Day One (Friday) – Plane and Travel Day
I travelled with the Managing Director and Company Director to the annual World Health Exhibition in Dubai (I work for a Medical Device consultancy). This was a work trip so I won’t be able to showcase Dubai in full holiday “mode”, as I was there for business, but want to share what I can about the trip and some leisure aspects along the way! I was away for 8 days, of which 2 days were travelling, 5 days working and 1 free day. So very limited on what I can report on, but here it goes…
Friday started early for us, a 5am get up. We started our drive to Heathrow Terminal 5 at 6.30am. As usual we planned for traffic, so this means we had plenty of time if there were any problems. We chose the short stay car park at Terminal 5 and did pay a bit extra to be closer, mainly for the way home, as, let’s face it, no one wants to spend time getting back to the car late on arrival (even just remembering where you parked!). Just for reference this cost £179 for 8 days. We paid in advance.
One lift down and we were at Departures. Terminal 5 is mainly self service and we had already done our online check-in. So for us, it was bag drop and security. Both of which were streamlined and didn’t take that long. Just make sure you stick that luggage tag on well!
Liquid bags don’t need to be removed anymore, although can’t comment for every airport on that one! My portable power bank got drugs tested. So always expect your carry-on bag to go down the “other route” off the conveyor ready for inspection! Also check your wattage if taking a power bank and do not pack them in checked in luggage.
First stop after security was for coffee/food/water (in that order)! We went to Giraffe for breakfast, a well-known airport chain. No complaints there, I had a large breakfast, which definitely set me up for the day.
We flew with British Airways on the 12pm flight. Boarding started at 11.10, it was a double decker plane, so that made sense as to why boarding started early. It was on time and left on time!
Complimentary drinks were offered soon after we stabilised at altitude. I had red wine, but there were a variety of options to include; soft drinks, juice, water, beer and white wine. I did do a mid flight cheers to Amy whilst I was up there.
The plane meal then came around about an hour later with the choice of chicken biryani or tomato gnocchi. The usual plane food suspects also were included on the tray; mini cheese, bread, crackers and a super small cheesecake (so cute)! Food was nice and no complaints.
For the onboard entertainment, I didn’t use this much but there were plenty of options, I just like to watch the plane interactive map or listen to some music. This plane had a mini remote which was easier to navigate than the onscreen menus. Headphones were provided.
Also another random observation for anyone travelling with little kids, a family next to us had a pump up inflatable mini bed that extends the whole space of the seat and footwell area. It definitely looked like it worked anyway!
British Airways staff were friendly, helpful and professional. Had a couple of extra drinks to keep hydrated. Nothing was too much trouble.
The portable power bank wasn’t needed for the plane at least, as each seat had a USB charging port. WiFi was available for a charge £4.99 for internet or £2.99 for just text applications etc. Club members and business/first class have it included.
Seats were comfortable, although I am only 4ft 10” so space for me isn’t an issue!
Day Two (Saturday) – My Free Day
In terms of the hotel, we were staying at the Jumeriah Circle FIVE village hotel. We checked in around 2am as the flight didn’t land til 11.40pm. This was due to the “usual” post landing passport control, waiting for bags (you all know that feeling waiting to spot yours!) and taxi to hotel. I do always pack at least 3 days worth of clothes in my hand luggage though, this has come in handy in the past!
The hotel and my room were amazing. It was a superior room (so an upgrade from a standard room, courtesy of my company) with amazing views and floor to ceiling windows plus a balcony. It is a fully solar powered hotel. The hotel is also completely circular!
This was a 5 star hotel. Hotel amenities were what you’d expect, toiletries and dental care kits, mini bar and tea/coffee facilities. Lor coffee machine was a nice addition too. You also don’t need an adapter if coming from the UK, the same 3 pin plug sockets are used here. If travelling to Dubai from elsewhere, ensure you bring an adapter that fits these sockets. Some Europe 2 pin plugs still fit too. Bottled water was provided in the rooms and were replenished daily. Be careful not to move anything in the mini bar in the fridge though, as moving it to add something caused a charge, as the can was “moved” so be cautious.
There was a party pool and another quieter one. Breakfast had an array of options including Arabic, Indian and international options. Plus Mickey Mouse shaped mini pancakes, which were adorable and tasted great! There was a choice of a few restaurants serving different types of food and drinks in the hotel, which made post exhibition days easy.
Important note about this hotel, the pool party in the day has a DJ and there is also a nightclub next door, so if you want a quieter room, ask for a higher floor as that’s what we did (I was on floor 31 around the middle and that was fine for me). WiFi is included in all areas of the hotel too. There are a few mini supermarkets directly opposite the hotel and some sparse restaurants, although I did not try these places.
I chilled after breakfast and had a nap. This was my only day I wouldn’t be working so was a relaxed one.
For the evening my Directors took me to the Dubai Mall for food, but first of all we watched the fountain display that kicks off around 6.30pm. I’m not sure how often this happens, but sounds like a few times in the evening per day. It is worth a watch.
The Burj Khalifa tower can be seen from here, this is the tallest building in the world and was impressive to see. It has a lot of twinkly lights so was very pretty.
Food was at the restaurant Cheesecake Factory, which is not just cheesecakes, as per my original thought! I had Mediterranean kebabs which were very nice.
Food prices aren’t too bad, I would say equivalent to London prices, the only thing that tends to be more expensive is actually wine. Beers, cocktails and spirits aren’t too bad. In terms of payment, we used card for everything.
One thing to note from the whole trip is to be careful with taxis, some have lower rates starting at 5 Dirhums. Avoid the ones that start at 15 Dirhums. And if possible agree a price first or use an app like Uber. Speaking from experience whilst here, there are some taxis charging a lot and then also adding on a hidden card payment fee, as many prefer cash. Plus sitting in traffic (which there is alot of by the way) and watching the meter increase by the minute isn’t fun as the ride ends up costing a small fortune.
Days Three to Six
As mentioned, this was a work exhibition trip, we were exhibiting at the world’s largest health exhibition. The days were long and I didn’t see much during the exhibition days. I have included some pictures from the exhibition.
Day Seven (Thursday)
The final day after packing up our stand we went to Pier 7 Marina area to a place called Asia Asia for food. The views were absolutely incredible. Food was also very very good and was a mix of different Asian cuisines. We had chicken tempura, dumplings and chicken spring rolls. Then teriyaki tenderloin, chicken katsu and black cod loin with various rice side dishes. The wagyu truffle rice was by far the nicest rice dish I have ever tried.
We then met some other colleagues for Karaoke later on, which was my first time at a Karaoke bar! But it was a lot of fun. This place was called Lucky Noise and was inside a hotel called Brandt Millennium Hotel.
Day Eight (Friday)
Time to go home, checked in online the day before and got printed boarded passes at the bag drop area.
The security at the airport in Dubai requires laptops to be removed, some airports aren’t doing this and we didn’t need to do this on the way out. So bear that in mind when packing a laptop, as I had clothes either side of mine in the bag! Also had to remove my bangle jewellery, as usual, airport security does vary across the globe, liquid bags didn’t need to be removed though.
The plane back was a smaller one but was definitely a newer plane. It was comfortable and screens were a lot better quality and easier to use.
Complimentary drinks were included through the entire flight. The meal options included a mushroom pasta dish or a chicken tagine with rice, this was accompanied by a mini salad pot and mousse tiramisu plus a bread roll, mini cheese and crackers. WiFi charges were the same on the way back and USB ports were available on each seat. Plug in earphones were also included for the entertainment.
Anyway to conclude this blog (which is my first) and whilst I’m high up in the sky, cheers to you Amy!
