Our final day in Dubai was also spent indulging in Dubai’s cultural and iconic places. In the morning attended the Jumeirah Mosque tour. This tour is not one that you would typically think of, that of perhaps being guided around a building discussing the history and architecture of the building. In contrast to this, the famous Jumeirah Mosque tour takes you on a cultural tour that helps you better understand where the Mosque fits into the religion of Islam and distinguishing between activities that are part of the religion, and those that are part of the culture of the region which practices this religion. The tour lasts between an hour and an hour and a half and is highly recommended, especially if you have never visited a Mosque or read anything about the Islam religion.

Our final place of visit for the day was the 7-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab. Tours of the hotel are few and far, so either book ahead or be happy to take pictures from afar. We were lucky enough that my sister had booked us a lunch at the restaurant that resides at the top of the hotel, so we had no issues getting in. Needless to say, lunch was tremendously expensive, and even though my sister said she would pay (as she has been earning pounds for the last year), I was still uncomfortable indulging in such a lunch. I would suggest for those wishing to enjoy a meal there, definitely take the afternoon tea option.

Admittedly the view from the restaurant was quite beautiful, and the relatively clear day (at least for summer) gave us a good view of both the palm tree islands and world map islands. Lunch was enjoyable with fresh breads (beetroot loaf, parmesan and oregano crostini and a sun dried tomato foccacia), followed by a starter of shellfish bisque and the main of a modern beef “Wellington vs Rossini”. Both dishes were delicious and excellently presented, but the chef still managed to overcook my medium-rare steak I asked for.

For the rest of the day we lounged around on the beach and by the pool, basking in the warmth of our final day in Dubai before finishing up the evening with an Arabian feast at Al Muna inside Mina A’Salam.