I recently took a scenic 40-minute Dubai seaplane tour with a company called Seawings. Though Dubai is both hot and hazy in the summertime, it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, and even though the visibility wasn't the best, it actually added to the experience.
We took off from the marina at Jebel Ali Resort. The resort is a lovely little oasis tucked away in a quiet industrial area south of the city. As an international flight attendant, take offs and landings are just another day at the office for me, but I don’t usually get to experience them on the water. It’s quite a different feeling.
View this post on Instagram
The flight took us over Dubai’s most famous attractions - the Burj Khalifa, World Islands, Burj Al Arab. We got to get a glimpse of the Dubai Eye ferris wheel being constructed; once completed, it will be the largest ferris wheel in the world at 260 meters high.
We circled around the Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island large enough to be seen from space. I’ve been on the Palm before, but you don’t really get a feel for how cool the design is until you view it from above.
View this post on Instagram
When I initially decided to take the flight I knew it was quite dusty and that the visibility wouldn’t be ideal. But it might have been the best time to do it. Dubai is a city built up from desert, and as we cruised through the sky, the city’s futuristic-looking buildings slowly appeared out of the haze, giving it an almost magical feel. The larger-than-life landmarks disappeared the same way they had appeared, almost a reflection of Dubai’s transient population.
The contrast of old and new below us -- modern skyscrapers fading in and out of view beside miles of untamed desert -- gave a perfect glimpse of this unique city.
NOTE: Dubai & Abu Dhabi scenic tours, as well as charter flights can be booked through the official Seawings website. I am not affliliated with Seawings, nor was I paid to promote them for this post. All photos and opinions are my own.
Like this post? Save it to Pinterest!
