Di-Da-Dubai for beginners

(Kiki’s travel guide XL)

Oh boys, this place does a lot to me. Let me start with this: excusez le mot for the Insta-spam. And sorry: there’s a shitload of photos coming. The insane skyline, the beaches, the outrageous architecture, the hospitality, the food (MAN, the food: the tastiest fresh dates and hummus on earth) the shopping: metropolis Dubai is actually everything I didn’t expect and more.

Dubai is often associated with dollar signs, bling bling, and over the top (and sure, you can’t think of anything too crazy in the city), but Dubai is more than just a place to blow your money. And since my love and I bought a house (yes, a HOUSE) it was time for an affordable trip to the United Arab Emirates. Because yes, it’s possible. Really. Never been to Dubai? Treat yourself to this trip and book that ticket. Via Emirates so, because as you know, that has been my new favorite airline since this week. Ready for unforgettable Dubai for beginners? Check out the tips below. Because a prepared person...

Go for at least a week

Three days in Dubai? You’ll regret it. Think of it as New York. If you want to see all the highlights of the city, you really need that week. In Dubai, everything is big, bigger, biggest, and if you want to experience the whole shebang, a few days is actually too short. At least six days, preferably longer. Deal?

About the location of your hotel

Dubai is actually so sprawling that there is no one central place where you are closest to the attractions. You can find hotels from 70 euros per night, up to the bizarre prices they ask at the Burj al Arab – the only seven-star hotel in the world. We stayed at the five-star Le Meridien Hotel (near the airport and in my opinion a top location to go anywhere from there), but you can also choose a beach location. The Palm Jumeirah is amazing, but you need to keep in mind that if you choose one of the hotels on the outer ring, transportation can be a bit trickier. Sleeping in Downtown Dubai (the area around Burj Khalifa) I wouldn’t really advise, because here you can really open your wallet wide. A hotel in old Dubai (Bur Dubai and Deira) is also smart for your wallet if you’re not necessarily coming for a beach holiday but a city trip and prefer to pay for your experiences rather than the four walls you sleep between.

About the money

The exchange rate of the dirham against the euro fluctuates regularly, but for convenience, assume that you divide everything by four to five. Haggling is quite normal, except in shopping malls and supermarkets.

Traffic

Keep in mind (if you want to rent a car) that the traffic can be quite hectic. Try to avoid rush hour if you don’t want to take an hour to cover two kilometers. Additionally, there are many roadworks and due to the city’s constant growth, your navigation may not always provide the correct routes. I would advise you to take a taxi or the metro. It really doesn’t cost much and it’s by far the cheapest (and chillest) way to travel. The Ubers are also extremely well organized: cheap and fast.

The inhabitants

I totally did not expect that barely ten to fifteen percent of the inhabitants of Dubai are Emirati. Almost everyone is a migrant. What do you see when you walk down the street? People from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Abu Dhabi, expats from all corners of the world AND tourists. Ask me now what impressed me the most on this trip and I’ll tell you: the way various societies seem to come together in Dubai. It seems like the concept of ‘multicultural’ was born here. It seems to be one of the few places where a Hindu temple is built next to a mosque without any problem. Everyone respects each other, whether you go outside with bare legs or veiled. A big, fat applause for this.

The Dubai Mall

You must see it. The largest shopping mall in the world with 1200 stores and an area of half a million square meters. You can spend days, DAYS just to see everything. Real shopaholics can go wild here, because Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Dior are in abundance and you can buy them relatively cheaply in Dubai. Be sure to check out the Cheesecake Factory (people even stand in line for it, so that’s always a good sign), the gigantic aquarium, the waterfall, and the indoor ice rink. I also went completely loco at Candylicious. This is the largest (yes, here we go again) candy store in the world where you can spend an hour looking at and tasting everything without any shame.

Burj Khalifa

Of course, you want to visit the flagship of Dubai: the Burj Khalifa, at 828 meters the tallest building in the world. Book your ticket online (about thirty euros), because oi oi oi, if you ask for a ticket on-site in the tower, you strangely enough suddenly pay two hundred bucks. Most hotels easily book a ticket for you. The view from the top is insane, especially early in the morning and around sunset.

Dubai Miracle Dream Garden

A relatively cheap outing (about ten euros) is a visit to the Dubai Miracle Garden: a tourist attraction consisting of a dreamy giant garden with thirty million flowers. They even made an Emirates airplane out of flowers and snagged a Guinness Book of Records award with it. You understand: those pictures are great for your Insta - proof...

Savoring culture

Dubai was not always a series of architectural masterpieces, glitter, and glamour. If you head towards the old center, you can still feel a bit of the authentic vibe, and I secretly liked that. During a Walking Street Food tour, my love and I visited the Al Fahidi district. This is where you really find the best food spots for a bargain. Be sure to take an abra (water taxi) to cross to the other side of the creek. It costs you one dirham (that’s about 0.23 euros) and sit among the locals on the boat for the ultimate exploration feeling. The Madinat Jumeirah neighborhood is also popular with many tourists and I understand why. With canals, gondolas, and cozy terraces, it’s just like Venice. If you prefer a guide to show you all the cool spots in the old center: just google Arabian Adventures and ask for Nabil for the Old Dubai City tour, because Nabil is the absolute best.

Good grief. Am I typing like a possessed gecko again? I think so. But man, there is so much to tell and I haven’t even talked about the cool hotspots yet. You know what? You still owe me those, deal? For now, I would say: book, book, book that thing. And call me when you go, then I’ll quickly pack the suitcases again. Thirty kilos each, no shame.