rivlinm

Recharged after a good night’s rest and excited for today’s destination we got on the road by 07:00 to beat the heat on our hike through Wadi Shab. Not wanting to be stranded with an empty take we fuelled up the car at $1.15/gallon. Although that wouldn’t be necessary as plenty of gas stations existed along the drive.


Full-service filling station

With a full tank and empty stomach we continued south on the 17 toward Sur. Two hours later we arrived at the village of Tiwi . Tiwi is hardly even a village but we drove about a kilometer toward the coast and down a rather steep road putting us just under the freeway. Beside the small parking lot is a 1 OMR ferry service across the water. I suspect the water mostly serves as job security for a few young Omani men. While not much exists facility wise between Muscat and Sur, this parking lot offered a very well kempt bathroom.


Village along the drive toward Sur


Road from Tiwi to parking for trek to Wadi Shab


Two minute boat ride to the other side


American-loving Omani boat driver


The other side


Looking back

Once aground on the other side we began our journey to the waterfall of Wadi Shab and its clear blue waters. I had read to follow the irrigation channels until you find red arrows and follow them until you reach the start of water, about an hour later, where we would have to swim the remainder of the way. It’s hard to get lost in a wadi, right? Well we hiked for about 75 minutes not seeing any other sign of life until the path became less obvious and much more dangerous. The narrow trails and sheer edges dropping 15+ meters below were a clue maybe we had gotten off track at some point. But how? Eventually we saw a few individuals walking in the opposite direction and we all agreed we had somehow passed the water by taking a high route rather than staying low in the ravine. About 15 minutes of backtracking put us at the resplendent and surreal water we would have to swim to arrive at the true Holy Grail. Since we had arrived earlier in the morning much of our hike was still in the shade, which proved to be beneficial.


Entering the wadi


Irrigation/preliminary path


First of multiple sitting water pools along the wadi


No swimming yet!


Don’t look down; or do


Photos just don’t do the journey justice


Unique terrain


Up above beyond the point of no return


Time for leg three of the triathlon; drive, hike, swim

A few people at this point (<10) had found their way to the start of the swim (mostly walk through water) as we relaxed on the rocks with our feet in the refreshingly cool water.


Relaxing waterside


Donkey waiting for the rides back

My entire objective in driving 2 hours to the middle of the desert and hiking another hour was to make it to the waterfall along the wadi. My mom who had already exceeded her adventure level for the day decided to hang back while I ventured through the water. After about 30 meters and one patch of ankle deep water (with a dry patch just beyond) I determined the pain on my feet was far too great to continue on. Small smooth pebbles never seemed so unpleasant. Still determined I headed back and put my shoes back on. Who knew, but shoes made me a god who could walk on rocks! I quickly trudged though the water, which remained rather shallow until the last 50 meters. There were a few little waterfalls and slick rocks determined to slow me down, but I continued on unfazed. I had brought a dry bag so I could safely take my camera through the potentially fully submerged cave and capture a few shots of the waterfall, but I kept taking it out of the bag every few steps, negating the purpose of the bag in the first place. Eventually the camera got pretty wet and its screen showed some heavy water damage for a few days, but it was well worth it. The last 50 meters were too deep to stand, so I treaded my way toward the slim crevice with less than half a meter of headroom.


Taking the hard way I suppose


Dry patch between standing water


Trekking onward


Mini hurdle along the swim/walk


Treading time


A waterfall is within earshot


No diving required; barely

Entering through the 10-meter-long narrow crevice was certainly gratifying and rationalized waking up so early and the hike through the wadi. Even the pain my feet sacrificed before I was smart enough to don shoes seemed trivial. Inside was simply magical. There were a few other folks inside including a group of American’s stationed in Bahrain. The light seeping in from above created such an electric shade of blue water. The waterfall led toward the top with a few sun baked ledges overlooking (the hopefully) deep basin below. There was a rope coming from the top of the waterfall allowing anyone foolish enough to climb up the flow and reach the top of the cavern a thrilling dive. In 2012 Wadi Shab hosted the Red Bull cliff diving world series. While I was inside I began to tire of treading with both hands above the water holding my camera and dry bag but still was able to get a few cool shots of the brave cliff jumpers. I really wanted to give it a try, but wasn’t sure what to do with my camera…


Almost inside


First sight


Two skylights


Easiest way up


Still going


Dive 1


Dive 2


The way out was even more remarkable

Once I was nearly back I saw my mother had ventured out a bit but was enduring the same foot drama I experienced. She mentioned everyone had persuaded her to take the trip to the waterfall; in agreement, I offered to fetch her shoes and drop off my camera. With her shoes on I headed back toward the cave with mom in tow. She certainly was impressed and happy she agreed to make the trip. Without a camera I no longer had an excuse not to try my hand at cliff diving. I eventually made it up the waterfall and took a plunge down dive 1. I certainly was a bit anxious as I counted down from three and forced myself to jump. Likely not reality, but it seems like a small window you must clear to land safely. There really isn’t a hard edge so you must clear the gradual falloff or risk tumbling down the surface into the water and if you jump too high the overhead rock appears ready to provide a free concussion. With my mother watching in horror I cleared perfectly but didn’t have the heart to hold my breath and stay underwater to make her heart skip a beat. At the end of the day the thrill was well worth the bit of fear. My only regret is not having a photo of myself. We casually swam back and began our hike toward the car.


