Alexandra Dhow Cruise in the Dubai Marina
“Take every chance you have in life, because some things only happen once.” – Karen Gibbs
After an amazing day at the Jumeirah Mosque, Elaine and I headed to our hotel to get ready for our evening on the water. While in the States, Elaine found the Alexandra Dhow Boat Cruise in the Dubai Marina, via Viator. Our pre-paid tickets cost $47 each, which included a boat ride down the Dubai Marina, entertainment, and a buffet. We were looking forward to experiencing a new perspective of Dubai, from the ocean.
We grabbed a taxi from our hotel, and off we went. The Marina was about 45 minutes away, and one of our more expensive cab rides, but still affordable. The cab driver chatted with us and recommended White Dubai, “the best club in Dubai.” We never made it there, but at least we were informed.
The GPS navigated us to a random back alley. We drove around the marina for a bit, trying to figure out where to exit. Finally, we decided to walk the rest of the way, as we were driving in circles. Now, we were pressed for time, and we scurried through the marina, trying to locate our cruise.
Travel tip: If heading to the marina, go early. Apparently, the cabs have difficulties pinpointing the boat location.
We finally found our boat and checked in. We had some time to explore the area, so we climbed the steps to the mosque.
When I reached the door, I grabbed the handle. I wanted to see if the mosque was open and take a peek inside. The sun was long gone, and I did not stop to question whether anyone would be inside, praying or not.
A man stopped me, informing me I was interrupting prayer time. I apologized and stepped back to inspect the outside. A few minutes later, the man reappeared and invited me in. As I entered, I was pleasantly surprised. I guess he sensed my disappointment and decided to bend the rules for me.
Elaine was quick to follow, and we looked around. We had a chance to see a few men on the ground, praying. We snapped a quick picture before leaving.
When we exited, Elaine said, “What happened? You ran in there like a bat out of hell, and you didn’t even cover your hair!”
My response, “Whoops. I forgot about my hair. The guy summoned me, and I was just excited to go inside.”
When a woman enters a mosque, she needs to cover her hair. In my childlike state of mind, I forgot about this as I entered their holy space. I was shocked to gain entry, after being shot down. We thought about this for a minute. No one stared at me with disapproval. No one arrested me. No one stoned me. No one shot me. The longer I stayed in the country, the more intrigued I became with the culture and religion, and the safer I felt wandering the streets of Dubai.
We then entered our boat, where we caught spectacular views of the marina on the water. The perspective was so pretty, and my pictures did not touch upon the beauty around us.
We were seated, and as our boat set sail, we were led to a buffet table. There were two long tables with various dishes to taste. The buffet was a typical buffet. I prefer to order off a menu, but the food was a good addition to the package.
We sailed around, checking out the buildings and lights. After dessert, the entertainment came on. A man dressed very ornately spun around before our eyes. This was the first time we were exposed to this type of show, but not our last.
From our boat, we also got a great view of the Ferris Wheel. This was the only part of our trip that gave us this perspective, and the views were beautiful.
Our boat ride was a lot of fun, and we got to experience Dubai in a whole new way. The marina was absolutely adorable, and we would have never discovered it had Elaine not found the Alexandra Dow Cruise. We would definitely recommend this as a fun night out in Dubai.
Before grabbing a cab back to the hotel, we tried to reach the Observatory Bar & Grill at the Marriott Dubai Harbour Hotel & Suites. Elaine found this spot as being the best place to view Palm Jumeirah, which we wanted to see. The walk ended up being long, and we got tired. Although we were near, we still had quite a distance to travel, and the time was late. We aborted this part of our mission and promised ourselves we would go back to see the man-made, palm island.
Travel tip: Want to see Palm Jumeirah from a building as opposed to skydiving? For panoramic views of the palm and marina, visit the Observatory Bar & Grill.
More blogs from this trip:
- Three Firemen and a Girl in Leopard Pajamas
- Touchdown: Dubai
- Dubai: Kite Beach
- Dubai: Pierchic, Where the Sun Kisses the Ocean
- The Dubai Fountain, The Dubai Mall
- Jumeirah Grand Mosque, Dubai: Open Doors. Open Minds.
- Dubai City Tour
- Red Dune Safari with Sand Boarding, UAE
- Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- Gold on 27, Burj Al Arab, Dubai
- The Dubai Frame, UAE
- Observatory Bar & Grill, Dubai Marina
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Sounds like an adventurous night! ? The cruise sounded great! But I was laughing at the mosque incident. Too funny!
Lol… Yes, it was definitely an adventure. 😉