Journey to the Middle East UAE: A True Money-Worshipping (and Money-Burning) Trip

Preface: "The world is so big, I want to see it" – a great internet phrase. The world is so big, if you want to see it all in your lifetime, you can only keep moving forward. Once you set your plans and depart, both your mind and body will be on the journey forward. Isn't it said that travel is "going from a place you're tired of to a place others are tired of"? But we're willing to pay for it. As long as we want, time and money no longer matter, whether it's budget travel or any other way, the destination is ahead. I love traveling because it helps me live and work better. Travel is the best way to recharge in life, especially when you're stuck in difficulties with life or work. Traveling with that mindset, perhaps as you watch the scenery rushing by the window and the local cultural wonders, you'll understand what life is and what work is. Why do people travel? What is the meaning of travel? This is the most beautiful answer I've ever seen.

Next, I'll present a luxurious money-worshipping journey with a combination of text and photos. The pictures contain a lot of information, all carefully taken and selected. Of course, there's also a young lady who traveled with me as my special model. OK, Follow Me~

Date: 2019.10.27-2019.11.01

Location: United Arab Emirates (UAE, commonly known as the flower of the desert, is a Middle Eastern desert country known for oil production, located in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered by the Persian Gulf to the north, with a coastline of 734 km. It shares borders with Qatar to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west and south, and Oman to the east and northeast. Since the discovery of oil in 1966, the UAE has become one of the richest countries in the world. The UAE is composed of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain.)

The United Arab Emirates has a tropical desert climate, with hot and dry summers (May to October), temperatures 40.6–48.2°C; winters (November to April) temperatures 8–20°C, occasional sandstorms. Average annual rainfall is about 100 mm, mostly concentrated in January and February. It is strongly recommended to travel in winter and be sure to protect yourself from the sun.

This itinerary mainly focuses on Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.

You might not believe it, but before setting off on this trip to Sharjah, I knew nothing about it. After arriving in Sharjah, however, I was dazzled and overwhelmed by this city, known as the "Cultural Capital of the UAE." This once barren and mysterious land has become immensely wealthy through the oil trade, blessing the entire region. Arab culture has also radiated to every corner of the world along with commercial prosperity. The scorching sun, red sand dunes, warm sea, ancient beaches, and charming Arabian ethnic customs—to this day, Eastern and Western cultures continue to collide fiercely on this mysterious land, producing complex and seductive sparks of magic. But as a tourist, I or we can still easily see the unique cultural charm rooted in this land—the charm of Sharjah.

Sharjah Cultural Square is located in the center of Sharjah. It can be said to be the political and cultural center of Sharjah. The entire square is circular, with a large circular lawn in the middle. In the center of the lawn is an open stone carving of the Quran, hence it is also called the Quran Square. Outside the lawn is a road forming a roundabout. Further out, there are five buildings to the north, south, east, and west: the library, cultural palace, conference palace, the Sheikh's office, and the Al Faisal Mosque.

Strolling through the Castle Museum, time seems to go back to the early 19th century, giving a glimpse of Sharjah's nearly 200 years of history and cultural changes. If time permits, be sure to visit the Bait Al Naboodah Museum, a former residence of a wealthy Arab merchant, where you can see the collision of traditional culture and exquisite architecture. Also, the Heritage Museum showcases Arabian landscapes, lifestyles, celebrations, livelihoods, traditional knowledge, and oral traditions.

Dubai Creek is located in the old town. On one side of the river is the Gold and Spice Souk, and on the other side is the Dubai Museum. Take a ferry across the river; there are no ticket windows, you pay after boarding—someone will collect the fare. It's 1 dirham per person. The boat ride is very fast, less than ten minutes. The boat is made of wood, so be careful when getting on and off. The boat's cover is small; if you sit on the edge to enjoy the view, it can be a bit sunny.

Speaking of Abu Dhabi, many people might know Dubai better. Initially, I thought the same, but later I learned that Abu Dhabi is the largest emirate and the capital of the UAE, equivalent to Beijing in China, while Dubai is the economic center, equivalent to Shanghai. I thought the first stop would be the Grand Mosque, but due to schedule, we first visited Ferrari World theme park.

Coincidentally, the "Qasr Al Watan" (Presidential Palace) in Abu Dhabi opened its doors to the public on March 13, 2019. It was quite fortunate to visit the UAE Presidential Palace this time. It can be said that this is the most luxurious place in the Middle East. At dusk, we arrived at the Abu Dhabi Presidential Palace. Visitors traveling by car or with a tour group park in the designated parking area, then take an electric shuttle to the palace entrance. After security checks at the entrance, all visitors board a bus to enter the palace. The bus makes two stops: the first is the Abu Dhabi Presidential Palace Library, and the second is the main palace.

Abu Dhabi Presidential Palace

English name: Abu Dhabi Qasr Al Watan

This is where Abu Dhabi leaders work and receive guests.

The outdoor scenery is romantic.

The halls are magnificent.

If you go in the evening, you can see the pinkish-white exterior buildings under the sunset.

And the domes slowly lighting up.

Then, when the lights come on, you can see the night view.

From 7:45 to 8:00 PM, there is an outdoor light show.

The exhibition halls include a library, banquet hall, and various exhibits.

Just wandering around the halls is a feast for the eyes.

The ultimate luxury, nobility, and grandeur are perfectly displayed in the halls.

Refer to the evening time mentioned above for the visit.

Then you can capture both the sunset and the night view.

The angles in the pictures can be referenced.

People appear relatively small.

You can wear slightly brighter colors.

Long dresses would be especially beautiful!

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (hereinafter referred to as the Grand Mosque) is located in the north of Abu Dhabi City and is the religious center and landmark of the UAE. The Grand Mosque is grand in scale and luxurious in decoration. The entire building uses expensive raw materials and artistic decorations from around the world. Intricate carvings and murals were created by artists from various countries. The snow-white marble domes and walls glisten in the sunlight, pure and spotless. This mosque was built in memory of the UAE's founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and opened to the public during Ramadan in 2007. Construction took 12 years and cost 21.67 billion dirhams (approximately $592 million).

It is particularly emphasized that there are dress code requirements here: Men must wear long pants; tops cannot have animal patterns or very obvious large logos; solid colors are best. Women must wear a black robe that covers the head, and shoes that do not expose toes. If you don't have one, you can wear long sleeves and long pants plus a headscarf, or borrow a free robe from the visitor service center. When taking photos, try not to be alone with a member of the opposite sex, as Muslim rules prohibit it. Also, do not make a peace sign (V sign) gesture. Security guards will watch you closely; once discovered, they will immediately stop you and ask you to delete the photo—I experienced this firsthand.

After visiting the landmarks of Abu Dhabi, we took a special car to another luxurious landmark—the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Money talks! I only knew there was a Louvre in Paris. To build a true "Louvre of the Arab world," Abu Dhabi spent 400 million euros to purchase the rights to use the name "Louvre." It also reached a long-term cooperation with France, paying 150 million euros annually to rent collections from the Louvre in Paris and other famous French museums. Additionally, the museum invests 40 million euros each year to acquire its own permanent collections and continuously enrich its holdings.

I had seen introductions mentioning Van Gogh's self-portrait and masterpieces by Monet and others, but we only saw three or four pieces. Maybe it was due to the exhibition period. However, the overall architecture of the Louvre and the existing exhibits were already exciting enough.

I won't go into detail about the specific exhibits. I recommend downloading the Louvre Abu Dhabi app before visiting to learn about the exhibits. Some exhibits require a certain level of artistic appreciation to understand. But the first few halls introduce history, especially world art history, which is worth exploring. Personally, I just skimmed through, took some tourist photos, and posted them on social media—that was enough for me.

Next, find the right spots and take some tourist photos.

Finally, a group photo with the two ladies I traveled with—doesn't it look harmonious?

After leaving the Louvre, not far away is the Abu Dhabi Heritage Village. Personally, I found this place not very interesting. So, we continued our whirlwind tour to the next stop.

Regarding Arabian cuisine, I don't have a detailed introduction here because we were busy with the itinerary and mostly ate at local Chinese restaurants. However, we did experience an Arabian buffet once, mostly consisting of pork, beef, lamb, and chicken. I won't elaborate.

Outside the Heritage Village, there is a beach. It was just the right time in the afternoon sun, so I grabbed the young lady for another photo session.

