My 4th time in Dubai: A Family Affair

I am blessed to be given the privilege to visit for the 4th time Dubai, United Arab Emirates on November 2023. The first three trips were with my husband and my son. This 4th visit was solely by myself to spend time with my maternal relatives. 

This was a truly memorable trip as we celebrated the 60th birthday of our generous host, my aunt, the younger sister of my mother. Belated happy birthday, Tita Winnie Wow!! 

My aunt, the birthday girl with her welcome tarpaulin in the party venue. 

Despite being a short trip to Dubai and my 4th trip, I had new experiences which are definitely for the books! 

1. Amazing family time: Our big family flew in from the Philippines, Canada, United States of America and Spain to be together and spend this 60th birthday milestone of my aunt. It was such a grand reunion. We rekindled our growing up years and childhood memories. We are a very extended family. About 4-5 decades ago, it was typical for a Filipino family to have more than 3 children and for three generations (grandparents, parents and children) to reside under one roof. I came from a big family and we were blessed and fortunate to have spent part of our growing up years with my maternal grandparents and maternal relatives aunts, uncles and cousins. Our homes are built in the land of my parents. During this big family reunion, we spent a great deal of our time recalling the moments we spent together. It was emotional, joyful and nostalgic as we also remembered our dear loved ones who are no longer with us. 

I also got to spend quality time with my youngest sister and my dearest mother. I felt very grateful having spent some time with my mama and youngest sister and it´s as if I spent time with all of my siblings, nieces and nephews! I know that in God´s perfect time, we will be able to spend time again as one big happy family. My mother, sister and I, together with the rest of the family went to several Dubai malls, shopped, ate and walked a lot. We are all older so we spent a great deal of our time in the malls where we had the convenience of the washrooms/toilets to use when the need arises. 😀

Our big family during our cruise in the Dubai Marina. 

Canada, USA, Philippoines present 

A bathroom groufie in IBN Battuta Mall, Dubai. 

My idol, my mother and I reunited after 15 months. Thank you Lord God for this blessing. 

My sissy and I with the Dubai Marina Mall as backdrop  

Cousins love. With our youngest sister, cousin Rona and the Dubai Marina. 

2. Visit to the Gold Souq: I have never been to the Gold Souqs of Dubai so this experience was truly jaw dropping for me. Dubai´s gold business is one of the most regulated in the world as they respect and protect their gold business and service. Haggling and negotiating are allowed and you are off to a good start if you pay in cash instead of card. Earrings and rings are fairly reasonable but the gold bangles and diamond jewelry are pricey yet very competitive prices compared to the US/Canada/Europe pricing. Here are some snapshots of the Gold Souq. 

3. Dubai Marina Cruise: You have to go to the Dubai Marina Mall and reserve in advance for you to enjoy the daytime/mid day, sunset or evening cruise. The best cruise is the sunset but because we did not reserve on time, we were given the daytime, mid day slot which was still good because it was not very warm. We were given a big yatch which accommodated our family of 21 people. There are 3 yatch operators. Drinks and music were provided. We brought our own snacks. It was a 90 minute cruise ride and we were able to enjoy the entire Dubai Marina. It was a different appreciation of the Dubai Skyline.  Here are some snapshots of the Dubai Marina and Dubai Skyline. 

4. Desert Safari: There are many organizers of desert safari and they are all reliable and organized. We just picked an organizer from the internet, made an online reservation and paid during the actual day. It is an event of approximately 6 hours. Pick-up and drop-off point is your area/address. Trip going to the desert and back to your drop off point is approximately 2 hours. The package include the sand dune ride, a visit and stroll in the desert, camel ride, dinner and show which includes a program. The sand dune ride can either be a mild or wild ride.  With my condition, old age and anxiety, I opted for the mild ride and it was so boring for my sister! But this was a great sister bonding moment for us! Additional services with extra pay include sand boarding, quad riding, photo with a falcon, accessories from the sellers. This is a must if you are in Dubai and I am so glad I got to experience this with my sister! Love you so much sissy!! 

5. Dubai city: A walk Dubai never deceives as you get to see the high rising buildings. They may not have the charm and the character of a European building but their modern architecture is breathtaking on its own. We also got to experience (again!) the original and unmatchable dancing fountain! This with the well lit Burj Al Khalifa in the backdrop! Be it daytime or nightime, Dubai is a sight to behold! 

6. A birthday celebration to remember: The primary reason why we went to Dubai was to celebrate the life of my dearest aunt. Their family hosted a dinner party in the Amwaj Rotana Hotel in the Dubai Marina area. It was family celebration filled with good food, happy company, love, happiness, laughter and singing. Thank you Tita Winnie, Uncle Sam and BabyLove for hosting us! We love you!! 

Thank you, Dubai and until the next time. Thank you Almighty God for your blessings and graces. To You be the glory!