture of Viceroy Yas hotel glowing blue roof.Rachid took the control of the wheel that night, he drove automatic car like driving manual car with sudden braking, before finally getting used to it.
Rachid driving and my navigation got us lost for hours that night finding the way back to our hotel.
 |
| Abu Dhabi night view, from Tiara restaurant at Marina Mall |
 |
| Viceroy Yas Hotel, Yas Island Abu Dhabi |
Volvo Ocean Race was a yacht race traveling the world one round. It started in Alicante, Spain and will finish in Lisboa, Portugal.
Abu Dhabi was one of the stop over location.
Started 31 Dec.2011, for couple of weeks, there will be many events held in the Destination Village.
We were lucky being able to visit the Village enjoying events like race simulator, golf over the sea, 3D cinema, and photo with falcon.
There was also amazing airplane acrobatic show.
 |
| at Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 Destination Village, Abu Dhabi |
 |
| air show at Abu Dhabi |
We left Abu Dhabi for Dubai about 16:00.
The road started to get crowded when we were approaching Dubai, seemed like everybody were going to Dubai for the Eve celebration.Most hotels in Dubai were fully booked when I tried to book one by Booking.com, finally I booked the cheapest hotel in Deira area, not far from the airport since the hotels nearer to Burj Khalifa were all full.
Our hotel called Baisan Hotel and Apartment was located in a convenient area, near Al Rigga metro station, a lot of shops and restaurants around.
The room was large, though it was dated.
We planned to watch fireworks at Burj Khalifa with my friends living in Qatar, Sami, Yuka, and Yanis, they were separately coming to Dubai with the same reason with mine.
Sami and Yuka finally found a place to watch the fireworks, at The Address Downtown Hotel bar called Neos.
In the phone, Sami informed me the price was AED 450, including 1 drink and buffet.
Since Rachid agreed to go, we asked Sami to buy the tickets for us.
 |
| Fireworks at Burj Khalifa, Dubai |
We took metro from our hotel to Burj Khalifa since we anticipated traffic jam if we went by our car.
We had to get out 1 station before Burj Khalifa/ Dubai Mall station and had to walk with the crowd.Since Sami didn’t inform clearly the bar name, we stopped at the wrong The Address Hotel Dubai Mall, then finally informed that we had to walk passing the Dubai Mall to The Address Downtown.
Being ping pong at the reception, my tiredness and frustration were peaking, that I asked Sami to come down from the bar to the reception.
Yanis arrived a while after we met Sami.
Finally we were able to enter the Neos bar where we would watch the fireworks.
But I was so disappointed, despite of the expensive ticket price of AED 450, we didn’t get a table, and we were asked to be in the bar, not allowed to stand near the window. No drink since we arrived after 9pm, and food was served only for table. So we had to pay AED 450 only to get into the noisy and crowded bar, without getting any drink and food, and not being able to watch the fireworks!
Fortunately, we could access the other bar downstairs outdoor, so with Rachid and Yanis, we went there to watch the fireworks, which was amazing.
After the fireworks, we returned to the 63th floor Neos, but couldn’t find Yuka and Sami.
Being so hungry, we decided to leave the bar and get some food outside.
Luckily we found a sushi rotating restaurant inside Dubai Mall and we were happy to get our first meal in 2012.
 |
| Sushi restaurant at Dubai Mall |
The next and greatest frustration was the metro.
Due to a huge crowd, the policemen decided the Burj Khalifa/ Dubai Mall station to be a family day area, that only groups with women and children could enter the station.We were forced to walk to next station, only to find also such crowded that the policemen kept yelling and playing with the sticks trying to control the crowd.
We felt like being treated like animal, only to try to ride on the metro.
Being frustrated with the situation, Rachid started to wave to taxi and Yanis decided to walk home.
After being refused with many taxi, our luck finally came when a good and honest driver took us to our hotel with meter price, cost AED 25 only.
We gave the Kerala driver AED 40, thanking for his nice attitude and honesty.
On the New Year day, waking up at 11:30, we missed the complimentary breakfast in our hotel.
We drove to Mall of the Emirates, to fulfill my plan to ski on the New Year.
It cost reasonably AED 180 for two hours use of lift, including rental of ski set and wear.
It was my second time skiing there after Christmas 2010.
It was Rachid’s 3rd time skiing in his life, but I was surprised he could ski well.
 |
| Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates |
It was already dark when we headed our car to Atlantis Hotel in Palm Jumeirah after having Afternoon coffee at More Café.
After returning the car and checked in, I decided to take the benefit of Emirates airline Silver card holder, being able to use business lounge in Dubai airport (even if I fly Economy), even though I had to leave Rachid alone since he had no Silver card.
However, I was turned down at the lounge in Terminal 3 and was informed that I could only use the old lounge in near gate 122 in Terminal 1, 1km far away.
I was angry with the Emirates crap benefit.
Imagine, the benefit said that being a Silver card holder, if we fly with Emirates, even in Economy, we can use the business lounge in Dubai airport.
Since all Emirates flights are in Terminal 3, there is no other way but to walk 1 km to Terminal 1 to enjoy the benefit!
What a crap!
However, I was happy with the old lounge. Only few people were in the lounge and the food was really good.
I prefer this old lounge, since the new lounge in Terminal 3 was really crowded and too big, and too hustle.
 |
| Atlantis Palm Jumeirah hotel, Dubai |
That was my 3 days passing the New Year with some hustles and frustrations, but also many happiness to experience the beauty of the fireworks and the mosque and the cities, and to be with good friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment