7-Day, 6-Night UAE Independent Trip During Chinese New Year - A Dream Fulfilled
For the first Chinese New Year after the pandemic, I was determined to go abroad again and explore the unknown. After much screening, I chose visa-free, safe, and relatively less crowded destinations during CNY with good value: Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to see with my own eyes the world's largest Dubai Fountain that I had long dreamed of. It turned out that this trip not only perfectly fulfilled my dream but was also full of surprises and awe, leaving me completely satisfied. I specially wrote this travelogue to commemorate the journey and hope it will be helpful to others. The entire itinerary covered 6 full days in the UAE: 4 days in Dubai and 2 days in Abu Dhabi. It's a long, detailed account, so feel free to take what you need.
Day 1: Palm Jumeirah
Day 2: Desert Safari
Day 3: Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Dubai Frame, Museum of the Future (passed by), Dubai Fountain
Day 4: Al Fahidi Historical District, Gold Souk, Water Taxi
Day 5: Louvre Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Day 6: Presidential Palace, Breakwater, Heritage Village (temporarily closed, didn't enter)
A month before Chinese New Year, I started looking at airfares. The plan was originally a family trip for three, but due to our child's stomach discomfort, it remained uncertain. About ten days before the holiday, I found that direct flights from Guangzhou to Dubai were almost sold out, and tickets departing three days earlier had surged from round-trip 4k to over 8k. Luckily, I discovered that direct flights to Abu Dhabi still had round-trip tickets for 4,600 RMB, so I grabbed them decisively. I also respected our child's wish to stay in China for the New Year, turning the family trip into a couple's getaway.
We booked Etihad Airways direct from Guangzhou to Abu Dhabi. Etihad is a five-star airline in the UAE. On their official website, you can book a complimentary luxury coach from Abu Dhabi Airport to downtown Dubai. This service must be booked one day in advance on the website. Initially, our ticket number couldn't be found on the site, so I called their service hotline. The agent helped me book directly in their system and emailed the itinerary to me. It was a very smooth way to score this perk, and we waited for departure.
After the coach arrived in Dubai, it was already around 4-5 AM. We dragged our luggage, had a simple sandwich and coffee. The cost of food in Dubai is about twice that of Guangzhou, roughly the exchange rate difference. Taxi fares are even higher, starting at 3-5 times the price. Worse, taxi drivers here rarely give change. The most extreme case was when they overcharged us by 50% of the fare. Only after we pointed out the mistake did they slowly return the change. So definitely count your change or have small bills ready. (I must add that throughout the UAE trip, only taxis felt like a potential scam; everything else was great, so feel free to go.)
On the first day, we went to Palm Jumeirah. Since we arrived in the early morning, we expected to be tired, so we planned the whole day to rest on the Palm. We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria on the island, located on the eastern periphery. The advantages: quiet, few people, huge room, facing the Burj Al Arab, and perfect for watching the sunrise. The disadvantage: inconvenient access, mostly relying on taxis, so high transportation costs. Originally we thought we'd have to wait until noon for the room, but around 8 AM the staff informed us the room was ready. We were thrilled and gave the butler a tip as thanks. Overall, whether for environment or service, the Waldorf Astoria lives up to five-star standards. You can try it with confidence.
After a short nap at the hotel, we started a leisurely tour of Palm Jumeirah. We took the hotel shuttle to the monorail station and then rode the monorail to the Palm's observation deck (The View at The Palm). It's only two stops (maybe 5 minutes?). A round-trip ticket costs 30 AED per person. For a group, it's more expensive than a taxi. But the monorail runs along the island's central spine, offering views of the island, especially the stunning Atlantis hotel at sunset. I recommend giving it a try.
When we arrived, we discovered that The View and the St. Regis are in the same building. If I had known, I would have chosen the St. Regis. However, I heard that the rooftop pool at the St. Regis requires advance reservation, so plan ahead if needed.
At the base of The View is the largest shopping mall on the island. Surprisingly, most restaurants there are American burger joints and casual dining. We walked around and couldn't find any Arabic restaurant (which later in the trip I found to be quite reasonable). Since we were a bit tired and overheated from staying up late, we settled for Din Tai Fung... (and it wasn't the only time). The price was of course double that in China.
