AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Dubai 2025 Day 1: Kuala Lumpur to Dubai
Dubai 2025 Day 1: 13th April (Sunday)
Small Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Dubai:
Day 1 - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Dubai (UAE):
Day 1 - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Dubai (UAE):
Kuala Lumpur>KLIA>Emirates>Dubai International Airport (Dubai)>Avani Ibn Batuta Hotel>Dubai Yacht Marina>Start Yacht Cruise>Dubai Marina>Ain Dubai>Palm Jumeirah>Pistol Island>Burj Al Arab>End Yacht Cruise>Dubai Yacht Marina>Avani Ibn Batuta Hotel.
This is page 1 of a 3-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
Route recommendations, here're some tips on travelling in and around Dubai (UAE):
1. Traffic Directions!
Driving in Dubai is left-hand drive, and driving is on the right-hand side. Speed limits are between 25-40km/h (15-25mph) on residential roads and 100km/h (62mph) for major highways, which may have up to six to seven lanes on each side. Do look to the correct side when crossing roads.
2. Immigration & Customs Requirements
For UAE, citizens of Malaysia do not need a visa to enter for travel purposes and can stay in the country for 90 days without a visa. Click here for visa requirements for other countries.
3. Getting to and around Dubai.
Dubai is easily accessible by air as most major airlines serve Dubai. We were mostly on a van-guided tour, about 1,300 UAE dirhams for 10 hours (700 dirhams for the driver and van, 600 dirhams for the guide). Self-travel was via the Uber ride-hailing app, do check the fare before getting down, as drivers have a tendency to add a self-tip.
4. Places & Things of Interest
Enroute were several places of interest, some of which we visited and others we did not for lack of time (Note: click on GPS coordinates for a directional map to respective places):
a. Dubai Harbour Marina Walk (GPS: 25.09228, 55.14245), around the vicinity of the Dubai Harbour Yacht Pier.
a. Dubai Harbour Marina Walk (GPS: 25.09228, 55.14245), around the vicinity of the Dubai Harbour Yacht Pier.
b. Ain Dubai (GPS: 25.2672, 51.55832) (Ain Dubai website), the world's tallest Ferris Wheel.
d. Palm Jumeirah (GPS: 25.11243, 55.13897), a man-made resort island shaped like a palm from an aerial view.
e. Pistol Island (GPS: 25.11207, 55.15249), an adjacent island that looks like a flint-lock pistol.
f. Burj Al Arab Building (GPS: 25.14119, 55.18524), one of the tallest hotels in the world; viewed during the marina cruise of the Dubai Marina.
5. Food
a. Breakfast:
Western/Malaysian Fare (Curry Noodles is not to be missed) & Western Fare at Premier Lounge KLIA (GPS: 2.75376, 101.7046). This lounge is open to credit card-holders of participating banks. There is an inner private lounge for OUB credit card holders.
b. Morning Tea:
Meals-on-Board Emirates Flight EK345 from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai: Warm Chicken or Vegetarian Sandwiches with Mango & Tomato Juice.
Meals-on-Board Emirates Flight EK345 from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai: Warm Chicken or Vegetarian Sandwiches with Mango & Tomato Juice.
c. Lunch:
Meals-on-Board Emirates Flight EK345 from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai: Chicken with Rice, Coleslaw, Agar-agar, Tomato Juice and Coffee. Chicken with rice only so-so, expected better.
Meals-on-Board Emirates Flight EK345 from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai: Chicken with Rice, Coleslaw, Agar-agar, Tomato Juice and Coffee. Chicken with rice only so-so, expected better.
d. Dinner:
Meals on board "Volare" Catamaran during the 2-hour Dubai Marina Cruise: Chicken Hot-Dog, Satay, Fruits, Lemonade, and Water.
Meals on board "Volare" Catamaran during the 2-hour Dubai Marina Cruise: Chicken Hot-Dog, Satay, Fruits, Lemonade, and Water.
6. Accommodations
First of two nights at the Avani Ibn Batuta Hotel (GPS: 25.04572, 55.11815), Dubai. We managed to get good corporate rates through a friend; visit the hotel website here for hotel booking and rates.
7. Tour Costs & Arrangements
Air tickets bought at MYR 4430 for a return flight from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai to Casablanca, and Casablanca to Kuala Lumpur with transit in Dubai.
The ground arrangements for a 10-hour guided tour package for six on the second day was at 1,300 dirham (700 dirham for a 10-passenger van with a driver, and 600 dirhams for the tour guide). Airport transfer from the airport to the hotel was at 350 dirhams, and from the hotel to the airport at 300 dirhams.
The 2-hour Dubai Marina Cruise (around the Dubai Marina) was pre-booked through GET YOUR GUIDE at MYR240 per pax inclusive of dinner.
The 2-hour Dubai Marina Cruise (around the Dubai Marina) was pre-booked through GET YOUR GUIDE at MYR240 per pax inclusive of dinner.
