A tourist mecca and business hub, Dubai is an attention seeking over-achiever… by @adventureguy
Looking at the skyline of Dubai today, it’s hard to imagine that just 60 years ago, it was a desert. Today, Dubai is an example for the world – everything is bigger and better than anywhere else so you’ll find it very difficult to go anywhere in Dubai without uttering “OMG!” or “WOW!”. It was this WOW factor, combined with a unique opportunity for free accommodation that convinced me to finally pay the Emirates a visit.
The first step when planning an international trip, is to check the visa regulations and sadly, South African passport holders do require a visa to visit the United Arab Emirates. On the one hand, it’s a really simple and quick online process, but on the other, the cost just adds to the overall trip budget. Approximate Cost: US$96 (R1,400) and takes up to 4 days to process.
Getting There
This was simple enough. A quick search on Travel.co.za, instantly offered me a plethora of options. I opted for the discounted Emirates flights since they were not only the cheapest, but also the direct option. With 4 daily flights from Johannesburg, we chose the late evening departure (22h20) as this would allow the baby to sleep through – perfect!
Emirates are a truly world class operation. Their product and services are superb to say the least. The crew were amazing. The food and inflight entertainment were great. Seats were comfortable and spacious (the baby got us bulkhead seats) and the 8-hours flew by (pun intended).
On arrival, the first thing I did was get a local sim card for my spare smart phone (the kiosks are spread all over the airport) and there is a special tourist rate from Etisalat (local provider) called the Etisalat Visitor Line which costs AED 100 (R400) and it includes roughly 1 gig data, 5 hours of free wifi and about an hour’s voice minutes. I found out during my planning that WhatsApp Calls, Skype Calls and FaceTime don’t work on any wifi network within the UAE, so while you can WhatsApp chat with friends and family back home, you can’t actually talk to them unless you’re on a local sim card.
When to go
If you know your geography, you would know that this region is extremely hot between April – August. It gets up to 50 degrees (Celsius) which is madness. Between September – May, the Christmas period seems to be the most popular, followed closely by the infamous Dubai Shopping Festival (26 Dec – 28 Jan). A little know secret is to travel during the UAE National Day (2 Dec) because just prior to this public holiday, the retailers celebrate by offering massive discounts of up to 90% – ridiculous! Needless to say, this is when we decided to go.
Where to stay
I’ve read so many blogs during my planning and found it hard to decide. In the end, circumstances (free accommodation) decided for us and we ended up staying in a luxury apartment in Festival City. During our trip, we explored quite a bit of Dubai and found that the three popular “zones” to stay at are:
- Downtown Dubai – This is in the vicinity of the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa
- Jumeirah – The roughly 10km stretch between La Mer Beach and the Burj Al Arab
- Jumeirah Beach Residences (JBR as the locals call it) – the area at the foot of the Palm
It’s important to pick your place wisely as getting around in Dubai can quickly become very pricey. With so much to see and do in each area, it’s a reason to come back to Dubai and stay somewhere else. Our next trip, we’re definitely doing JBR – #BeachLife #NightLife #DeliciousFood
Getting Around
Since we were ultimately staying in a residential neighbourhood (a real fancy once), getting around was going to be an adventure. It turned out to be easier than expected though, we tried UBER and was easy enough, but quickly realised that the local version – Careem – was much cheaper, not to mention everywhere, so this is what we ended up using to get around. There were five of us and the standard Careem vehicle was a Lexus – brilliant! On average about AED 1.75 per km (R7 per km).
Things to do
Dubai Parks & Resorts
Top of our list of things to do was a visit to Dubai Parks & Resorts – home to MotionGate Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai, LEGOLAND Dubai and LEGOLAND Waterpark. A 2 day pass for all the parks will cost in the region of AED500 per person (R2,000 per person). Crazy I know, which is why we opted to spend 2 nights at the 5-Star Lapita Dubai Parks & Resort, Autograph Collection. It worked out cheaper and included free access to all the parks. The resort is located adjacent to the Parks and is just a short walk through RiverLand. Lapita itself was amazing – and due to the fact that we spent very little time at the resort, there isn’t much to review except that everything was spectacular. From the reception to the service, the rooms and the breakfast – supreme and highly recommended.
The parks are an absolute treat. Kids love everything about it, while adults also get to have fun with some exhilarating rides (most notably the Capitol Bullet Train). There are live shows and entertainment, great food and stunning activities – absolutely loads of things to see and do, and remember what I said in the intro – everything is Dubai is bigger & better. The attention to detail is mesmerising and you will be in awe everywhere you go.
