A quickish guide to Dubai
As we will be very shortly leaving Dubai his nibs suggested that I write a quick guide to Dubai, that’s not so easy for me I don’t do quick stories! This is a list of the things you should do, watch out for or be aware of if you visit. First and foremost is construction, the travel agents rarely tell you that your holiday destination looks like London after the blitz, but there are more cranes in Dubai than in the whole of Europe. That should give you an idea of the amount of construction going on here, roads, railways, airports, shopping malls, offices and apartments are all being simultaneously built in almost every part of the city. This shouldn’t spoil your trip, but depending on where you stay it may disturb your sleep as they work 24 hours a day. It also means that the city is bathed in dust, so don’t expect vivid blue skies, it always looks hazy and if you suffer with allergies, can make for a teary eyed stay. The only other real effect construction has is on the roads; the sheer volume of slow moving construction traffic can clog the cities streets. This leads nicely into my next point the traffic.
Traffic here is shocking, getting from one side of the city to another can take an age, especially in Deira and Bur Dubai. Again this should not deter you unless you have absolutely no patience. Just be wary of the blurb that says your hotel is 10 minutes from this or that; it may well be an honest time when the roads are clear and they are clear from about 2am to 6 am! My advice would be to ask the hotel staff how long it should take to get to wherever at a particular time as it’s often the time you travel that makes the difference, e.g. it takes around 25 minutes to get from the Jumeirah beach hotel to the Dubai Museum in Bur Dubai at 9.30 am, but the same journey at 5pm would take more than an hour.
The Dubai Museum is a must, small on the outside but tardis like, its surprisingly large inside as most of it is underground, it is a fascinating look at this part of the world. Get off the beach and out of the malls for a day and discover a bit about the history of the place you’re visiting. Whilst you’re in the vicinity walk down through the textile souk to the Creek. Explore the Bur Dubai side, and then take an Abra (water taxi) across to the Deira side. There walk along the creek side as dozens of Dhows unload their wares. If it’s not yet moved to the newly built out of town mall, check out the gold souk and barter for a diamond. It’s a nice day out that will give you a small flavour of real Dubai rather than the sterile hotels and fake shopping malls.
For a bit of wet fun there’s always Wild Wadi water park, though a much larger and better water park can be found about an hours drive away at Dreamland Aquapark in Umm Al Qaiwain. It’s cheaper has more food options and less queues! For dryer fun take one of the desert safaris, the best option is the evening safari with dune bashing and dinner. Though make sure you book with a reputable company as you will be engaging in some dangerous driving, well you won’t actually drive, but you need to make sure your driver knows what he’s doing. After the rollercoaster dune bashing which is so much fun you’ll head to a Bedouin style tent for dinner and belly dancing. It’s a really great evening out.
If you’re here for a longer stay then head out to the Sharjah Natural History Museum and Desert Park. Just over an hour away it provides you with a chance to learn about the flora, fauna and wildlife of the Arabian Desert. It’s a zoo of kinds and though on the whole I dislike zoos this one has been very carefully planned and the animals appear well cared for. On the same topic avoid Dubai Zoo at all costs, it’s not for the fainthearted as the poor creatures there are not so well cared for. Abu Dhabi the capital of the UAE is well worth the couple of hours it takes to get there. The corniche is an 8 KM walk by the coast and in the cooler winter months an absolute joy.
Of course there are the shopping malls; one that gets little attention these days and has only been open one year is Ibn Battuta. It tends to be less busy than Wafi or Mall of the Emirates even though you’ll find many of the same shops, so it’s well worth a visit. They also have the fantastic Lime Tree café for coffee and the best carrot cake in the world, and Finz restaurant; the best food you’ll ever eat in a shopping mall. The only downside is they’re not licensed, shame really as nice bottle of South African wine would make the place perfect. A word of warning about shopping here, Dubai sells its self as a shopping Mecca, well for sheer volume it may be, but it’s not inexpensive. By that I mean if you’re expecting to come here for great bargains think again. Even during the shopping festivals the sale prices are rarely that cheap, especially when it comes to UK stores, I find that the sale price here is the same as full price back in Blighty. I know this because they have the price in pounds still on the labels. You can find some bargains on electronics but make sure you know exactly what you want to buy and have researched the prices at home or on the net. So many of my friends have found it more expensive here than back home.
