Are you planning your travel to Dubai? May be yes, here are the top 5 experiences in Dubai and super insights for you!
Dubai is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and in particular millions of Indians travel to Dubai every year. Typically, Nov to Jan is considered a good time for travel to Dubai as the weather is more forgiving.
Dubai was on my bucket list for quite long. So, in the first week of December, my partner and I completed a memorable trip to this sought after destination. Our 7 day trip started from Bangalore and we spent 5 nights in Dubai (may not be enough) and 1 night in Abu Dhabi. In this post, I’ll share some keys tips with you on planning your travel, things to do in Dubai and some key insights and reflections, which will help you add to your experience of visiting Dubai, and may be help you save some money!
My Top 5 Experiences in Dubai
Dubai is known for it’s mega structures, 6-lane highways (wow!) and it provides a lot of opportunities to shop. Of course, when it comes to shopping, big brands often get the limelight but old Dubai areas like Deira and Bur Dubai offer good opportunity to shop local stuff at value for money prices.
Which attractions to Prioritize in your Dubai itinerary:
There are so many attractions in Dubai which are marketed to tourists. Most of these come with entry tickets, and of course not all of these are worth visiting or worth the price. With the experience of hindsight, here are some top experiences which I enjoyed the most and recommend for you:
Burj Khalifa is a must do experience and the timing of your visit is the key here. I advise to enter just before the sunset so that you can experience expanse of the space in the daylight and the mesmerizing glitter of the beaming sky scrapers in the night. Looking down from this height felt scary at first.
I found the lift as the most fascinating part because it travels 125 floors in 60 seconds (wow!). Don’t be surprised if you hear Bollywood music playing on top of Burj Khalifa. It’s no joke, I mean it! Courtesy heavy influx of tourists from India may be!
Tip: Buy the ticket which offers a complimentary drink/pastry
Adventure
Desert Safari is a unique experience. My adventure started with quad biking which I wouldn’t get to do in India, and it was worth every single penny. I got an adrenaline rush speeding my quad through the sand and splashing it up in the air.
The adrenaline rush continued as the 4×4 7 seater SUV started bashing the dunes! The popular Dune Bashing is, well, a bumpy and exhilarating adventure. For someone with motion sickness, sand dunes bashing might not be an enjoyable experience. However, an opportunity to get breathtaking pictures in a desert, with the backdrop of a setting sun is too good to miss out on!
The adventure subsided into a laid back yet engaging entertainment at the desert camp. At the camp, we enjoyed superb performances which included belly dance, tanoura dance and fire show. All these performances were unique, and left us in awe! A food buffet in a cool desert evening, to go along with splendid performances was a perfect reminder that we are in the emirates!
Tip: There are around 200 desert camps in Dubai and experience is more or less similar, performances and food quality may vary across different camps but for a first time traveler, it’s ok to go with the flow.
Dubai Mall and Dubai fountain is a jaw dropping experience. The mall almost felt like a maze! The vastness of the place, number of top brands, variety of food options available and the price tags on some of the items, all of it was incredible!
Tip: Try tasty and cost effective Indian meals i.e. rice/dal or chapati/paneer at Waitrose outlet in Dubai Mall.
In the public square around the fountain, the spectacular views of tall buildings, including Burj Khalifa, continue to live in my eyes like pictures stored in the phone gallery. The visuals of water dancing to the rhythm of the music and swerving with the lights were soothing and captivating. The water fountain is quite similar to the water fountain in Las Vegas.
For wandering souls
Miracle Garden is a place which makes you wonder in awe! To think of a desert blooming with the fragrance of millions of flowers is a testimony to the will of humans to defy all odds. Of course, a testimony to the power of money as well! A full sized plane, every inch of which is hugged by the multi colored flavors, is like the emblem of this garden.