Dubai Desert Safari
On our return to Festival City after a whirlwind couple of days at Dubai Parks, we decided to do a Desert Safari. Our challenge was to find one that was affordable, and could cater for a baby of a few months old. Through the Entertainer App, we found a fantastic operator who not only provided us with an exclusive vehicle (not sharing with other tourists), but also had a custom baby seat. The price was AED 25 per person or R100 per person (that’s 50% off thanks to the App). There is enough material online to tell you all about the experience, but nothing prepares you for the amazing sunset you experience. The operator picked us up at our apartment and we drove for about 45 minutes to a meeting place to get some refreshments etc. while they deflated the tyres. We then embarked on a 30 minute dune bashing trip gliding over giant dunes which felt like a roller coaster rider. The baby was perfectly safe and seemed to be enjoying the ride too. A quick stop for some sunset pics before heading to the camp where we were greeted with offers for camel rides, hennah tattoos and curio shopping. A buffet dinner with desert followed, all while being entertained by a variety of dancers and by 10pm we were back at the apartment to rest up for the next adventure.
TOP TIP: It would’ve cost them AED600 per annum (R2,400) but you could easily download it and use their credentials for all the benefits like half price dining and activities.
Only applies if you know someone in Dubai that has “theEntertainer” app.
IMG World of Adventure
Billed as the world’s largest indoor theme park, this promised so much and even though there are three phenomenal rides, I could not help but feel like this was something I could have done without. The entrance fee is a whopping AED 250 per person or R1,000 per person (off peak). Nevertheless, I was left breathless after the Velociraptor – a mad ride! Nearly as fast as the legendary Formula Rossa at Ferrari World and scary AF! Thor Thunder Spin is basically the same ride as the Gold Reef City Miners Revenge, except of course – like everything in Dubai – it’s bigger, better and faster! By far, the coolest ride was Hulk Epsilon Base 3D – this ride is only available during set times of the day – it’s in 3D and you sit in a dome like theatre that moves in every direction, the entire dome (every direction) is a screen and was a fantastic experience. As for the rest, mmmeh…
Shopping in Dubai
There are loads of options for shopping in Dubai and as we were visit during the week of their National Day, the discounts were big. We started out at the Outlet Mall (close to the IMG World of Adventure) and the first store had 2 for 1 deals. While these are common, only in Dubai – at this time of year – the price for the first item is already discounted by 50%. Awesomesauce. We got great deals on Adidas, SuperDry and GAP.
We tried the Dubai Mall, but it was just soooo busy, we quickly opted out (after a dazzling water fountain show of course and a quick selfie with the Burj in the background). Top Tip: The Dubai Mall is at its fullest on a Thursday evening and Friday from lunchtime.
After the Dubai Mall mayhem, we ended up at the Festival City Mall – this was fantastic. No crowds, better deals and an all-round great afternoon out. In the evening they have a thrilling water and light show boasting the – wait for it – world’s largest outdoor projection. Be sure to have a sneak peak inside Carrefour (like a Makro) – we got I pads for just AED 600 – (That’s like R2400). They also have great prices on luggage, just in case you shop up a storm and need more bags to get home!
I left the best for last – Global Village Dubai – this is open seasonally during the cooler months. It is a cultural extravaganza and features mini markets represented by places like Turkey, India, South America, United Kingdom, France, China and so much more. In each of these markets, you get products from those countries at great prices and for those born before 1980, it’s like the old Rand Easter Show (when it was still awesome) but on major steroids. Sadly, we didn’t have enough time to see it all as you would need at least 2-3 visits to see all the markets and experience all the activities. Next time gadget!
Before we left, we visited the infamous JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residences) to see what all the hype was about. It left us wanting to extend our stay as we chilled on the beachfront at one of the many restaurants, enjoying the delicious cuisine and the spectacular view (with Atlantis The Palm in the distance). There are popup shops and activities right on the beachfront with many other shopping activities but best of all – a dip into the sea to cool off. Get this – the running track is padded – yes padded – so you don’t get joint injuries. You feeling like you’re running on the moon!
Another great beach in Dubai is La Mer – located in Jumeirah, this public beach is like a mini Miami, complete with Taco trucks and Latino music. A great place to spend the day.
All in all, it was a memorable trip and we got to experience so much! Dubai has its very own mini bucket list and we’ve managed to tick off all of these:
- Dubai Parks & Resorts
- Stay at a 5-Star Resort
- IMG World of Adventure
- Shop till we dropped
- Seen all the super cars and hyper cars
- Ride an Abra (boat) in Dubai Creek – bargain at just AED1
- Visited old Dubai
- Global Village
- Medinat Jumeirah with spectacular views of the Burj Al Arab
- Kite Beach & La Mer Beach
Top 10 things I’ve got to do on my next trip:
- Swim with the Dolphins at Dolphin Bay (Atlantis The Palm)
- Go Skiing in Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates
- Visit the Aquaventure Waterpark and the Lost Chambers (Atlantis The Palm)
- Go crazy at Wild Wadi Waterpark
- Catch the view from the Dubai Frame
- Ride up to the top of the Burj Khalifa
- Shop at Global Village (again)
- Jet Skiing at the Jumeirah Palm
- Yoga in the Dubai Miracle Garden
- High tea at the Burj Al Arab