My husband was particularly shocked by the price of sweet potatoes. But this is Palm Jumeirah, arguably the most expensive area in Dubai.
On the morning of the second day, we enjoyed the sun and beach at the hotel. In the afternoon, we headed to the city center to join a desert safari booked on Taobao. This was the most amazing activity of the entire trip – you must go!!! At 2:30 PM, we were picked up at the hotel. After about an hour's drive, we reached the dune-bashing area. After waiting for about 30 minutes, we began the desert dune bashing – the driver skillfully drove up and down the designated dunes, which was fun. But the best part was that we got a super nice driver. At the end of the dune-bashing route, they usually let you get out to take photos and play. Our driver gave us an extended photo session. All the other cars left, and we were the only one left in the desert taking pictures. He was very enthusiastic about helping us take photos, though the results were so-so *^^* but at least we had a great time. There were just me, my husband, and a family of four from Shanghai in our car. Each of us voluntarily gave the driver a 100 AED tip. He was happy. Human interactions should be like this – mutual respect and sincerity.
We spent nearly 2 hours in the desert (the usual is about 1 hour). Then we drove to the camp. I booked a popular camp, a bit more upscale than the standard ones. The camp was farther than expected; we drove for a while. But it was great. Since we arrived later than others, all seats were taken except a table right in the center of the second row in front of the stage. I think the driver called ahead to reserve it for us. The spot was excellent. Again, thanks to him. Dinner was an Arabic buffet. Arabic cuisine uses bread as a staple, with a strong wheat aroma and a chewy texture when freshly baked – my favorite part of Arabic food. The rice was Indian-style, loose and without much fragrance. There were many pasty dishes of unknown ingredients, heavy on olive oil, becoming greasy after the third bite. There were also grilled meats, often seasoned and shaped into sausages without casings. As a Cantonese, we prefer ingredients to retain their original flavor – chicken should taste like chicken, lamb like lamb. But Arabic cooking often completely transforms the ingredients, making them unrecognizable, and tends to be heating (causing internal heat). After a few days, my husband developed mouth sores and I got pimples. Looking back, it made sense why there were no Arabic restaurants on Palm Jumeirah, a place catering to international tourists.
Even though the food wasn't great (we tried other Arabic restaurants later, same story), the camp's performances were amazing and full of effort. The most memorable were the belly dance and the finale fire show. At the end of the fire show, they performed a spark show on a hillside beside the camp. I can only say everything exceeded expectations.
After eating and enjoying, we also tried camel riding. Around 8:30 PM, we started heading back to the hotel. On the way, we chatted with the driver, who is Muslim. He said he prays five times a day, the first at around 6 AM. I expressed surprise, but he quickly said it wasn't difficult at all, very simple. He also said that Muslims are actually very peaceful. I felt his faith was very pure and he wanted to dispel some misunderstandings.
From 2:30 PM departure to returning to the hotel at nearly 10 PM, with transport, play, and food all included, the cost was 343 RMB per person. Considering local prices, any single item would cost more if paid separately. Promise me you must go! This is definitely the best value activity in the UAE.
Day 3 was a city walk. In the morning we went to Burj Khalifa, went up to see the view. Nothing special, just a tourist must-do. Adjacent Dubai Mall also nothing special, but the outdoor plaza and surrounding environment were very pleasant. If you have time, you can have afternoon tea and just relax. But we planned to come back in the evening to see the fountain, so we couldn't sit for the whole afternoon. We went to the Dubai Frame for a visit. On the metro, we also saw the Museum of the Future.
The dream moment finally arrived. We walked around Dubai Mall and didn't know what to eat. That day was Chinese New Year's Eve / New Year's Day in China time. So we went back to Din Tai Fung for our New Year's Eve dinner... (yes, second visit). The fountain show started. The first show at 6:30 PM looked especially gentle against the sunset. You can't capture it with a camera because the Dubai Fountain is very long, and the water movements perfectly match the music. The beauty and emotional impact can only be experienced in person. During dinner, we watched the fountain three times from the Dubai Mall side. After dinner, we walked to the opposite side of the lake and the bridge in the middle to watch it twice more. We found that the best viewing spot is actually on the opposite side of the lake from Dubai Mall, where you can also see the Burj Khalifa's light show. The fountain music and effects change every half hour, so you can enjoy a beautiful evening by watching while eating.
