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Ultimate Guide to Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  • wanderlustwoman
  • Jan 25, 2016
  • 4 min read

Marhabaan!

Dubai, United Arab Emirates! A destination that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Bluntly put, this place is wild; a chaotic and intriguing conglomeration of color, mystics, street food, and life. To preface, here are a few things I learned on my recent adventure to Dubai that will prove helpful to anyone considering visiting:

  1. Dubai is a city known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene.

  2. Dubai is an Islamic country. The great thing about Dubai, is that they allow freedom to other religions. Tourists should be respectful of their customs by dressing conservatively.

  3. The Currency in Dubai is called dirham (AED). Therefore, you should plan to exchange your dollars to Dirhams at the airport before take off

  1. The official language is Arabic. Buy a Language Dictionary (It will be helpful) If not, heres a few phrases/words I learned... QUICK ARABIC LESSON: Hello - Marhabaan How are you? - Kayf Halik Train - Qitar Thank you - Shukraan My name is - Aismi hu ________

THINGS TO DO:

1. Shop! Just to name a few malls, "The Dubai Mall" (pretty literal), "The Outlet Village", "Mall of Emirates", "Mercado Mall", and there's much more! You can also go shopping at the Souks! The Diera Gold Souk is lined with hundreds of shops selling spices, clothing, and gold and Come on, who doesn't like gold?! They Have everything from gold Jewelry to gold bars! Give yourself plenty of time to shop as you will find your self hopping from one shop to the other.

2. Abu Dhabi Tour. Abu Dhabi is the capital and second most populous cities in United Arab Emirates. The city is known for white marble from Greece that adds to the gleam of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is the third LARGEST mosque in the world. I do advise to be respectful towards their religion during your tour. Women are required to wear a Hijab upon entering. I personally enjoyed wearing it, as I felt a sense of elegance!

The flowers on the vines are boarding the entrance of another section of the mosque which symbolizes "Welcome"

You will see it around the entrances of public doors, for example: The mall entrance, The mosque, Some restaurants, Museums, etc.

During your Abu Dhabi tour, you also will be taken to a beach where you can view the beautiful Jumeirah beach and Visit ferrari World!

3. Visit The Burj Khalifa. The Bulk Khalifa is the tallest structure in the world! The best time in my opinion is to view it at night. Its similar to New York city but 10 times better! The lights make the experience so amazing. They take you all the way to the last floor (163 floors) and you have to take the stairs. Haha, I'm JOKING, there's an elevator of course! Once you get to the top the view is impeccable! Heres a view that I took during my visit! (I won't give you a photo from the top floor, because I don't want to spoil it for you! )

4. Safari Desert Tour. This is a MUST do and an All day excursion and was one of my favorite activities! You start your day at 9am as someone will pick you up from your hotel. You then are brought to a camp sight where you'll be able to buy awesome clothing to wear, and FRESH coconut. Here you also will be able to touch a camel, go dune bugging, and mingle with other travelers!

After they will take you on a dune bugging adventure where you will eventually be able to walk on the sand. The sand feels like SILK!! Later on in the evening, you will be brought to a Festive camp site where you will be able to:

- Ride camels

- Get Hennas (Middle eastern Temporary hand tattoos)

- Eat

- Smoke Shisha

- See wonderful performances.

Here is a video I took during my visit!

The lights are electrifying!

5.Dubai Museum. It features galleries that recreate historic Arab houses, mosques, Souks, date farms and desert and marine life. It also includes an exhibit on pearl diving, with sets of pearl merchants weights, scales and sieves

6. Visit The Dubai Marina Bay. This is filled with walks along the ocean, restaurants, and many more attractions, which leads to my next activity.

7. Dhow Cruise. This is a novel experience in which you'll cruise down Dubai Creek while having dinner filled with music and fascinating lights. If thats not entertaining enough for you, a Tanura dance show is performed during your cruise.

BEST TIME TO VISIT:

Weather is everything, so the best time to visit would be between November to march, Basically ALL year Ha! You see, Dubai only has 2 seasons; Hot or Hotter! Be sure to drink lots of water, ESPECIALLY during that safari desert activity. ​

WHERE TO STAY:

Forget Hotels, Stay in a Riad for a truly authentic experience! A Riad is a small guesthouse. You can find many to stay at AirBnb.com. Many have bed and breakfast included with an open courtyard!

If you feel more comfortable in a hotel, i suggest downtown dubai! It is the most convenient! Plus, it has beautiful views (ask for a top floor).

WHERE TO EAT: Just to name a few...

Chatori Gali - www.chatorigali.ae

Gaucho - www.gauchorestaurants.com

Boca Dubai - www.boca.ae

GETTING AROUND:

The most affordable way to get around and to have the ultimate experience is by train. Just like any citi they have train passes, where you will have to fill with money to enter the metro. Be advised, the trains are separated by gender. The women side is a bright pink (which i enjoyed), and the mens is Blue. There is a line to separate the two and you can get fined for not being compliant. You can cross from one side to the other, as long as you eventually are in your side.

Thanks for reading my Dubai, United Arab Emirates Travel Guide! Like this post?

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To Book any of these activities visit Viator.com

Wadaeean! (Goodbye)

The Wanderlust Woman

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