Dubai Marina Ferry Trip and the Souks of Old Dubai

One of my favourite day trips to take or send visitors to Dubai on, is the RTA Ferry from Dubai Marina to The Creek in Old Dubai.

The RTA ferry (Roads and Transport Authority) is one of the few places as a tourist you can view the whole Dubai skyline from and includes a trip around the The Palm.

For 50 AED per person, you spend 90 minutes in the Arabian Gulf, setting off from Dubai Marina (check times and prices on the website) arriving in Al Ghubaiba where you can catch the train, bus or taxi to return to your hotel.

You can of course do this journey in reverse but I'd recommend if you visit on a Friday to start your journey at the Marina as the Souks and museums don't open until 2.30pm.

Arriving at Dubai Marina, you need to exit on the lower ground floor with the Marina in front of you and turn left towards Pier 7 and walk approximately 500ms where you'll find the ticket office located right outside Carrefour and a lovely restaurant, La Gaufrette, where we often have breakfast of coffee and pastries before boarding the ferry around 10.45am. 

The journey takes you past the new Bluewater Island and the Dubai Eye, around The Palm, providing a fantastic photo opportunity of the Atlantis Hotel, pass the Burj Al Arab and along the coast to the new Dubai Water Canal. Stay on the ferry as we're heading to the Creek, you'll get to see the whole Dubai skyline which you can capture on an iPhone 5s screen and catch a glimpse of the QE2.

On arrival at Al Ghubaiba get off the ferry and turn right, following the creek side for approximately 200ms to Brjeel Heritage Guest House where I recommend you stop for a spot of lunch and use the toilets.

If you've visited Dubai before, are here for a week or are particularly interested in the history of Dubai you can continue walking along this part of the Creek, called Shindagha, where you'll find many of Dubai's Museums, including the official residence of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, Grandfather of the present ruler of Dubai. It is one of the oldest buildings in Dubai constructed in 1896. 

Continuing through with this trip, walk back towards the ferry and continue along the creek till you reach the Abra's. Where for 1 dirham you can cross the Creek on one of these wooden boots whose name derives from the Arabic verb 'abara' meaning 'to cross' These boats are also managed by the RTA. 

On the other side of the Creek are the Gold and Spice souks and are worth a visit. But I recommend if you want to eat or use the toilets, you do so on this side of the Creek. Return on the abr I'm going to take you to Dubai Museum and Al Fahidi Fort, where you can explore the history of pearl diving in Dubai and it's development into what you see today.

To get to the fort after your abra trip continue left and you can meander through the Souk, which in my opinion is the best place to purchase your souvenirs from and pick up a pashmina or two. They is some pressure on you to purchase goods and to barter on prices in this area, but be polite and say no and carry on walking, it's fairly light hearted banter. 

Don't be tempted to wander off anywhere though with anyone offering to sell you 'good quality, knock off, genuine, fake Rolex or handbags' though.

When you reach the end, turn right and you'll see the Fort in front of you. Entrance is only 3 dirham. 

Don't be fooled by thinking there's very little there, in the far left corner there's a spiral walkway that leads you to an underground museum filled with the story of Dubai.

When you've finished your visit walk back towards the ferry where you can get a taxi, on the Hop on Hop off bus or follow the signs for the metro, to get back to your hotel.

If your time is limited in Dubai, I'd suggest you stop at Dubai Mall and visit the Burj Khalifa having pre booked your tickets (saves money and guarantees you a slot) from 4pm onwards. You'll need at least an hour to reach the Mall from here as the walkway from the Metro into the Mall is actually 1km long and then you need to go down to the lower ground floor in the opposite corner.

You can however (if we are friends on Social Media) give me a yell and I'll happily accompany you, if you pay for my coffee for the day.

One Daily Positive 2017 Week 1 Moving on.

Welcome to my 3rd year of Project 365, SnapHappyBritMums prompts and One Daily Positive. I've had a clear out on social media and left quite a few groups and joined a few, more suited to the links I join in with with.

I've been giving a lot of thought to what I post on my blog as it's currently a mix of gardening, pets, family, travel and life as an expat, plus the odd general moan and groan about life in general. But I've decided I'm not really a person who wants or needs to fit in with life and others, so I'll just carry on with what I'm doing, which is writing an online diary about my personal experiences. However I am still on the lookout for a travel or days out linky to join in with on a weekly basis.

Happy New Year and moving on, please forget everything that I said last year, for this is a new one and I'm hitting in full force. I start the year without a job, but I have my husband, my family visiting over the holidays and planned trips to the UK throughout the year and friends. New Years Day lunch. 
1/365 The Night Before.

This is the year I will come to love Dubai, make good friends and feel I belong. We spent the day at Wild Wadi water park.
2/365 2017

With the kids and niece at Global Village for dinner and shopping. 

3/365 I'm eating

A quiet day with son and niece at the beach, teen to the dentist for final wisdom tooth extraction and apart from running them around, washing and ironing, I've spent most of the day in the garden watching The Crown on Netflix and scheduling blog posts.