Wet camera


Boat ride back to the car


Personal vehicle of a family touring the world and spreading the word

About 14:00 we headed toward Muscat to see the Bimmah Sinkhole just about 30 minutes north. Local lore claims this geographic wonder was caused by a meteorite striking Earth’s surface, but modern day science tends to suggests the upper crust simply collapsed. The sinkhole itself was the main attraction of a random park in the middle of nowhere; maybe 5km from the coast. Other than 5 cars in the parking lot we had the place to ourselves.


Gulf of Oman


Park entry


Bimmah Sinkhole


Looking at all 73 extra tall steps


Down below


Unnatural color


Looking west

Since we had spent ample time relaxing in the water at Wadi Shab we decided against going swimming again and drove the final 90 minutes north to Mutrah but not before a missed exit and tour of the corniche one last time. My mom needed a few more postcards so since we were in the neighborhood I dropped her off at her favorite frankincense souq and drove around the roundabouts for a few minutes while she shopped. Eventually I picked her up and we finally made it back to the hotel after a long but extremely fulfilling day in the Omani sun.


The dreaded entry to the corniche; meaning we made a wrong turn

Years ago, before I even existed, my father convinced my mother to take a 20-mile hike with her under the promise of beer and pizza if she survived. Knowing I would have to convince her to persist today, I made the same offer. Again, not wanting to drive, we tried the second of Mutrah’s two dining establishments in hopes of finding pizza not branded Pizza Hut. We enjoyed a great pizza, tabbouleh and a mango/avocado smoothie. As I assumed, the beer would have to wait until the airport lounge in 2 days. Somehow that was the only meal we ate all day.

Just as we were finishing, a familiar face said hello and asked how we were enjoying our time in Oman. Remember that man at 01:00 who escorted us to the hotel? Yes, he was the owner of this restaurant. We hung around awhile longer talking with him and he provided all sorts of suggestions for our final full day in the Sultanate. The next morning I planned to be on the road no later than 05:00 so I called it an early but great night.


Tabbouleh


Pizza


Mango/avocado smoothie


Photo opportunity with our Omani hero from 2 nights earlier

Seat 2A

I usually like to wait until a report is completely posted before I even look at it but I decided to have a peek at this one a little early. Wow! What a remarkable tour de force! Now I want to go to Iran! Thank you so much for your excellent photos and presentation, rivlinm! I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for your future work. ^

Mferrari24

Amazing report!!

rivlinm

For our last full day in Oman I strangely decided waking up at 04:00 to see a bunch of goats would be a good idea. By 04:50 we were Nizwa bound on the empty Friday morning roads of Oman. The majority of the ride was under darkness but about 30 minutes from Nizwa the sunrise created some serene views on the mountainous horizon. Unfortunately I had simply set my GPS to get me to Nizwa and not the souk as I had planned. After pulling down a random side street I realized my mistake and had to reroute to our actual destination. This meant crossing the river that wasn’t a river. We likely broke our rental agreement but drove down a very rough dry riverbed to the other side of the city where our excitement began.


Sunrise over the Al Hajar Mountains


Entering Nizwa


Saudi Hungry Bunny franchise


Forging the river; hope I don’t lose an ox

We parked among the Omani’s and upon opening the door our five senses were fully immersed in the Nizwa Friday morning goat market (well maybe not the taste one). The late comers, like ourselves, were gathering their goats and feed to bring to the market in hopes of selling. This Omani tradition involves bringing any goat you wish to sell and tying it to a hitching post just outside of the showcase ring. Each owner took their first goat to the ring with prospective buyers on the inside and outside ready to toss a pebble at a goat that struck their fancy. The thrown rock would draw the attention of the seller (since everyone was yelling and the site was buzzing with commotion, rocks were necessary) and they would stop long enough for the buyer to take a closer look and feel. Each buyer would examine the teeth and general strength of the goat before deciding to negotiate a price or keep looking.

While I never got a great grasp on the price (somewhere around $150 USD depending on size) I did read prices rise leading up to Ramadan as families look to buy an animal for Eid-al-fitr as well as for the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha.

I would wager there were at least 200 Omanis involved in the market and each showed varying degrees of hospitality toward the maybe 15 tourists enjoying the spectacle. They included posing for photos and explaining the process to verbally requesting to not be photographed. The leading demographic of traders is certainly a more weathered man, although there were a fair amount of women (wearing traditional Bedouin face mask) and children. We roamed around experiencing the atmosphere from multiple perspectives and finally after 45 minutes I determined I had taken more photos of goats than I ever intended to. Following the goats, a smaller cow and donkey market takes place but by then we had ventured into the more common everyday Nizwa Souq. The whole experience was a tremendous people watching opportunity and I’ll let the photos do the talking.


Loading up on feed


Gathering the troops


A ‘river’ of cars


Goat market ring


Wise old goat


Wise old man























The general souq was fascinating on its own, but in comparison to the goat market it felt like hanging out at a library. It was segmented in a logical manner with specific areas for produce, meats, fish, individual handicrafts and weapons.


One of many entrances to the souq


Carrot traders


Counting money


Fish monger


Fish cleaning


Free samples


Poultry


Headed for solitary


Don’t become too attached


Meat lockers


Waiting on the butcher


Omani metal workers


Handicrafts


Caution: Watch your head


Pottery


Guns…


Testing


…More guns


Homemade bullets


Omani Khanjar


Let’s go hunting

We worked our way through each section, some inside, some outside, until we found ourselves at the entrance of the Nizwa Fort. Its current form dates to the mid-17th century with elements as old as 12th century. The city of Nizwa sits in a prime location on the Arabian Peninsula and the fort has served many purposes over Oman’s tumultuous history.


