My FB feeds have been showing a lot of friends photos and "check-ins" about a new place in the outskirts of Dubai where motorists can simply do a short stop and grab a burger or hotdog and drive off towards their destination. Perhaps it is aptly named "The Last Exit" because its location is close to Abu Dhabi-Dubai border.
I was wondering what was so special about the place that I had to drive one hour from my apartment one weekend just to get a grab of burger and fries or a hotdog sandwich. But the food truck concept is new to me. I think it is a western concept and first of its kind in UAE.
What I like about the place is its unique and colorful design that were made to look like a pit stop for cars where you can order from the food trucks neatly lined on the streets. The food trucks are birghtly decorated with unique painted designs. There are small outdoor tables and chairs but of course if the weather is too hot for you there are seats inside the small dining area that can accomodate more 50 people at a time.
The walls are decorates with car parts near the toilet entrance. Some decorations were made to look like a vintage piece or those were really genuine parts. I am amused by the toilet concept by the way. Because the washing area looks like a truck driver seat and you need to press a pedal to flow the water from the faucet. The toilet door handle is replaced with petrol pump dispenser.
The Last Exit offers both drive-thru and dine-in options 24/7 and some of the restaurant available are the following:
The Hotdog Stand. American
Urban Seafood.
Big Smoke Burger.
Burger Pit
Baja Fresh. Mexican Cuisine
Falafel. Arabian Cuisines
The Brass
Starbucks. Coffee and beverages
71 Cafe
DON Pizza How to get there:
If you are travelling from Dubai, drive towards Abu Dhabi and make a U-turn back to Dubai at the Dubai-Abu Dhabi border Exit 403.
If you are travelling from Abu Dhabi, keep to the right lane after the Abu Dhabu-Dubai border.
The Last Exit is close to the newly opened Dubai Theme Parks and Resorts.
Conde Nast Traveller, an award-winning travel magazine, hailed Boracay as the top island destination in the world for 2016. The magazine described the island as "itty-bitty" island. I don't exactly know what it means by that. But to those who have been to Boracay, you will definitely be amazed by its white and powdery sand beaches and nightlife.
Boracay is originally home to the Ati or Aetas. Boracay probably derives its name from the local word borac "which means white cotton with characteristics close to the color and texture of Boracay's white and sugary and powdery sand."
We visited Boracay in July of this year. We visited before as a family but this time we were making it special because we were celebrating 12 years of blissful marriage with my wife and we stayed overnight in the island.
I was born in the province of Antique which is about 2 hours away from the town of Malay, the jump off point to the Island of Boracay. I was lucky to be one of the people who experienced Boracay in the late 1980's when Boracay was probably just starting to get famous. There were less people who were traveling to the island back then. There was no electricity in the island. Fresh drinking water was transported by boat from the main island of Malay. Tourist boats ferrying people sailed only at the daytime because probably of limited navigational equipment and radio communications.
I relished the moment when we stayed in the "Kubo" and "Payag" to eat our packed lunch because there were few restaurants back then.
But today Boracay has transformed into and world class tourist island with many tourism related facilities that lined the whole stretch of beach front to cater to the still growing number of tourist that visit the island. You can do snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, parasailing, kiteboarding etc. Not to mention the awesome nightlife activities. There are many nightlife venues to choose from. Some bars have fenced the small portion of the beach to showcase stage shows and fire shows, and live bands.
Big brands like Andoks, McDonalds and StarBucks have set up business also. Of course, they have to go where there are lots of people. It is pure business. But Boracay has become too crowded and even walking along the beach road during peak hours is very slow because hundreds or even thousand of people walking altogether. Our hired tricycle from the Boracay port had to to make several detour to avoid traffic jams along the main road going to Station 2 or D Mall, for example.
HOW TO GO TO BORACAY
There are several ways to reach Boracay:
1. Via the RORO (roll on roll off). There are number buses of plying the Cubao-Visayas route via Batangas port-Calapan port in Mindoro-Roxas port in Mindoro and Caticlan port all the way to Iloilo or Antique. At the Caticlan port you can get to the ticket to Boracay Island. Travel time from Cubao to Caticlan port which includes two boat transfers is approximately 13 hours and total fare is about 1,200 pesos
2. Fly Directly to Caticlan. Godofredo P. Ramos Airport in Caticlan is the most convenient way to reach Boracay. Skyjet Airlines is operating daily flights from Manila to Caticlan airport or please check your local airlines and ticketing office which airlines is flying to this airport.
