Travel to Dubai means arriving at Dubai International Airport (DBX), which has seen annual average growth run at a clip of more than 13% since opening in 1960. It serves some 88 million customers connecting to more than 240 destinations across six continents on more than 100 airlines. It is located about 30 minutes from Dubai’s city center and is connected by light rail for a nominal fee.
DXB’s world-class facilities include the $1.2 billion Concourse D, serving all international airlines that operate into Terminal 1, Concourse A – the world’s first and largest purpose-built A380 facility that is one of the three Concourses used exclusively by Emirates airline, as well as Terminal 2.
The airport was at the forefront in the past decades at the movement that made airports destinations in themselves. It is easy to spend time wandering shops, spas, bookstores, kiosks and profligate spaces of duty-free commerce. You can also buy gold by the ounce at very favorable rates and enter an ongoing monthly lottery to win a top-shelf luxury sedan, no need to be present to win. Lounges here, especially Emirates lounges, are immense and full of quiet indulgences.
Dubai is considered the playground of the United Arab Emirates. It is also regarded to be among the best places to live while in the middle east as it is filled with a lot of family-friendly attractions, world class shopping and museums. The city state on the Persian Gulf has become a visionary icon of urban development and is at the forefront in technological urban innovation.
Getting around Dubai
The most efficient way to get around Dubai is by Taxi and there are plenty of clean, efficient, affordable and hailable cabs to do the honors. You can also a book for a taxi by phone, often a Mercedes, and they are not that much more expensive. There is no Uber in Dubai but you can book for a ride through the phone app known as the Careem. This is a regional app that you can use for calling a car and it follows the same procedure as Uber. You can also opt for Dubai Metro which is a cheap and highly efficient way of getting around Dubai, especially during high traffic periods. There are only two lines so it is nearly impossible to get lost.
Best time to Visit Dubai
November to March are the best months for visiting Dubai as the weather is tolerable. They say Dubai has only two seasons: hot and hotter so the best time to come is during the winter months for blue skies and prime beach weather.
This is also the peak season so expect lots of crowds and high hotel rates and airfares.
Top things to Do in Dubai
Aquaventure Waterpark
This waterpark can be found inside Atlantis the Palm hotel and it is a fun way to cool off on a hot day. It’s perfect for bleisure moments with the family. Beyond the shark and stingray attractions is a private beach that offers a range of watersports.
Dubai Mall
Shopping is a prime “Do Buy” pastime and there are some three dozen megamalls that make it wild and new with every venture. Dubai Mall is the city’s premier mall that provides entry to Burj Khalifa and also the Dubai Aquarium. The mall is filled with lots of fun things to do from skating around an ice rink to the watching a film in the cinema complex to the checking out gaming zone and to exploring a plethora of designer stores that offer Vogue styles at cut-rate prices in the favorable Dirham to USD exchange rates. You may catch a catwalk fashion show or a music recital in the adventure.
Views from Burj Khalifa
One of the top things to do in Dubai is catch views of the city and desert from the vantage of the world’s tallest structure. This magnificent building offers an outdoor observation deck to get those magnificent panoramas and also learn about how Dubai was transformed over the past half century from a forgotten fishing village to a worldclass destination.
Jumeirah Mosque
This is regarded by many people to the most gorgeous mosque in Dubai and it is an exact copy of Cairo’s Al-Azhar Mosque, although smaller in size. The mosque was built in the medieval Fatimid tradition with two minarets. The best time to visit is during the evening as the stonework is stands out through the floodlights.
Take a Cruise
Tale a cooling and guided sightseeing cruise through Dubai Creek from Old Dubai to Jeleb Ali to get some orientation and history. These are inexpensive, often in a motorized dhow, and bring views of the city’s often bizarre and iconic building designs.
Dubai Aquarium
This is among the city top tourist attractions and it is home to 140 species of sea life and this can be found in a huge suspended tank on the ground floor of Dubai Mall. The best thing about this aquarium is the Underwater zoo where visitors can walk through the aquarium tunnels and be surrounded on all sides by sea life. There is often a line and a lot of families with active small children so this is not something to do at peak times if looking for quiet activities.
Travel tips
-Dubai is a Muslim city and they have strict alcohol restrictions – that means no alcohol in public parks and walking around. Clubs, restaurants and hotels are fine and alcohol is well tolerated in tourist areas where it is sold.
-Dubai restaurants are quite expensive and bring all the Michelin stars and drummed up atmosphere. But a pleasant treat is the authentic and very inexpensive dining to be found in Old Dubai – mostly Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare.
-While there is plenty of designer shopping to be done in upmarket malls, check out the souk in Old Dubai for spices, souvenirs and amazing jewelry – all at cut-rate prices for those who bargain well. Dubai also has a hidden “fake” market in this area for those who know how to look or how to inquire.
-Dubai does have culture and a new arts area called Al Quoz in Old Dubai to prove it. Walk through quaint quiet streets to visit galleries and museums and gift shops. Have coffee and read poetry in hidden oases tucked into corners or boutique hostels. Enjoy lunch and a casual discussion about local customs and Dubai life at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding.
-You should ensure that you buy small trinkets and souvenirs from the local souks rather than the luxury shopping malls.
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