Just one of the many spectacular views from a dream week in Dubai. (Courtesy of Dan Tordjman)
I was inside the tallest building on earth, went dune bashing in the desert, rode a camel at a traditional Middle Eastern camp feast, and witnessed the richest day of racing surrounded by some of the biggest personalities and most talented racehorses in the world. I did all of that — and more — in just a week’s time in Dubai.
Suffice it to say, I made the most of my first trip to the United Arab Emirates. It wasn’t lost on me how fortunate I was to get to experience it either — I’d be reminded of this over and over again last week. Since I don’t know when, if ever, I’ll get to go back again, I really tried to make the most of my time overseas. In fact, I decided to head to Dubai a few days early to pack in a little extra sightseeing.
Remarkable Dubai skyline. (Courtesy of Dan Tordjman)
As I unpacked this morning, a flood of images went through my head. It wasn’t just the sights, it was the people in Dubai who made the greatest impression. From the time I arrived, following a 12-hour flight on Emirates Airlines, I was greeted by friendly people who offered help and suggested the best ways to get around Dubai and places to visit. My first stop, after picking up my bags, was connecting with my friend Mike, who has lived in Dubai for the past five years.
I hopped in Mike’s car and we coasted down Sheikh Zayed Road. I’d be on SZR a lot over the next few days, as it’s the main highway that stretches all the way through Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Up until that point, I’d been more familiar with Sheikhzayedroad, the racehorse, who I’d seen run at Woodbine in Canada. As a longshot on Dubai World Cup night, the horse would ultimately run an impressive second to Vazirabad in the $1 million Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors. It was a record third straight win in the race for Vazirabad.
Back in the car, I was struck by the same sights as anyone who has ever seen a postcard from Dubai or any images of its skyline. The skyscrapers were massive, each of them works of art; some were tall and narrow, designed to reflect height, others, coated in gold and covered by domed tops, project wealth and opulence. Of course, the grandest of them all is one that can be seen from just about anywhere in Dubai, the Burj Khalifa. At 2,722 feet high, it’s the tallest building in the world (for perspective, the Empire State Building stands at 1,454 feet).
Local cuisine. (Courtesy of Dan Tordjman)
The next architectural marvel I saw was approaching Mike’s apartment, which is located inside The Palm. The whole development is comprised of three man-made islands designed in the shape of, you guessed it, a palm tree. The outer portions of the Palm (envision a semi-circle around the top of a palm tree) are lined with homes, restaurants, and bars. From Mike’s fourth-floor balcony, I looked out into some of bluest water and cleanest beaches I’ve ever seen. My trip was made, and it only got better from there.
Dubai also offered a pretty personal opportunity to reconnect with my own cultural roots. Both of my parents are from Morocco, and I grew up in a household where Arabic was spoken, especially when my grandparents were around. A lot of our family lived and still lives in Israel as well. So, the food we ate when I was younger was very inspired by traditional Mediterranean or Northern-African culture. So, I thought I was in heaven when I walked into places like the Lebanese restaurant Abyat at Club Vista Mare, and saw items on the menu like tabouleh, fattoush, labneh, and extra-spicy fish and chicken.
The other thing almost every restaurant and bar had was a large shisha menu. If you aren’t familiar with shisha, which is also referred to as hookah in some countries, it’s the original fruit-flavored tobacco vape pen (except the smoking here is filtered through a large, glass container that looks like a vase with a pipe or multiple stems protruding from it).