Great bars that are worth a visit; Long bar at the Towers Rotana on SKR, Buddha Bar at the Grosvenor House, Vitage at Wafi Pyramids, Ginseng at the Planet Hollywood complex Wafi, the Irish Village at Dubai Tennis Sadium Al Garhoud and the Barasti bar at Le Merdien Mina Seyahi. Remember that weekends here are Thursday Friday or Friday Saturday so the busiest nights tend to be Wednesday and Thursday. For good food try Mezzanine at the Grosvenor house, Spectrum on One at the Fairmont, Medzo at Wafi Pymaids, The Dhow and Anchor at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Seville’s at the Planet Hollywood complex Wafi. There are many great unlicensed places for food, try Shakespeare at Park and Shop on Al Wasl Road, Maria Bonita’s Taco shop Al Sheif Road, The Rupee Room and Chandelier at Dubai Marina. Like most places Dubai’s happening nightlife changes rapidly, so it’s worth picking up Time Out Dubai magazine when you arrive. It will give you the low-down on where to go for food and drink whatever takes your fancy.
What to pack? Well most places have a smart casual dress code; it’s easy for us locals to spot the tourists as they’re normally far more dressed up than we are. Jeans and nice top are the norm for a night out, even clubbing. So unless you wanna stick out like a sore thumb or have a posh do to go to don’t bring your party frocks! Please remember this is a Muslim country and although you do see very short, shorts, belt like skirts and tiny tops, it’s normally ‘working girls’ who are wearing them. So if you chose to dress that way expect an awful lot of stares. Much better, especially when in the malls or exploring the creek to wear a t-shirt and something a bit closer to the knee in length, it’s only respectful after all. The air conditioning in most places is sub-zero and in winter evenings can get a bit cool so you’ll need a cardigan, shawl or light jacket to keep out the chill. The most important thing… a high factor sun lotion. You will not believe the number of lobsters we see here, the temperature may seem pleasant at it’s very often hazy, but let me tell you the sun is much stronger than it is in the Mediterranean, you will burn without lots and lots of protection, so be warned….
And finally…. If you have the money I would highly recommend a couple of nights at Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa. It’s no good if you have the kids with you, but for a romantic, relaxing and completely indulgent treat its well worth it. Tag a couple of nights onto the end of your stay, and you will leave all the more relaxed and rejuvenated.
Traffic here is shocking, getting from one side of the city to another can take an age, especially in Deira and Bur Dubai. Again this should not deter you unless you have absolutely no patience. Just be wary of the blurb that says your hotel is 10 minutes from this or that; it may well be an honest time when the roads are clear and they are clear from about 2am to 6 am! My advice would be to ask the hotel staff how long it should take to get to wherever at a particular time as it’s often the time you travel that makes the difference, e.g. it takes around 25 minutes to get from the Jumeirah beach hotel to the Dubai Museum in Bur Dubai at 9.30 am, but the same journey at 5pm would take more than an hour.
The Dubai Museum is a must, small on the outside but tardis like, its surprisingly large inside as most of it is underground, it is a fascinating look at this part of the world. Get off the beach and out of the malls for a day and discover a bit about the history of the place you’re visiting. Whilst you’re in the vicinity walk down through the textile souk to the Creek. Explore the Bur Dubai side, and then take an Abra (water taxi) across to the Deira side. There walk along the creek side as dozens of Dhows unload their wares. If it’s not yet moved to the newly built out of town mall, check out the gold souk and barter for a diamond. It’s a nice day out that will give you a small flavour of real Dubai rather than the sterile hotels and fake shopping malls.
For a bit of wet fun there’s always Wild Wadi water park, though a much larger and better water park can be found about an hours drive away at Dreamland Aquapark in Umm Al Qaiwain. It’s cheaper has more food options and less queues! For dryer fun take one of the desert safaris, the best option is the evening safari with dune bashing and dinner. Though make sure you book with a reputable company as you will be engaging in some dangerous driving, well you won’t actually drive, but you need to make sure your driver knows what he’s doing. After the rollercoaster dune bashing which is so much fun you’ll head to a Bedouin style tent for dinner and belly dancing. It’s a really great evening out.
