Planning a trip to Dubai this December
Planning a trip to Dubai this December
Hi!
Has anyone been to Dubai? Please offer me your insight on places to go, things to do, must-see etc etc.
I want to travel to Dubai for at least a week in December. It's a very impulse thing to do, but I just need a break, and I've wanted to go there for a long time.
So, can you please give me advice/ suggestions on how to have a great time.
A few things about myself - I'll be a lone female traveller, 23-year-old, I don't drink or smoke, but love culture, sight-seeing etc etc.
:thanks: in advance for any help, it's much appreciated :)
Answers:
Hey,
I moved to Dubai by myself for a while when I was 22 a few years ago. I'm back in the UK now though and was supposed to go back for a holiday in the summer which fell through.
I've answered a few Dubai threads that'll hopefully come up in a search as I've not got much time now but if you can't find them I'll write more indepth to your thread with some suggestions etc... that may be of use.
:)
Answers:
I did do a search before I created this new thread, and nothing came up. I don't think that the search function is working properly yet. Any help is appreciated :)
Answers:
* bump * :(
Answers:
Sorry Lost, been manic these past few days and only been nipping on.
Annnyway, back to Dubai!
It's probably changed loads since I was there (late 2004) as new buildings get knocked up daily there.
Dubai is split into two divided by a creek, 'old' Dubai which is the Deira area and new Dubai which has the Bur Dubai and Jumeirah areas amongst others. Jumeirah is where the beach is and where a lot of expat families live in their big villas. It also has all the big major hotels (7 star Burj al arab, Jumeirah beach hotel etc...). Most people tend to stay there but it's getting really commercialised apparently and a bit 'Brits abroad-ish' but that's just an opinion. A must see there is the Jumeirah Mosque. I just saw it from the outside but they do tours around it 1 day a week. It looks so nice from the outside.
There is also a public free beach - Jumeirah beach. There is a ladies only day as being a female sunbathing alone you could get a bit of hassle from construction workers. My Danish, blonde co-worker went sunbathing alone and she got a bit of hassle, nothing dangerous but not what you need when trying to relax. Police also patrol the beach I think. You can also pay to use the major hotels private beach and facilities for the day if you want.
If you are into shopping you'll be in heaven. My favourite shopping centre is Deira City Centre. It's huge and has absolutely everything. Topshop, Diesel, a huge hypermarket, cinemas, Ikea, designer shops... I used to spend whole days in there. The Mall of the Emirates is also the world's largest mall I think but it wasn't opened yet when I was there but worth checking out I should think. There are a few other malls so let me know if it's of interest to you.
One tip I got told was to rip out your favourite outfits from magazines and take them to a tailor and they'll make them to measure for peanuts, all really good quality. The tailors are in Satwa I think (another area) and also there are beauty salons used by locals where you can get all sorts of treatments and the best eyebrow threading every
for pennies.
Another thing worth checking out is the souks in Deira. The gold souk, spice souk etc... Haggling is expected and you'll get good bargains.
Erm what else. Something I really wanted to do but never got around to is a trip to the desert. Loads of companies sell loads of different types of tours but it usually includes riding the sand dunes in a 4x4 and staying overnight in a bedouin tent with dinner included cooked there etc... I'll look that up and post it.
There is a huge water park (Wild Wadi) which I never got around to going to but it's supposed to be good.
Hmmm take a shawl or something as I went to the cinema in the evenings for something to do and came out freezing because of the air conditioning.
Taxis are also cheap and I really hardly walked anywhere.
Not sure if you are booking a package or booking seperately but hotels for a single are pretty expensive and I wouldn't advise staying in anywhere less than a 3 star, prob 4 star as the cheap cheap hotels are usually frequented by 'ladies of ill repute' shall we say. I also probably wouldn't stay in Deira although the hotels there come up cheaper. If you can get a really cheap flight then I'd look up costs of renting an apartment (I was going to do this) as it may work out cheaper. www.holiday-rentals.co.uk and http://www.myvillarenters.com/ have Dubai apartments.
If you need to know anything else just ask or PM me. I'll ask my friends in Dubai for any other must sees as I haven't been for ages.
x
Hi!