Nizwa Fort


Headed to the fort


Inside


As Sultan Qaboos Mosque from the fort


Primary watchtower


Inside the main tower


Looking north from the tower


Looking east from the tower


Looking west from the tower


Tower wall

After a nice self-guided visit of the fort it was nearly time for Friday prayer so we hightailed it back to the car to be on the road and past the Mosque before traffic backed up.


Goat market after hours trading

We blindly drove about an hour toward Jebel Shams. I knew our car was prohibited from driving off road, meaning driving to the summit was technically off limits, but we just kept driving till we found a 4x4 about halfway to the summit willing to take us the remaining 20 km off road. In hindsight the car was fully capable of doing the drive in low gear but the 20 OMR we paid for the drive along with our guide knowing the best locations to stop along the way certainly was worthwhile.

Jebel Shams is part of the Al Hajar mountain range and often considered the Grand Canyon of the Middle East. Nearly at the summit the road splits with routes to the north summit and south summit. The north is off limits to the public and used as a military base. Sitting at 3009 meters, it is the highest point in Oman. The south summit is where we headed and sits at a measly 2997 meters. Locals and tourists alike both enjoy spending time enjoying the views over the vast canyon below. There are many hiking trails available for exploring the area and its remote villages. We spent about 15 minutes each at two different lookouts before descending a bit to one of the two resorts offering views of the sunrise/sunsets. Our guide suggested we try the buffet but neither of us were particularly hungry and decided to enjoy the cooler temperatures outside while he had lunch. Eventually he returned us to our car and we trepidly worked our way down each switchback before eventually reaching the base to continue our journey back toward Muscat.


The road ahead


The terrain


Couldn’t resist one last goat photo


The little Jeep that could


Last of the paved road for a bit


The dirt road ahead


I usually text and drive with a cliff on my side too


Lookout #1


Fences are for wimps


Biking/hiking trail


Lookout #2


Pointing out a distant village


Living on the edge


Don’t look down


Military base and highest point in Oman


Tent accommodations at Jebel Shams Resort


Creating a traffic jam

About every 3km each major road in Oman had a camera enforcing the speed. Because of their predictability everyone slows down each time one is seen in the distance. Also for some reason our rental’s speedometer triggered an annoying beep every time you crossed the 120 km/hr threshold. Really annoying for just going 1 over the speed limit.


You’re not fooling anybody


The homestretch

Back in Muscat proper we navigated our way to the beach near the InterContinental and luckily found a parking spot within walking distance of our destinations for the evening. The beach is rather expansive, stretching what appears to be all the way to Seeb. My brother had suggested we take a look at the newly constructed (2011) Royal Opera House Muscat, but before we ventured across the street I had to purchase the obligatory Oman Starbucks mug for my Sister-in-law. With the loot in hand we proceeded onward toward the opera house. In addition to a venue for the performing arts it’s also home to some rather high end shopping and dining, allowing patrons to make a one-stop shop for a culturally fulfilling night on the town. Tours are offered in the morning but tonight they had a performance of My Fair Lady and while it was still well before curtains, we were only allowed into the sub-zero temperature lobby. Still magnificent looking and if it’s any indication of the theater itself, it must be stunning.


Royal Opera House Muscat


Front of the ROHM; faces the highway


ROHM front lawn


Side entrance


Peering in the main foyer


Box office lobby


Retail portion of the ROHM

Starving at this point, after another day of fasting, we took a stroll along the beach before arriving at a place called Slider Station. I don’t recall where I found this place but I was interested in trying it long before I even booked my flights. Normally I avoid burgers and western food while traveling, but they seemed unique enough I could rationalize eating my first burger in a few weeks. Plus the view overlooking the Gulf of Oman wasn’t half bad! After an expensive (by Omani standards) 10 OMR (~$25 USD) dinner we casually walked back along the beach at dusk to our car and made the drive to our hotel one last time. And I didn’t even make a wrong turn this time! Another long, but awesome, day in the books and I headed off to bed for our mid-morning flight tomorrow.


Is this Daytona?


Football on the beach


Looking east


Salad


Slider selection


Dinner with a view


Dusk over the Gulf of Oman

rivlinm

We were delighted to sleep in until 07:00 and casually pack up before heading out for the airport to catch our flight to Dubai. We made great time to the airport and dropped off the car randomly in a lot before giving them the key inside. Hope they found it. Over 4 days we put ~1200 km on the car, more than the 800 we would have been allowed with the other agencies. However maybe we should have kept it since it may have been faster to drive to Dubai, but who knew the entire peninsula was under attack from the wind gods. Overnight the 50th floor of The Torch in Duabi’s Marina District was engulfed in flames as high winds flung fire and debris around. The troubles didn’t stop there as flight delays built up and one of Emirates MCT>DXB flights was canceled, making for a very full, and late flight for us. While they wouldn’t admit it and claimed there would be no delay, we departed nearly two hours late, after the canceled flight’s departure time of course. Fear not, we enjoyed that hard-earned beer at the Plaza Premium Lounge with breakfast. They initially refused my mother entry based on her EK first ticket, saying EK no longer pays lounge access unless it is part of a same day onward long haul. She just used her Priority Pass. Eventually, but still well before we actually boarded buses for the A330, we headed to the gate. My mom was flying in first as part of her AS award with a stopover in DXB, I would be relegated to the back of the bird.


