My Friends Dubai and Abu Dhabi Itinerary in January 2023

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My friend in Manila will be in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for one (1) week. I have said that one week even in Dubai is very short and will not cover even half of the famous areas in the Emirate. But we need to fit in one (1) week for their visit in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Emirates.

This is my itinerary for them hope we meet the major attractions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Dubai

  1. Metro, Bus and Marine Transport using the NOL card – It is best to experience this rides in Dubai.
  2. Burj Khalifa, Dubai Fountain, Dubai Mall (including the Dubai aquarium), Wings of Mexico and the Dubai Trolley – This is one of the best attraction that need  to in the list. The highest observation deck is also a plus. 
  3. The Dubai Frame and Museum of the Future.
  4. Palm Jumeirah including ride to the monorail and visit to the Atlantis.
  5. Burj Al Arab – This is a must if you visit Dubai even outside on a nearby Jumeirah beach to see and have a picture.
  6. Old Dubai Area (Al Fahidi) including visits to the Museums and souks. Boat ride to Deira is also good.
  7. If you have time in Dubai go visit Bluewater’s Island with Dubai Eye.

Abu Dhabi

  1. Yas Island is a must this includes the Ferrari World, Warner Brothers World, YAS Water World, including drive by to YAS Marina Circuit, YAS Bay Waterfront and Etihad Arena.
  2. Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque – never to be left out when vising Abu Dhabi.
  3. Louvre Abu Dhabi cannot be missed since you were there visit the new place Mamsha Area.
  4. Emirates Palace is also on the list but since you were there, Marina Mall and Emirates Heritage Village is nearby.
  5. If you have more time, go to Maryah Island – the Galleria Mall and walk around the promenade.

I hope this itinerary will at least give you the taste of Dubai and Abu Dhabi Emirate.

Do you have in mind a better place to visit in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Emirate? Please comment below and it might be included in the list.

Now have an Extraordinary Life!

H

Chinese New Year is Here!

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On Sunday January 22, 2023 023 will be the year of the Rabbit. In China this is a public holiday, Chinese people will get 7 days off from work from January 21st to January 27th in 2023. We call it Lunar New Year but more famous as Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year 2023 is a Year of the Rabbit, more specifically, Water Rabbit, starting from January 22nd, 2023, and lasting until February 9th, 2024.

Recent/upcoming years of the Rabbit are 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, and 2035. If you were born in one of the years, then you are a Rabbit.

The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

We Filipinos like to celebrate this momentous occasion with a big bang, lots of food and of course regalo or gifts!

We also celebrate with lots of fireworks – where else did we take the big fireworks every Gregorian New Year.

Similar to how people celebrate December 31 and January 1 each year, Lunar New Year represents letting go of the past year to bring in the new one and all its possibilities. 

“This is a big celebration,” said Zhang. “Saying goodbye to the past year to pass and also welcome in the new year; peace, abundance and also prosperity.” 

In Chinese 恭喜发财 (Gōng xǐ fā cái): “Happiness and Prosperity”

In Vietnamese Chúc Mừng Năm Mới (chook-moong-numb-moi): “Happy New Year”

In Korean 새해복많이받으세요(sae hae bok manhi bah doo seh yo): “Happy New Year”

Lastly in Pinoy Maligayang Bagong Taon: Happy New Year!

Best Regards

H

AL HOSN FESTIVAL ABU DHABI

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The AL HOSN FESTIVAL is the heart that protects, celebrates, and nurtures the lineages of inspiration that links all of Abu Dhabi’s creative communities. The festival’s program includes activities from Qasr Al Hosn, House of Artisans and Cultural Foundation.

Do you know that Qasr al Hosn is the symbolic birthplace of Abu Dhabi and its most iconic historical landmark. Qasr is the Arabic word for palace and Hosn is the Arabic word for fort. It refers to the dual uses of Qasr al Hosn over time as a defensive structure housing military units and as a royal abode and seat of government.

Constructed more than 250 years ago, Qasr al Hosn is the traditional and ancestral home of the Al Nahyan family. The Bani Yas tribes that discovered fresh water on Abu Dhabi Island and built a watchtower to protect it are ancestors of the present day ruling Al Nahyan family. Throughout the royal lineage, each and every incumbent Sheikh recognised the inherent symbolic worth of the Qasr al Hosn and commissioned a wide range of work to ensure its longevity.

This is my first time to experience this Festival at the Capital of United Arab Emirates! Hopefully on January 13 to 22, 2023. By the way there is an entrance fee of 30AED!

Hope to see you all!

H

QGIS (Open Source Geographic Information System)

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You have know that QGIS is a professional GIS application that is built on top of and proud to be itself Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).

QGIS is a user friendly Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS) licensed under the GNU General Public License. QGIS is an official project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). It runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, Windows and Android and supports numerous vector, raster, and database formats and functionalities.

The latest release is QGIS 3.28 Firenze.

We are using this Software and again its totally free.

QGIS is a good tool for us to use. This is free and can be customized as you see fit.

The link to tutorial are in the links below:

Tutorial Video

https://github.com/ucdavisdatalab/Intro-to-Desktop-GIS-with-QGIS

All other details are in the Tutorial Video including the link to Installation Files. There are also a lot of other tutorial videos on YouTube.

Please note that this might be changed anytime including the website and its appearance. This is for guidance only and any issues you might encounter following the site at your own.  I do not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message which arise.

Anyone can re-blog this and share. If you have other useful information and insights, I will gladly include them in the comments below.

Best Regards

H