As it’s the very first time that I’d ever visited a Middle East country, a myriad of questions had been weighing on my mind before I set off.
‘I don’t know Arabian, will I be safe?’
‘Can I stand the scorching heat?’
‘I am a complete stranger to the Muslim culture, will I unwittingly break their rules?’
‘Eating and drinking in public is prohibited during daytime because of the Ramadan, can I survive it?’
However, as well as the country’s sheer novelty and mysterious atmosphere, there were some tempting factors that I could hardly resist.
First, the hotels were unbelievably inexpensive. Surprisingly, as a budget traveler, I could afford the rooms of the world renowned hotel brands like Sheraton and Shangri-la, which were priced at around US$40-50 per night only.
Second, I could fly with one of the top airlines, the Singapore Airlines; transfer in one of the best airports, the Changi Airport and had a godsend of 12-hour layover in Singapore.
Singapore Changi Airport
Voted as the world’s best airport for many years, Changi Airport certainly lived up to it’s name.
The elegant lofty colorfully-carpeted terminal, the hospitable staff, the modern spotless bathrooms and the extensive choices of entertainment were all beyond my imagination and set the bar for world class airports.
I was surprised and happy to be able to reserve a front-row seat free of charge through online check-in. Without doubt, the extra legroom was impressive but the downsides were that the monitor was a little too far away and I was forced to put my backpack in the overhead bin.
Dubai International Airport
T3 of the Dubai International Airport is allegedly the largest airport terminal in the world according to Wikipedia, but I couldn’t experience its enormity because sadly my flight parked at a gate in T1 which was a small, sober and modestly-ornamented terminal.
With that said, many of the other passengers were pleasing to the eyes. They were the seemingly-Emirati men and women who looked decidedly refined, decent and cultured in their solid white or black pristine dishdashas and abayas, including the young and handsome officer who amiably served me at the border control counter with his jaunty smile.
Airport Terminal 1 Metro Station
The airport metro station was modern, bright and jazzy but I had had trouble buying a ticket through the automatic ticketing machine before I figured out it only accept smaller bills.
Swissotel Al Ghurair
My only beef about my hotel room is that it’s ‘too cheap’. It only costed me about US$45 for a night in the 4/5-star Swissotel. Today, I am still completely mystified why the hotels in Dubai could be so underpriced.
Spacious room with pleasing design, a well-equipped gym, a stone’s throw from the metro station and a huge mall downstairs, I couldn’t ask for more! If only I had stayed longer!
My Travel Journal TWO 