If you’re here for a longer stay then head out to the Sharjah Natural History Museum and Desert Park. Just over an hour away it provides you with a chance to learn about the flora, fauna and wildlife of the Arabian Desert. It’s a zoo of kinds and though on the whole I dislike zoos this one has been very carefully planned and the animals appear well cared for. On the same topic avoid Dubai Zoo at all costs, it’s not for the fainthearted as the poor creatures there are not so well cared for. Abu Dhabi the capital of the UAE is well worth the couple of hours it takes to get there. The corniche is an 8 KM walk by the coast and in the cooler winter months an absolute joy.
Of course there are the shopping malls; one that gets little attention these days and has only been open one year is Ibn Battuta. It tends to be less busy than Wafi or Mall of the Emirates even though you’ll find many of the same shops, so it’s well worth a visit. They also have the fantastic Lime Tree café for coffee and the best carrot cake in the world, and Finz restaurant; the best food you’ll ever eat in a shopping mall. The only downside is they’re not licensed, shame really as nice bottle of South African wine would make the place perfect. A word of warning about shopping here, Dubai sells its self as a shopping Mecca, well for sheer volume it may be, but it’s not inexpensive. By that I mean if you’re expecting to come here for great bargains think again. Even during the shopping festivals the sale prices are rarely that cheap, especially when it comes to UK stores, I find that the sale price here is the same as full price back in Blighty. I know this because they have the price in pounds still on the labels. You can find some bargains on electronics but make sure you know exactly what you want to buy and have researched the prices at home or on the net. So many of my friends have found it more expensive here than back home.
Great bars that are worth a visit; Long bar at the Towers Rotana on SKR, Buddha Bar at the Grosvenor House, Vitage at Wafi Pyramids, Ginseng at the Planet Hollywood complex Wafi, the Irish Village at Dubai Tennis Sadium Al Garhoud and the Barasti bar at Le Merdien Mina Seyahi. Remember that weekends here are Thursday Friday or Friday Saturday so the busiest nights tend to be Wednesday and Thursday. For good food try Mezzanine at the Grosvenor house, Spectrum on One at the Fairmont, Medzo at Wafi Pymaids, The Dhow and Anchor at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Seville’s at the Planet Hollywood complex Wafi. There are many great unlicensed places for food, try Shakespeare at Park and Shop on Al Wasl Road, Maria Bonita’s Taco shop Al Sheif Road, The Rupee Room and Chandelier at Dubai Marina. Like most places Dubai’s happening nightlife changes rapidly, so it’s worth picking up Time Out Dubai magazine when you arrive. It will give you the low-down on where to go for food and drink whatever takes your fancy.
What to pack? Well most places have a smart casual dress code; it’s easy for us locals to spot the tourists as they’re normally far more dressed up than we are. Jeans and nice top are the norm for a night out, even clubbing. So unless you wanna stick out like a sore thumb or have a posh do to go to don’t bring your party frocks! Please remember this is a Muslim country and although you do see very short, shorts, belt like skirts and tiny tops, it’s normally ‘working girls’ who are wearing them. So if you chose to dress that way expect an awful lot of stares. Much better, especially when in the malls or exploring the creek to wear a t-shirt and something a bit closer to the knee in length, it’s only respectful after all. The air conditioning in most places is sub-zero and in winter evenings can get a bit cool so you’ll need a cardigan, shawl or light jacket to keep out the chill. The most important thing… a high factor sun lotion. You will not believe the number of lobsters we see here, the temperature may seem pleasant at it’s very often hazy, but let me tell you the sun is much stronger than it is in the Mediterranean, you will burn without lots and lots of protection, so be warned….
And finally…. If you have the money I would highly recommend a couple of nights at Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa. It’s no good if you have the kids with you, but for a romantic, relaxing and completely indulgent treat its well worth it. Tag a couple of nights onto the end of your stay, and you will leave all the more relaxed and rejuvenated.
posted by Bev @ 10:54 am
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