A City from the Future
“Our ambition starts from the sky.”
Exploring the wonders of Dubai, UAE.
“Our king says, ‘our ambition starts from the sky,’” said Zach, a local and our tour guide for one lovely evening in Dubai, UAE. His eyes twinkled as he admired the towering skyscrapers alongside us, and their colorful lights reflecting into the glassy water, creating a bleeding mural of abstract art.
Zach’s statement rang truer than ever. Experiencing Dubai, even if for a mere day and a half, proved to be a wondrous experience from the first moment I entered the Dubai International Airport to the last moment as I watched the city disappear into the horizon while sailing towards my next adventure.
Welcome to Dubai
At roughly 7:45 p.m., we finally landed at the Dubai International Airport. Once I got off the plane, I was awestruck by the magnificence of the airport architecture. Golden arches towered overhead, with massive pillars supporting the structure. The ceiling glittered like a thousand diamonds were suspended overhead, refracting light in all directions. The marble floor was spotless, as though it were mopped and shined daily. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take photos in the beautiful airport due to Dubai photography laws.
I reunited with Taylor and Dedra, and we made our way to customs. I expected customs to be a long and lengthy process, but it was very quick. U.S. citizens were granted thirty-day Visas upon arrival. After checking our passports, we collected our baggage. Luckily, both my checked bags made it to Dubai no problem. My future roommate, on the other land, lost a bag while traveling from Arkansas, to Dallas, to Qatar and finally Dubai. Luckily, she received it a couple days later. Most people who didn’t fly directly dealt with this issue, and I would have been an anxious mess if that were the case (thank goodness for Emirates and my dad for booking direct).
After that, Taylor, Dedra, Caty and I made our way to the exit, where we met with the car service to take us to the hotel. We all stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn at Dubai Al Mina. The hotel itself was as nice as any other Hilton, but the best part about staying there was meeting so many other SASers! Once I checked into my room, I headed up with another girl, Tori, who I met at the Dubai airport. Tori was staying in a hostel nearby but wanted to come straight to the Hilton to meet fellow SASers, who were congregating at a rooftop bar at the hotel.
Semester at Sea students mingle at the rooftop bar at the Hilton Garden Inn Dubai Al Mina on January 2, 2023.
So, Tori and I left our belongings in my hotel room and headed upstairs to the party. When we arrived, the rooftop was alive with colorful lights, electronic dance music, a shimmering swimming pool and a flurry of excited chatter from the multitude of college kids gathered on the opposite end of the roof. They sat on couches beneath a canopy draped with curtains, sipping drinks, and swapping stories about their lives before SAS and their travels in Dubai. The bright city skyline twinkled on the horizon, and a brisk wind tugged at our clothes and hair. For the first time since I’d embarked on my journey, amidst a wave of uncertainty, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Seeing all these college students in an unfamiliar environment, about to embark on the greatest adventure of their lives, and knowing that they were enduring the same tumultuous changes and feelings as myself, provided me with a sense of comfort. We were all in this together.
Tori and I grabbed drinks and immediately joined the crowd. Everyone was so welcoming and outgoing, immediately probing us with questions about where we were from, where we went to school and what port we were most excited for on the itinerary. We talked, laughed, took photos and overall had the best time getting to know one another. After all, we were about to live on a ship together for four months – may as well start getting used to it. After a long period of socializing for the night, Tori left for her hostel and I returned to my room, showered, and tried my best to fall asleep (which didn’t exactly happen due to the adrenaline rushing through my veins). Luckily, I did get a few solid hours, which I would definitely need the following day.
Camel Riding and Dune Bashing
The next day, I woke up bright and early to prepare for a full day of cramming in Dubai! At 8:00 a.m., I was dressed and heading downstairs to grab breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast was delicious: they had a variety of pastries, eggs, potatoes, pancakes, and more. They also had a very cool little coffee machine where it prepares your drink in front of you! I grabbed my food and ate while waiting for Taylor and Dedra, who I was traveling with for the day. Once we met up, we met the tour guide outside the hotel for our first activity: dune bashing and camel riding!
The three of us and two women from Germany piled into a jeep and headed towards the desert. As we drove, I was awestruck by the wonder of seeing a real desert for the first time. We even passed by Ghaf trees, which our guide Sandy told us was the official tree of UAE!
Passing by Ghaf trees while driving to the desert in Dubai, UAE on January 3, 2023.
About an hour later, we arrived at the hub where camel riding and dune bashing was located. Before we left to ride camels, we had about 15 minutes to explore the complex, which consisted of a large pavilion, some shops, and a lookout point of the vast desert. We stopped by the local shops and grabbed headscarves (which they wrapped for us) and I also got a silver evil eye bracelet with my name carved in Arabic on the back! My goal now is to collect a bracelet from every country I visit. They also had complimentary tea available, which I admit was the best tea I’ve ever had so far.
