Dazzling Dubai

Hey Guys,

I am so excited to write this experience even after a year 😃

Read on for some unknown facts, goof ups, things to do and not to do.. phew..

I always wanted my 10th Anniversary to be very special and different than my previous trips. I wanted to be in Dubai on my Anniversary day which falls on Sep-14. I also wanted to spend quality time, have fun and a relaxed holiday. After a lot of thinking and research I zeroed in on Dubai. My main considerations were a foreign destination (non-Asian country), budget friendly, rich city experience and shopping of course ha ha. Dubai fitted in perfectly!

I also have a secret of selecting Dubai ssshhh... I listen everyday while working (office) since 3 years to Dubai's online Radio, 89.1 Radio 4 station. Because of network problem in the office, the local radio stations doesn't tune up. Online Radio is very convenient and hasslefree I knew everything that was going on there.. well almost and I truly wished to see it one day. You can listen too (http://www.radio4fm.com/player/)! You can thank me later 🙋

I booked the flights online first and then booked the itinerary through Tripfactory, an online travel portal (http://www.tripfactory.com/). They have customized travels with testimonials.

Our itinerary was as below - 

Accomodation - REGAL PLAZA HOTEL (3 * Standard room double with Breakfast)
No. of Nights - 6 Nights
Inclusions - 
Breakfast Buffet,UAE Single Entry Tourist Visa with OK to Board message on Airline PNR,Miracle Garden Entry Ticket with transfers on seat in coach basis,Dhow Cruise With Dinner and transfers on seat in coach basis,Desert Safari with Dune Bashing, Camel Ride, Sand Ski, Barbecue dinner and Belly dance on shared basis,Dubai Mall Aquarium & Under Water Zoo with seat in coach transfers,At the Top of Burj Khalifa with seat in coach transfers,Ferrari Park Bronze Ticket with seat in coach transfers from Dubai,Regal Plaza Hotel (3 star)

Total Price: Rs. 65,030

Total Price of Return Air Tickets - Rs. 37954

Airlines - Jet and Etihad

[Onward - 

Bangalore-Mumbai, Mumbai-AbuDhabi, AbuDhabi-Dubai Travel Mall Bus

Return - 

Dubai Travel Mall Bus-AbuDhabi, AbuDhabi-Cochin, Cochin-Bangalore]

Best time to Visit - September to February

Here comes the most important parts - 

1. Goof ups - 

• We booked a hopping flight which had very less transit time for Airport transfer from Domestic to International Terminal and Immigration formalities. We almost missed the flight and had to run from Gate 0 to Gate 79 as we had less then 5 mins to Board!!
• Next BIG goof up. Did not collect luggage at Abu Dhabi Airport and Reached Dubai via Internal transfer only to see the luggage Missing!!! We assumed that the Luggage will also be transferred to Dubai where as we had to pick it from AbuDhabi Airport. Lesson - DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING. WHEN IN DOUBT ASK!!! 😓
• Had to go all the way back to Abu Dhabi to collect Luggage as they would only handle it to the Original Owner and not travel staff (Which is good in a way). We had to shell an extra 10,000 bucks for the taxi!!! huhhh Imagine this happening the very first day 😭

2. Things to Do - 

• Meena Bazaar in Bur Dubai, your to go place for Gold and Pakistani Suits shopping.You'll feel you are in an Indian Market with cleaner roads.
• Meena Bazaar also has small Indian restaurants including pure veg which offer good food at a very reasonable price.
• The Gold Seok in Meena Bazaar has unending Gold shops. You get all popular brands like Malabar, Kalyan, Joy Alukkas etc. You MUST buy Gold when in Dubai. There is no VAT and no stone charges. Gold rate is same around the world. They only add some percent of making charges. Though there is a limit on how much you can carry back. The staff can help you with that as the policies may keep changing.
• Do not miss the Hot Air Balloon ride though I missed it.
• Take the Dubai Metro if you want to go anywhere in your free time. Its very convenient and cost effective when compared to taxis.
• If you want to buy Souvenirs, gifts and shopping for yourself, you must visit 'EDO'. They have many branches. This was just across my Hotel. It's a shop that has a variety of goods ranging from gifts, clothing, accessories, footwear, household items, makeup etc and what's best?? Everything costs between 1 to 10 Dhs which is Rs 10 to 200!!! WOW can you believe that?? Only a shopping freak can discover this 😄😎😈😘
• But luggage trolley. Its dirt cheap.

3. Tips & Tricks - 

• Decide at the time of booking whether you want to see Burj Khalifa in the day or the night. They look very different in day and night. I did not think about this and we saw it in the evening with night lights which was also beautiful 😇
• Drinking water is very expensive. Whenever you go to a shop, they offer you a glass of water. make use of that or save some sealed ones for later 😁
• Carry passport or ID proof when visiting The Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi. They only give you a Burka if you deposit your ID and returned when you return Burka.
• In Abu Dhabi and Dubai Airports Foreign exchange outlets, they offer a currency card. They load your currency money in it which you can use almost everywhere. It is easier to carry and saves you the tension of carrying money.