Dubai has two Jumeirah Public Beaches. One is next to Umm Suqeim Park, about 900 meters northeast of the Burj Al Arab. To its west is the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel, very close to the Burj Al Arab. The other is near the Jumeirah Mosque in the old town. Because it's close to the old town, many Westerners sunbathe there, but it's far from the Burj Al Arab, so the hotel appears very small and is invisible in bad weather. It is recommended to take a taxi from the Dubai Mall to the Burj Al Arab's main entrance for a close-up view (2 km). Since many beaches in Dubai are private or hotel-owned, Jumeirah Public Beach is one of the few free public beaches with fine, clean sand. Apart from the private beaches of hotels, this is the only place in Dubai where you can openly wear swimsuits. At sunset and in the evening, you can capture the best panoramic view of the Burj Al Arab. There are public bathhouses on the beach where you can rent beach chairs, or go swimming or surfing in the sea. There are no changing rooms. Dubai also has a Jumeirah Beach Park, also next to the Jumeirah Mosque. Jumeirah Public Beach has soft, fine white sand and an endless blue sea and sky, making it a great place for swimming and sunbathing in Dubai. However, due to strong daytime sunlight, sun protection is necessary.

We arrived at the beach at 2 PM, which was a bit backlit for the Burj Al Arab. I had hoped to take some great photos here, but under these conditions, taking good tourist photos became difficult. However, if prep work is insufficient, post-processing can save the day—that's how confident we are.

Next, we took the monorail to closely visit the Atlantis, The Palm hotel.

Finally, it was time for the long-awaited afternoon tea at the Burj Al Arab. Before coming, I heard that such a 7-star hotel requires upgraded attire: suits and leather shoes for men, evening gowns for women. So I even brought a formal suit. But when I arrived, it wasn't like that. Actually, sneakers, floral shirts, and casual pants are allowed. However, the buffet on the upper floor does have dress requirements, while the lobby bar on the first floor is much less strict.

The 124th floor is an open-air observation deck. A gentle breeze was very comfortable. From the 124th floor, you can see multiple angles of Dubai. Since Sheikh Zayed Road is the most important main road in Dubai, with dense high-rise buildings on both sides, the night view is definitely the most beautiful. Therefore, the viewing spots facing Sheikh Zayed Road are very popular.

As the sky gradually darkened and the lights slowly came on, our mood became more and more excited. Finally, when the sky was completely dark, the incredibly dazzling and brilliant night view of Dubai appeared before us!! It was truly breathtakingly beautiful!

The 125th floor is enclosed. Around 7 PM, you can watch the sunset. The sun sets just behind the coastline of the Burj Al Arab. On good weather days, you can enjoy a very beautiful sunset.

In Dubai, besides visiting the world's best, there are many thrilling extreme sports to challenge, such as skydiving, seaplane rides, and desert dune bashing. They are all worth experiencing, but time was limited. On the last day, I chose skydiving and dune bashing.

Finally, a few tips: Whether in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, both the attractions and shopping malls are huge. Do not schedule too many activities in one day. The reason I could visit so many places is that I joined a local tour group, which included transportation and accommodation, making it quite cost-effective. Otherwise, dragging a suitcase around everywhere would be exhausting. Additionally, the roads in these two cities are very, very wide, making it difficult to cross the street. If you plan to explore these cities on foot, better abandon that idea. Both cities also share a common feature: even though the destination appears right in front of you, you can't walk directly to it. Following GPS will always take you on a big detour. Public transportation is relatively expensive, so taking a taxi is better.

After all, it's a desert country. Summer is really not recommended. Also, activities like skydiving are not available in summer. The weather in November, December, and January is very pleasant, making it a good season to visit the UAE. There are so many fun places to go; many I haven't visited yet. Anyway, it's visa-free. Such a wealthy country, see you again if fate allows.

Itinerary: 1. Day 1: Guangzhou - Dubai (First experience with A380) 2. Day 2: Dubai - Sharjah (Sharjah Cultural Square, Blue Souk, Dubai Museum, Dubai Creek, Gold Souk) 3. Day 3: Abu Dhabi (Qasr Al Watan, Ferrari World) 4. Day 4: Abu Dhabi (Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Heritage Village, Corniche Beach Park) 5. Day 5: Dubai (Jumeirah Beach, Afternoon tea at Burj Al Arab, Atlantis The Palm, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Fountain) 6. Day 6: Dubai - Sharjah (Skydiving at Palm Jumeirah, Dune bashing in Sharjah) 7. Day 7: Dubai - Guangzhou (Duty-free shopping at Dubai Airport, Return flight)

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