MoFate's Drop in the Bucket List: United Arab Emirates

We started our 2016/17 winter break adventures with a trip Dubai, UAE. Pankul, Mohit's older brother, lives in Dubai with his wife Evi and 10 month old son Angad. The plan was to go see them for New Years. As it turned out, only Pankul was in Dubai at the time while the other two were in Delhi. So we made the most of the trip and traveled to a few emirates during the day and hung out with Pankul in the evening after his work finished.

Here's a quick summary of what we did (12/26/16 - 1/2/17), followed by some advice if you visit, fun facts, and summary of our favorite pictures.

Day 1

Ate surprisingly great Thai food (Fucshia Restaurant) in Barsha Heights.
Sheesha and boat ride at Dubai Marina in the evening.

Day 2

Jebel Hafeet Drive
Al Ain exploring (riding around bicycles in Al Ain Oasis, Al Jahili Fort).
Introduction to the greatest Arab lamb experience at Al Yahar Modern Restaurant in Al Ain.
Night time strolling in Al Bastakiya, tea at Arabian Tea House Cafe, Al Ustad Special Kabab, JBR visit and denying Mohit Turkish ice cream.

Day 3

Drive to Hatta for the Hatta Dam and Hatta Heritage Village. More lamb at Tanor Lahm.
Sheesha on the beach at Jumeirah 1, Egyptian seafood at Barracuda, and the greatest kulfi flavor "malaikaa" at Kulfilicious.

Day 4

A visit to the oldest mosque in UAE, Al Badiyah Mosque.
Khor Fakkan beach.
More old Dubai/Bur Dubai exploration with Betawi Cafe and Nadumuttam.
Observed "Bollywood Trivia Night" with professional DJs/hosts at The Rooftop. The experience also included the best people watching of the south Asian community.

Day 5

Last day trip to see Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa viewing from a distance.
JLT for more Betwai.

Day 6

Raju Omlet near the Greens
Dubai Creek and 25 cents abra ride.
The worst train ride of all time to Atlantis.
Chaat at Chatori Gal and Korean food at Ppop Chicken (JLT)

Day 7

Operation Falafel breakfast and then moving weekend begins.Wagamama and then JLT again for Cafe Isan (the spiciest papaya salad of our lives),
NYE with ras malai.

Day 8

Zaatar w Zeit and iKandy lounge for networking.
Last dinner together at Fucshia Restaurant to experience the mango and coconut sticky rice.

Day 9

Mohit has is GMC day
Fate has solo day at Mall of the Emirates which includes Moana watching, Din Tai Fung sampling, tasting the best quality mall shwarama at Beirut, and beach time at Kite Beach.
One last dinner at Nadumuttam.

Things to know if you visit

Get a rental car, it makes the experience so much better. While Uber is available and there is a metro line, you won't be able to see much outside of Dubai without a car. Most American rental agencies like Hertz and Avis are in present in Dubai and the prices are very reasonable. You also don't need an International Driving Permit, your American license will suffice. But don't go over the speed limit too much, the highways are littered with speed cameras.
The special chicken kabab at Ustaad Restaurant is totally worth the visit to Al Karama. But when once you're in the neighborhood, check out Kulfilicious for a malaika kulfi. And while we're talking food recs, Betawi is quite good.
They'll tell you "oooh, take the tram to Atlantis, its a great view". Don't. Just don't. It's totally pointless, costs $10 and 1 hour of your life.
The drives to the eastern emirates are worth doing. You go through the dessert, which is beautiful, especially during the sunset.
Uber works pretty well in Dubai, though it is a bit more expensive than regular taxis. The metro is pretty good too.
The Abu Dhabi Mosque is definitely worth a visit. It's stunning. But make sure you get there early or you will face some crowds. Also, check the website for allowed attire so you don't have to stand in line for an abaya.
If you decide to go to floor 124 of the Burj Khalifa, budget 2 hours for your visit, with 1.5 hours of it spent in line.

Fun facts

You can easily fit two fully grown camels in the back of a medium size pickup truck. They just have to be friends, sit side by side, and not move.
Many local Arab restaurants outside of Dubai have a limited menu, especially at lunch. But lamb is incredible. And the rice is delicious as well, though they serve enough rice to feed to you for a week.
Everything of interest in Dubai is on Sheikh Zayed Road.
The "Arab merge", a term coined by Fate, is a way of cutting off someone on the road, but remaining at existing speed of at-least 20 km/hr less than the person you just cut off.