Day 4 we went to the old town, another place worth visiting. Dubai's new area is certainly fancy, but the old town has a stronger Middle Eastern vibe with unique regional characteristics. The entrance to Al Fahidi Historical District is lined with Instagram-famous restaurants; we ate there too. It was the best Arabic meal we had (but still Arabic food). The whole district is not large but very clean, with some interesting murals.
After strolling, we went to the nearby pier and took a water taxi (2 AED) directly to the Gold Souk on the other side. We took photos, basically proving we'd been there, then returned to the pier and took another water taxi to the bus station, ready to go to Abu Dhabi.
If Dubai is like a super first-tier city, such as Shanghai in China, then Abu Dhabi's cityscape, at least the city center, feels like a second- or third-tier city. There is a lot of trash on the streets, and prices are significantly lower than Dubai, roughly 60-70%.
On Day 5, we first went to the Louvre. I bought tickets on Ctrip; the QR code was scannable directly, no need to exchange at the counter or kiosk. I hadn't done much research. By chance, I entered the outdoor area first and saw the famous Instagram spot. Only two people were queuing, so I joined. Unfortunately, it was an overcast day, not much sunlight. I told my husband that at lunchtime there might be fewer people and we could come back. But when we finished the whole exhibition, there was already a long queue of 30-40 people, mostly Chinese. With an average of 3-5 minutes per person, it would take at least 2 hours to get a photo. I was glad I took the photo early.
The museum's collection mainly consists of sculptures and paintings, some noteworthy, including works by Picasso and other big names, though whether they are genuine is unknown. There was also a temporary Cartier exhibition showing a series of jewelry that looked priceless. But what I found most special was the building itself, like a work of art with unique and interesting design. It incorporates installation art from different angles, combined with the镂空 dome and surrounding water, cleverly creating a different view from every window, somewhat similar to Jiangnan gardens.
In the afternoon, following friends' advice, we headed to Abu Dhabi's top attraction, the Grand Mosque, in the late afternoon. Note: This attraction is free but requires a reservation to get a QR code for entry. Chinese phones cannot complete the online reservation, so you have to get a ticket number from the on-site machine. None of the travel guides mentioned this, so we queued for an hour without getting in, then had to go back out to get a number. Luckily, we explained to the security guard and were allowed to enter without re-queuing. It was a hassle. As early as on the plane, I watched a documentary about the mosque's construction: the world's largest crystal chandelier, the world's largest hand-woven carpet, the whitest marble sourced from around the world, hand-painted patterns... If in Dubai I saw miracles built with money, in Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque I felt more of a miracle built with piety (and money). The cultural shock was indescribable. They used their own hands, efforts, and devotion to create this magnificent building to introduce their faith to the world.
On the morning of Day 6, there was a small incident. We received a text from Abu Dhabi police saying the weather was bad and advising against unnecessary travel. With some unease, we still went to the Presidential Palace. Luckily it was open. The Presidential Palace is another building built with money. In the taxi, we asked the driver if the current president still lives there. He said the president's family has many palaces; he didn't know where the president lives now. This revealed some of the helplessness of wealth disparity. The Presidential Palace can be described in eight words: resplendent and magnificent, pure luxury.
Originally, for the last afternoon, we planned to visit Ferrari World. But the weather had been bad the day before (and expected worse that day), and maybe because of the Chinese New Year, Ctrip ticket prices had surged back to original, so we didn't book. After leaving the Presidential Palace, the weather cleared up, quite different from the warning. But we didn't rush to Ferrari World. Instead, we visited nearby attractions: Breakwater and Heritage Village. When we got to the village, it was closed. We asked and were told it was closed because of the morning warning. To be honest, the weather that day was even clearer than the previous day, but Abu Dhabi is large; it's possible that other areas had bad weather, so they issued a city-wide alert. Too bad.
A small regret, but it didn't affect my satisfaction with the whole trip. Occasionally breaking free from the daily grind of chasing after the crowd, seeing how others live, and enjoying the beauty of the world, I realized how big the world is and that I can go anywhere. My anxiety diminished a lot. I hope you all have a great time too!