4. Some unknown facts - 

• Did you know that you can go on a Tourist visa to Dubai and look for a Job there?? [you can thank me now hahaha 🙌]
• Dubai has people from 127 Nationalities. You will see a mini World in Dubai!!

IMPORTANT : 

Dubai Govt. taxes its tourists for their stay each day which is around Rs 1000/day for 2 people.  This is not included in your package and no one tells you about this before !!*&#$

You come to know when you are billed at the Hotel. So keep this in mind.

That's all folks!!

Please let me know how you liked this. I will be eagerly waiting for your comments and suggestions.

Love ya 💓💋

check out some pics below 😊

Dhow Cruise

Desert Safari

Jumeirah Beach and Burj Al Arab view

Dubai Mall

Top of Burj Khalifa

Under Water Aquarium and Zoo

Ferrari World

The Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

The Mall of Emirates

LEH-LADAKH

A journey to remember : We started with uncertainty and anxiety but determined. The start was bumpy but shortly we got accustomed to freezing temperatures and high altitude. We survived without any heaters in the nights YAY. We could see Sand, River, Mountains, Snow, Valleys, Sangam, Lakes, hot springs all in one trip!

This post is going to be long!! 

Leh-Ladakh, the name itself echos dream destination in India <3. Even while planning things seemed confusing and a lot of uncertainty if the trip will really happen, lingered on..

We knew no one who already had this experience to get advice or help. We had to plan everything on our own. This place is strictly for people ready to take challenges and get adventurous, definitely not for relaxing.

We were four of us this time. As usual, I booked the return flight tickets online well ahead of time (I'll give all details below). We then decided on the package which included accommodation and sightseeing (again details below!). We customized the package and decided not to include a lot of Monasteries but places of nature to visit.

We already have beautiful Monastery here in Karnataka called Bylakuppe near Coorg/Mysore.

Our Initial Itinerary was as below (Read on to find out why initial :-)) --

Day 1. Arrival leh airport and transfer to Guesthouse and complete rest.

Day 2. Drive leh to Nubra valley by crossing Khardung-la pass 5600.mt and visit Hunder and diskit night Guest house Nubra.

Day 3. Drive sumoor to leh night guest house  leh .

Day 4.  Drive early from leh to The lake Pangong  day trip night Leh Guest house.

Day 5. Drive Leh to tsomoriri night Tsomoriri camp.

Day 6. Full day at tsomoriri to visit korzok and around, night camp.

Day 7. Drive back  Tsomoriri to Leh by tsokar and Puga hot spring sources night guest house leh.

Day 8. Drop to Leh airport to fly back.

Booked through - 

Mindruk Trek & Meditation

Zangsti Road

Post Box No 217

Leh, Ladakh, J&K India

Phone - 01982-265186

              9419340675

Cost - 1,05,000/- for 4 person, which comes to about 25K PP excluding air fare. Return Air fare average is 18,000/- PP. Total cost Rounded to 45K person.

Experiences of each day - 

Day 1: 

Morning weather was warm. The first day is usually for acclimatisation because of the high altitude. Leh is at 3500m above sea level. You would not believe , we found it so difficult to climb 20 steps to reach our rooms on the first floor!!

Day 2:

We started our first visit, the drive from Leh to Nubra Valley via Khardungla pass. Khardung-La is the Highest Motorable road in the WORLD at 18380 Ft above Sea level. We were seeing the real, natural raw nature and started to get a feel of it. The winds were cold and it would only get colder as we were travelling even high. Though the roads are curvy and scary, the scenery was more beautiful. When you reach the Khardung-La top, the experience is wonderful! A sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, love for your country all comes at once along with super cold and difficult to breathe situations!!! Imagine :-D

    There is a small restaurant run by Indian Army. You ger hot water, coffee, Tea and some snacks based on availability. WoW can you imagine running a restaurant in those conditions?? We were Amazed!!

The guy was skidding on the bike...huhh scary

The Maggie story at the top!

So that was Khardungla top, we then continued the journey to Nubra Valley via Hunder & Diskit villages. We went a step ahead to visit the Diskit Govt. Hospital (I'll tell you why below).

We visited the Sand Dunes in Nubra and did a lil camel ride. OK sand in the Mountains?? I still don't get it HAHA. Mysterious ways of nature! We then visited a Monastery. By the time it was already getting dark and cold began to set in. We headed to our guest house. The food was good too!

Look at my Naughty Camel, just like me LOL

The Problem: While all this was going on, my friend suffered severe nausea and vomiting soon after we started in the morning. We then realized that we had eaten pizza at the Delhi Airport that my friend couldn't digest after coming to cold weather and high altitude!. Our driver then took us to the Diskit Govt. Hospital where he was given oxygen for sometime and a ECG was done. Though there were no professional doctors and facilities available, that was the only choice!

