Emerging high out of the Arabian desert, Dubai has become synonymous with wealth, opulence,
recording-breaking architecture and luxury tourism.
But Dubai is not a city without its controversies, with laws limiting free speech and many personal
freedoms it also continues to be plagued by accusations of human rights violations. For
these reasons Dubai is a city that some may visit with trepidation.
I’m India from Holiday Extras and in this video I’ll be getting under the skin of
Dubai. I’ll give you my 14 best tips to get the most out of your stay as well as how
to avoid getting on the wrong side of the law.
And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the channel for more on Dubai and loads
of other amazing destinations from all over the world.
So for my first tip it’s gonna be a question you’re going to be asking yourself when
you land in Dubai, and it’s how do I get to my accommodation? Well, what we did, which
I can recommend is getting an Uber.
So Ubers run from the airport, there’s even a designated drop-off and pick-up area for
Ubers and we waited no more than five minutes for ours. We took about a 20-minute journey
and it cost 85 dirhams, which is about £17. And honestly it was so easy, ok it might not
be the cheapest option but it’s certainly the most convenient.
Dubai is a city that has been built around the car. Multi-lane highways criss-cross the
city and using Uber or local taxi app, Careem, is generally the quickest way to get around.
A walking city Dubai, is not.
However, Dubai does actually have some of the cheapest public transport tickets in the
world - so if you’d rather save cash than time, then getting the metro can be a good idea.
Now if you’re going to be using public transport while you’re here in Dubai then I recommend
getting a NOL card. Now these work in a similar way to how the Oyster card works in London.
You simply load it up and then tap in and
out as you go and the money will get deducted accordingly.
Now these are great because they cover all sorts of public transport, from buses, the
metro, the train, and a little bonus - you’ll also get into some of the parks with it too.
Bonus tips when riding the metro; The front carriage is often for women and
children only Eating or chewing gum on the metro is not
allowed There’s free wifi on board
And of course, no smoking
So if you’re gonna come to Dubai the chances are you’re going to end up on a beach at
some point and for good reason. The beaches here are gorgeous. And the great thing is
they’re really family-friendly too. Now I’m here on Sunset Beach and l can see the
Burj Al Arab in the background, the sun’s about to set and we’ve got a bunch of kite
surfers here too, it really is stunning.
As you can see, the beaches in Dubai are true to form and absolutely massive. Just take
care during the middle of the day, as there’s not much shade here.
So when packing for Dubai you’re gonna have to think about what to wear. So the advice
given is for both men and women to dress modestly. Now this can be left up to interpretation
and I myself spent hours Googling what to wear in Dubai because it’s just a very grey
area. I’d read something that said you really needed to cover up and then I’d see pictures
of another.
So what I decided to go with was to not bring any shorts or skirts above the knee and to
always cover my shoulders. Now coming here I have seen women in short dresses and skirts
but I think the idea is that if you’re gonna dress like that you might get some funny looks
and it’s just not respectful.
So another thing to think about whilst you’re coming to Dubai is public displays of affection,
or PDA. Now, if you’re married then holding hands with your partner should be just fine
but just don’t go kissing each other. If you’re not married, however, just keep your
hands to yourself it’s just not done here. Now if you’re not married, technically it’s
against the law to share a bed with your partner or stay in a hotel room. But a lot of the
Western hotels have overlooked that rule now so you’ll be fine to come here if you’re
not married..
Now another thing to think about is that homosexuality
is against the law here, so just keep that
in mind.
So what’s the weather like in Dubai, and when’s the best time of year to come? Well,
I’m here in January, the temperature’s been about in the mid twenties, the sun's
been shining and it’s been pretty glorious. So I’d say about now, think of Dubai as
a winter sun destination. If you were to come between June and August you're gonna find
temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees which in my opinion is slightly unbearable.
Now, I don’t usually like to recommend doing the obvious as I feel the best way to discover
a destination is to meet the locals and stay clear of the tourist traps. However, where
there’s a unique experience I’m willing to make an exception, and the Burj Khalifa
is certainly that.
Standing at 828 metres, the giant skyscraper dominates Dubai’s skyline. The tower was
built as part of the city’s radical redevelopment of the early 2000s. Sheikh Maktoum wanted
something that would bring worldwide attention to Dubai, so the world’s tallest building
was constructed - beating previous record holder the Taipei 101 Tower by a whopping
320 metres.
As a tourist you can buy tickets to the Atmosphere restaurant and one of three observation decks
on the 124th, 148th and 154th floors respectively, with prices increasing the higher you wish
to go.
My tip here is to get your tickets in advance. Although I’m usually a fan of spontaneity
it is significantly cheaper to pre-book your tickets online - in my experience it cost
about twice as much to buy on the door.
Next up, we’re heading into Old Dubai for food and the souks!
So in the downtown Dubai area you’re going to find a lot of commercial restaurants, all
the chains so you want to get out this area - head to an area like Deira where we are
now where you’re going to explore loads of different flavours from around the world
from local vendors.
