UAE 2016 Day 01: Ibn Battuta Mall

We’ve arrived in Dubai!

It was only 12:30pm and the serviced apartment that Ginny and Sern booked was obviously not ready to receive us yet. Seeing as we had a few hours to kill they took us to a shopping mall nearby that had a peculiar theme. It was to be the start of our love affair with Ibn Battuta Mall!

As the website explains: “In June 1335, a young man of just 21 years set out to explore the world. His journey spanned 24 years and six different lands - Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India, China and Andalusia. Along the way, he survived storms and pirates, served as a judge and scholar, dined with nobles and commoners. This extraordinary adventurer was Ibn Battuta. His life and travels are an inspiration to us. It has influenced our mall in design and spirit. You’ll see it in the interior themes and names of our courts. It has influenced our mall in design and spirit. You’ll see it in the interior themes and names of our courts. At Ibn Battuta Mall, shopping, dining and entertainment come together with history, culture and the story of a remarkable adventure. It is what makes us one of Dubai’s most exciting shopping and retail destinations.”

welcoming committee

we entered through the China Court

a reindeer!

a truly Middle Eastern Christmas

The mall is separated into six difference themes namely Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India, China and Andalusia.

The first section of the mall was appropriately the China Court. "A storm, sunken ships, pirates, Ibn Battuta’s journey to China was an eventful one. However, the art and inventiveness he saw in China made up for his troubles. The court captures the majesty and vibrancy of Imperial China. Spacious colonnaded halls decked with giant dragon medallions, white marble columns reminiscent of the gates of historic Chinese cities, a coffered ceiling with royal motifs symbolizing happiness and prosperity. At the centre of it all is one of the most seaworthy vessels of its times – a Chinese Junk. It’s our homage to the great traveller and his remarkable adventure."

China Court

a sunken ship?

almost life sized

in the centre of the Court

from another angle

very tall Christmas tree

and a few little ones as well

The next section was the India Court. "Ruled by the Mughals in the 13th century, India was renowned for its unique Indo-Islamic architecture, majestic monuments and immense wealth. The splendour of India’s Mughal period is clearly evident in the court. The central dome bears influences of the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort and the Wind Palace. However, the centrepiece of the court is the Elephant Clock. A marvel of medieval technology created by an inventor Al Jazari. Every hour, wooden carved figures, dragons and phoenixes of the Elephant Clock come alive and move together as it tells you the time."

the elephant clock

influenced by the Taj Mahal?

the central dome

almost life sized as well

bears influence of the Mughal Red Fort as well?

adorning the walls

every hour like 'clock-work'

inspired by Moghul architecture

one final shot

We then came upon the Persia Court. "Persia was one of the greatest centres of learning and culture in the 14th century. The artistry of Persia can be seen in the arabesque design of the court’s enormous dome. It’s arched passages, blue and turquoise mosaic walkway and magnificent brass chandelier immediately transports you to the vaulted streets of Baghdad."

arabesque design

sky-painted ceiling

Islamic quadrant

Islamic astrolabe

measuring angles in the sky?

 magnificent brass chandelier 

blue and turquoise mosaic

We hope to explore the other Courts at another time (Tunisia, Egypt and Andalusia). But for now, we took a breather and rested at a Café that we would soon grew very fond of.

Caribou Coffee is located at the centre of the Persia Court where you can get an amazing panoramic view of the entire dome and its chandelier. Oh, and they serve pretty good mocha latter as well.

in the centre of the Persia Court

surrounded by blue and turquoise mosaic

hits the spot!

It's time to head to Dubai Marina!

UAE 2016 Day 01: Last Exit DXB Bound by Meraas

Reaching the outskirts of Dubai Ginny and Sern decided to make a pit stop at a rest and recreation area that perked our interest immensely.

Aptly called ‘Last Exit’ and situated along the E11, this unique food truck stop is a first-of-its-kind themed food truck concept offering a selection of fresh and tasty gourmet street food in a fun, chilled and convenient atmosphere. Each location has its own unique theme and entertainment for all ages to explore and discover.

Check out all the different food trucks waiting to take our order.

ingenious and inviting

busy and bustling

Ginny and Sern looking for  a caffeine fix

cacophony of sights and sounds

Brendan fixated on the car in the centre

turns out I will eventually fall in love with karak chai 

UAE-fried chicken?

variety of choices

even Mexican?