4/365 I'm watching.

A lovely day, spent the morning in the desert, followed by a picnic breakfast for 3 plus #BobTheDog shopping with my niece and dinner with Peter, Beth, Dan and Alex at Reem Al Bawadi wishing I'd ordered one of the for dessert also.
5/365 I'm Thinking.

At the airport to see Dan off on his travels home, we've had a great 3 weeks, despite me losing his UK SIM card. Spent our last day on the beach, he got a little sun burnt. On our return home #BobTheDog was looking for him.  
6/365 I'm loving.

Taxi from home to Dubai Marina, on the ferry to the Creek, souks, lunch and shopping. Abra to the other side and taxi home. A lovely day spent with Peter, Beth and Dan.
7/365 Silver.

On the blog this week:

Animal Tales, HDYGG and PoCoLo A visit to The Green Planet at City Walk. A tropical rain forest in the desert.

My Sunday Photo Week 105 D is for disappointment.

Dubai Ferry trip

There are several routes available, travel along the coast  or take a look at The Palm from the sea, or just pop to one of the fabulous beaches in Jumeriah away from the tourists.

For up to date information on times, locations and costs visit the RTA website

Catching the ferry from either Dubai Marina or Al Ghubaiba, Deira Creek is a must do if visiting Dubai. The trip costs AED 50 and lasts for 90 minutes. After a brief safety demo, the ferry sets off out the harbour.

We started our trip from the Creek, catching the bus from our house on the Al Wasl Road, on our arrival at the Marina, we travelled home on the tram, train and bus. 

Food and snacks were served on the ferry and you were free to walk around talking as many photos as you wanted, which of course my son and I did in abundance.

The ferry travels approximately 1km from the shore line and the views are simply stunning. On this day I had a headache so stayed mainly indoors, so please excuse the reflection in the windows. To be able to see all of Dubai in one go is astounding.

We can see the Burj Al Arab from the beach near our house, but when approaching from the Mairina area by road you can only see the top half of the building and despite the sail looking very close to the Al Arab there is now such much building going on around the area you can only see this iconic view now from the air or sea.

The last part of the journey is entering Dubai Marina, again the shore line is simply stunning.

Dubai Marina Mall, final destination from where you can get the tram, tube or a taxi back to your hotel or home. After a spot of lunch and shopping of course.

The best holiday we ever had, France with 5 kids.

As an expat family, it has been a long time since we've all been together, let alone on a holiday together. The eldest child, who moved into residential care in 2001, now aged 25 is profoundly disabled and due to her disabilities holidaying as a family of 7 was only possible on one occasion to France August 1st - 10th 2002.

After a delay with a cancellation on the ferries of 12 hours and 5 kids aged 3, 7, 10, 13 and 14 we arrived in Brittany rather tired and weary in our 7 seater, filled to the brim. We had booked the over night crossing with the intention of at least one of us getting some sleep after a 5 hour drive, 12 hour wait in Bournemouth and a 6 hour ferry crossing where our daughter wouldn't sit still and between us and supervising the other children we walked the entire crossing to occupy her.


After another long drive to Concarneau, we arrived at the Gite we had rented, unpacked and let the children explore the gardens and neighbouring fields, where they came across a horse that the 3 year old nick named 'Hip, Hip, Horsey' who was green and had 8 legs.

We ventured to the beach every day, Brest, le Conquet, Quimper, Carnac and our favourite Damgan. We had visited and have visited this area of France om many other occasions. Our daughter couldn't stay on the beach for long periods of time otherwise she'd rub sand in her eyes or eat it and as the boys were only really interested in sand castle competitions, this was an ideal beach for hubby and I to take it in turns to explore the town drinking coffee and eating pastries, while the other stayed on the beach, judging castle competitions, supervising the picnic or taking the boys on the trampolines.

This holiday also gave us the opportunity to take many photos of all the children together enjoying themselves and a rare photo of all 7 of us. The eldest boy always seems to have a birthday when we're on holiday, the last one was his 18th in San Fransisco before he left home in 2007, the next eldest had their last family holiday in Tunisia in 2010 before he left home also.

In 2011 we moved to South Africa, we've had family holidays with the youngest 2 children, camping in Kruger and Hubby and I to Cape Town on our own when the children have visited the UK. Our 2 older boys have been out to visit us, but holidays here are more about entertaining and taking family and friends to explore. We travel separately to the UK to stretch out contact with the adult children and our parents. The youngest child, now 14, left home last week to become a full time boarder in the UK. That just leaves the 2nd youngest now aged 18 who leaves home for a life in the Marines, mid 2014.

Holidays are very important to us as a family, we've travelled to many places with a combination of children and on our own. But the holiday to Brittany was our best ever holiday. It was the one and only time outside day to day life that we were all together. It was hard work, but the fondest of memories.

Sharing this post from 2013 and linking up with