Holidays in the Emirates

I'm very excited to say that this holiday season, I'll be visiting Asia for the first time in my life, specifically the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. Thanks to some friends who currently live in Abu Dhabi, my family was given the great opportunity to visit the country for a first-hand experience. On Christmas day, I'll be departing from TF Green Airport on a ten-day experience I'll never forget.

After three flights encompassing 21 hours of total transit time, we'll be in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi. Once we get a long night of sleep to cure some of the inevitable exhaustion, we will do a variety of exciting things. First of all, we'll have some time to explore the city of Abu Dhabi with the guidance of our local friends. This will be my first true taste of middle-eastern lifestyle and cuisine.

On another day, I'll be going on a desert "safari" in the deserts surrounding the city. On this day trip I'll have the opportunity to drive through massive sand dunes, ride a camel, see a traditional middle-eastern belly dancer, and go skiing in the sand. After a middle-eastern barbecue dinner, I'll get to see a beautiful desert sunset before returning to the city.

The pinnacle of the trip will probably be the visit to Dubai. This incredible city has grown more in the last ten years than many other cities have in a century. After ascending to the top of the world's tallest building for views of the spectacular city, I'll get an opportunity to check out the world's largest mall and the world's largest artificial island. Seeing a trend here? I think one of the most unique opportunities I'll have is to learn how to ski. Yes, Dubai, whose average summer temperatures sit around 100F, is home to the world's largest indoor ski resort. Because I've never gone skiing before, I thought that Dubai would be a fun place to start.

New Year's Eve is one of the few holidays that is universally celebrated around the world, and Dubai is no exception. I'll be in the middle of the incredible excitement that is Dubai on New Year's eve, where the entire city will light up in celebration of a new year. Unfortunately, on January 2, we'll be departing from Abu Dhabi for an even longer and more exhausting trip back to the United States.

I still don't know the full extent of what this little vacation in the Emirates is going to bring me, but I'm certain I'll never forget it. I'll try sure to keep this blog as daily as possible to let you know what my experiences are like so when you hopefully get an opportunity to visit this incredible place, you'll know where to start.