For out-of-pocket spending, we exchanged some AED dirhams while in Malaysia and brought along some USD and Euros too. As a contingency, we brought along our Wise debit cards.
8. Communicating with Each Other
When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest.
Upon arrival, one can get a free 1G sim card upon request from the immigration counter. This free sim is valid for twenty-four hours, and can be recharged online or at any of the respective telco stores.
Those who use Maxis as their telco can pre-purchase the Maxis Roaming Pass. Seven-Days APAC Data Pass with unlimited data covers the UAE cost RM69. The Pass can be bought before the trip with a designated starting time/date, BUT DO TURN OFF your data roaming just before the Roaming Pass expires OTHERWISE any subsequent usage will automatically trigger off the 1-Day Roaming Pass costing between RM29 to RM38 per day!
Upon arrival, one can get a free 1G sim card upon request from the immigration counter. This free sim is valid for twenty-four hours, and can be recharged online or at any of the respective telco stores.
Those who use Maxis as their telco can pre-purchase the Maxis Roaming Pass. Seven-Days APAC Data Pass with unlimited data covers the UAE cost RM69. The Pass can be bought before the trip with a designated starting time/date, BUT DO TURN OFF your data roaming just before the Roaming Pass expires OTHERWISE any subsequent usage will automatically trigger off the 1-Day Roaming Pass costing between RM29 to RM38 per day!
9. Communicating with Locals
At favourite tourist destinations, most locals speak fairly good English. At the smaller towns, locals speak some rudimentary English, and our local guide was most helpful in translating for us.
10. Weather
Useful weather forecast sites for Dubai is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.
11. Navigation
I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.
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PRELUDE
Ah.... Dubai... a place where many have been to but never really visited, as it is a major transit stop for many flying Emirates Airlines. Yours truly has also stopped here many times, but had NEVER stepped out of the Dubai International Airport. Our previous transit here was during a cycling tour of Portugal and Spain in 2019.
Okay, okay.... we were flying Emirates for a 2-week Morocco holiday, but this time instead of just transiting, we stayed on for two nights to enjoy the city. So, what did we do in Dubai in this short period? Read on to find out!
But before going, the missus was worried about my knee. Three months earlier, I had gone for a Total Kneecap Replacement surgery for my right knee, and the missus was worried that at places like the crowded medinas in Morocco, there would be no place to sit to rest my legs.
Okay, okay.... we were flying Emirates for a 2-week Morocco holiday, but this time instead of just transiting, we stayed on for two nights to enjoy the city. So, what did we do in Dubai in this short period? Read on to find out!
But before going, the missus was worried about my knee. Three months earlier, I had gone for a Total Kneecap Replacement surgery for my right knee, and the missus was worried that at places like the crowded medinas in Morocco, there would be no place to sit to rest my legs.
To overcome this, we went shopping for a walking stick that can fold out with a seat! We opted for the handy Ta-Da Chair Series 2 from the HomeCare shop at SS2, Petaling Jaya (GPS: 3.12022, 101.62154). For Malaysians, there is a tax relief for this purchase of supporting equipment.
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DAY 1: KUALA LUMPUR-DUBAI
Guided Small Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Dubai:
Day 1- Kuala Lumpur to Dubai:
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Dubai (UAE):
Kuala Lumpur>KLIA>Emirates>Dubai International Airport (Dubai)>Avani Ibn Batuta Hotel>Dubai Yacht Marina>Start Yacht Cruise>Dubai Marina>Ain Dubai>Palm Jumeirah>Pistol Island>Burj Al Arab>End Yacht Cruise>Dubai Yacht Marina>Avani Ibn Batuta Hotel.
Most of the posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out of your Facebook first).
7:30am - Checked-in at KLIA for Emirates Flight EK345 Kuala Lumpur to Dubai. Testing out the new walking stick-chair, trying to imagine myself as a cool looking John Steed of The Avengers, with a cane in one hand and Emma Peel in the other .... sans the bowler hat! 😆😂😆😇
This has become our regular travel routine - check in, clear Immigration AND then make a beeline for the Premium Lounge!
The lounge is open to credit card-holders of participating banks. There is an inner private lounge for OUB credit card holders.
This time, as my tummy was a bit queasy, I forgoed my favourite, the Curry Noodles. I still had the Chicken Satay, though.
Priority Boarding on a wheelchair!
I had brought my Ta-Da Chair Series 2 walking stick-seat along and inquired at the check-in counter whether I had to check it in. I didn't have too, I could just take it along; they even asked if I needed a wheelchair. Since it's quite a distance to the boarding gate, why not? In fact, one can pre-request for this at the transit and arrival airports too.
Meals-on-Board Emirates Flight EK345 from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai:
Tea time snacks of Chicken or Vegetarian sandwiches with Mango & Tomato Juice.
We used to look forward to these Meals-on-Board but were disappointed by the present ones, which were just below their usual par.
Tea time snacks of Chicken or Vegetarian sandwiches with Mango & Tomato Juice.
We used to look forward to these Meals-on-Board but were disappointed by the present ones, which were just below their usual par.
