Dubai Destination Guide
Why We Went: Mike received a last minute invitation to work his company’s booth at the 2019 Global IT Exchange (GITEX) conference in Dubai. At first, we were only planning on him traveling to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a week. However, once I realized that I didn’t have to travel work work that week, I jumped at the chance to travel with him! Mike was tied up with his conference for most of the week, and I still worked remotely, but we still managed to sneak away and take in a few sights.
When We Went: early October 2019
What We Loved: Diverse cultures, modern architecture, over-the-top sights (like the world’s tallest building, malls, and even an indoor ski hill), and a desert safari complete with camel rides.
The Plan: Dubai
The Logistics
Getting There: We flew on a direct flight out of Chicago on Emirates Airlines into Dubai International Airport (DBX) on a whopping 14 hour flight! There are several non-stop options from the United States, including from New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and San Francisco. If you’re flying overseas to another destination on Emirates Airlines, chances are, you will have a layover in Dubai.
Getting Around: Dubai is not very walkable, so you’ll need to rely on taxi, ride share, and the Dubai Metro. While Uber is widely available, we found the local Careem app to offer nicer cars.
Where To Stay: We stayed in Jumeriah Beach Residence (JBR), at the Hilton The Walk, which is a main tourist center about a 20 minute drive south of downtown. Next time, we’ll stay closer to the action- read more about 8 great areas to stay here.
Affordability: While it would be very easy to break the bank in Dubai, with all of its luxury options, there are deals to be had for budget travelers- if you look for them. The UAE’s currency are called Dirham (AED). Calculate current exchange rates here. The following are examples of what we paid:
- One night at 4* Hotel in JBR: $218 per night
- Desert Safari: $165 per person
- Uber ride from Dubai Mall to JBR (non-peak hours, about 23 km): $20
Why Visit Dubai?
To be honest, Dubai wasn’t at the top of our travel bucket list, as we’d often heard it referred to of the “Las Vegas of the Middle East’. Truthfully, Dubai was a bit over the top for our tastes, and a little lacking on history and culture (most of the city has been built in the last 18 years) but we were so glad that we had the opportunity to travel there together and experience a bit of a truly remarkable and modern city.
We’d recommend visiting Dubai to experience:
A Desert Safari
We took a desert safari with Platinum Heritage Tours, and it was truly the highlight of our trip. We were driven about an hour outside of Dubai into the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, where we trekked through the desert on camels to a recreation of a traditional Bedouin (nomadic tribe) camp. There, we experienced a falconry demonstration, were treated to an amazing traditional meal and entertainment under the stars.
Over-the-top Architecture and Attractions
Dubai is known for always trying to outdo itself with the biggest, tallest, best of everything. Dubai is home to the world’s biggest mall (Dubai Mall), the tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa). You’ll also find a wide range of over-the-top attractions like an indoor ski hill, a ‘Miracle Garden’, and the world’s only 7-star hotel (Burj Al Arab).
Tip: You can combine your trip to the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa since you access the observation deck line inside the mall. If you don’t want to pay to visit the observation deck, you can get a great view of the Burj Khalifa from the terrace outside of the Apple store.
International Cuisine
Dubai is a very diverse city, with people traveling from around the world to work, do business, and vacation there. That means access to a wide range of international cuisines- while there we ate Emerati, Lebanese, Japanese, British, Indian, and we barely scratched the surface of what was available.
Like with most of our trips, we went on a food tour through old Dubai and got to sample more than a dozen different foods, including camel milk gelato.
Dubai is also known for it’s fine dining and unique dining experiences including dining under water or suspended up in the air! For more restaurant recommendations, try this article.
Our Must Have Experiences
What To Plan For
- Dubai is HOT! We traveled in October, which is the tail end of their summer, and temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day, with high humidity. Prepare to sweat through your clothes, so don’t plan on re -wearing clothing. We were thankful to have booked a room with a washing machine as it allowed us to pack less. Winter months will bring cooler, more comfortable weather.
- Traffic can be horrendous- avoid rush hour (7 a.m.-10 a.m. and 4 p.m.- 7 p.m.) and consider taking the Metro when possible to avoid sitting in traffic.
- The work week in Dubai runs from Sunday-Thursday. Friday and Saturday are considered the weekend for most people.
- Although Dubai is more westernized and liberal than other Emirates, be cognizant that you are in a Muslim country. Avoid showing too much skin, NEVER drink in public (it’s illegal), and be respectful if you see someone praying during one of the calls to prayer.
- Alcohol is widely served in restaurants, but it can be expensive. Unless you’re relying on happy hours (which are plentiful), expect to pay $10-$15 for a draft beer and upwards of $15-$20 for a glass of wine or a cocktail.
What We Would Change for our Next Visit
We can definitely see ourselves returning to Dubai in the future, and we’d like to take advantage of Emirate’s stopover offers. Assuming we have more control over our schedule next time, we’d plan to:
- Visit during the cooler months (November -April). The high temperatures and humidity made it very difficult to stay outdoors for more than a few minutes at a time without sweating profusely!
- Stay closer to downtown or in the Jumeriah Beach Area. JBR was pretty far away from most attractions, and while it would have been a great location for lounging on the beach all day, that’s not our style.
- Plan for at least a day trip to Abu Dabi to see the Sheikh Zayed Mosque.
Maps & Resources
Resources We Used To Plan Our Trip
Books:
- The Boho Chica’s: What to Wear in Dubai
- Eat App: I found that most restaurants seemed to be listed on this application, making it easy to make reservations right from my phone.
- Careem– Between the heat and the distances between attractions, you’ll likely need access to a car or taxi during your visit. While Uber is an option, Careem in the local option and seemed to be slightly less expensive.
- Miss Tourist: Must Visit Dubai Attractions
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