(This is part of a summer trip report using miles and points to fly first class on Emirates from JFK to Dubai/Paris, costing $41 and 100K Alaska miles; the cost of these flights would have been $23,914! I pinch myself to think I got such an unbelievable value for my miles!)

It’s been over a month since I last wrote (busy with family and friends) and I’ve missed writing AND YOU! I love reading your comments, so keep them coming!

We only stayed one night at the Burj Al Arab, but we made the most of our time there, with early check-in and late check-out! We went to the private beach, worked out with an awesome view, walked all over the property, went to the indoor pool, rode the “tram” to the nearby Souk Madinet Jumeirah for some shopping, and took an abra (small boat) tour around the canals there. ALL of this was complementary because of our stay at the Burj Al Arab. Here’s some photos that show it off!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also had Afternoon Tea at the Skyview Bar on the 27th floor, which was spectacular! Since we told them this was a birthday trip, we even got birthday treats! And even more special was seeing my son, who is on a year long contract in the Middle East! And a cart was delivered to our suite full of birthday surprises, ie, a dozen red roses, chocolate cake, etc!  

 

 

 

Breakfast was included in our stay, and it was hard to decide where to eat. But after perusing the available restaurants, we decided on the Asian restaurant, Jinsui, which included ALL available kinds of foods, buffet style. There were at least five different buffet stations, all varying food nationalities! After that, we enjoyed the outdoor pool, where they bring you cold towels and chilled drinks.

 

 

Later that day, we went to our second night in Dubai, the Burj Khalifa…the tallest building in the world. We had another late afternoon tea, located “At the Top,” 124 floors high! This is the ONLY way to visit the Burj Khalifa, I think. You get to enjoy all the views at a relaxed pace, can stay as long as you want, and get a bird’s eye view of the “dancing fountains” below. This is lots better than just going to the observatory, in my opinion. And this was my favorite of the two afternoon teas!

 

That evening, we went to the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest malls in the world. This is the mall with the indoor ski slope, Dubai Aquarium, and right outside are the dancing fountains, the world’s largest (of course, you are in Dubai)! The shows are in the afternoon and every thirty minutes in the evening. They are in sync to selected music and the spray reaches heights of up to 450 feet, use 22,000 gallons of airborne water, in the 24 acre Burj Lake! A must see in Dubai!

 

The Burj Khalifa Armani Hotel was a huge disappointment to me. The room was very small (Best Western seems bigger) and dark, but of course, we had been totally spoiled by our two bedroom, two story penthouse at the Burj Al Arab! We did get to watch the fountains from up high. And it was a short night because of our early morning departure to Paris!

 

 

 

Good bye Dubai and next, Paris via Emirates business class…