So much for priority check-in


Diverse lounge locations


Still empty; but not for long


Wadi Shab victory beer with croquets, hashbrowns and idli


Boarding chaos


Two door boarding

EK flight 863
Muscat, Oman (MCT) to Dubai, UAE (DXB)
Depart 12:25, Arrive 13:50, Time 1:25
A330-200, Seat 1B, 18K


Regional first class


Flight attendants


Way too much food for ~1 hour


Slumming it in the back


IFE never quite worked right visually; just left it on Tim Clark describing his master plan


Excessive meal even in economy


Touchdown in the Dubai dust storm

Upon landing we breezed through immigration (thanks to an extra fast pass I had acquired on my IKA>DXB flight) and both of our bags came out first. My mom checked in for her pre-booked chauffeur service and we were on our way. Although in a Volvo since they said it might be 5 minutes for the Mercedes. What horror! Along the ride we enjoyed our first glimpse of the expansive Dubai skyline including Burj Khalifa.


Palm Jumeirah bound


Is everything gold here?


Dubai Metro station


Burj Khalifa; You can even see the top!

When we arrived at the Fairmont Palm Jumeirah we were warmly welcomed and led to reception. I had requested a suite upgrade at the time of booking but no availability existed so I asked again at check in and was told for 400 AED a night we could use our suite certificate and upgrade to a superior suite. Not interested in paying more, I asked if I could combine a room upgrade with suite upgrade and he was surprisingly happy to do so. The double upgrade combined with a third night free and an additional free night certificate certainly made the 3-day stay in a stunning suite for the price of one night in a Fairmont room quite the bargain. The icing on the cake was all of these certificates expired in 4 days. The room wasn’t currently ready so he suggested we have a drink and snack in their waiting room.


Eat this sandwich even though your room isn’t ready

Our original plan (baring any flight delays) had been to take a boat ride around the Madinat Jumeirah and get a reasonably close look at the Burj al Arab before heading back toward Dubai Creek for the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship. With our lengthy delay in Muscat and waiting for a room, we had to scrap that and just head to the tennis match. We eventually gave up on the room being ready too and just decided to get to the tennis match and get ours keys tonight. A reliable taxi whisked us off to the stadium at the Irish Village.


Entrance to the Irish Village


WTA this week, ATP next week


Schedule of play


An expensive prank idea


Tonight’s winner will be going home with a new Arabic coffee pot


Monster tennis balls


The stadium


Selling not just shirts and hats…


…but iPads and PS4s


…even Emirates plush toys

There were just two matches tonight, the Women’s doubles and singles finals. After roaming the grounds, and making the life altering decision whether my mom should buy a blue or white shirt, we found our way inside just as the doubles championship was beginning.

(HUN) Timea Babos & (FRA) Kristina Mladenovic
defeated
(ESP) Garbińe Muguruza & (ESP) Carlos Suarez Navarro
(6-3, 6-2)


Packed house early on


The Hungarian and French planning their next poach


Kristina Mladenovic service


Winners


Winners and almost winners

I really enjoy playing doubles but found watching it in person to be less fulfilling as the points are complete so quickly. Plus the majority of the seats were still open as the crowd was clearly only interested in the singles final. About an hour later, but not before some energizing tennis ball giveaways, we were treated to as exciting of a straight set final as one could hope for.


Free tennis balls!

(ROU) Simona Halep
defeated
(CZE) Karolína Plíšková
(6-4, 7-6 {7-4})

The crowd really filled in for this match and security was kept busy tracking down the culprits of in-play vocal fanatics. On one of the changeovers they drew attention to the royalty in attendance tonight: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai) and one of his spouses, Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein. Along with some other dignitaries they all partook in the trophy presentations, which concluded with a giant puff of confetti into the night sky.


Plíšková and Halep pre-match photos


Full house, sorta


Plíšková putting the ball kid to work


Halep service


His and Her Highness


Victory


Sportsmanship


Signing the camera


Dubai Sports interview (in Arabic) with the fan in front of us


Congratulating the champion


Trophy hoisting


Confetti!


Having a beer outside the stadium in The Irish Village

Figuring our room still wouldn’t be ready 6 hours later we decided to enjoy a beer in the beer garden and had a nice conversation with an expat currently living in Al Ain. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this beer turned out to be my only alcoholic beer outside of a hotel or airport the entire trip. It began to drizzle a bit, calming the dusty sky, and we took a taxi back to check out our magnificent hotel room.

Thanks to my brother and his wife for the welcome amenity they arranged we had a snack to enjoy before we called it a night. Just to please all taste buds it included some chocolates, Turkish delights, stuffed dates, fruit and a bottle of sparkling date juice. Another great day in the books.


Bedroom


One of the bathrooms


Ready for a family of 8


Dining room, living room, office


Welcome amenity


Night view from the balcony of Dubai Marina

malioil

What a wonderful trip report. I truly enjoyed reading that.

Ahh, Iran... the land of what once was, and what could have been.

I myself would love to visit (and can get visa on arrival) but having an Iranian stamp in my passport is going to be more trouble than it's worth given my line of work.

You must make a point of visiting Bahrain next time your in the region.

I am appalled at the loads on the GF flight. I think they need to keep a G450 on standby as it'll probably be more profitable than flying on their fleet!