Then, we piled back into the jeep to drive into the desert to get to the camel riding. On the way, we got a taste of dune bashing! If you’re unfamiliar, dune bashing is basically driving around fast in the dunes! We drove on the hills like they were waves! It was so much fun. Then we arrived to the location where the camels were. The camels were way cuter than I was expecting, and they were so tall! It was a surreal experience. I may go camel riding again in Morocco! We rode for about twenty minutes before getting off. I thanked the camel for the ride and then it was back into the jeep for more dune bashing.
I got to sit in the front seat next time and talk to Sandy.
“This must be a fun job,” I tell him.
“It’s the best job ever,” he replies, grinning as we sped through the dunes. He told me he took special training to learn how to drive in the dunes, but it didn’t feel like work because it was so much fun. He’s lived and worked in Dubai with OceanAir tours for nine years. Sandy is also an incredible photographer – he took amazing photos using our phones! You can tell he really knows what he’s doing.
We also got to try sandboarding down the dunes! I tried once, made it most of the way, but fell off at the end. I think the hardest part about that was climbing back up the hill when I was done! After that, we headed back to the hotel, where we showered and took long power naps because we were exhausted.
Cruising around the City
The view from the boat as we cruised through the Dubai Canal on January 4, 2023.
Later in the evening, Taylor, Dedra and I met up once again to go on a dinner cruise through the Dubai Canal. We grabbed an Uber, but the traffic was so bad we almost missed the boat! Luckily, Dedra stayed on the phone with the guide, who we later learned was Zach, and he was gracious enough to wait for us.
At around 7:15 p.m., we boarded the boat and began the voyage. The three of us sat on cushions near the front of the boat to admire the glimmering city.
Dedra, Taylor and I sitting at the front of the boat to admire Dubai on January 4, 2023. Photo taken by Zach, our tour guide, who also worked for OceanAir.
Dubai is a metropolis paradise. The colorful city lights were incredible enough on their own, but I loved seeing the light reflecting off the water. I’ve seen a lot of incredible cities, including New York City and London, but I think that Dubai is by far the coolest of them all so far. I felt as though I were sailing through Tomorrowland or a city in some distant future. I told this to Zach, to which he replied, “Our king says, ‘Our ambition starts from the sky.” Later in the evening, we were served a delicious dinner consisting of kabobs, pita bread and hummus, fruit, and more, all while gliding past some of Dubai’s best sights. Zach told us that Dubai is home to the world’s largest Ferris wheel, water park, and of course, the world’s tallest building.
Towering over the world and exploring the Dubai Mall
After our lovely dinner cruise, Taylor, Dedra and I called an Uber and headed towards the famous Dubai Mall, which is one of the largest malls in the world. We decided to explore the mall for a bit before heading to the Burj Khalifa, which is housed inside the mall.
The architecture in the mall was incredible. There were chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, their diamonds flowing towards the marble floor like a shining waterfall. There were four floors, all of which you could see from the first. The stores in the mall were very high-quality, including a Gucci, Louis Vitton, and many more that I had never even heard of. There was also a large food court and indoor skiing center, but unfortunately, we didn’t see it since we needed to head to the Burj Khalifa for our tour.
At 11 p.m., we made our way to the entrance of the Burj Khalifa. After grabbing tickets, we went to an elevator that would take us to the top of the building. We piled into the elevator with as many people as it could carry, and then the ride began. As the elevator rose, I could feel my ears popping and watch the screen showing the floor numbers we passed by. Additionally, using holographic projectors, we watched the story and history of the Burj Khalifa unfold to the magnificent building it is today. The video said that the Burj Khalifa is a symbol of unity and success in Dubai, the city’s pride and joy. Once the presentation ended, we arrived to the 124th floor of the building, the highest floor for general admission. From there, Taylor and I were awestruck by the view of the city from so high up. It was nighttime, so we watched as the skyline glittered and little cars rushed down the roads. We could see boats in the canal and pedestrians on the streets, demonstrating the city’s vibrant nightlife. After admiring the view, it was safe to say we were totally exhausted. We immediately called an Uber to return to the hotel for the night.
The view of the city in Dubai from the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Photo taken on January 4, 2023.
A Grand Start to an Incredible Adventure
Exploring Dubai was a fantastic way to begin my travels across the world. The city was beautiful, and seeing the desert for the first time was amazing. I loved talking to our guides and learning about their lives and how they differ from mine, as well as meeting SASers and trading stories before boarding the World Odyssey!