 So, BE CAREFUL with the Food when Travelling!!!

Day 3:

The temperature was really low and we couldn't take bath as the water didn't heat up. After b'fast we left for Leh. We were back to Leh in the noon. In the evening, we walked to the local Leh market about 2 kms from our Guest house and we consulted a local Doctor who gave tablets for the sickness. We also got Sambar Powder as we were fed up of eating Paranthas and rotis :-D. God Save South Indian Vegetarians!! 

Preparing sambar and curry

Day 4:

The Twist

We tweaked our itinerary so that our friend could take rest today and recover for the upcoming places. So we cancelled Pangong and postponed it by one day and cancelled our 1 night stay in Tsomoriri (which was a blessing in disguise.. read on) out of 2 nights. 

          So, we decided to do a lil city tour of course with some extra payment to the driver. We visited the Kargil War Memorial Museum, Magnetic Hill and Sangam. The museum is worth visiting and you will realize how brave our Soldiers were during the Kargil War and how they survive at Siachen Glacier. At the Magnetic Hill, even when you stop the Engine of the car and set the gear to Neutral, the vehicle moves forward in uphill. This is Amazing. It is because of the Magnetic field created by the Hill. The Sangam of River Sindhu and Zanskar is a breathtaking view. You wouldn't have seen such a clear view of 2 rivers meeting. We finished this by lunch and took rest for the rest of the day.

Day 5:

We started early for Pangong lake. Its a good 5 hr drive from leh and the roads are bad. I took half a tablet of Avomin  and slept mostly on the way as I was scared after the incident HEHE. The moment you reach Pangong, you forget all your tiredness. Its one of the highest salt water lake located at 4250m above sea level. It is such a beautiful view of blue-green lake. The water shows different shades of Blue and Green in the sunlight as it has salt content. Only the tail part of the lake in in India and the rest in China :-(

    You can spend a max of 2-2.5 hrs there to enjoy the view plus having lunch. There are many small restaurants that are named after the movie 3 IDIOTS like Rancho, All is well etc. Seems funny. You get fried rice, noodles, momo's etc but don't expect it to be good. You have to then start back as reaching Leh before dark is important.

Day 6: 

We started early to Tsomoriri. The journey for this place is the longest of all but most beautiful and it took about 7 hrs to reach. This is the reason we stay there for the night as its not possible to return the same day. It is a wetland conservation reserve. People do farming next to the lake. The lake is BEAUTIFUL than Pangong, very clear and pure, untouched by Humans. From the Hotel you can see the beautiful view of the lake. We have to walk over the fields for about a km to reach the lake. As the evening set, the temperature decreased to freezing cold. We had food and went to bed but could not sleep even for a min the whole night. No heater in the room, wearing layers of clothes, difficult to breathe , how on earth can you sleep?? That was one horrible night.

         So here comes the blessing in disguise. Thank god we reduced our stay in Tsomoriri for 1 day. We couldn't have bared the cold the 2nd night and there is nothing else to do there.

Is this called Paradise on Earth?

Day 7: 

Travel back to Leh. Visited the local Leh market again for some last minute souvenirs shopping.

Day 8: 

Time has come to end a wonderful journey and experience. Bid adieu to the Dream Destination.. sob sob :-( but with the most amazing memories.

Dont's - 

- Do not carry lot of unnecessary clothing as you will always be covered under layers and some days you can't even take bath haha

- Don't eat heavy food when travelling

Do's - 

- Take a tablet called Diamox every day till your stay there for Altitude sickness
- Drink hot water whenever you can

- Take Binoculars

- Take a pen drive full of songs you want to hear on your journeys. You can play it in the car and enjoy the view as well. 
- If you book through Mindruk, then ask for Driver Sehwang. He is Amazing and he helped us a lot. He was our photographer too!!

Things to carry - 

1. Carry Water wherever you go

2. Medicines and a First-Aid travel kit

3. Sunscreen Lotion & UV Sunglasses

4. Lip Balm

5. Glucose, Chocolates, Biscuits & Nuts

6. Warm Clothing

7. Documents & ID's

8. A Torch

9. Mobile Network Connectivity - only BSNL

Interesting Facts - 

- People of Ladakh are very gentle and calm natured. I never saw a fight or even people yelling at each other.

- There is NO crime in Ladakh. Yes, you heard me right! The jails are empty!!! This place truly is Heaven!!!

- People are very accommodating and never say no to anything. They are ready to help you all the time

- People can only work for 6 months in Ladakh i.e from April to 

I cannot give Info on Road trips, Biking or cycling in Ladakh. They are very popular too. Its a totally different thing and you need a lot more expertise for that.

That's all folks!! Hope it was informative and you enjoyed reading it. 

Please leave me a comment or email me on what you think.

Till my next trip, C YA!! :-*

Ashwini.