We’ve just taken a tour with Frying Pan Adventures and it’s been amazing, we’re
here at an Egyptian restaurant right now. I’ve just tucked into an Egyptian pizza
which I never knew even existed. And it’s been great to just soak up some of the different
cultures that have been living here in Dubai.
And if you want to see more of Dubai’s amazing food then check out our video with Frying
Pan Adventures.
So before coming to Dubai it’s worth noting the dates of Ramadan. So during this time
a lot of local people will be fasting, and although this doesn’t change too much about
what’s going on in Dubai, restaurants might have different times and a lot of them will
be covered up or there might be divisions or partition walls up just to respect those
who are fasting around you.
Now the biggest thing about Ramadan is that if you’re caught eating on the street you
will get fined or there might even be a worse punishment. So this is really worth noting
these dates, you do not want to get into trouble whilst in Dubai, especially for just eating
on the streets. Ok so the dates do change every year so you need to double check that
and also if you want to come to Dubai and go for a little party you’re not going to
be able to do it during Ramadan because the clubs will be closed.
Staying in Deira, my next tip is to visit the souks. There are lots of souks in Dubai,
with some of the most well known including the Gold Souk, the Spice Souk and the Grand
Souk.
So one thing I’ve noticed when walking around these souks is that the sales technique isn’t
too intense. Sometimes when you come to these markets it can be sell, sell, sell, come here,
buy, buy, buy, pushy pushy. And actually here it’s a lot calmer and it makes you want
to buy stuff a little bit more. Yeah, I’m really enjoying this experience.
These dense marketplaces are found all over the Arab world and have become a fixture on
the tourist trail in the Middle East and North Africa. They’re always a full-on experience,
and if I’m being generous I’d say that the sales techniques are always very enthusiastic.
The souks are on either side of Dubai Creek and to cross you can take a ride on an abra
- a traditional wooden boat. They depart every few minutes and you can take a public one
or hire a private boat for a bit extra.
We took the abra across the creek from the Grand Souk to the Spice Souk, where I wanted
to try my hand at haggling.
Because it was the first time we came to his shop he’s given us some free chocolates
which is really sweet. So, obviously I was there, I wanted to buy some of the eucalyptus
and I asked how much and he gave me a first price. So you never accept the first price
in a souk, in any sort of marketplace here in Dubai. You always have to haggle, and as
a tourist you’re probably going to be charged over the odds anyway.
So whatever you do, don’t take the first price. Haggle, get them down and if they’re
not going to take it just walk away because the chances are they’ll ask for you to come
back because they want a sale.
So please. It’s all good fun as well, it’s part of the theatre of being here in the souk.
Dubai is a pretty full-on city so it’s good to try and get some time to chill out. Well-being
is a pretty new concept to the Middle East - but centres such as Life’n’One are starting
to pop up. This is a sign of Dubai moving with the times, following food trends such
as the popular vegan movement and bringing awareness to mindfulness and self care.
Dubai is a place where east meets west thanks to its myriad of expat communities. So it’s
no surprise to see a yoga studio like Life’n’One thriving as a secret oasis, hidden away amongst
the concrete jungle that can sometimes feel all consuming.
I mentioned Dubai’s strict laws right at the start of the video, and this extends to
control over the internet. It is against the law to post any content that mocks the nation
or its religion, encourages sinful activity or anything they deem is aimed at corrupting
minors.
In addition, at the time of recording, the video call function in apps like Facebook
and Whatsapp are blocked - although there are rumours that this ban may be lifted in
the future.
So a commonly asked question amongst tourists is; Can I drink alcohol whilst I’m in Dubai?
And the answer is yes but it’s gotta be in moderation. So you can drink alcohol in
licensed bars and hotels but it’s absolutely against the law to be seen under the influence
of alcohol in public. So if you’re gonna have a drink then once you’re finished get
a taxi from your bar to your accommodation and do not divert otherwise. This is not Magaluf,
you cannot be seen drunk here. At all. Or just stick to mocktails.
Desert safaris are an incredibly popular activity for tourists in Dubai. A typical safari will
combine dune-bashing, camel rides, food, drink and an evening under the night sky. There
are lots of companies offering safaris, but my pick is Nara because of their core beliefs
of sustainability and authenticity. They use ethically sourced products and materials,
use solar energy and have a zero-waste policy.
After a 30-minute drive out of Dubai downtown, our safari started with a camel ride across
the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve before arriving at Nara’s Sonara camp. The landscape
here is striking, it’s amazing just how quickly the city ends and you suddenly feel
like you’re in the middle of nowhere.
At the camp you’re provided with drinks and snacks and plenty of activities. Highlights
for me were sandboarding and archery.
Included in the package is an evening meal that’s served as the sun goes down. The
food here was excellent, some of the absolute best I had during my time in Dubai.
So this has been pretty special. Dubai city centre is busy, there’s a lot going on so
coming here to the middle of the desert just gives you time to have a breather and enjoy
all of this magic. But don’t forget to bring a layer as it can get a little chillier at
night.
The Nara desert escape isn’t the cheapest activity in Dubai, but for me it was such
a good experience that if your budget is limited then this is where I would spend your money.
Thanks for watching and do stay with us as we have some more really interesting stuff
about Dubai. Until then, see you later.