:salam2:
DUBAI
i BEEN THERE WHEN I CAME BACK TO THE US AFTER I WENT TO YEMEN. BUT I ONLY STAYED THERE FOR 2 DAYS, HOWEVER, I LOVED IT AND IF I HAD A CHANCE TO TRAVEL I WOULD MOST DEFINITELY GO THERE.
Salaam alekoum sister...
I have ties to the UAE and have visited Dubai a number of times, but I've never been very impressed by it! Alhamdulillah there is some amazing scenery, but unfortunately it's let down by the fact that there are roadworks and construction sites everywhere.
My favourite place in Dubai is Medinat Jumeirah. There's a nice quaint little shopping mall recreated in traditional Arabian style, and it's just lovely to have a relaxed stroll around there. I found a lot of Dubai just plain crass though. I fail to see what's so amazing about having the largest shopping mall in the middle east (Emirates Mall, which is NOT that good!), and Ibn Battuta Mall is just tacky imo.
Plus everything is so expensive. It seems in Dubai that there's too much emphasis on what you have, and doing outrageous things (like the novelty of ski-ing indoors and playing golf on the roof of a hotel), rather than just enjoying the simpler things in life, like the stunning scenery and natural beauty that Allah provided.
Plus getting around is a hassle...The traffic and the irresponsible drivers!! Sheesh.
I'm not criticising your destination of choice, don't mind me, I'm just having a grumble :-D
Abu Dhabi, however, I love. There's few things I've enjoyed more in life than walking along the corniche of Abu Dhabi, actually FEELING the warmth of the Arabian Gulf which is literally inches away from your feet as you walk.
As for the original question: Abu Dhabi is my favourite spot so far, and Turkey was also fabulous. I'd like to see more of Turkey (Istanbul, Insha'allah), and also I'd like to visit a number of cities that I think would offer some amazing sights and a really good time, i.e. New York, Paris, Jerusalem, places in Australia, Beruit, Damascus, Amman, Cairo, Riyadh...The list goes on.
I'd also like to visit Israel. Seriously. Who wouldn't?! I think it'd be a fascinating visit for any person due to the glorious history of the land, and especially for Muslims, to gain a real-life insight into what things are like there...talk to the people, etc. Regardless of the terrible situation in Israel, we should not lose sight of what the land means to us both as Muslims and as human beings. As it happens though, it's difficult to visit the State of Israel *and* most Arab countries due to refusal at the airports if you have Israeli stamps in your passport. Oh well...Allah knows best, and Allah will guide us humans towards peace, insha'allah.
(By the way, I think it goes without saying that we'd all love to do Hajj and Ummrah above any 'vacation', but I think the point of this post was about vacations
)