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United Arab Emirates--Abu Dhabi & Dubai


























Henna tatoos at the Desert safari.


We had a boat chartered in Dubai where we snorkeled just off the King's Palace property. 

The King's new palace. 










Checking out Dubai.




Outside the Atlantis Hotel.


Atlantis.







My happy place---Cheesecake Factory!

Aquarium inside the Dubai mall.







Checking out the souks.



Twins!



Sand dune bashing vehicle? Yes it is! This crazy thing drove us over and down sand dunes in the middle of the desert. People had to pull over so they could vomit. It was insane! Can't believe we did this with our kids! Such fun.

Ready for the dunes!








One thing we've desperately missed since moving to Europe from Asia has been sunshine and heat. Don't get me wrong, we do have bouts of 80+ degree weather, but that is typically in August. There is nothing like 90+ in April! That was the main focus of our spring break travel--sunshine and heat. We found just that and more in Abu Dhabi! It was amazing.
We flew Etihad airlines, which were nothing less than fabulous--super sweet staff, good food and a nanny on board?!! Who could go wrong! We booked an all inclusive at Al Raha Beach Hotel. It was again, amazing. The staff were exceptional, food was delicious and accommodations were great. We loved every minute.
We took some crazy excursions--desert safari which included sand dune bashing in 4x4 vehicles (riding the peaks, then sliding down sideways--oh at, 70 miles per hour or so), henna tatoos, camel rides, traditional belly dancing and an Arabian feast. We also had a private van booked to take us to Dubai for the day--Hard Rock cafe, Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world), the marina, Atlantis Hotel, etc. A truly beautiful city. Our final trip was a chartered snorkeling trip. We actually saw dolphins swimming in the water. It was beautiful! We snorkeled, saw the Sheik's new palace, fish market and soaked up the sunshine. Our other few days were spent at the Abu Dhabi mall where we dined on Cheesecake Factory and Texas Roadhouse! We've never seen those outside the US and boy did they not disappoint. So darn delicious!!
All in all, it was a perfect vacation. We loved every single minute of it and are already researching to find our next big destination.

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