Dhou River Cruise in Dubai

Photo of Dhou River Cruise

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We decided to take a Dhou River cruise after having most of the afternoon free and being in an area where there really is not much to do except lounge around in the hotel. Our Hilton is quite a distance from the actual city of Dubai and my guess is that one day there may be more to do in this area as there is much construction going on. But for now, vacant fields and construction sites are the norms.

We were picked up at 7:00 pm for our scheduled riverboat cruise. And for what seems like the hundredth time, we “toured” the city traffic as we worked our way to the other Hilton hotel where other guests on this Gate 1 tour are staying. The traffic in Dubai at certain times of the day is horrendous! Why they split our tour group is beyond me and it really wastes at least an hour a day for both groups.

During the cruise we sat with two nice couples from New York, I was overall not impressed with the dinner cruise. The food was uneventful as was the cruise itself. Besides our group, there was a large contingent of Russians who lacked manners, cut in front of the dessert line and insisted on smoking their smelly tobacco cigarettes on the only outdoor spot where one might enjoy the scenery as we cruised the man-made river.

The windows of the boat only offered views if you happened to be lucky enough to be seated by them. And as mentioned, the only open view was jammed with Russians smoking smelly cigarettes and blowing huge plums of smoke everywhere. When we could see them, the bright lights of the passing boats were a consolation for us not being able to see the colorful Dubai skyline.

 

When we got back to our hotel, my clothes smelled of food as were seated right next to the buffet tables, and of cigarettes! I guess the offset is seeing and experiencing new cultures, foods, and geography. Interacting with other cultures, even if they are also part of other tour groups, is interesting and somewhat entertaining.

So, would I recommend putting the Dhou River cruise on your bucket list? Why not? You may not ever get here again and perhaps one day they will not allow smoking on the boats.

And maybe, just maybe, they will arrange the tables and chairs in the eating area so that people can walk around the perimeter and look out the windows at the sights of the magnificent Dubai skyline and the colorful boats. If you can get a good price, go for it! It’s a small drop in the bucket.

 

All photographs are the copyright of Jim Jackson Photography. Please contact me for authorization to use or for signed, high-resolution copies.

 

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