3. Fly to Kalibo Airport. Kalibo is the capital of the province of Aklan. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Asia are local airlines that serve several flights from Manila and vice versa. There are also available international flights to nearby Asian cities.
Hand painted shirts
white and powdery sand of Boracay
WHERE TO STAY IN BORACAY
There are several hotels in Boracay. Its just a matter of choosing which one will fit your budget. I knew the rate is cheaper if the accommodation is far from the beach. For us, we chose to stay at Villa Simprosa Resort because of its location close to the beach. Amenities are basic and ok. There was a small fridge and TV. We settled nicely with 5 people including 2 kids.
WHERE TO EAT IN BORACAY
Where to eat and what to eat is never a problem in Boracay. There several fancy restaurants you can choose from and have several choices also. Price wise ...... hmmmm its quite expensive to dine in Boracay since mostly it caters to local and foreign tourists. But would not hurt budget a bit if you can bring packed foods, instant noodles or several bottles of beer from the mainland, for example.
Sunset in Boracay
WHAT YOU NEED TO PAY
Beside the accommodation and food, you need to pay the following at the Caticlan port jetty:
Pumpboat P 25, Environmental fee P 75, Terminal fee P 100, total of P 200 per person. From Boracay port you need to pay the ff: pump boat 25 and terminal fee P 100, total of P 125 per person. Terminal fee is waived for children below 5 years old. For Aklan residents with valid ID's who travel to Boracay, they have separate lane and only pay boat fare.
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Development is inevitable. But I hope people in Boracay will embrace change without destroying its natural beauty and charm.
If you are looking for high-end brands but wanted to pay cheaper, then it is time for you to try shopping at Outlet Village in Dubai. If you are familiar with Outlet Mall, where it seems that all the shops are having a year long sale, then Outlet Village is just another shopping destination just for you.
What separates Outlet Village from Outlet Mall is its unique building design. The Outlet Village architecture drew its inspiration from San Gimignano, a hilltop town in Tuscan countryside and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The interiors were well lighted with woods and bricks were used to cover the walls. If not for the shops inside the mall, I would have felt that I was in another country while walking the whole strecth of the mall.
I spoke to two Kabayan salesperson and they said that the prices of the goods in the Outlet Village are similar to the prices of goods in Outlet Mall. Meaning if you are on tight budget but wanted to get a pair of branded shoes or branded bags then can try to check Outlet Mall and you may get 30-50% off on the regular price.
I don’t keep track of the prices by the way and I am a bad shopper. But if a Michael Kors bag original price of 1,810.00 aed is being sold at 909.00 aed, then that is already a good bargain for branded leather bag right?! Other famous brand also includes Armani Exchange, Diesel, Coach, Boss, Calvin Klein etc.
Outlet Village is located adjacent to Dubai Parks and Resorts just opposite Jebel Ali port, close to Maktoum airport and near to the Abu Dhabi Border. Outlet Village sits next to several tourist attractions due to open in October of 2016.
Outlet Village is a project of Meraas Holding. Merass Holding is also the developer of City Walk and Box park and the The Last Exit.
NEARBY TOURIST DESTINATIONS Legoland Dubai
Legoland Water Park
Motiongate Dubai
Bollywood parks Dubai
HOW TO GET HERE
By public transport
Take the Red metro line to the end station, Jebel Ali (UAE Exchange). From there, catch a taxi for the short distance to The Outlet Village.
By car
From Downtown Dubai, drive south of Sheikh Zayed Road, past Dubai Marina and Jebel Ali. You will see the sign for The Outlet Village on the left side of the road. From Dubai International Airport
Drive on Sheikh Zayed Road towards Abu Dhabi. The Outlet Village is signposted just past Jebel Ali on the left side of the road.
From Al Maktoum International Airport
Take the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road south before turning right towards the E11. Turn right again, towards Dubai. The Outlet Village is signposted on the right side of the road.