In 2006 I flew GF CDG-BAH on an A330-200 with the current load... F 2/8 J 0/24 Y 18/195 (with 16 of aforementioned 18 being on a school trip).

rivlinm

Although the wind was easing, it was still very cool (for Dubai) with moderate gusts when we woke up for our first full day. We had a 12:00 visit scheduled for the 124th floor of Burj Khalifa so we were not in a rush to get to Dubai Mall for our aerial view of the desert.


Breakfast overlooking the Persian Gulf


Panorama from the balcony


The view below


Marina District

We made our way downstairs and explored the Fairmont’s beach facilities along the southwest trunk of The Palm Jumeirah. Its waters are stagnant since the outer fonds reduce the flow of the Persian Gulf from crashing the shore. This also creates a risk for jellyfish, but more so in the summer.


One of many pools


Ping pong on the beach


One of three buildings that make up the Fairmont


Caution!

The Fairmont offers a shuttle between the palm and a few popular destinations along Sheikh Zayed Road so we boarded and headed off for Dubai Mall. Twenty minutes later we were in one of Dubai’s two mega malls. This particular one sits in the shadow (although a building across town can likely claim the same) of the World’s tallest building; Burj Khalifa. Its 1,200 shops make it the largest mall by area in the World. Fitting. Opened in 2008 it is recognized for its Aquarium and Ice Rink. The mall is also home to the Dubai Dinosaur, a full size diplodocid, found in Wyoming in 2008.


Fairmont shuttle


Burj Khalifa in the distance


Dubai Mall


Burj Khalifa with a semi-blue sky


Aquarium entrance


Shark Tank


Dubai Ice Rink


Dubai Dino

We browsed a handful of stores, including the World’s largest confectionary store, and experienced some authentic Middle Eastern restaurants. Not particularly hungry, but knowing we wouldn’t eat for a while I convinced my mom to try some Persian food from the food court. She really enjoyed the ghormeh sabzi, particularly the naan.


Fashion Avenue atrium…


…full of butterflies


What’s a mall without a waterfall?


Same merchandise as any souk, 5x the price!


Authentic Middle Eastern cuisine


Copyright infringement of Iran’s Kentucky House


I’m addicted


Ghormeh sabzi

With just 15 minutes until our Burj Khalifa entrance time we bolted across the mall to queue up for our one-minute ride to the top. I had booked this time slot about a month out and when we arrived there was only one more time slot the rest of the day with tickets available for the non-inflated price. We had to wait approximately 15 minutes before boarding.


The queue


The most anticipated elevator ride ever


So much for pushing all the buttons when I got out

Burj Khalifa, originally known as Burj Dubai, is the World’s tallest manmade structure at 829.8 meters (2,722 feet). Its nearly 6 years of construction concluded with an opening ceremony in January 2010. The building is home to the Armani Hotel, corporate offices and residences.

I selected a 12:00 arrival knowing it would take some time to reach the top and I wanted to enjoy the desert views before the 13:00 fountain show. There was also another fountain show at 13:30 I hoped to be down on the ground to enjoy as well. The 124th floor (of 160) is the primary observation deck, although for quite a bit more money you can visit the World’s highest observation deck on the 148th floor. We spent about 45 minutes taking photos and just looking out across Dubai. The clouds had cleared up considerably from the previous day’s dust storm and we could vaguely make out the Burj al Arab. The Palm Jumeirah was beyond our sightline. They did offer a pretty cool AR digital telescope. You pointed it in your desired direction and could select between live, day, night and historic views. Just before the fountain show was about to begin we found a nice vantage point and enjoyed the show. As much as you can from 124 floors above at least. Wanting to see the next show at 13:30 we waited about 5 minutes for the next elevator and scurried outside to see the show from below. Mostly underwhelming in my opinion.


Proof


At the top…


Well almost the top


Partially open observation deck


Looking north


Persian Gulf


Desert roads


Dubai Mall


Dubai Mall and Dubai Fountain


Burj al Arab


Free augmented reality telescope


Fountains in action


Fountains from down low


Burj Khalifa


Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa

After the water show, my mom filled her Timbits craving (second of the trip) and we began the lengthy walk through the mall across the highway to the Dubai Metro and across the creek to the old city. As expected, the metro is very modern and clean. It offers a private cabin for women and children along with an exclusive gold class cabin, which I suspect would allow a bit more personal space during rush hour. Plus it’s near the exits to minimize walking. We emerged on the other side of Dubai Creek at Ras station and walked along the water toward the Deira Souq. It seemed to be your typical souq and we breezed right through with no damage to the wallet nor bother from the store owners. I felt like I was right back in Iran with sights like Bank Melli, the Aseman Air Office and a variety of other Iranian establishments.


Tim Hortons


A marathon to the metro


Getting closer


Burj Khalifa from across Sheikh Zayed Road


Metro terminal


Metro car


Gold class


Onboard


Deira Souq


Inside; not very bustling


Siesta


Windcatchers


Feeling right at home


One of many Iranian business

Ready to see the west side of the creek we took the one AED boat ride across. I was seated next to two friendly Afghans and it actually began to drizzle so right away we took cover in the Textile Souq where my mom perfected her bartering skills for a scarf. I think both parties were pleased with the results. Along the walk back to the metro we poked our head in the Dubai Museum, but decided against going further. I had hoped to try camel meat while in UAE and a small restaurant offered camel burgers and camel-milk milk shakes. The shake was rather runny and tasteless and I don’t think I noticed all that much of a difference with the meat. Maybe it was a tad grittier? Back on the metro we rode until the Mall of the Emirates.


