But if you thought Dubai was only for the rich and famous, the Dazzling Dubai tour will grab your attention.

Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai

Put together by Friendly Planet Travel, who specialize in exotic travel destinations at affordable prices, this six-day tour is priced at just $1,499, including airfare from JFK.  That’s right, under $1,500 in a city where a night in a hotel can set you back that much or more.  This is a steal!

Here’s what the tour includes:

• Flights via Emirates Airlines, consistently hailed as one of the world’s top airlines, out of JFK (New York).  Add on charges from the west coast.
• Hotel accommodations at the luxurious Fairmont Hotel Dubai
• Daily buffet breakfast in Dubai
• Dubai city tour
• Arrival and departure transfers
• English speaking tour manager

Additional taxes and security fees apply, and there are a variety optional excursions and extensions available.  As with any travel purchase, you should do your due diligence and read the fine print of package.  Departures are offered through April 2010.

You’ll have plenty of time to wander around and see what interests you, as well as time to sample that wonderful duty free shopping.  What’s to see in Dubai:  The Dynamic Tower, a rotating skyscraper, The World, a man-made Archipelago of 300 islands built in the shape of the land masses of the earth, Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building, and Burg Al Arab (in photo), where you’ll find the world’s most expensive hotel room.

Optional tours are very reasonably priced and include a wild desert safari and a visit to the Mall of the Emirates, where you can ski the world’s only indoor slopes.  Optional trip extensions include a Kenya Wildlife Safari and a trip to Cairo.

If you thought a trip to Dubai was out of your price range, think again.  This is an affordable way to see the most expensive city in the world.

Photo credit: dlisbona @flickr

Post from: Blisstree

Affordable Travel to Dubai is Not an Oxymoron

If you do, you’re not alone, as a recent survey commissioned by Disney  just revealed.

What do people do to make a vacation extra special?  Upgraded and special experiences topped the survey list:

• Enjoy a special meal (59 percent)
• Stay in nicer accommodations (35 percent)
• Group activities (35 percent)
• Buy souvenirs (34 percent)
• Special tours (27 percent)
• Private rooms at restaurants (23 percent)

I know I have taken special trips for occasions, including anniversaries, birthdays, reunions.  And for those trips my habits correspond to the survey results – a special meal, maybe an upgrade to a suite, or some other special activity for our group.

Do you take vacations for a celebration?  Do you make it extra special in one of these ways?

Source:  Travel Agent Central

Photo credit: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Choosing Travel for Special Occasions

So we planned a weekend away. My mom is coming to stay with the kids. I am nervous because, I get anxiety when I’m away from my kids for longer than a few hours. I get homesickness that is very reminiscent of my childhood feelings of being away from my home. It is a strange thing to so badly want a vacation from being a mommy, then not be able to enjoy it when I finally get my wish. A mom on another parenting site, said that she never once took a vacation without her kids. All of them are adults, but she never once had a romantic weekend away from them and never wanted to. I have to wonder what kind of person doesn’t feel the need to escape the stresses of parenthood, once in a blue moon?

As much as I miss my kids when I’m away (which has happened a total of three times,) I am glad to spend some time rekindling my marriage flames. It is nice to return home to children who are happy to see me, instead of the usual disgust at the sight of my face and requests to drop dead.

Am I alone here? Does anybody else think that going through the journey of parenthood without pulling over in the occasional rest stop, is just insane?

Post from: Blisstree

A Much Needed Break!