How did they manage to build it and then how do they keep it in the mesmerizing shape is commendable! It’s Dubai’s attempt to add greenery and color to its being! It’s worth spending 3-4 hours. We strolled around and admired the beauty of the landscape and wondered at the contrast of natural yet man made beauty. The India style small shopping outlets lined up across the walking periphery make you feel, at home!
Tip: Take a bus to Emirates Mall and hop onto the metro for cost effective travel
Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood has the old world charm. We enjoyed walking in the alleys which had a rustic yet magnificent vibe. You can spend about half an hour walking in the area. It offers flea market kind of shopping options in small stores. Dubai creek is at a walking distance. You can get a cruise from the creek area to explore Dubai on water.
Tip: Try an Arabian platter at Arabian Tea House and flavored camel milk or camel milk ice cream at the stall in the alleys
We didn’t spend too much time in the New Dubai i.e. Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis and Marina Walk etc. We just had a nice lunch at an uptown restaurant located at The Pointe, to catch up with an old friend.
Some Dubai attractions you can skip:
- Dubai Frame: This is unlikely to make you feel the awe, after you visit Burj Khalifa.
- Museum of the Future: The tickets for this attraction need to be booked at least 2-3 months in advance which doesn’t suit the happy go lucky travelers like me.
- Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo: Good to skip unless you really love watching water animals
Experiences I suggest to add:
- Spend time on Marina Walk
- Take a cruise around the Atlantis/Palm Jumeirah
- Dubai Ski experience, I heard mixed reviews about this
Great Tips for your Travel to Dubai
Dubai Visa
There is visa on arrival for people who hold US/UK visitor visa. This is a great option! You can get the visa at the airport, the service is swift, not crowded and costs less than half the price of a regular tourist visa.
Tickets for Dubai Attractions
You don’t need to buy any tickets in advance. I picked up tickets on the go, right before entering the attraction. Klook app worked really well for me. I recommend this option because:
- I was able to get discounted pricing compared the price at the counter. You can use JP3WCR this referral code for 400 INR promo code on Klook app.
- It saved time as I skipped the ticketing queue at the attraction, the queues at Burj Khalifa are particularly long!
- I could make payments digitally and hence didn’t need to convert cash. Additionally, I could pick and choose attractions as I wasn’t tied to a tour where I paid upfront for all attractions.
- You get to compare easily and sometimes local vendors work better if you have the right contacts. I got an uber cool deal for Desert Safari through a local vendor!
- If you have bought tickets to any theme park on Yas Island, your travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi is free of cost! You can use the free shuttle service, which many people aren’t aware of.
Staying Connected in Dubai: Sim and WiFi
- There is WiFi at most places. You will get a sim card with 1gb data at the airport but I would advise to get your roaming pack activated. Importantly, you might know, WhatsApp calling (video/audio), Facetime etc. doesn’t work in UAE. Yes, you read that right!
Transport in Dubai
- Avoid using Uber or Careem to book cabs. You can easily hail a taxi on the street with minimum fare of 12 AED, that I believe works better than app based taxis.
- NOL cards are integrated across different means of transport: metro, tram, bus and boat. I suggest to get a silver NOL card, where you pay 25 AED and get 19 AED travel balance. Travel cost for most destinations is between 3 to 5 AED.
Suggested Itinerary for Dubai
- Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain – 1 day
- Desert Safari, with a few lazy hours in the morning – 1 day
- Miracle Garden, Palm Jumeirah, The Pointe – 1 day
- Visit to the souks for shopping and a night party in Dubai – 1 day
- Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – 1 day
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Watan Palace and lazy evening on Corniche street – 1 day
The Trip Ends Here
When I started planning my travel to Dubai, I was looking for validated information consolidated at one place, but I couldn’t find much. I am certain this post has given you some insights, and hopefully helped you re-live some memories if you have already travelled to Dubai.
How was your experience in Dubai, do you relate to any information mentioned here? It would be great to hear from you in the comments. If you have any questions, you can put those in the comments and I’ll be happy to share what I experienced. I wish you happy travels, Cheers!
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