Ready to cross Dubai Creek


Boarding and paying 1 AED fare


Banks along the creek


Returning for more passengers


Arrival after 10 minutes


Textile souq


Happy buyer and sellers


Dubai Museum


Camel-milk milk shake


Camel-meat burger

The Mall of the Emirates is a few years older (2005) than Dubai Mall but is renowned for its most unique attraction, Ski Dubai. The 5 indoor slopes are the primary reason for our stop at yet another mega mall while on vacation. I had considered skiing and even brought a hat and gloves for that reason, but for the second time this trip, passed on an opportunity to ski in the Middle East. The other being a day trip to the Alborz mountains north of Tehran. We watched a penguin show from inside the mall and made our way to the taxi stand by way of a grocery store which was incredible in size and its offerings.


Mall of the Emirates


Penguin show at Ski Dubai


Kid’s zone of Ski Dubai


Move over Easter Bunny


Ski Dubai, temperature below freezing


Belt lift up, inflatable ball down


Chinese New Year celebration


Literally the tail end of the celebration


Massive Carrefour (HyperMarket)

A quick 10-minute taxi back to the Fairmont and we were all set for our eating extravaganza at Frevo, a Brazilian Steakhouse with 18 items on the grill. At 295 AED it certainly wasn’t cheap, but with a collection of dining certificates we left with not only a full belly, but also full wallet. The quantity of wasted food at the end of the night is slightly disturbing. Their printed menu didn’t exactly match the items on offer, but we had tried 17 different items before waving the white napkin. Appropriately, most popular in Brazil, my favorite was the Picanha. Sick to my stomach, we called it a night after a long day exploring Dubai.


Frevo salad bar


Salad bar selections


The beer chicken wings never seemed to make it around


Proof of the 17 sampled, you can see which ones were not enjoyable


Dessert


Not quite

HMPS

rivlimn in a nut shell (pistachio of course. )

I wish I wore many hats, I would tip all of them to your TR and hard work.

rivlinm

Fully rested and recovered from our gluttony the evening before, we started our final full day with only one definite plan; a desert safari. I was already dreading signing up for this manufactured cultural experience, but we still had the morning to plan before our scheduled 15:00 pickup.


Blue skies over the fonds?

We wanted to take advantage of the beach, since otherwise what is the point of staying at The Palm, also, my mom was interested in seeing Dubai Miracle Garden. Between the taxi and the 30 AED entry I could think of many better ways to spend time and money in Dubai, but it certainly was interesting. Part of the development of the future Dubailand complex, they seasonally design millions of flowers in a variety of shapes and styles. Much like Lego-built miniland in a Legoland theme park, this garden had floral representations of Burj Dubai, people, castles and much more. If I had to compare the experience to something I would venture to say Haw Par Villa in Singapore, or maybe a train wreck that you can’t avoid staring at in awe.


That type face doesn’t look familiar at all


Dubai Miracle Garden entry flower


Not your normal garden


Highlight of the garden


Flower houses


The least floral structure in the garden


Middle Eastern flower train


Cars in flower Holland


The ultimate prom limo


I don’t even know where to start on this one…


Flower Burj Khalifa


Entry to Dubailand from Dubai Miracle Garden


Inside the flower castle

It was mostly empty when we arrived shortly after opening, but about 45 minutes later when we had our fill of flowers, it was becoming much busier.


Space shuttle outside the offices of Dubailand

Back at the Fairmont, we spent a few hours relaxing on the beach, which was rather crowded, and had lunch poolside to burn the last of our expiring dining certificates. Unfortunately time didn’t stand still and before we knew it, it was time to clean up and be ready for our Safari pickup at 15:00. A few phone calls and 75 minutes later our driver arrived. He hardly spoke a word as we drove back toward Burj Khalifa to pick up the 3rd of three groups joining us tonight.


That February sun sure is strong


50 AED Heineken on the beach


Looking back toward the Marina District


Often a 1:1 lifeguard to swimmer ratio


Falafel burger cross section

Since we were nearly 90 minutes behind schedule, the sun had nearly set by the time we reach the camp about an hour outside the city. Along the way we passed countless busses transporting immigrant workers home for the night.


Burj al Arab along the ride


Dubai skyline on the drive to the desert


The point where desert overtakes road

With minimal daylight remaining our driver deflated our tires and cautiously drove across the dunes so that even a newspaper would remain on the hood of the Toyota Land Cruiser for the 15-minute duration of the ride. I had expected my mother to become uncomfortable form the drive but even she agreed the driving was no worse than typical street driving.


Off road terrain


Photo pit stop


Spinning tires

He dropped us off at the ‘camp’ with the other safari participants and my mom excitedly enjoyed her first camel ride. Her expressions on ‘takeoff’ and ‘landing’ were priceless, although the ride lasted less than 90 seconds around the sand parking lot. Once inside we tried to find some tea to warm up but of course they were out, so we settled under the shelter where our fellow tourists suggested we try their Shisha. Surprisingly my mom tried it, but there wasn’t much of a flavor to enjoy.


