whos been here and any reports on the place too
whos been here and any reports on the place too
Wonderful shopping experience for Emm's
December weather and temperatures perfick
I've been to Dubai August last year. I didn't enjoy it that much it was Ramadan and the weather is far too hot. No public display of affection in public places and wear decent clothing. As a thirsty traveller we look for pubs but there's none open as its Ramadamadingdong alcohol is only available in hotels at a certain time but you have to wear shirt and tie for men. What made us laugh how can you wear shirt and tie at that temperature? We went out and went to starbucks instead. Burj Khalifa is a must see its next to Dubai Mall. At night they have dancing fountain outside Dubai Mall. There's a nice public beach next to Jumeirah Hotel and give you a full view of Burj al Arab. Apart from that beautiful city. Loads of kababayans. Dubai Mall prices is too high for a kuripot like me.
Its in the middle east so that should be enough to put you off going thereOriginally Posted by stevewool
I have some friends that work over there and they are only there for the tax free salary
Dubai likes to advertise itself that its all free and easy (westernised) but in reality its far from that
Most people working there are imports from other countries including the police
Public displays of affection can get you in a lot of bother so kissing and hugging Emm's will go down like a lead balloon
We occasionally head to Dubai on the weekends (maybe once or twice a month) and it can be a great place to visit, although I wouldn't want to live there.
As mentioned earlier, during Ramadan, which next year will be in June/July, then completely avoid Dubai as its not the place to be.
Dubai is great for shopping, some very large malls with lots of activities including the dancing fountains, indoor snow (ski slope), aquariums etc. Lots of things to wow you, but could probably all be seen in a few days.
The airport and city is all connected by metro now, so choose a hotel next to the metro line and you will be fine.
Lots of great places to eat and drink, lots of outdoor pubs and bars. If you go in the winter (i.e from now until February) then you will find the weather pleasant outside for a few beers.
Lots of nice beaches, ones such as Jumairah Beach are where a lot of the celebs go and is a very large public beach but sectioned of.
There are some amazing waterparks, probably rating amongst the best in the world.
Down the road in Abu Dhabi you also have the Ferrari World theme park which is almost entirely indoors and if you are a car fan is an incredible day out.
I'd recommend the place as either for a few days during a stopover en-route somewhere or for a weeks holiday, anything more then a week and you'd easily run out of things to do.
We generally head up there for a bit of shopping (Waitrose, Marks & Spencers, Ikea) or to take the kids to the snow or waterparks. We normally stay at The Meydan (which you'd probably need a car to stay at) if we are going to the horse racing, or the Le Meridian Fairway near the airport is great because its next to a metro stop and also near the 'Irish Village' which is a popular outdoor beer garden next to the Emirates Training Centre (so lots of stewardesses) and has good food.
If you need any more specifics, feel free to PM me or post questions.
If you live in Europe then the only real reason to go to Dubai is for the weather (wintertime) and to see the buildings. A 3-4 night break is enough. You can go to one of the big hotels and never leave. IMO it is 1000% nicer than somewhere like Sharm al Sheikh. It really is interesting to see all the different cultures and is definitely worth a visit. You can hold hands in tourist areas but don't go any further in public. 99% of the reported problems people get into are alcohol or drugs related - if you're a 'normal' person then you will have no issues. I've entered Dubai many times, both at the airport and by car from Oman - I've never been given a second glance and neither has my luggage. British passport, clean looking white guy, stamp stamp. Next!
Avoid Ramadan (even the locals all come to London!). If you live in the Middle East (Saudi in particular), parts of Africa, Russia or the 'new world' then it is a great place to escape to. For Europeans the appeal is slightly more focused (weather).
If you're considering a holiday out that way then I strongly recommend Oman. It is a different world. No high rise buildings, a really friendly local population, feels like Dubai 20 years ago, and the locals actually work (OK, not all of them). There are some great deserted beaches, mountains, wadis etc to visit in Oman - things definitely missing from Dubai. UK passports get you straight into either country btw, Filipinos need a visa.
Has anyone on the Forum paid a visit to Doha, I hear it's very nice!
The corniche in Doha is pleasant enough, but otherwise wouldnt recommend it haha. I used to work for the old boss, now his son is the Amir.
We went to Dubai in July this year and really enjoyed it. We flew from Heathrow to Dubai with Emirates and spent three nights there en-route to the Maldives. Fortunately, we left on the day that Ramadan started and felt we had to hide our bottles of water for the journey out of respect
It was extremely hot (44C) and steamy so we were pleased to get into the air conditioned buildings but we managed to cram in so much. We went to Dubai Marina, Jumeriah Beach area, did a tour and went to the Burj Al Arab, the Palm, (which is reclaimed land where so many villas and apartments have been built housing most of the expats. Emiraties tend to live in villas). We went to Dubai Creek and took a famous water taxi, Spice Souk, Gold Souk, Dubai Museum, the famous synchronised water fountains at Dubai Mall and the indoor aquarium. We also saw the tallest building in the world, the Burj Kalifa which was stunning. The airport there is amazing and the amount of building growth is phenomenal. The Sheik wants Dubai to be the tourist destination of the world.
What did amaze me was the sheer number of Filipinos working in Dubai, they are everywhere! There is even a Shoe Mart in one of the malls which made me smile. Lots of designer shops in the malls, Emma will be in handbag heaven!
I am not a fan of the Middle East but I would go back to Dubai again
I've been a few times - work related , generally.
It's certainly nice for a holiday , during the winter. Plenty to see and do. It is all a bit artificial though.
In addition to what others have mentioned , one thing I would especially do is go for a "brunch" or meal in the Burj Al Arab. It is (obviously) pretty expensive but a fantastic experience.
The fountains at the Burj Khalifa are brilliant as well. If you are into sport , there's usually something going on - either at Dubai or Abu Dhabi - tennis , F1 , golf , cricket - you name it.
And go to Boracay night club for the Philippines experience....
Lived and worked in Dubai. Dubai is an amazing City!
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