Travelling to Dubai

For anyone that has been to Dubai how did you find it? We dont have kids so dont have to worry about that

Im just wondering if the culture is a problem ie the dress code, what you can take photos of etc

Also what is the standard of accommodation like and do you have to pay big bucks to get somewhere nice?

Love dubai. Used to go every couple of months when we lived in the middle east. I wouldn't wear short shorts and spaghetti string tops. T shirt and 3/4 pants or a skirt is fine. As for accommodation there is some beautiful places but holiday inn or meridian or equiv should be ok. Really cheap hotels and you might have a disco pumping thru the walls until 3am. Prostitutes in the elevators etc. I have stayed at the ramada and that was fine. Jumeriah beach is beautiful but that is so expensive. Sheraton and le meridian.

Photos are fine. Some woman might not like to be photographed if they are fully veiled but if you want a photo of a woman in a veil there are plenty of discrete ways to go about it. Have to go to the gold souk. That is really cool and the mall with the ski slope in it is always a talking point. Also centre city mall has great shopping. If you are up to a drive the blue souk is neat but that is in (gosh can't remember the name but next state sort of about 20 mins drive away)

There are bus tours around the hotels which are interesting. They are beautiful. If you are a nervous traveller don't go with the guys at the blue souk offering to sell designer sunglasses or hand bags. They are knock offs but you have to barter hard and you get taken thru alleyways and up to a dodgy shop. They can get a bit toey if you barter too hard and you have to be firm. But I wouldn't go with any of them unless you have DH with you. They will approach you at the gold souk. I second wild wadi and also if you get the chance to go 4wd in the desert.

Hope you have a great stay. I will try and remember where that blue souk is.

Be conservative with dress. If you wear little tops or shorts you may well get leered at, depending on where you are.

And be conscious of their alcohol rules - tourists can get into trouble through doing what they would do at home. Oh, and public displays of lewdness (like the British couple 'heavy petting' on the beach) can get you thrown out of the country!!

Public transport may not be what you would like - they do have a light rail, but it doesn't go lots of places. Taxis are abundant and fairly cheap, or use the bus tours, which take you to the most popular destiantions.

Do the desert safari - cheesy, but fun, and ballooning if you can.

I had a friend just get back from Dubai. They went to the water park - but be warned it is not cheap these days (although they had 3 adults and 3 kids)

Also, be aware that most over the counter drugs in NZ are illegal in Dubai - especially anything with Codeine in it. So if you need medication make sure they are on prescription, and you have a letter from your doctor or they may get confiscated at the airport if you get chosen for a search.

My friend found Dubai very uninteresting - mainly because she didn't have the money to shop, so her options were limited.

Dubai is great we added it as a Stopover on our way back to NZ in 2009 (with no kids).

We stayed 10mins from the City (by the Clocktower) by car it was great and not too expensive. We paid a Taxi Driver to take us to the best Spots and it worked out quite cheap.

We went shopping at the Emirates Mall (where the Ski Slope is) cool place but heard Dubai Mall is good as well but our time was limited (2 Days).

We travelled in July and it was 47°C every day way to hot especially on the last day we did a Desert Safari and it was so much Fun. Also had no Problems with Dress Code and taking pictures

You can do so much more(eating Dinner and watching a Fountain show with lights) and I hope we will go back one day and stay at the hotel on the Palm Tree.

Have Fun

I would go in or as close to oct as it will be a nice 32-39 degrees by then but the most important thing is the humidity will be gone. July/August is when it is 45-50 degrees.