Tom Dubai is the largest and most populous city in UAE (United Arab Emirates). It is also the main tourist destination in UAE due to attractions such as Burj Khalifa (tallest skyscraper in the world), Dubai Mall (biggest shopping mall in the world) and the Palm islands (largest man-made islands in the world).
However, isn’t Dubai located in the middle of a desert? So is Dubai a metropolis or is it really just a vast land of sand and dust? It is both.
In this series of posts, we’ll share our discovery of this popular tourist destination known as Dubai and why we think we might just come back again…
From Singapore to Dubai
One of the reasons why we travelled to Dubai was because of the deal offered by Emirates. The price of the return ticket was about $550 and it included a 2 night’s hotel stay at the Premier Inn Dubai International Airport Hotel (which was relatively near to a metro station). This time, we took a weekend trip (Friday to Monday). As we departed on the midnight flight on Friday morning, we arrived at Dubai on Friday wee hours, local time. This also meant that we had 3 full days in Dubai!
On Thursday evening, we arrived at Changi airport to have dinner at one of the Priority Pass Lounges at Singapore Changi Airport. As we have yet to visit Changi Lounge at Jewel, we decided to pop by to check out its offerings…
As the food was not really fantastic, we decided to head to the best Priority Pass Lounge for food – TGM…
Food at TGM never disappoints. This time, we had the sashimi bento set and were pleasantly surprised at the fatty cuts (swordfish and salmon belly) that were served. As for the salmon bento set, the portion was generous and appetizing as well. Headed over to Plaza Premium Lounge for a draft beer before our flight on Emirates. During this visit, we also realised that eventhough T1 to T3 are connected internally, if your tickets are issued for flights at T1, you actually cannot enter at T3! :O
As it was a red-eye (sleeper) flight, the plane was relatively empty. Hence, we were able to lie flat on a row of seats and sleep. When the lights went out, the ceiling was transformed into a sea of stars as well. Sleep-inducing. Service was so-so as we could hear conversations between the stewards/stewardesses throughout the night. We also got to watch some movies before touch down. Beef noodles served was not too bad as well.
We departed Singapore Changi Airport at 1am and arrived at Dubai International Airport at 4am. We initially arranged the hotel pick-up to Atlantis Dubai to be at 6am – hoping to squeeze in a lounge visit at Dubai. However, the arrivals were separated from the departures (where the lounges were located). Hence, we exited and did some shopping (chips/coke – 11.5AED/4.5SGD and sanitizer – 9.5AED/4SGD) at the landside of the airport. We also grabbed a quick bite (chicken sandwich meal – 29AED/11 SGD) at Burger King before we headed to the Atlantis Dubai Airport Transfer Counter at T3…
As we have booked an Imperial Club King Room at Atlantis The Palm Dubai, we were able to get a complimentary return airport transfer to the hotel. The airport transfer counter is a joint-counter with One and Only Royal Mirage, just after the baggage area. After confirming our booking, we were promptly led by a well-dressed staff to the carpark area where our driver picked us up promptly.
The drive from Dubai Airport to Atlantis Dubai took approximately 30 minutes and we were able to speak to our driver who was from Bangladesh. He told us that he had been working in Dubai for 30 years but does not have PR status. This is the same for many of the migrant workers in UAE. We found out that the population of UAE is about 9.5 million, but the local resident only makes up about 1.2 million, or about 12% of the population. An interesting manpower policy that keeps its workforce relatively young. But we guess it comes with its own set of challenges as well.
Enroute, we were introduced to many attractions such as the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Frame. We also saw this structure that resembled the Chicago Cloud. Our driver said that it is also named “Dubai Frame”. A second Dubai Frame in Dubai? Soon, we were on the Palm Jumeirah where we passed by Nakheel Mall which was just opened. However, by our estimates, it was too far to walk from Atlantis Dubai as well.
