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DUBAI – On a trip to London, I decided to check out Dubai, the home base of Emirates — the airline I had flown with. I opted for an 18-hour layover, which meant I could sleep and do a city tour of Dubai before continuing on to the English capital.
Dubai’s international traffic has increased over the years, largely due to Emirates’ connectivity to the rest of the world. However, the city remains a stopover point, with few passengers venturing beyond the airport. Layovers can be less than 90 mins — making it easy for travellers to hop straight onto the next flight — or wait as long as you want, really.
On my stopover, I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. This is how I spent my 18-hour stopover in Dubai.
9am: After landing past midnight, I went straight to a hotel for the night. The next morning, I headed to the Jumeirah Mosque before the summer sun emerged in full force. The city is, after all, known for its searing heat, which can rise to 45°C in the summer.
Built entirely of white stone in the medieval Fatimid tradition, with Islamic motifs and patterns, the Jumeirah Mosque can accommodate up to 1,200 visitors.
A taxi ride away is the Zabeel Palace, the official residence of the ruler of Dubai. It is worth a brief stop even if just for a photo of the impressive gateway and its long driveway.
10am: After five minutes of taking photos under the scorching sun, I asked the taxi driver to take me to the Dubai Museum, housed in the 18th-century Al-Fahidi Fort. Besides the powerful air-conditioning, I also enjoyed the exhibits, which tell the history of the city, including its archaeological discoveries, and how the earliest Bedouin settlers lived in the desert.
The museum also tells the story of how Dubai grew from the sleepy backwater of the United Arab Emirates to become the metropolis it is today.
11am: As I am in old Dubai to discover the history of the city, I cross the street to Al Bastakiya, where early Persian merchants settled when they arrived. Surrounded by rough-hewn, honey-coloured buildings with teak doors and neat courtyards joined by a labyrinth of small, winding passages, I felt like I was in Andalusia, southern Spain, the stronghold of the Moors, who were in Spain from 711 to 1492.
Cafes serving strong, cardamom-scented black tea and sweets with layers of flaky pastry drenched in honey and chopped nuts under shady palm trees, and little shops selling antique carpets and art galleries with both modern and historical art can also be found here.
1pm: Next, I visited the gold and spice souks in the district of Deira on the opposite bank of the Dubai Creek travelling on a wooden abra boat. At the Spice Souk, the bright colours of the spices and their pungent smells teased my senses. At the Gold Souk, I was greeted by a glittering canvas of over 300 stores.
It is estimated that there are 10 tonnes of gold in the souk, which is also the centre of gold trading at any given time, giving rise to its nickname of “City of Gold”.
3pm: Hungry, I headed to high tea. I decided to try the seven-course high tea at the Burj Al Arab, which cost 395 dirham (S$145). I enjoyed a bird’s-eye view of the Jumeirah Bay from the Skyview bar on the 27th floor (200m above sea level) of this famous hotel, known for its ostentatiousness and rooms that start from 4,500 dirham (S$1,650) a night.
The spread consisted of a selection of pillowy sandwiches with savoury fillings, fresh cream cakes, moreish little puddings and warm scones, which were too much for me to finish, but I stayed on a little longer.
The view of the man-made island below, with the sweeping curves of the cobalt blue lagoon’s fine, sandy shores and the superyachts that line the marinas, is worth lingering over.
5pm: I toured the Burj Al Arab, the world’s tallest building, for another view of the skyline and to explore the structure’s unique architecture.
I was impressed by how well-organised the guided tour is: From the clear commentary by a beautiful Emirati woman on how the building was built to the systematic way we are guided into the lift for a ear-popping ride to the observation deck on the 124th floor. Time your visit with the sunset, and be enthralled by a sight resembling fading embers sink slowly into the horizon, leaving behind a tie-dye trail of reds and yellows in the deepening night sky.
6pm: Although still full from tea, I could not leave Dubai without trying the traditional Emirati food. The locals suggested I dine in air-conditioned comfort and recommended Al-Fanar, which has a branch in Dubai Mall.
Emirati serving sizes tend to be large, because they are meant for sharing. I had the Deyay Nashef, a piquant chicken stew with tomato and spices, excellent for mopping up with basmati rice. I then walked off my dinner around the world’s largest mall, which has 1,200 shops.
I probably only covered one-tenth of the mall, with a stopover at the world’s largest indoor aquarium with its magnificent sea creatures.
9pm: I returned to the hotel for a shower before catching my London-bound flight on an Emirates Airbus A380.
Quintessential Emerati experience
Flying on Emirates itself is also an Emirati experience in itself, as I have learnt that the Emiratis are very hospitable. On this trip, I am lucky enough to be travelling business for this trip and get to use Emirates’ complimentary drop-off and pick-up chauffeur-driven service.
I kill time at the Business Class Lounge. I bypass the buffet spread, but head for the new Health Hub that boasts a selection of fresh fruit and superfruit juices. I also indulge in the bespoke Moët and Chandon champagne lounge, which serves up to four of the brand’s most emblematic champagnes with canapés created by Michelin star chefs.
Onboard the A380, another lounge awaits. Apparently when a big live sports match is shown on the 55-inch LCD screen, the lounge can get crowded with passengers having a cocktail and snacks.
I chose to cocoon myself in my pod. At 78-inches long, the ergonomically designed seat is roomy. I take polite bites of the gourmet selection on offer and sip on some of the six award-winning wines plus fine champagne and vintage port, before washing up for bed with the Bulgari amenity kit.
If the staggering list of entertainment options is not enough, there’s a HDMI port to stream content from your personal devices onto your screen. But exhausted by the day’s activities and Dubai’s heat – the city is interesting but I’ll recommend visiting in winter when the temperature ranges between 25 to 5 degrees Celsius – I fall asleep.
Emirates operates five daily flights from Singapore to Dubai, where travellers can connect onward to Europe and the UK Emirates flies to 157 destinations in more than 80 countries. www.emirates.com
The writer’s flight was sponsored by Emirates.