Choosing a honeymoon destination isn’t easy. The world is filled with amazing places that a lifetime with your partner will never be enough to check out all the marvels God created.
As much as possible, we want our entire married life to be our honeymoon. It may be challenging but based on stories of happy couples, we’re confident that it’s feasible. So yes, we booked four different trips this year.
To start off, we picked Dubai.
We picked Dubai not just because we found cheap airline tickets for it but because we wanted our first honeymoon destination to be different from what we have been to. It was the first time we were going to a different country by ourselves, and of course, we wanted it to be special. We were looking for a mix of modern and traditional, laid-back and busy, somewhere with sun, sand, water, skyscrapers, and of course, adventure. Surely, Dubai gave us all that and more.
Dubai is one of the seven that make up the United Arab Emirates. It is home to Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, and Burj Al Arab, the only 7-star hotel.
Dubai is a very expensive city. Since some people are asking about our itinerary and budget, we intend to present it to you in our blog, along with affordable travel packages that you might want to check out (if you would remember, we run a travel agency, and we’re DTI-registered, yay!) and how to get a tourist visa. Surprisingly, a trip to Dubai could be affordable.
Highlights of this trip include:
- Dubai City Tour – Jumeirah Mosque, Jumeirah Beach, Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa
- Desert Safari – Camel riding, ATV desert ride, Dune bashing, Arabic cultural show
- DIY Trips – Dubai Garden Glow at the Zabeel Park, Dubai Mall, Dubai Miracle Garden, Dubai Creek, Gold Souk
3 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS IN DUBAI AND ABU DHABI FOR P25,518 ALL-IN
February 15 to 18, 2017
We chose Dubai and Abu Dhabi as our honeymoon destination not just because we found cheap airline tickets for it but because we wanted something different from what we have been to. It was the first time we were going to a different country by ourselves, and of course, we wanted it to be special. We were looking for a mix of modern and traditional, laid-back and busy, somewhere with sun, sand, water, skyscrapers, and of course, adventure. Surely, the United Arab Emirates gave us all that and more.
Dubai is one of the seven that make up the United Arab Emirates. It is home to Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, and Burj Al Arab, the only 7-star hotel. It is an expensive city but surprisingly, a trip to Dubai could be affordable.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi is the capital of the U.A.E. and is home of its President. It also houses the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which is the largest mosque in the country.
Here’s an ideal itinerary with expenses for a 3-day and 3-night trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi (5 days including the 9-hour per way flight):
Day 1
Flight from Manila, PH to Dubai International Airport (DXB), United Arab Emirates
- Departure from Manila: 3:20 pm
- Arrival in Dubai: 9:40 pm
(Flying time is around 9 hours)
Check-in at the hotel.
Day 2
9:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m.
- Dubai City Tour (Gold Souq and Spice Souq, Photo Stop at Dubai Creek, Drive through Jumeira Road, Jumeirah Mosque, Photo Stop at Burj Al Arab, Tour of Palm Jumeria and Atlantis Photo Stop, Sheikh Zayeh Road)
3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Desert Safari (4×4 Dune Bashing, Camel Rides, Sand Boards, Henna Painting, Local Costume Photography, Live Tanura Show, Live Belly Dance, Live Fire Show, Arabic Tea coffee, Dates, Barbecue, Dinner Buffet and Unlimited Water and Soft drinks)
Day 3
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Abu Dhabi City Tour (Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi Corniche, Emirates Palace, Drive Through Presidential Palace, Heritage Village, Abu Dhabi Marina Mall, Islamic Art Museum, Dates Market, Drive To Saadiyat. Yas Island and Ferrari World Photo Stop
Day 4
Check-out from the hotel
Free Day until departure from DXB
Day 5
11:00 a.m.
- Arrival in Manila, PH (Flying time: 9 hours)
Expenses:
Flights – P9,800 (Cebu Pacific’s seat sale)
Philippine Travel Tax – P1,620
Hotel/Accommodation – P8,500 (twin sharing at the Al Farej Hotel, a 3-star hotel) including Round-trip airport transfers and breakfast
Dubai City Tour – P1,600
Desert Safari with Dinner Buffet – P1,999
Abu Dhabi City Tour – P1,999
Total: P25,518.
We can arrange this travel package for you at the same price. We offer land arrangements (hotel/accommodations and transfers) at Dubai for only P8500 per person and optional tours at the above-mentioned rates Please send us an email at couplemeetsworld@gmail.com for further inquiries and other options.
The itinerary above pretty much covers most of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. However, since we wanted to make the most out our limited time in Dubai, we added some DIY tours of our own, which of course, cost us more. Here is our actual itinerary:
Day 1
Flight from Manila, PH to Dubai International Airport (DXB), United Arab Emirates
- Departure from Manila: 3:20 pm
- Arrival in Dubai: 9:40 pm
(Flying time is around 9 hours)
Check-in at the hotel. (We stayed at the Somewhere Hotel Tecom, which is a lovely, clean hotel)
Day 2
9:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m.
- Dubai City Tour (Gold Souq and Spice Souq, Photo Stop at Dubai Creek, Drive through Jumeira Road, Jumeirah Mosque, Photo Stop at Burj Al Arab, Tour of Palm Jumeria and Atlantis Photo Stop, Sheikh Zayeh Road)
3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Desert Safari (4×4 Dune Bashing, Camel Rides, Sand Boards, Henna Painting, Local Costume Photography, Live Tanura Show, Live Belly Dance, Live Fire Show, Arabic Tea coffee, Dates, Barbecue, Dinner Buffet and Unlimited Water and Soft drinks)
9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Dubai Garden Glow at the Zabeel Park (60 AED per person + taxi fare)
Day 3
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Abu Dhabi City Tour (Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi Corniche, Emirates Palace, Drive Through Presidential Palace, Heritage Village, Abu Dhabi Marina Mall, Islamic Art Museum, Dates Market, Drive To Saadiyat. Yas Island and Ferrari World Photo Stop
7:00 p.m. to 12:00 M.N.
- Dubai Mall for the dancing fountain show
Day 4
- Dubai Miracle Garden (50 AED per person + taxi fare)
- Souk Madinat Jumeirah (no entrance fee since it is a mall; taxi fare)
- Gold Souk (no entrance fee since it’s a market; taxi fare)
Departure from DXB
Day 5
11:00 a.m.
- Arrival in Manila, PH (Flying time: 9 hours)
Please note that for Filipino passport holders, a VISA is required to enter Dubai. We will write about getting one for our next entry. Note that we also offer visa assistance.
Watch our video below, which was featured by Dubai FB page:
Couple Meets World 