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Imperial Club King Room at Atlantis The Palm Dubai
Upon entry into the lobby of Atlantis Dubai, we were greeted by the famous Chihuly Glass Sculpture that spans 18 metres high…
We arrived at approximately 6:30am and were thankful that we were able to get our room upon arrival, instead of having to wait till the official check-in time of 3pm. That’s the great part about staying at a huge hotel. With over 1500 rooms, there were sufficient rooms to keep early arrivals like us happy. We were introduced to all the frills and benefits of staying at the Imperial Club Lounge (breakfast, afternoon tea, evening drinks & canapes, airport transfer and 1 for 1 spa sessions) before we were personally led to the lift by the counter staff. We were also invited to have breakfast at the Imperial Club Lounge after we settled into our room. Talk about good service.
Our Imperial Club King Room was located at level 12 of the East Tower. The ground floor of the East Tower is where the Imperial Club Lounge is. Also, East Tower is the nearer tower to attractions such as Aquaventure and The Lost Chambers Aquarium – another privilege of staying at one of the Imperial Club Rooms.
The Imperial Club King Room itself was luxurious and spacious. The decor was modern with the bath tub, being able to peer right through the living space out to sea. The bed itself was comfortable and cable TV had all the usual international channels. After our “Oohs” and “Ahhhs”, we adjourned for breakfast at the Imperial Club Lounge…
Breakfast at Imperial Club Lounge Atlantis Dubai
We arrived at Imperial Club Lounge for breakfast at about 7:30am. The Imperial Club Lounge is POSH! We were promptly seated and served with coffee before we checked out the buffet spread. At the Imperial Club Lounge, the food selection was mostly Western. Ranging from pastries to cereals to eggs/sausage/waffles and pancakes. Kids would definitely have blast here. There was also Eggs Benedict and Kate’s favourite – Hummus! Imperial Club guests can also choose to have breakfast at the Saffron or Kaleidoscope restaurants. Stay tuned for our coverage of Saffron in our next post.
We have also written extensively about our experience at Atlantis The Palm Dubai, including the following video about the Imperial Club Lounge…
After breakfast, strolled around the hotel’s premise a little…
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Aquaventure Atlantis The Palm Dubai
We rested a little back in our room before heading out to Aquaventure at 9:45am. Before that, we had to collect our wristbands at the activities counter right opposite Imperial Club Lounge. At 9:45am, there was already a short queue forming. It would be best to head over earlier since Aquaventure is opened an hour earlier for hotel guests…
From the ground floor of the East Tower, we walked down the stairs, past the floor-to-ceiling aquarium viewing gallery to reach the malls of Atlantis Dubai. Continuing further, we passed by The Lost Chambers, Bread Kitchen before arriving at Aquaventure.
Once in, we headed to the entrance of the Lazy River. Here, we had access to the towel station as well as toilets nearby. Towels are complimentary for guests. All you had to do was to mention your room number. We got 4 towels and “secured” our deck chairs for the rest of the day. Also, we had first hand views of the “Leap of Faith” at Tower of Neptune…
We started our day with a ride down the Lazy River. However, do note that the Lazy River at Aquaventure Dubai, is not really “Lazy”. It is a 45 minutes long ride in its entirety and divides into several segments – including the Torrent and the Rapids. The Torrent is a part of the Lazy River where high waves are artificially generated. On your floats, you’ll experience up and down bobbles as you get pushed along by these waves. The Rapids on the other was rather exciting. You’ll get spun around your float as you enter into the different rapids.
We also got to check out the rest of Aquaventure including Splashes Island and Splashes Mountain for the kids. Another ride we enjoyed was Shark Attack – a tube ride in darkness where you’ll end up in the shark tunnel. As you float through the shark tunnel, you’ll be able to see sting rays and sharks swimming pass you. Enjoyed it. So much so that we did a couples ride through together eventhough Kate was terrified of the ride in darkness. 🤣
There are 2 really scary rides at Aquaventure. They are the Leap of Faith and Poseidon’s Revenge. Poseidon’s revenge is rather similar to Torpedo ride at Wild Wild Wet, where the platform just disappears beneath your feet. Of course, the Aquaventure version is better with its scarier “Darth-Vader-Like-Countdown” and the better slide design.
