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)
12:00 Zooba
19:00 Al Khal
Ski Egypt
The Egyptian Museum
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 Burj Klifah
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 Manta Air
09:00 Seaplane from Male to Anantara Resort

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


12/20/2021 (Mon)
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, Maldives Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, Maldives
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).


12/20/2021 (Mon)
Undersea Restaurant Undersea Restaurant
18:00

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


12/21/2021 (Tue)
Swim with Manta Rays Swim with Manta Rays
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 Oryx Airport Hotel Doha Airport
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 Cairo Airport Meet and Assist Service
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.


12/25/2021 (Sat)
EMO Tours ATV Ride to the Great Pyramids of Giza EMO Tours ATV Ride to the Great Pyramids of Giza
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!


12/25/2021 (Sat)
Marriott Mena House Cairo Marriott Mena House Cairo
15:00 Hotel

Beautiful Grounds


12/25/2021 (Sat)
139 restaurant 139 restaurant
18:45



12/26/2021 (Sun)
Great Pyramids Tour Great Pyramids Tour
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.


12/26/2021 (Sun)
Nazlat Al Batran Perfum Shop Nazlat Al Batran Perfum Shop
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


12/26/2021 (Sun)
The Grill The Grill
19:00



12/27/2021 (Mon)
Zooba Zooba
12:00 Casual Restaurant

Very tasty


12/27/2021 (Mon)
Al Khal Al Khal
19:00 Restaurant



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

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


12/27/2021 (Mon)
The Egyptian Museum The Egyptian Museum
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.


12/28/2021 (Tue)
Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa
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 Hot Air Balloon Ride over the Valley of the Kings
05:30

Bucket list - magical


12/29/2021 (Wed)
Tour of the Valley of the Kings Tour of the Valley of the Kings
08:00 King Tut's Tomb and the Valley of the Queens



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



12/31/2021 (Fri)
New Year's Eve Party at Four Seasons New Year's Eve Party at Four Seasons
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.