 

Brendan's first Arabic Coke

While Ginny and Sern replenished their caffeine levels, I darted into the restrooms and was duly amazed with what greeted me:

the urinal

the sink

I took a few photos of the remarkable décor that lined the walls outside the restrooms as well.

all things automotive

are these tools even real?

fascinating decor

I also took a few photos of the fascinating facade that housed the restrooms, as well as peculiar looking dustbins.

an actual VW beetle on the roof

remarkable and practical dustbins

that promotes recycling as well

All freshened up, we continued the drive to Dubai but not before a few parting shots.

Brendan was fixated with this car

can someone tell us its make and model

back profile

ah, a Thunder Bird?

 Onwards to Dubai!

UAE 2016 Day 01: Drive to Dubai

We don’t normally do this: post random photos of roads and streets taken from inside a moving vehicle.

But it’s our first time to the Middle East, and there’s a first time for everything right?

Sern tells us the drive to Dubai along the Abu Dhabi - Dubai Motorway should take between forty five minutes to an hour. We have never enjoyed a drive so much in our lives, despite the barren landscape safe for a few buildings and mostly billboards lining the highway to Dubai.

the only other vehicle on the road at the time

a random shot

overhead signboard

random shot of an overpass

ah, some structure at last

can you see the portrait of Sheikh Zayed?

a pretty quiet drive

barren landscape

some  body of water, at last

Oh well, hope you were not too annoyed with the photos. Like we said, it's our first time in the Middle East and even driving through barren landscape excites us.

Dubai awaits!

UAE 2016 Day 01: Al Reef Villas

Ginny and Sern picked us up from the Abu Dhabi International Airport and took us straight to their lovely home just minutes away.

A description of Al Reef Villas, taken from their website: “Al Reef Villas is a full-fledged residential community that is situated on 1,000,000 square meter plot of land. Boasting a central hub that forms the heart of the development. Al Reef Villas development is articulated to accommodate over 16,000 residents, along with visitors. Another key characteristic of the project is its strategic location near the beautiful Al Raha beach and Abu Dhabi International Airport on the road to Shahama city and adjacent to the Abu Dhabi highway.”

We showered and freshened up, and got ready to head to Dubai where Ginny and Sern had booked an apartment for the next four days, but not before taking some photos of the first palm trees we saw since arriving in the UAE.

Al Reef!

our first palm tree

private neighbourhood

Ginny and Sern's abode

one final shot of our first palm tree :)

Off to Dubai!

UAE 2016 Day 01: Christmas in the Middle East!

It’s the eve of Christmas Eve and indeed, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is upon us and we can hardly contain our excitement as we get ready and prepare for the trip of a lifetime.

My sister Ginny and her husband Vincent (Sern for short) have invited us to spend Christmas with them in the United Arab Emirates. We could hardly believe our ears, and I could not stop pinching myself.

Our flight tickets with Etihad was booked (Kuala Lumpur to Abu Dhabi Flight 413) well over a month earlier, scheduled as follows:

• KUL Departure 23 Dec 2016 02:35 (MY time)
• AUH Arrival 23 Dec 2016 06:10 (AE time)

Since we’re four hours ahead of Abu Dhabi the flight will actually take us seven and a half hours. Oh my, the longest I’ve been on a plane is less than two hours and a feeling of trepidation crept in.

Brendan is not new to this, having been to Abu Dhabi on two separate occasions. Once on his own (when he was twelve years old, and was treated like royalty throughout his flight) and once with my sister Vivien and her husband David when they went vacationing to Dubai a few years back.

Extremely eager and excited, we actually reached the KL Sentral Railway station by 9:00pm and quickly checked in our luggage at the Etihad counter there. We boarded the Express Rail Link (ERL) headed to KLIA at about 9:30pm feeling tremendously enthusiastic.

we boarded the ERL

as the excitement builds

here's to a safe flight

In less than an hour we reached KLIA, and with practically four hours to burn we sat at a café anxiously awaiting our turn to board.

to calm the nerves

a couple of hours till we board

From this point onwards there were no photos taken, especially once we got to the gate to board. The flight was very relaxed and uneventful with little turbulence which calmed me down somewhat.

We touched down in Abu Dhabi International Airport a quarter to six in the morning, and by the time we collected our luggage (intact), cleared immigration and customs it was almost 7:00am.

I’ve never flown long distance before but due to the excitement I guess I wasn’t feeling the effects of jet-lag (just yet?). We saw Ginny and Sern’s beaming faces at the arrival hall and knew in our hearts that the adventure of our lifetime awaits!