These days Emirates, although a mainstream airline, seems to be operating like a budget airline in some ways - other than the downgraded food, now there is also a charge for reserving seats! To allow some ease for my operated right leg, I had booked aisle seats for all four sectors; this booking came to MYR408.
Meals-on-Board Emirates Flight EK345 from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai:
Lunch of Chicken with Rice, Coleslaw, Agar-agar, Tomato Juice and Coffee. Chicken with rice was only so-so; we had expected better.
Lunch of Chicken with Rice, Coleslaw, Agar-agar, Tomato Juice and Coffee. Chicken with rice was only so-so; we had expected better.
2:30pm Dubai Time: Landing approach to Dubai International Airport.
Cabin window view as we passed by the Jabal Al Harim Mountain at the Hajar Mountains Range, and later on across the Persian Gulf.
Cabin window view as we passed by the Jabal Al Harim Mountain at the Hajar Mountains Range, and later on across the Persian Gulf.
Along Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road (SMBZ Road), heading from the airport to Dubai City. It's a superb highway with fourteen lanes (seven lanes on each side) at most stretches. Still, there are traffic jams during peak hours, so one can imagine the great number of cars in the city-state!
This was once known as the Abu Dhabi Road, a four-lane highway (two lanes on each side). 1971 saw the construction of a two-lane carriageway road from Dubai to Abu Dhabi with the Dubai-Jebel Ali Road as its base. Construction of the four-lane highway was completed in 1980.
This was once known as the Abu Dhabi Road, a four-lane highway (two lanes on each side). 1971 saw the construction of a two-lane carriageway road from Dubai to Abu Dhabi with the Dubai-Jebel Ali Road as its base. Construction of the four-lane highway was completed in 1980.
Checking into Avani Ibn Batuta Hotel, a business-class hotel that is strategically located forty minutes from the airport and thirty minutes from the city centre. It has easy walking access to the Ibn Battuta Mall (mall website) and Ibn Battuta Metro Station.
Ibn Battuta was a 14th-century Moroccan explorer who is reputed to have travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, totalling around 117,000 km, surpassing Zheng He with about 50,000 km and Marco Polo with 24,000 km.
Room 1707, our hotel room at the Avani Ibn Batuta Hotel.
It's a very comfortable room overlooking the hotel pool, the adjacent Ibn Battuta Mall, and the uniquely designed Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel.
Ibn Battuta was a 14th-century Moroccan explorer who is reputed to have travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, totalling around 117,000 km, surpassing Zheng He with about 50,000 km and Marco Polo with 24,000 km.
Room 1707, our hotel room at the Avani Ibn Batuta Hotel.
It's a very comfortable room overlooking the hotel pool, the adjacent Ibn Battuta Mall, and the uniquely designed Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel.
Night street views along the SMBZ Road, heading to the Dubai Harbour Yacht Pier.
We took Uber ride-hail cars from the hotel to the pier. Note: check the fare before getting down, as the drivers have a bad tendency of adding a high self-tip without asking
Night views at the adjacent Dubai Harbour Marina Walk. We had arrived forty minutes earlier to check in for the harbour yacht tour and had some time to explore the marina walk just around the pier area.
Night views at the adjacent Dubai Harbour Marina Walk. We had arrived forty minutes earlier to check in for the harbour yacht tour and had some time to explore the marina walk just around the pier area.
I would recommend an hour's walk here, as it's an impressive walkway stretching a seven-kilometre loop along the marina waterfront. One can even cycle here - pity we didn't bring our bicycles along.
At one end of the Marina Walk, more views of Ain Dubai, the world's tallest Ferris Wheel.
What's this? A jumble sale of used shoes?
No, it's a basketful of shoes of the cruise patron; when boarding, we were required to take off our shoes right at the ship's entrance so as to keep the floors inside clean and sand-free.
No, it's a basketful of shoes of the cruise patron; when boarding, we were required to take off our shoes right at the ship's entrance so as to keep the floors inside clean and sand-free.
At the harbour, all manners of ships were sailing around - many were modern, sleek-looking catamarans/trimarans, and few were re-purposed Shu'ai, i.e. medium-sized dhows.
I went to Kerala in 2015, and enjoyed riding on the Kettuvallam houseboats sailing at the backwaters there. Perhaps the kind captain once piloted one of those houseboats.
Okay! We are ready to head off, Ahoy!
The cruise lasted two hours, and headed out from the pier to do a 43 km. sweep along the marina - reaching almost up to the Burj Al Arab Building.
We pass by several other notable landmarks like the Ain Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, Mohammad Bin Ahmed Al Mulla Mosque and also Pistol Island, an island that looks like a flint-lock pistol.
This 2-hour Dubai Marina Cruise was pre-booked through GET YOUR GUIDE at MYR240 per pax and included a simple buffet dinner.
Taabak Laylatak!
(That's "Have a Good Night" in Arabic)
(For more photos of Day 1, Click Here)
This is page 1 of a 3-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
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