Camelback riding


Dining shelter


Stage seating


Pre-dinner shisha

Eventually the dinner show began with some authentic belly dancing and other stage performances. The response from the announcement of dinner being served was what I would expect to see if you yelled bomb on the Tube during rush hour. Men and women were served from individual lines and there were no bowls or spoons for the soup, but otherwise it was what you would expect from an Arabic version of a luau. Finally we met our driver outside and journeyed home. After dropping off the first couple he explained they had not been prepared and caused the unacceptable delay in our pickup. It explained his visible frustration throughout the trip and his attitude turned from night to day once they were out of the car. He had moved from Pakistan many years ago and seemed to be doing very well in Dubai. I was happy our experience ended on a good note before being dropped off back at The Palm, but felt he should have skipped those passengers after 15 minutes to avoid sabotaging our experience. Oh well, at least I didn’t have high hopes in the first place.


Belly dancer


At least they fed us


Best part of the night; the female version wasn't as visually descriptive

Back in our room we packed up and I distributed portions of my Iranian treats for my mom to take home for family. Once complete I headed off to sleep before our 05:00 chauffeur was scheduled to arrive, beginning the long, but memorable, journey home.

rivlinm

While I arrived in the UAE via DXB, I was under the impression it is what airport you departed the UAE for MCT from. Besides, my mom had arrived via AUH so I would have to wait and pay for her anyway.

I could see that being true.

Thanks!

That has always baffled me, well since 2005 at least! Thanks.

Certainly makes fact finding later much easier.

Thanks all, glad you are enjoying, otherwise I would have quit long ago!

I really appreciate it! I considered waiting to post all at once, but couldn't contain my excitement to share, especially Iran. As for future work...It will have to be an epic trip. Maybe some day I will cover my month in Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and Austria!

I still wish to think Iran will be a 'good' world power again one day. I'll be sure to hit all the gulf states in the near future. I don't know how GF can survive with loads like that. And to think I'd fly GF over UA 8 days a week.

Much appreciated. I tip my hat to the folks who make this a regular habit!

rivlinm

That pesky alarm for our 05:00 chauffeur to DXB came much earlier than I wanted, but that still didn’t stop me from springing out of bed like a child on Christmas morning. As I mentioned in my introduction, this entire trip derived from my desire to fly First Class on the Emirates A380, and at this point it was about 5 hours from reality. After the recent drama with Alaska award flights on Emirates I wasn’t sure if the driver would show up as booked and sure enough when I got downstairs on time, there was no car waiting. Or so I thought. I asked the bellman and he indicated the driver had parked out of site while waiting and would return momentarily. We piled in the Mercedes and took one last drive down Sheikh Zayed Road toward DXB.


Emirates Chauffeur

We pulled up to the first and business class portion of the terminal and our bags were loaded on a cart and we were led to the check in desk. The agent behind the desk seemed very annoyed we were disrupting her early morning texting, but eventually she checked us in and interlined our bags on our connecting United flight. Take that Jeff Smisek. The gentleman who had helped with our bags was still lingering and I was able to shoo him away with the last of my small bills: 1 OMR.


First and Business class check in hall

We cleared immigration quickly and found our way to the First Class Lounge. After the brief confusion over the origin of our tickets we were welcomed in and we walked all the way toward the end of the terminal near our gate. I decided hunger trumped showering for the time being and explored the a la carte buffet. Notice the difference in taste buds between my mother and me. I asked if dinner items were available to order from the menu and was told no as if that was a dumb question.


First Class Lounge entrance


Lounge dragons


Looking the length of the terminal


Duty free and economy terminal below; Business lounge above


Sun rising from the first class lounge


Seating and dining areas


My a la carte selections


Mom’s a la carte selections


A la carte options one


A la carte options two

Not wanting to over eat, and the selection not being all that stunning, I had a shower and explored the rest of the lounge. The 2nd floor lounge covers the full length of the terminal with the business lounge on the 3rd. There were some duty free shops available within the lounge but they mostly offered very high end products well beyond my remaining 100 AED. I headed downstairs and picked up some camel milk chocolate. About an hour before departure we decided to have a sit down meal and since only breakfast was being offered (or so they said) we decided to split waffles and pancakes. After we moved from our couch seating to the dining area we sat for 10 minutes waiting to place an order before I finally got up and asked if we could place an order. We were informed it would be 30 minutes, and I expressed my displeasure for the time of such a simple order. Less than ten minutes later our food was served, without our drinks, so we had to flag down a server and reorder. Long story short, the service in the lounge was downright awful.


Cramped shower room


Cigar lounge; their top selling Cuban was ~$15 USD/


First class lounge style duty free


Hennessy Paradis Imperial: $3055 USD


Main terminal hologram customer service


Gourmet waffles


Eggo Pancakes


Mimosa and carrot juice

Eventually we headed to the gate within the lounge and easily boarded while a few Arab gentlemen were asked to go down to the first floor for everyone’s favorite SSSS.


EK 211


Triple jet bridge action

EK flight 211
Dubai, UAE (DXB) to Houston, TX (IAH)
Depart 09:40, Arrive 16:15, Time 16:35
A380-800, Seats 1EF

We were warmly welcomed onboard and my mom dived straight in for the snack basket (there’s that sweet tooth again) while I was easily satisfied with a glass of Dom; even if it was just the 2004 vintage! During the speedy boarding process we were offered PJs, a fantastic amenity kit and slippers in a nice canvas bag, which may have been the highlight of my mom’s trip. Once bored by playing with the mechanical in-seat wet bar we were offered Arabic coffee and dates along with a hot towel. The load was maybe 8/14.


