Dubai is Pure Extravagance - Past and Present
Updated: Feb 28
The decision to travel to Dubai was based mostly on circumstance. We were in the midst of planning our luxurious vacation to the Maldives, and there being no direct flights, we were forced to stopover on the way. At the time, there were limited options available to us, but the most appealing was Dubai. The trip to The Maldives included 4 planes and a boat, over a long 24 hours, and the trip home was expected to be longer. Thus we decided it best to take advantage of the layover and plan for a Stopover Vacation in Dubai on the way home.
After a week-long luxurious vacation at Hurawalhi Resort in The Maldives, we flew back to Dubai, via Sri Lanka. We prearranged for a driver from Blacklane to be waiting for us at the airport to escort us to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in style. The big, luxurious resort, with it’s unmistakable architecture, sits on Jumeirah Beach, directly in front of the iconic Burj Al Arab Jumeirah Hotel. Planning to stay in Dubai for only 2 nights, we did seriously consider staying at the extravagant Burj Al Arab Jumeirah Hotel, but decided the cost would be better spent on excursions. In hindsight, though I’m sure it would have been amazing, we spent very little time at the hotel, so it would have been money wasted on such an extravagant room. We arrived late in the evening, checked into our lovely hotel room, set out our clothes for the morning and headed right for bed.
At 5:30 am the next morning, we were in the lobby waiting for our pick-up. We had arranged for a private falconry excursion in the desert conservation area of the Dubai desert, with the Royal Shaheen. There are plenty of desert combination tours available from a wide variety of companies, but we were looking for something intimate, special and that did not disrupt the environment. One of the popular excursions offered to tourist in Dubai is dune bashing, which is where guests are tussled inside a car, racing up and down the sides of sand dunes. It may be thrilling, but the vehicles disrupt the sand and ultimately destroy the habitats and creatures living underneath. Many dispute this as false, but frankly, we didn’t want to take that chance. The Royal Shaheen and Platinum Heritage are one of the few organizations allowed to conduct excursions on the conversation reserve, because they respect the land and it’s creatures.
Our driver and guide, Werner, picked us up in the dark and headed towards the reserve. After introductions and some banter, he asked us to look in the back of the jeep. Completely unbeknownst to us, we had been driving with a falcon in tow. He remained quiet, propped up on a custom perch, wearing a leather cap to cover his eyes (called burkas). Once we arrived in the desert area, Werner stopped on a dune and allowed us to watch as the sun quickly rose over the horizon. It truly was breathtaking. After a few choice photographs, we were back in the jeep headed towards the conservation area. Along the way we saw many a gazelle and oryx roaming the wide open space.
Waiting for us when we arrived, was a carpet picnic, where we were offered dates and coffee. Our host, Rahim, explained that it is tradition to offer coffee, but there are subtleties in the presentation; if a host fills the cup, it means they truly want you to stay, but if the host presents you with a half a cup, you have overstayed your welcome and it’s time to leave. The dates were plump and sweet. When I finished devouring my first, I was unsure what to do with the pit. Rahim gestured that I just throw it into the sand. Hesitantly, I did and within seconds a small bird swooped in and carried it away. Nothing goes to waste.