Dubai

Day one of the trip and we have landed at Dubai international airport which is enormous and have to take a shuttle train to the main arrivals area and through to passport control.

Luckily a kind traveller from our flight has given us a fast track pass so we don't have to queue.

We approach the desk seperately and i proceed through with no issue but turn around to see Andrew has been stopped and sent back to immigration - gulp a tense moment as i wait to see if Andrew will return to where we parted or will he end up somewhere else.

Just to add to the tension Andrews mobile phone has now gone dead so no way of contacting him.

Then 10 minutes later he is back and waving his passport and is let through passport control, relief, but he has no idea why he was stopped and the passport checked.

All part of the fun of travelling I suppose.

We then collect our luggage and off to the duty free to pick up some alcohol which you can purchase when you arrive to take with you to your hotel, drinks are expensive in hotels here and some don't serve it so be aware, there is no problem with you having your own in your room to enjoy a glass or two when you're ready to start your evening.

Now we have the task of getting from the airport to the hotel and have been told the metro is very good and easy to use.

Once we have mastered the ticket machine we are off, you can select english but it doesn't make it clear what type of ticket to buy or for how many trips but after reading up on this Andrew has discovered that once you have your ticket this can be topped up with future trips so your ticket will work as a travel card.

Once we got on the metro we had no trouble in getting to the financial district where our hotel was located, in fact it took about 20 minutes on the train and a five minute walk from the metro station to our hotel.

We arrived early at the hotel and we had been told check in was usually 3pm.

We had emailed the hotel ahead of our arrival, unfortunately the room wasn't ready for us but we where reassured it would be sorted by 11am and that we could leave our bags in a secure room at reception, this we did and decided to have a look round the hotel , relax and have a coffee.

On further travels out and about we discovered our choice of hotel "The Warwick Dubai" was in an excellent position being in the centre of all the attractions.

Once settled in and after a short nap to recharge ourselves we decided to head out and start exploring the sights , shorts on, suntan lotion on, camera and action - here we go .

So we head on foot for the Dubai Mail shopping centre which is about a 15 minute walk from the hotel and arrive after negotiating the six lane highways which seem to run everywhere.

Its now about 3pm on our first day and the sky is a bit hazey but still warm at 30 plus degrees.

The Dubai Mail is amazing - fountains outside, marble inside and designer top name shops, assortment of restaurants for all tastes, etc. a shoppers paradise.

The Mall has an enormous aquarium which is well worth the visit - the best thing to do it to buy the City sight seeing ticket for the tour bus as this will include entry to this attraction and many others around Dubai.

The only issue we had was timing of the trips - make sure you confirm these with the tour person that sells you the ticket. We bought a 3 day ticket which on hindsight was great value and the best way to get round Dubai.

Inside the Mail there is also the aqua zoo, an ice rink, several waterfalls and outside the worlds largest muscial water fountains.

Once we have done all the sites at the mail we then head off on the tour bus as the sun set to see the city at night and the bright lights.

Here are some of the sites and views we have experienced.

Day two in Dubai and again we set off on the city sight touring bus to Dubai creek which takes in a bus journey around many of the amazing skyscrapers of the city.

On route we stop at the old market near the museum which is a little quiet today as Friday is traditionally a day of rest.

We then re-join the bus and head to the other side of the creek where we wander round and experience the wonderful colours and smells of the spice market before taking a trip on a boat called a Dhow.

The creek is buzzing with commercial trading boats , ferries and small water taxis criss crossing from one side of the creek to the other .

Our trip round the creek takes about an hour, In the heat of the day the colder air and partial shade on board provides temporary relief.

After the Dhow we are back on the bus and heading back to our hotel again seeing more of Dubai's ever growing city.

Its been a great day sightseeing so it's time to relax, get something to eat and head back to the hotel.

After a cup of tea and a few beers we head to the 360 degree roof top observation bar to watch the sun go down , have a few drinks and watch the city light up.

Day 3 and it's a bit cloudy today but still warm as we start the day but as the cloud clears a little it becomes very hot and humid.

We are taking the city bus from Dubai Mall to the Palm and Marina area so there is plenty to see and catch some more snaps of the skyscrapers if you've missed any.

The Atlantis hotel is magnificent on the outside but unfortunately you can't go inside, there is a shopping mail attached which you can walk around and get a glimpse of the waterpark.

It is here that you get connections to and from the Marina, again there is a shopping mail and lots of high rises, nice hotels that are perched around the artificial man made Sandy beach, the water is a lovely luke warm temperature, just right for a paddle.

After a walk along the beach we stop for lunch, a simple salad and a healthy fruit shake, then head back on the bus to our hotel to finish our day with a cheeky beer, what a great day.

Well it's time to pack our bags again and get ready to set off in the morning for the next leg of our trip.

India here we come, apparently 44 degrees - phew that will be hot but hopefully after Dubai we will be more aclimatised.

Approximately a three and a half hour flight with Emirates and we will be travelling 1345 miles on the next leg to Delhi.