United Arab Emirates > On the way to Dubai

At 11:30, I drive to Schiphol Airport on my way to Dubai. I am greeted by the FOX representative, and I drop off my luggage at KLM. Time for coffee and apple pie—a good start to the holiday.

United Arab Emirates - The futuristic design of the metro stations in Dubai

At two o’clock, the plane takes off for a flight of nearly six hours. I eat a little, watch a movie, and just before landing, I strike up a conversation with a Syrian seated behind me. He works in Dubai and is very enthusiastic about the city. He explains that the plane is making an extra circle because it has to wait for landing. In the distance, I see the Dubai skyline with the silhouette of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world. During the landing, the plane flies directly over the old city center. Shortly after, the wheels touch the ground—I have landed. At customs, there are long lines, even though about thirty counters are open. Fortunately, it doesn’t take long. I collect my luggage from the baggage carousel and walk outside. Here, I am met by an employee from Desert Adventure Tours. Luckily, he approaches me because there are hundreds of people holding up signs—a funny sight. Once the entire travel group is assembled, the bus takes me to the hotel. It is half past midnight local time when I arrive at the hotel. At the Flora Grand Hotel, I am assigned a suite—a very spacious room of over 80 square meters, with a large sitting area and a separate bedroom. Both areas have their own flat-screen televisions. Unfortunately, the room has only one double bed. A staff member sets up an extra bed in the sitting area, giving my travel companion and me essentially two separate sleeping spaces. At 1:30 a.m., I go to bed.