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Which of these two cities would you prefer to visit, or have visited and enjoyed more? I've never been to IST outside the airport but it has a few things I like to see such as the Sultan Ahmet, Galata Tower, Maiden's Tower, and the bridge between Europe and Asia. I can't say I've officially been to Dubai, not in the actual city anyway. I would like to see Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building) which wasn't built yet last time I was in the area.
So, Istanbul is dominating the poll which is unsurprising. It has a 3000 yr. head start, a billing as "world's capital" at least in a former tense, and has an incredible topography and man made array of sights, tastes, etc. Frankly, I think it could beat Rome or Paris in a poll, depending on which criteria are measured, in a number of ways it is more dynamic than them.
That said, that doesn't necessarily mean Dubai is the wrong choice for you, it depends on what you like. Dubai has a number of advantages, as you mention, probably more than this, but at least:
1. Cleaner (at least in primary areas)
2. Safer (at least I'm pretty certain, though both are quite safe, I think Dubai is incredibly so)
3. Modern Architecture (Burj/etc.)
4. Getting around (cheap taxi, excellent metro, at least I think)
5. Unique desert scape, opportunity to be in "Lawrence of Arabia" scene within 30 mins.
6. While it can't hold a candle to Istanbul on this, there is some history in the city/region, + Abu Dhabi/Muscat nearby
7. Warmer weather, and superior beach setting (though Istanbul might have prettier coast as a whole)
8. More of an international feel in terms of those coming/going at this point
9. More general 'basic tourist' attractions per capita (high end malls, international restaurants, amusement parks, etc.)
(not sure if all of these are even good, but I'd say they generally hold true
10. More of a place that is finding itself still (Dubai is more likely to look significantly altered from it's current state in 25 years than Istanbul is, if that makes any sense)
That isn't to say that on the whole Istanbul might not still have more to offer. But, with that said, I could see where not a small number of people would greatly enjoy Dubai, perhaps even more than Istanbul. It's just about what you're after.
TB, I can't disagree with your 2nd point, but regarding your first point, I think you'd be surprised. First off, for how far flung it is, airfare is actually somewhat reasonable at times. I have seen roundtrip from Orlando for under $600 before. Another thing to note is that I think hotels (and likely AirBNBs) are also priced well compared with other corners of the globe. In taking a glance because I had been toying with the idea of a few day trip there, I found relatively shocking deals to be had. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wy...8!4d55.1284893 In March (is that offseason or something? Because this is my spring break), I found a link for this 4 star Wyndham (and there are cheaper 4 stars that aren't American chains), for just over $100 a night, in the Dubai Marina area. I don't think there are many world cities where one can find that type of quality-location-price ratio. I think Dubai gets an expensive reputation because of how expensive certain things, and high end things are. But transit is affordable (both efficient metro and cheap petrol), I'm sure you can find expensive food spots, but I'm also pretty sure you can find some reasonable price options in a place as big as Dubai. Alcohol is expensive because it's somewhat scarce I think, but that's just a general fact. High end fashion, certain entertainment attractions, expensive resorts will of course be, expensive, but I think that apart from say paying to go up the Burj Khalifa you don't necessarily need to do any of that. You can walk around historic souqs, past the modern districts, and along the miles of beachfront and other areas all for free.
People spend more $ per average per day in Dubai than visitors to any city in the world ($500 something), but I think that is less because of how expensive it is, and more because, on avg, the type of person visiting Dubai usually has the ability to do so.
Istanbul has a better immediate setting than Dubai for certain (I'm not sure any city in the world can match), but Dubai has some pretty cool nature around it...
That said, I like a more green landscape on avg. and so I STILL would probably take Istanbul just based on how much of a stunner it is, but Dubai is totally underrated in some ways and this is one of them. A stark desert landscape is worth seeing if one hasn't before.
Last edited by theurbanfiles; 12-12-2018 at 04:22 AM..
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