Dubai, Maldives, Doha and Egypt Dec 2021

Posts
12/19/2021 (Sun)
22:00 Burj Klifah
12/20/2021 (Mon)
09:00 Manta Air
12:00 Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, Maldives
18:00 Undersea Restaurant
12/21/2021 (Tue)
11:00 Swim with Manta Rays
12/24/2021 (Fri)
23:00 Oryx Airport Hotel Doha Airport
12/25/2021 (Sat)
11:00 Cairo Airport Meet and Assist Service
13:00 EMO Tours ATV Ride to the Great Pyramids of Giza
15:00 Marriott Mena House Cairo
18:45 139 restaurant
12/26/2021 (Sun)
08:00 Great Pyramids Tour
10:30 Nazlat Al Batran Perfum Shop
19:00 The Grill
12/27/2021 (Mon)
Ski Egypt
The Egyptian Museum
12:00 Zooba
19:00 Al Khal
12/28/2021 (Tue)
09:30 Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa
12/29/2021 (Wed)
05:30 Hot Air Balloon Ride over the Valley of the Kings
08:00 Tour of the Valley of the Kings
12/30/2021 (Thu)
14:00 Four Seasons Alexandria
12/31/2021 (Fri)
22:00 New Year's Eve Party at Four Seasons

12/19/2021 (Sun)
Burj Klifah [Directions]
22:00 Top of the tallest building in Dubai

We had a 7-hour layover in Dubai and decided to spend the time at the tallest building to soak in the view. It is a quick from the airport.


12/20/2021 (Mon)
Manta Air [Directions]
09:00 Seaplane from Male to Anantara Resort

A bucket list experience for me was to take a seaplane ride in a magical setting.


Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, Maldives [Directions]
12:00 Overwater bungalow hotel

Amazing hotel with beautiful rooms and great from-the -shore snorkeling. A bit expensive. I loved the feeling of riding my bike on the pier from my room to the island (and around the island).


Undersea Restaurant [Directions]
18:00

The food was only ok but it was amazing eating in an undersea restaurant.


12/21/2021 (Tue)
Swim with Manta Rays [Directions]
11:00 Magical

This was arranged through the Anantara Hotel. We were very lucky to swim with them because it was a bit outside of the season.


12/24/2021 (Fri)
Oryx Airport Hotel Doha Airport [Directions]
23:00 Hotel located right in the terminal

Very basic but comfortable. Perfectly adequate for a night at the airport.


12/25/2021 (Sat)
Cairo Airport Meet and Assist Service [Directions]
11:00

This was my first major trip with the kids on my own. I was concerned about navigating by myself through immigration and customs. The meet service makes it so easy. I do not believe that it was particularly expensive, but was well worth the price for a bit of peace of mind and faster transit after landing in Cairo.


EMO Tours ATV Ride to the Great Pyramids of Giza [Directions]
13:00 ATV Ride

We landed in Cairo, took the car to the hotel, met Laura, left our luggage with the front desk, and then proceeded on to our ATV ride tour on the dunes next to the Great Pyramids of Giza. I happily got on my ATV and followed the guide last in line behind my teens and Laura, who took us past a dump (filled with garbage and dead horses). Suddenly, I thought - wait where are those pyramids? Is he taking us to some remote location to be kidnapped? Filled with dread and anxiety, I wondered how I could protect my little ducks in front of me for a minute or two until I spotted the Great Pyramid in front of me. Riding across the dunes was fun and something that my teens particularly wanted to do. The best part was the photo that the tour guide tried to take of my uncoordinated group - jumping in front of the pyramids. Him: 1-2-3... No. 1-2-3...No. !-2-3...No. I do not think that all 5 of us ever managed one good shot, but it was a great laugh trying!


Marriott Mena House Cairo [Directions]
15:00 Hotel

Beautiful Grounds


139 restaurant [Directions]
18:45



12/26/2021 (Sun)
Great Pyramids Tour [Directions]
08:00 Crawl inside the pyramid

Tours are almost required in Egypt because of the kidnapping risk. The hotel that we were staying at required that we exit with a documented tour guide. We had a private tour for the 5 of us and it was lovely. We were able to see a bit of the town as well.


Nazlat Al Batran Perfum Shop [Directions]
10:30 Sit, have tea and smell amazing oils. I dare you to leave without buying something special

My kids surprisingly really got into this experience


The Grill [Directions]
19:00



12/27/2021 (Mon)
Ski Egypt [Directions]
Snow Boarding on indoor snow in Egypt

Not great snow - really more like ice - but this was great fun to snowboard in Egypt.


The Egyptian Museum [Directions]
Old Museum - the new one in Giza was under construction

It appeared that the museum was starting to be packed up. It was still worth it to visit. I imagine the new one in Giza will be spectacular.


Zooba [Directions]
12:00 Casual Restaurant

Very tasty


Al Khal [Directions]
19:00 Restaurant



12/28/2021 (Tue)
Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa [Directions]
09:30 Hotel on the Nile

Pool was awesome after touring so much. The kids were ready for some casual pool time


12/29/2021 (Wed)
Hot Air Balloon Ride over the Valley of the Kings [Directions]
05:30

Bucket list - magical


Tour of the Valley of the Kings [Directions]
08:00 King Tut's Tomb and the Valley of the Queens



12/30/2021 (Thu)
Four Seasons Alexandria [Directions]
14:00



12/31/2021 (Fri)
New Year's Eve Party at Four Seasons [Directions]
22:00 Smokey and Boring

We would have been better off ordering in food to our room and having a bottle of champagne together. The Fireworks right outside the hotel (seen from my room) were really cool.