Has anyone been to Dubai? Please offer me your insight on places to go, things to do, must-see etc etc.
I want to travel to Dubai for at least a week in December. It's a very impulse thing to do, but I just need a break, and I've wanted to go there for a long time.
So, can you please give me advice/ suggestions on how to have a great time.
A few things about myself - I'll be a lone female traveller, 23-year-old, I don't drink or smoke, but love culture, sight-seeing etc etc.
:thanks: in advance for any help, it's much appreciated :)
Answers:
Hey,
I moved to Dubai by myself for a while when I was 22 a few years ago. I'm back in the UK now though and was supposed to go back for a holiday in the summer which fell through.
I've answered a few Dubai threads that'll hopefully come up in a search as I've not got much time now but if you can't find them I'll write more indepth to your thread with some suggestions etc... that may be of use.
:)
Answers:
I did do a search before I created this new thread, and nothing came up. I don't think that the search function is working properly yet. Any help is appreciated :)
Answers:
* bump * :(
Answers:
Sorry Lost, been manic these past few days and only been nipping on.
Annnyway, back to Dubai!
It's probably changed loads since I was there (late 2004) as new buildings get knocked up daily there.
Dubai is split into two divided by a creek, 'old' Dubai which is the Deira area and new Dubai which has the Bur Dubai and Jumeirah areas amongst others. Jumeirah is where the beach is and where a lot of expat families live in their big villas. It also has all the big major hotels (7 star Burj al arab, Jumeirah beach hotel etc...). Most people tend to stay there but it's getting really commercialised apparently and a bit 'Brits abroad-ish' but that's just an opinion. A must see there is the Jumeirah Mosque. I just saw it from the outside but they do tours around it 1 day a week. It looks so nice from the outside.
There is also a public free beach - Jumeirah beach. There is a ladies only day as being a female sunbathing alone you could get a bit of hassle from construction workers. My Danish, blonde co-worker went sunbathing alone and she got a bit of hassle, nothing dangerous but not what you need when trying to relax. Police also patrol the beach I think. You can also pay to use the major hotels private beach and facilities for the day if you want.
If you are into shopping you'll be in heaven. My favourite shopping centre is Deira City Centre. It's huge and has absolutely everything. Topshop, Diesel, a huge hypermarket, cinemas, Ikea, designer shops... I used to spend whole days in there. The Mall of the Emirates is also the world's largest mall I think but it wasn't opened yet when I was there but worth checking out I should think. There are a few other malls so let me know if it's of interest to you.
One tip I got told was to rip out your favourite outfits from magazines and take them to a tailor and they'll make them to measure for peanuts, all really good quality. The tailors are in Satwa I think (another area) and also there are beauty salons used by locals where you can get all sorts of treatments and the best eyebrow threading every
for pennies.
Another thing worth checking out is the souks in Deira. The gold souk, spice souk etc... Haggling is expected and you'll get good bargains.
Erm what else. Something I really wanted to do but never got around to is a trip to the desert. Loads of companies sell loads of different types of tours but it usually includes riding the sand dunes in a 4x4 and staying overnight in a bedouin tent with dinner included cooked there etc... I'll look that up and post it.
There is a huge water park (Wild Wadi) which I never got around to going to but it's supposed to be good.
Hmmm take a shawl or something as I went to the cinema in the evenings for something to do and came out freezing because of the air conditioning.
Taxis are also cheap and I really hardly walked anywhere.
Not sure if you are booking a package or booking seperately but hotels for a single are pretty expensive and I wouldn't advise staying in anywhere less than a 3 star, prob 4 star as the cheap cheap hotels are usually frequented by 'ladies of ill repute' shall we say. I also probably wouldn't stay in Deira although the hotels there come up cheaper. If you can get a really cheap flight then I'd look up costs of renting an apartment (I was going to do this) as it may work out cheaper. www.holiday-rentals.co.uk and http://www.myvillarenters.com/ have Dubai apartments.
If you need to know anything else just ask or PM me. I'll ask my friends in Dubai for any other must sees as I haven't been for ages.
x