As it came time to leave Egypt and Jordan, we knew we were getting closer and closer to the end of our time overseas (sob!). We had only two last stops before we would land in Brisbane – Dubai and Singapore. And while we were itching to just get home it didn’t stop us from enjoying the most of these two fascinating places, both great spots for general ‘chillaxing’ (perfect stopovers to break up long-haul flights!). Here’s what we got up to in Dubai and Singapore:
Dubai:
{1. If you only get a night stopover in Dubai, it’s worth it for the shopping! The Dubai Mall in particular has over 1,200 stores including all of our high-street favourites. It’s worth getting lost for the day (which is exactly what we did!). The Mall of the Emirates is another good one, is much smaller but more manageable. This pic below shows the Dubai Mall.}
{2. Dubai seems to get ahead of the rest the world with so many things, but it’s the Burj Khalifa that is getting the most attention still (including ours). It’s not only the tallest building in the world it’s also the tallest free-standing structure in the world, boasts the highest number of stories in the world (160), has the highest occupied floor in the world, the highest outdoor observation deck in the world, the elevator with the longest travel distance in the world and lastly, has the tallest service elevator in the world (phew!). We travelled only half way to level 124 to reach the observation deck. The views are well-worth it.}
{3. Jumeirah public beach is a beautiful beach to visit in Dubai. The beach is sandy, the water is blue and there are waves! Out of frame in this photo is the Burj Al Arab, the only seven-star hotel in the world.}
{4. Despite this picture showing ‘the souk’ inside the Dubai Mall, there are good souks to visit at Deira (old Dubai). As we visited Dubai during the end of summer, temperatures were soaring so we didn’t even stay out long enough to get a good picture of the souks here! The Deira souks are more local where you can shop for gold, Arabian slippers and spices.}
{5. If we look cold in this pic, it’s because we were! At minus three inside, the Ski Dubai centre is an excellent way to get away from the relentless 40-plus degree heat outside. Unfortunately we couldn’t ski (our third person had to take lessons and wasn’t guaranteed to get on the slopes) so we spent the day playing in the snow, racing each other on the bobsled, zorbing and tobogganing. We also got close to the resident penguins!}
Singapore:
{1. Eating is the number one thing to do in Singapore. There are sooo many places to eat, it’s hard to choose! A good rule we were told to follow is go where the locals go especially the hawker centres. The hawker centres are basically massive complexes housing numerous stalls all offering inexpensive food. This is our meal we got at the hawker centre at the Vivo City mall… dry beef noodles with a side of beef ball soup! Yummo!}
{2. As we swelted in tropical Singapore, we made a bee-line for Sentosa, promoted as ‘Asia’s favourite playground’. It’s basically an island resort with some good public beaches to visit (basically the only free thing to do on the entire island!). It’s also the southernmost point of continential Asia. At least the water was chilly enough to cool us down. It’s good for a lazy day out.}
{3. A good day out in Singapore is the Singapore Zoo, said to be the world’s best rainforest zoo. It didn’t fail to impress us as we strolled around the lush grounds (including Matt almost getting hit by a snake falling out of a tree! Eek!). It’s always hard to pick a favourite at any zoo, but the Australian exhibit was close to our hearts (something which Steve Irwin apparently had input in designing).}
{4. We found Singapore’s Chinatown a tourist attraction in itself. With endless options to eat, drink and shop, it’s a good place to get a reasonably priced meal and pick up some souviners at the same time. The best thing to see here though is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. We visited during chanting where we saw practicing buddists do their thing (if you go, just remember to respect their ceremony) (see bottom pic).}
{5. Singaporean’s love to relax with a few drinks, something we thoroughly embraced. While many of the locals probably don’t frequent Raffles Hotel (where the classic Singapore Sling can cost you £15 a pop) or the Marina Bay Sands Skypark, Ku De Ta bar (where my white wine cost £20), it’s a must-do as a visiting tourist.}
{6. (We couldn’t help but add this last one!) We saw garden upon garden of endless pretty-ness at the Singapore Botential Garden’s orchid gardens, including Singapore’s national orchid flower (see pic directly below).}
Tags: burj al arab, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Dubai stopover, long haul flights, night stopover, outdoor observation deck, Sentosa, Singapore orchids, Singapore stopover, Ski Dubai, world's tallest building