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I really enjoyed my visit to Dubai. I did the usual sight seeing things. Went to the Jumeirah Mosque, the palace, ski Dubai, the Atlantis Hotel, the Burj Al Arab, the tallest building in the world, the Dubai museum, crossed the river in a water taxi and then visited the spice soux and gold soux. I would have loved to do a desert tour and a dhow cruise. The public art in Dubai is amazing. And so is the architecture of the new buildings.
I had an excellent guide who explained the architectural details in the older buildings (for instance how they were designed to pick up every bit of breeze to help cool the occupants) as well as the history of the people and how they lived before the country became rich.
For me the museum was a highlight as I do like to understand culture and history. I also loved the Burj Al Arab. It is very luxurious, gold all around and amazing art inside. The very accommodating sales man in the shop allowed me to try on a $327K necklace. He was a very classy sales person and I felt like I wouldn't have received better service if I was a member of the British royal family. It was that classy! I was with a small tour group from a cruise ship and the other tour members were having tea there. However since I wasn't having the tea I had more time to explore the hotel which you normally cannot enter unless you are buying a service.
I also enjoyed hearing about my guide's life. She was from South Africa and was working and raising her daughter in Dubai. She also talked alot about the current state of development and what was currently going on in the country. For me things like this greatly enhance my experience in a foreign country.
I have visited many places in the gulf due to the nature of my business but Dubai is very classy. Services are expensive but the food and other items are affordable. I guess class comes with the rich and to be really accessible to it you need to spend money like the rich. I don't mean its just throwing away money but it means spending it reasonably. I have visited Dubai so much I now feel like a resident. Hotels are expensive and now when I have to make really long stays in the country I rent out an apartment which is really cheap and I can have more money to spend on shopping and some dune surfing too. Its really great to ski on the sand dunes. I have made it a point to check the rents and for places closest to my place of working so I won't have to spend much on traveling and fares. Recently prices on rents have taken a slight increase and I plan to visit it in January again so I'm doing a routine check on prices so I can really make my traveling budget. Staying in a hotel for one month can cost a fortune and I don't want all my savings to go on a one month trip. I think if we visit a place too frequently we get to know the shortcuts and ways to save money and still make it a memorable visit.
Last edited by BstYet2Be; 11-30-2011 at 04:07 AM..
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It is very costly. You should have lots of money isf you want to travel to Dubai.
I did Dubai for 4 days on about $600, including hotel. Taxis are cheap, I stayed at a normal 3 star hotel, didn't buy any $500 silk scarves with an American flag on it. If you don't buy bars of gold or overpriced clothing, it is far from expensive.
I have to support the statement of emcee squared - it is possible to get around in Dubai with little money. I also booked a 3-star-hotel on [url=http://www.trivago.com]trivago.com - The #1 Hotel Price Comparison, Find cheap hotels[/url] , didn't visit any bazars or expensive shops and ate in traditional street kitchens that offer easy, but tasty food. There's not only the Dubai of the super-rich people, but also the Dubai of the normal families that work there in the hotels and restaurants.
As a female, the Arab world has few attractions for me. Don't forget, Dubai was the country where recently they jailed a woman for being a rape victim. Plenty of other places to visit.
We spent a couple of nights there to break up a long trip. It was December so the temps were nice. Nice beach. Interesting shopping mall we visited where only the rich can buy anything. Two nights was enough. Might be nice to stay in some of those cool hotels if I had more money than I knew what to do with. And forget about buying any alcohol unless it's served in your own hotel.
I visited Dubai last winter. If you like Las Vegas (without the gambling) and shopping, then you may like Dubai.
Cheap to get around via public transportation or walking. There is lodging even for the budget traveler. I stayed a couple of nights at a budget hotel inside the Gold Souk; stayed another few nights at an airbnb studio flat within walking distance of the water and The Creek. $50ish for each, including free wifi.
Yes, you can drink alcohol, but only in certain venues and it will be at a premium price.
If you want to go up top of Burj Khalifa while you're in Dubai (especially at night so you can see the lights), be sure to make reservations online for same a couple of weeks in advance.
If I'd had more time, I would have taken a side trip to the relatively-unknown Khasab Fjords and to the wildlife refuge outside of the city.
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