In Dubai for a second stopover before heading home, I decided to go for fewer activities in a more relaxed style. Read about my first stopover in A First Stopover in Dubai.
After dropping off my luggage at City Seasons Towers Hotel, I headed off to Deira. Deira is the oldest part of Dubai and historically had been its commercial centre till recent years. Two of the most popular souks in Dubai, the Gold Souk and Spice Souk, are in Deira. Souks are traditional marketplaces and part of the Dubai experience. However, I was there too early at past 8am, the shops at the Souks were still closed when I walked past.
I then tried the traditional “abra” water taxi, boarding one at Deira Old Souq Water Taxi Station (near the Spice Souk).
Unlike the electric abra rides on Burj Khalifa lake that are mainly meant for tourists, these motorised abras cater to both residents and tourists. It so happened that I was not only the lone foreigner but also the only female on board that water taxi. That attracted some stares from my fellow passengers.
Pictured in the photo below, on the right, is an abra waiting for passengers.
Seated on the central wooden portion of the boat, we patiently waited as more passengers got onto the Abra. When the water taxi was full, the Abra driver walked around the boat and collected AED1 from each of us before starting the vessel. The 5-min boat ride took us from Deira Old Souk Station to Bur Dubai Abra Station.
Here’s a short video clip of the view along Dubai Creek during the boat ride.
From there, I took a stroll to the closest Metro station; Al Ghubaiba Metro Station. To get to my next stop, Palm Jumeirah, I took a combination of metro, tram and monorail rides. As with my first stopover, I bought a 1 day Nol card at AED 22 for unlimited number of trips during a single day (AED 2 for red ticket and AED 20 for 1-day pass). The red paper-based ticket can be used for travel on Dubai’s metro, buses, water buses and tram as well as pay for RTA’s paid parking. So definitely worth getting one if you will be traveling around the city.
Palm Jumeirah is an artificial archipelago in Dubai, created to resemble a palm tree from above. It is one of the world’s largest man-made island created by land reclamation.
Image credit: Richard Schneider
Palm Jumeirah has a mix of residential properties, hotels and resorts. One of its better known hotels, Atlantis The Palm, houses Aquaventure Waterpark, The Lost Chambers Aquarium, Dolphin Bay and Sea Lion Point.
First, I took the metro to DAMAC (formerly known as Dubai Marina) metro station. Then I changed to the Dubai Tram to get to Palm Jumeirah Station.
Opened just 2.5 years ago in November 2014, the tram cabins were new and clean ensuring positive commuter experience. There are also Gold Class and Women & Children cabins, so do check if you are getting into the right one.
A route map of the 14.5km Dubai Tram line.
Do remember to check in and check out your Noi card at these ticketing stations before you board or after you alight from the trams. A fine of AED200 may be imposed for failing to do so.
Upon alighting at Palm Jumeirah station, I walked along this overhead bridge, across a covered carpark to get to Gateway Station for the Palm Jumeirah monorail.
The metro Noi ticket cannot be used for the 5.4km Palm Jumeirah monorail. A separate ticket has to be purchased at Gateway Station counter. There are 4 stations indicated on the ticket but only 2 are open to date; the Gateway Station and Atlantis Aquaventure Station.
We passed residential areas along the monorail’s route and on Palm Jumeirah’s fronds. As luxury properties, the villas looked too close to one another though.
A view of the Atlantis from the monorail, which got us tourists all excited as we approached.
I took a brief walk within the Atlantis, a luxury 5-star hotel. But as I was watching my budget, I did not pop into any of the shops or The Aquarium. Bothered by the weather, I did not walk around much outdoors.
As a hotel catering to tourists, the Atlantis had some food outlets offering closed-door dining during Ramadan.
A near empty Palm monorail heading back to Gateway Station in early afternoon. I would have had the entire monorail to myself if not for some others boarding just before it departed.
A view of Aquaventure water park as seen from the monorail. I could only spot a handful of visitors, which I believe was due to it being an off-season period for Dubai’s tourism. After all, Dubai is in the top 5 most visited cities in the world, according to Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index. The number of international visitors is at around 15 million per year. And Atlantis is one of its popular attractions.
This wrapped up my sightseeing for this solo trip. Rest of my day was spent shopping in Burjuman Mall and just chilling out in air-conditioned spaces. The hot sun and stifling heat at a temperature of 38-41 degC in the mid afternoon was something I am not used to. If you are unused to it as well, I guess it is best to start the day early to avoid being caught outdoors in the heat.