However, the scariest ride for us at Aquaventure Atlantis Dubai, has got to be the Leap of Faith. The climb to the top of the the Tower of Neptune was already a scary one. Once on top, as we were still early, there were only 5 other riders in front of us. The instructions given were the same. Fold your arms and cross your legs. This we did diligently for each of the 3 rides that we took. However, each time we took, it was just as scary as the first time. Only on the 3rd time, did we manage to let out a scream. The first two times? Too scared to even belch out shriek! Yikes! The ride itself was steep. Our heart stopped and we barely breathed as we zoomed past the shark tunnel at the end of the ride. We also tried out other rides – mostly with floats. By the end of our morning round of rides, we were already experts at positioning ourselves on the float: bums out front, body leaned back. Your bum should not be drooping down the middle of the float. Take note!
Afternoon Tea at Imperial Club Lounge Atlantis Dubai
At about 2pm, we left Aquaventure to return to the Imperial Club Lounge for afternoon tea. Afternoon Tea is served from 2pm to 4pm daily at the Imperial Club Lounge and it includes snacks, dips, cakes, fruits and drinks…
We thoroughly enjoyed the dips of avocado, garlic, tomato, jalapeno & cheese as well as salsa! All washed down with a cooling cucumber drink. After fueling up, we headed to the main swimming pool (aka Royal Pool) for a dip. Unfortunately, all the seats by the main pool were already taken when we arrived. We watched eagerly and once a couple left, we swooped in for the seats and enjoyed an hour lazing by the main pool. Thereafter, we shifted to the smaller pool (aka Zero Pool) by the West Tower to bask in the late afternoon sun. A relaxing nap…
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Evening Cocktail and Canapes at Imperial Club Lounge Atlantis Dubai
After a relaxing nap by the Zero Pool, under the warmth of the sun, we adjourned back to our room to shower before heading out again for evening cocktails and canapes at Imperial Club Lounge from 5pm to 7pm daily. By now, you see the pattern? Eat, play, sleep, repeat… 😜
As revealed in the MOST COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ATLANTIS DUBAI, we found the best seat for sunsets at Imperial Club Lounge, to be the corner seat with sea views at level 2 of the lounge. Our seats were luxe and we had a great sea view and sunset. We also took a walk out to the extended balcony nearby, for shots of the sunset as well.
As for the meal, the snacks were exactly the same as that for the afternoon tea – which was rather disappointing. The only difference was a deep fried meatball. But even that, was not that great. Dips were still the order of the day in the food department. On the other hand, the drinks selection was great. Ranging from cocktails to wines and beers. Service was prompt. At one point, we had 4 drinks on our table as the server “anticipated” that we would order the same cocktails – not knowing that we actually wanted to try all the cocktails. We also played “Word Shaker” where Kate got the all-time highest score for a single word – “Excuser” (126 points). 😑
Atlantis Dubai The Lost Chambers Aquarium
By now, we were rather tipsy. But we still managed to find out way through the Lost Chambers Aquarium, just to see how its really like inside…
We actually found out that The Lost Chambers Aquarium is not that great inside. The exhibits are similar to that of most aquariums including jellyfish and spiny lobsters. Unlike what was advertised, there isn’t a large viewing gallery within the aquarium. This means that the largest viewing gallery for The Lost Chambers Aquarium, is actually located outside of the aquarium next to the Imperial Club Lounge. Meaning its free!
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What an enjoyable day 1 of our travels in Dubai! We thank the Atlantis The Palm Dubai team for the transport and room arrangements, making the day that much more enjoyable! Stay tuned as we check out the breakfast at Saffron Restaurant as well as more attractions in Dubai on Day 2 of our travels in Dubai!
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Dubai Travels Day 4: Checking out Priority Pass Lounges at Dubai International Airport
Top 8 Dubai Attractions and Things to do NOT TO BE MISSED!
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