We had the opportunity to visit and try out the services of Seawings, the only seaplane charter service company in the UAE. Located at Club Joumana in the picturesque Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa, Seawings offers a variety of tour options with the Gold option including a door-to-door luxury limousine pick-up and return service and in-transit refreshments.
When we reached their operations base office, we were greeted by a cheerful bunch of customer service associates who guided us through the process of chartering a seaplane. As we waited for our boarding passes, we went through the interesting memorabilia that could be bought at the office and we were then transported to the seaplane at the marina by club cars.
Glistening in the afternoon sun, the Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian was ready at the dock to take us on our flight over Dubai. The ground operations crew and our pilot greeted us cordially as we got into the plane. The aircraft had individual seats for each traveler and a window view to the sights of Dubai. After the pilot informed us of the safety regulations, he powered up the engines and we slowly moved out of the dock. As the plane picked up speed on the bouncy waters, our adrenalin was pumping as we took flight to the skies of Dubai.
The view from the aircraft was breathtaking and we saw Dubai from a whole new and higher angle! Flying at around 1500 feet, we saw everything that Dubai had to display - from the small villas to the twin Emirates towers. We first flew over the Palm Jebel Ali with construction in full progress. But the view of the magnificent man-made islands - The World and The Palm Jumeirah - can only be truly appreciated for their brilliance from the air. Our pilot also circled the Burj Al Arab, one of Dubai’s signature building structures, and then the Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building. The seaplane then flew over Downtown Dubai, the primary residential and commercial area of Dubai, where one can see the Dubai creek that separates Bur Dubai and Deira. As we headed back to the Jebel Ali port, we had a chance to see the Dubai Marina, which is a man-made waterway dug into the mainland.
When we were back on land, we realized the magnificence of the city that can only be enjoyed when viewed from high up in the skies. It was definitely a magical journey and an opportunity of a lifetime to see Dubai’s dramatic and ever-changing sky and coastal line. The Seawings flight is a must-do for any tourist to Dubai.
