More highlights from Dubai

It is already the third month of 2012 and I feel like we owe our blog about a year’s worth of updating, given the amount that we have packed into the first quarter of this year. We owe this in the most part to the friends and family who have made the trek to come and visit us in Dubai - thanks to their visits we have been inspired to get out and there and really experience all the amazing touristy and not so touristy experiences that Dubai has to offer. Without wanting to seem like an advertisement for Dubai, I dedicate this blog to the highlights of 2012 to date - not necessarily in any order, though number 1 is certainly worthy of the crown!

1. Helicopter Ride across Dubai

Fear of heights aside, taking to the air and seeing Dubai from a helicopter was hands down the coolest 45 minutes of 2012 to date! Unlike most developed cities where I imagine flight restrictions would have you generally flying around the peripheral of the city, we were flying around, in between and over buildings with, at times, alarming proximity. We flew around the Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world), watched hot air balloons take off across the city and had the best seat in town for the amazing desert sunsets that we see so regularly in Dubai. It was the first time in a helicopter for Brendan and I but we were lucky enough to share the experience with my parents who are now seasoned flyers - having added the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney to the notches on their helicopter belts. Given that Dubai is a city dedicated to tall and unique architecture with a beautiful coastline, a helicopter ride was definitely the way to go and I can't recommend it enough.

2. Brunching it Up!

Oh Fridays....No matter where I find myself in this world, Friday will forever be marked in my mind as the day of the brunch. The day when you eat too much of everything, drink too much of anything and then fall into a coma at 6pm and wake up the next evening wondering what went wrong. "I swear I only had 3...ok...maybe 4 drinks". Best brunch to date - Traiteur - where I shamefully lost an oyster-eating contest to my dad, but more than made up for it in the veuve-clicquot-consumption contest.

3. Food Glorious food

Dubai is certainly known for fine dining, champagne and the odd Michelin star or two, but in our opinion some of the best food in town is served on metal trays, will set you back less than $10 and will knock the socks off your taste buds. Our absolute favourite place is known as the "fish shack" and yep...it serves fish; and lots of it. I think we have introduced this place to just about everyone who has visited us and we will continue to find any excuse we can to go here...it's just that good.

4. Burj Alarab High Tea

This was something that I had been reserving for when my mum came to Dubai. Nothing says ‘girls day out’ to me like a welcome glass of bubbly, numerous cups of unpronounceable named teas and scones! All wrapped up in a 'seven star' hotel setting with views of the Persian Gulf and “The World” Islands, and I would say you have a pretty good reason to pull out the frock and dust off those diamonds. It was a totally amazing experience to spend with my best girlfriend! Love ya Mum.

5. Card & Game Nights

I know it has nothing to do with Dubai, but the last couple of months have seen some great card & game nights in the Burke household. The epic “Hearts Championship of January 2012” will forever be marked in history as will the Jenga tournament that started off with good intentions and ended in a sorry state at 1am (thanks Pam and Rich!). 

 Thanks to Mum and Dad, Pam and Rich, Tara, Aaron and Emma, and Paul for stopping by and allowing us to be your tour guides around Dubai - we loved the chance to experience this city through the eyes of complete tourists, and loved exploring it with you.

With our visitor season drawing to a close, life returns to "normal" now for us. Brendan is happy to announce that he has found a great job working for a Kiwi owned and operated company in Dubai as a Branch Manager/IT Guy for the Limetree cafe - a chic cafe chain that is dearly loved by expats here and serves possibly the best carrot cake in the world! I have also gone back to Uni and doing a distance education Intellectual Property course which will ensure that whatever free time I once thought I had will be long gone. 

That's it from me for the time being...back to the sand storms and fun and games of Dubai. Love to you all.

//Kate