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Dubai Tour Shows Off Modern Luxury and the Ancient
Published 03/26/2010
(Dubai, United Arab Emirates) - It's the contrast of old and new that makes Dubai one of the most distinctive tourist destinations in the Middle East. Experience the intersection of traditional Islamic culture and contemporary luxury on Friendly Planet Travel's six-day Dazzling Dubai sightseeing tour for just $1,499. Spend a morning strolling through the narrow lanes of the Bastakiya District marketplace, a relic of 900-year-old Dubai. Spend an afternoon riding one of Burj Khalifa's 57 elevators, the tallest building in the world at 2,625 feet. Dine on an Arabian dhow cruise down Dubai Creek, once the hub of bustling pearling and fishing industries, and today, the best way to take in the twinkling city lights. Then tuck yourself in at the Fairmont, an iconic hotel that could have been pulled from the Las Vegas skyline, modeled after an Arabic wind tower.
Friendly Planet's Dazzling Dubai package tour gives you all this and more at a $1,499 price that pinches pennies but doesn't cut corners on the quality or scope of amenities. The trip includes round-trip airfare from New York via Emirates Airlines. Departures from Houston (add $130) and Los Angeles or San Francisco (add $200) are also available. The package also includes all transfers, deluxe hotel accommodations, daily buffet breakfast, comprehensive sightseeing with a local English-speaking expert guide, and the option to extend your stay with visits to Cairo or Kenya.
"There's only one place in the world where, in a single day, you can ski on indoor slopes and look out on a network of 300 manmade islands, and that's Dubai," said Peggy Goldman, President of Friendly Planet Travel. "Stroll through the markets like the Spice Souk or the Gold Souk, and you'll see merchants in traditional garb selling their wares. Then hop in a cab to the entrance of the Bouj El Arab and gasp, astounded, at the fleet of white Rolls-Royces parked in the driveway, waiting to take the world's wealthiest business people and celebrities wherever their hearts desire. Everywhere you look, Dubai has the biggest, the best, the tallest, and the most outrageous. It's hyperbole in steroids and a must-see for anyone who truly loves exotic travel. The audacity of Dubai's engineering achievements, and its opulent lifestyle, juxtaposed with traditions that have been a cultural backbone for centuries, is unlike anything you'll find, anywhere. Friendly Planet travelers experience all the facets of these distinct worlds on our tour."
Flights to this desert oasis are via Emirates Airlines, voted one of the world's top-five carriers by the readers of Conde Nast Magazine. Travelers will stay at the elegant and luxurious Fairmont Hotel Dubai, named one of the world's best by ForbesTraveler.com. Experience quintessential Dubai on the included guided city tour: cosmopolitan, pulsing with vibrant nightlife, rich culture, eye-popping architecture, and shopping that ranges from elegant designer malls to street markets filled with spices and gold.
Travelers can spend the remainder of their time in Dubai exploring on their own, or they can take advantage of inexpensive optional tours. Among the most popular are a wild desert safari by 4 x 4 vehicles, ending with a delicious dinner under the stars, complete with belly dancers and a henna tattoo artist. Another favorite is a visit to the Mall of the Emirates, where you can ski the world's only indoor slopes (complete with ski lift). Of course, Dubai's renowned Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building), Burj Al Arab (the world's most expensive hotel), Palm Island, and The World (manmade islands off Dubai's shoreline) can't be missed, as well as the trendy Dubai Marina, Internet City, posh Emirates Hills, and the Gold and Diamond Park.
For travelers with more time, Friendly Planet Travel also offers two extension packages to make the most of your already-included airfare. The Kenya Wildlife Safari extension, at $899, includes a mini-safari and takes vacationers to Nairobi's Masai Mara National Game Reserve and Kigio Conservancy. The Cairo Flash extension, at $399, offers travelers a tour of Egyptian wonders to the Pyramids of Cheops and Chephren, the Sphinx, and more.
For more information about Friendly Planet Travel's Dazzling Dubai and trip extension options, visit the company's Web site at www.FriendlyPlanet.com, the blog at http://blog.friendlyplanet.com, or contact Jackie Zima at Gregory FCA at (office), 215-534-2973 (mobile), or write to Jackie@GregoryFCA.com.
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