Thanks to my fabulous blog agency, Bloggerati by Nuffnang, who are responsible for coordinating the majority of the work I do for clients, and Dubai Tourism, I, along with 20 of Australia's top bloggers, will be going on a Bloggerati Getaway to Dubai!
Whilst this is a location that excites me for all the obvious reasons, (the culture, the architecture, the shopping, the food, the wonder, the opulence, the experiences!) there is a reason, even closer to my heart that makes Dubai somewhere that I have desperately wanted to go to. My closest cousin and her family live in Dubai!
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| Photo Credit: Lisa Penderis |
Growing up, Julie-Anne and I were very close as we were the only female cousins out of many. We spent many school holidays staying at one another's houses, were bridesmaids in each others weddings and she's the closest thing I've ever had to a sister. When Julie-Anne and her husband, Corey, moved to Dubai for work, the family were sad to lose them but they told us that it would be for a maximum of 2 years. Well, its been almost 7 years now (!!) and they have no plans to return home to Oz yet. They love it there. As you can see by the above picture, since living in Dubai, my first-cousin-once-removed was born. I have been wanting to visit them ever since they left and I am so incredibly excited to finally be getting the opportunity!
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| Photo Credit: Lisa Penderis |
I asked them recently, Why should families visit Dubai? They said:
- To experience a different culture (there are a lot of misconceptions regarding the Middle East)
- Architecture (Dubai has a mix of both Arabic and modern contemporary buildings which creates a unique and interesting landscape)
- Local attractions (everything is bigger, better, opulent)
- Dubai is conveniently positioned as a layover/stopover to other destinations.
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| Photo Credit: Dubai Tourism |
While I am there, I will be sussing out things for the time when I will be able to bring my whole family over to Dubai. I am very keen to find out how kid-friendly Dubai really is and hopefully uncover some of the lesser known places to go or experiences to do with children.
My own children will not be accompanying me on this trip which gives us even more reason to learn about Dubai, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Middle East together, as a way to include them in my experience.
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| Photo Credit: Dubai Tourism |
Before I leave, the kids and I will be looking closer at the Geography and a little bit of History of Dubai and the Middle East. We will learn how to research about other places as we discover more about the culture and customs of my destination. (We will also see how important it is to research your destination before you go, especially as I pack).
When I return, I can't wait to show the children Dubai through my eyes and use my photos and experiences to inspire further learning and exploration together. My kids are already keen to cook a Middle Eastern dish (I'll have to try out lots of food while I'm there to find a suitable recipe. It's ok, I'll manage... for the kids) and I know that the incredible architecture and sights could well inspire some fabulous construction building and art work.
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| Photo Credit: Dubai Tourism |
Whilst in Dubai, I will be joining the #MyDubai initiative, created by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council. The intention is to celebrate the everyday lives of the people and communities of the Emirate and show the city that is beneath the landmarks, headlines and superlatives. The Australian #MyDubai initiative will provide the opportunity to showcase and uncover some of Dubai’s hidden gems and lesser-known highlights to the Australian market.
Want to come with us?
That's right, we are actually taking one, (very lucky), blog reader plus a friend, with us to Dubai! The trip will include airfares from your capital city, accommodation and activities. (You won't have to hang out with us the whole time.)
It's really simple to enter, all you have to do is tell us, on social media, "What do you dream of in Dubai?" with the hashtags #NNDubaiDreams #mydubai
For your entry to be valid, be sure follow the below instructions:
- Post your answer to the question "What do you dream of in Dubai?" on your choice of platform (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram)
- Your answer can be text, image or video and must be publicly visible
- You must use the two hashtags #NNDubaiDreams and #mydubai
- You must use the two hashtags #NNDubaiDreams and #mydubai
This giveaway is open to Australian residents & will close at 5pm AEDST on November 12th 2014. Full terms & conditions available HERE. Competition details are also available HERE.
Good luck,
Debs :)
Look where else we are. Are you following along? :)
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