Day 4 of the package: Abu Dhabi (Energy level required 5/5).
Hindsight is 20/20. I should not have left
Ferrari world for the last day!
Abu Dhabi is the richest of the 7 states that make up the UAE! So needless to say, it shows. We have a tight schedule ahead of us (its a 2 hour drive from Dubai) so most sights are covered by bus.
The building where they jumped the Lykan in the Fast And The Furious (Furious 7), also home to an Aston Martin Dealership on the ground floor.
You cannot cover the place in one day so I would recommend keeping 2 days just for this state.
Ferrari World: My highest high and lowest low in this trip! For some reason I did not do any research on this place, all I knew was Formula Rossa was here (the world's fastest roller coaster) and its a home away from home for Ferrari.
You can imagine my disappointment when a hall full of exotics turned out to be a bunch of models. I was so upset I did not take my camera out the entire time I was there!
Though that did not stop me from hopping aboard the Rossa.
TIP: Insist on the front row. You may have to wait a couple of turns but considering each ride is a little over a minute you wont have a long wait. Usually, a roller coaster will go to a highest point and roll down to gain momentum ... Not this one! 0-240 kmph in 4 secs and you experience around 4.8g. Enough said!
Tip: Dont forget to smile, there are cameras that capture your reaction.
Gosh, I wish I had properly researched this place! There were quiet a few rides that had "Out of service" signs so that was a major damper, and I completely overlooked some hidden gems (Turbo Track).
Tip: Book a slot for the F1 simulator. It looked like a ton of fun but by the time I got around to it the next available slot was when my coach was about to leave. Go-Karting is a hit or miss! If you get stuck in a group when one or more can't drive you are screwed. There is a time limit of 7 minutes that includes yellow flags (If someone spins, they remotely halve your speed) and red flags (If they spin and are blocking the track everyone is remotely stopped).
By the way this is what the best of the worst looks like, which leads me to my next
Tip: Carry your phone/camera to the track, they will give you lockers to keep them, that way should you manage to come first you can take a pic. It only lasts till the next session ends.
If you can, budget for the real Ferrari experience in a real car, that comes to around 600-700 AED.
Which brings us to the last item on the package
Sheikh Zayed Mosque AKA The Grand Mosque.
First and foremost most of us are tourists (guests in someone else's country). So please respect their rules. Even before leaving India there are multiple reminders about dress codes. I can understand if you don't want to visit the place (they clearly communicate you can wait in the coach). It was sad to see skimpily clad ladies in our coach trying to sneak out! They were shooed them back in the coach.
Tip: Should you choose not to enter the mosque you can enter a very modern coffee shop with all amenities provided you are appropriately attired. If are not appropriately attired you cannot exit the vehicle and are stuck without even a restroom.
Rant over.
Now for some pics (I'm sorry I went off topic, though I am not a Muslim I was upset with the callous attitude of some people in the group).
Pictures do NOT do justice to this place! The main material is Marble and the Minarets are 24k Gold!
Marble pillars with Mother of Pearl inlaid.
Swarovski crystals anyone?
Single piece Persian rug weighing 35 tonnes.
Would have loved to stick around and take more pics, but this is a place of worship and one has to be mindful of not getting in the way of people who have come to pray. Also it was time to leave, which was a bummer as I have heard this place really lights up at night.
Conclusion.
Can you plan your visit to Dubai by yourself? Yes, you can. You do not need a travel agent, but make sure you have enough time and you know what you want to see and do.
I was pretty happy with the way
Royal Tours managed my trip on site there. Vanessa kept updating our pickup and drop details on WhatsApp and their drivers were always ahead of time. Also for my drop they arranged a Lexus E350, so all is forgiven with the Chevy Impala.
Hyatt Place Al Rigga is a no frills hotel but with very good service, though we had the same breakfast all 5 days which kind of got too boring by the 5th day. Thankfully no loud music kept us awake.
MMT: Till the initial payment was made they were awesome! And then it was plain ordinary with me having to follow up for everything. Though the interaction with them ended once I boarded my flight from Bangalore.
The Cars! I am very shy and find it difficult to take pictures of other people's cars without permission so I managed very few. But trust me, Day 2 in Dubai and you have seen it all! Bentleys and RRs roam around like C and E classes here. Super cars are the norm over there.
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