Family Trip to the United Arab Emirates - Part 1

The best way to travel around the Emirates is definitely by car, and I can confirm that from our own experience. The same goes for the cities. Parking is mostly free, and you can get to the cities quite quickly despite the occasional traffic jams, since some highways even have nine lanes.

Renting a car made us feel free. You need an international driving permit, but once we had that, we could stop wherever and whenever we wanted. It was great not having to worry about schedules. If you spot a camel by the road, you can just pull over. If you want to take a photo of the sunset, you can do it right then and there. There's no reason not to climb up the hill with a great view, just a short distance from the road. The week-long trip with eight of us in a big rented car was really enjoyable for that very reason.

On the trip, it was our parents, my husband's grandmother, and us with our kids. Being a family, we managed to pull off this trip just like all our others, and it turned out great. We usually talk about the sights beforehand, and then it's my job and my pleasure to organise everything.

The Emirates are generally known for being quite hot, so many people wonder when the best time to travel is. The answer is simple – during European winter, which is also the peak of the tourist season. In the summer, the heat is unbearable, with temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius. In the winter months, the temperatures are mild but still warm enough to wear summer clothes and swim in the sea. We chose this time as well. The temperatures ranged from 20 to 30 degrees, and the sea was a pleasant 23 degrees, or even a bit warmer. The week we spent in the country was sunny, with a few clouds in the sky, and we even got a bit of rain.

The Emirates are about four times the size of Slovenia, so the best way to explore the country is to stay in one of the larger cities, like Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and go on day trips from there. The city centre is full of tall skyscrapers, while the rows of houses outside the centre have gates. Access to these gated communities is only possible through a security guard and a gate. Not used to such security measures, we found it a bit strange at first, but then we quickly realised that the world here is different from what we're used to.

They say that nothing is impossible in the United Arab Emirates. What's possible and what's not is up for debate, but when you see all these impressive buildings in different shapes, reaching unbelievably high into the sky, you can't help but agree a little. Especially when you look at the Burj Khalifa, the 828-metre-high skyscraper in Dubai, the tallest in the world.

Most of the buildings are covered in glass, which gives them a unique charm. The roads are also surprisingly well-maintained. Not a single one is left unlit at night. On top of all that, they have these massive shopping malls. One of the biggest malls we visited had a giant aquarium that stretched across two floors. Next, there's the shopping centre with a ski slope. It even had a chairlift and penguins! The shopping centre in Al Ain had an ice rink with real ice right in the middle. All of this luxury is possible because the small country sits on massive reserves of natural resources. Only five countries in the world have more oil than the Emirates, and they rank just one place lower when it comes to gas reserves.

With so many immigrants in the Emirates, it's no surprise that the food is just as diverse. You can pretty much find any food you fancy. There's a strong influence from both traditional Asian and American cuisine. There are also plenty of luxurious and incredibly expensive restaurants to choose from. But that doesn't mean regular travellers can't try typical food in restaurants. There are restaurants for everyone, from affordable spots that suit any budget to luxurious ones for the wealthiest visitors. Typical dishes in the Emirates often include rice, fish, chicken, chickpeas, and a variety of spices that give the food a unique yet very pleasant flavour. Some dishes can be quite spicy, so it's a good idea to ask about this before ordering. They also love soups, which are usually made from chickpeas, lentils, or beans. What made the biggest impression on us was their bread. It looks like a well-cooked, non-greasy, slightly thicker pancake, but the taste is absolutely delicious.

Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

There's no dilemma – both cities are worth visiting. Dubai is the largest and most famous, while Abu Dhabi is the capital of the monarchy. Together, they have nearly five million people, which is about half of the country's entire population. The distance between the two is less than 150 kilometres, or about an hour and a half by car. Both cities are large by Slovenian standards, especially Dubai, which has over three million people and a lot more skyscrapers reaching high into the sky. Both cities are very well-maintained, safe, and have stunning beaches along the Persian Gulf.

In Abu Dhabi, we didn't miss the chance to visit one of the largest mosques. There was no entrance fee, but there were quite a few rules and procedures to follow. Women had to cover their hair and shoulders, and long trousers or floor-length dresses were a must. If you don't have these with you, you can buy a long robe at the entrance to the mosque for a very reasonable price, just like we did. Before we could see its stunning interior, we had to go through a security check. It felt very much like airport security.

In both of the largest, most famous and of course most visited Emirati cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we noticed quite a few similarities. There are towering skyscrapers, expensive hotels, massive shopping malls, and beautiful, though mostly artificial, parks. Since we all appreciate unspoiled, especially green, nature, the idea of experiencing it there seemed almost like a dream. In the end, it was more by chance that we managed to find a piece of green, unspoiled, and truly beautiful nature. Quite different from the landscape we're used to, but that made it even more interesting to us. Not far from the dense city centre of Abu Dhabi, there's a mangrove park that can only be explored by boat or along well-maintained wooden pathways. We chose to walk along the paths and, in about an hour, we took in the vibrant green mangroves, the turquoise-blue, crystal-clear water, and spotted a few birds and fish along the way.

The biggest contrast to this natural park was our visit to the most famous artificial flower park in Dubai. In photos, the Miracle Garden always looked like the flowers were carefully arranged, each one in its perfect spot, almost as if they were taken from a box. When we saw it in person and discovered that there are 150 million blooming flowers there, it felt like we'd stepped into a fairytale. If we wanted to see everything in detail, one day wouldn't be enough. Still, even with just a few hours of relaxed exploration, we had an unforgettable experience surrounded by the stunning flowers. What surprised us the most was the aeroplane completely covered in flowers. The kids were the most excited about the little smurfs peeking out from them.

In the Emirates, almost anything seems possible. Their buildings reach for the sky, the infrastructure is beyond impressive, and the blooming parks are more colourful than anywhere else. Everything is so well thought out and flawless, it's hard to believe it's real – but it definitely is.