First class cabin


Suite doors


IFE, Dom and snack basket


Snack basket


In-seat wet bar


Dom Perignon 2004


Arabic coffee and date


ICE controller


Ladies amenity kit


Settled in

Wheels up, we were promptly offered drinks, and introduced to the dine on demand menu. Having just eaten I decided to start with a glass of Hennessy Paradis and some nuts. They also served some olives and cheese. I also got our phones set up to use the onboard wifi (10mb free; 500mb $1) and message some friends before the service eventually became unusable for the remainder of the flight. For $1 I wasn’t all that bothered. After a few (too many) glasses of the Cognac (which was phenomenal even to a non-cognac drinker like myself) I decided to sample the caviar and Arabic mezze before heading back to the bar to further imbibe the rest of the bottle. The portion of caviar wasn’t overwhelming, but adequate if combining with other courses. As for the mezze, it was considerably better than the EY offering three weeks earlier.


Nuts


Olives and cheese


Glass one of Hennessy Paridas; the bottle retails for ~$750


Caviar


Arabic mezze

Crossing over Tehran and filling up, I decided to take a tour of the airplane and we were allowed downstairs to a nearly empty economy cabin. I don’t think there was a single row with more than one passenger, most of whom were spread out and sound asleep. At the back we were allowed to return upstairs and in all its glory stood the onboard bar. My mom and I sat for a bit while I continued working away at the Paradis bottle they were kind enough to bring to the bar for me. I discovered the traditional EK headwear in the side bins and everyone took their turn donning the garb while preparing a drink for a fellow passenger. The polaroid camera never made an appearance. We spoke with a few Arabs working in Iraq along with Mexican woman who now lives in Saudi Arabia. It was a fantastic setting for a truly cultural experience. Over the course of a few hours I had a conversation on the state of Egypt’s government with the Egyptian flight attendant and shared all about my summer trip to Poland with a Polish member of the crew. At this point my mom was ready to tap out and return to the comforts of First Class and watch a movie so I walked her back before venturing back to the bar for what could be called round two. I don’t recall how long this so called round two lasted, but the next thing memory serves was waking up with about 4 hours remaining in the flight. Boy did I sleep well; I just hope I didn’t drive home from the bar!


First class bar; for those times you just want to eat an entire pineapple


Hardly made a dent so far


The Emirates $1,000 combo meal


Business class bar


View from the bar


Bartending


Overall bar


Mama bartender


I should have been cut off at this point!


Back in the comfort of first with a Tia Maria for mom


Business class seat


Round two…

With time winding down, the first priority was the holy grail of air travel; shower time. Five minutes later the shower attendant let me know the shower was ready for my use and gave me a brief overview of its amenities. I think I used just about 4 minutes of my allotted 5 minutes of water. The heated floor and the grandiose size of the shower suite truly made the experience magnificent, ruining all future flights. I returned to my seat, which had been transformed from bed mode and enjoyed the fresh fruit before deciding what to order next. While watching a horrible cop comedy I can’t recall the name of, I sampled the cheese platter, which was out of this world. Not feeling 100% I ate slowly but wasn’t pressured by the crew. I was eventually ready for the oxtail soup and I finished off my dining experience with the red snapper but found it very dry and unmemorable. My mom however had sweet potato ravioli, which was unbelievable. For me, another instance of the vegetarian option being top notch in first class while the beef, chicken or fish fall flat. About an hour later we made our way into George Bush Intercontinental and the luxurious end of my travels had come to and end. We quickly cleared immigration thanks to Global Entry and had our bags dropped back off for our respective flights home on United two hours later.


First class lavatory (1 of 2)


First class shower


Bathroom art


Shower over Hudson Bay


Five minutes of water left


Is this real life?


Yup, sure is!


All over


Heated floors!


Who doesn’t love a waterfall after their in-flight shower?


Post shower snack


Top notch cheese board


Oxtail soup


Red snapper


Sweet potato ravioli


Almost over

UA flight 1287
Houston, TX (IAH) to Tampa, FL (TPA)
Depart 19:10, Arrive 22:05, Time 1:55
Boeing 737-900, Seat 22C

An hour before departure we parted ways and headed to our gates. Stuck in economy I watched a few minutes of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship before passing out and waking up upon landing, concluding my marathon three-week trip across Iran, Oman and UAE.


Someday, United, someday…

rivlinm

I'd like to thank everyone for their support and encouragement over the last month.

I've taken many trips to TR worthy destinations and have never followed through with writing a trip report.

Sorting through 7000+ photos and writing in depth about my destinations opened my eyes to what sort of commitment these posts require.

I truly hope everyone has enjoyed and please check back for my conclusions and opinions of the flights, destinations and overall experiences in this often misunderstood region.

Aspirations of caviar and dom may be what brings us to this site, but at the end of the day it's truly about the destination and a greater appreciation of mankind that makes these interactions meaningful.

Again, thanks, I wouldn't have done it without you.

matthew

HMPS

F A N T A S T I C.

Now have to figure out hot to get enough miles for two ?
Suggestions ?

rivlinm

Mostly credit card spend for me for the EK via AS flight. A few SPG stays helped.

The EY flight was spend/bonus on AA

SEAskyrider

Excellent TR, rivlinm. How did you find Iran and Oman in February? I'm looking to visit both in Sept/Nov, which has similar weather.