Memories

I stopped over in Dubai en route from Scotland to NZ last year. The middle east never really appealed to me. Too hot, too far and too far removed from my comfort zone, I thought it would be. How wrong could I be? In four short days and nights, I fell in love with the desert, saw hints of some of the kinds of freedom and preferential treatment women enjoy - in a 'liberal' Muslim state - and enjoyed some of the most beautiful ethnic food I've tasted anywhere. All in the company of my lovely son.

Dubai is a modern city with a thriving building industry employing hundreds, if not thousands of guest workers. We stayed beside the Dubai River and crossed most days on the low cost fare for the ferry that plies across the water throughout the day and evening.

The contrast between city and desert is extreme, though investment seems to be made wisely in both areas. An overnight stop in a desert camp was a highlight of our stay.

Emirates long-haul flights and self-organized stop overs in this area come highly recommended based on our experience. We felt perfectly safe at all times as independent travellers, and if we had more time, would have visited some of the other Emirates, Sharjah is a short drive away.