Author: Maria Alfano-Huggins

A Dubai vacation is a once in a lifetime experience for many of us. One that will surely be crossed off the bucket list when you get the opportunity to visit this amazing country. We spent 17 days in the sun, sand, and skyscrapers of mega futuristic city. Let’s explore if it was worth the hype.

Before we explore what you can do on your Dubai vacation, we should talk about where Dubai is. The United Arab Emirates is a small country in the Middle East. The UAE consists of 7 emirates. In the USA we call the states. In Canada we call them provinces. The 7 emirates are:

– Abu Dhabi – the capital and the most oil rich of the emirates.

– Dubai – the most popular, well-known tourist attraction.

– Sharjah – third largest population in the UAE. This is a more conservative emirate.

– Ajman – is the most authentic and traditional middle eastern emirate of the 7.

– Umm Al Quwain – is a beach town with lots of water sports and activities from sailing to skydiving

– Ras Al Khaimah – best place to see the mountains and to go sand dune bashing

– Fujairah – home to the oldest mosque in the UAE

Commonly Asked Questions

Is Dubai and the UAE the same?

Dubai is one of the 7 emirates in the UAE

Who is the king of the UAE?

H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the current ruler of the United Arab Emirates.

What is the largest and richest of the emirates?

Abu Dhabi is the largest of the emirates with over 84% of the total land mass. IT also happens to be the richest too.

Is the UAE a first world country?

Like the US, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are all considered first world countries.

What is Dubai famous for?

Dubai is most known for the man-made palm islands and the tallest building in the world – the Burj Khlifa.

Why is Dubai so loved?

Dubai is the hub for glitz, glamour, super cars, tall buildings, and lots of shopping.

Dubai – Create Amazing Memories on Vacation In The UAE

Creating new memories is not difficult in an awe-inspiring place like Dubai. Your vacation will be like no other. If you like heat, you will have it in Dubai. You will have temperatures of mid to high 30s Celsius all year long. The summer months are the hottest. It is not unusual to reach highs of over 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). The best months to visit Dubai are between October and March when the heat is more tolerable.

Flying to Our Dubai Vacation

Our adventure began aboard the Emirates A380 aircraft. To be honest, we were quite miffed that we were stuck in the middle 2 seats in the center section of the plane, sandwiched between 2 strangers. Try as I might, I could not get our seats changed because the plane was full to capacity. Having said that, the ground steward did offer to upgrade us to business class for a mere extra $4,500 USD per person. We respectfully declined and kept our seats.

For anyone taller than 6 feet, rest assured, there is plenty of leg room throughout the cabin to fly in comfort. If you can’t get an upgrade for more leg room, you should be ok in a regular seat.

Flight Crew

The cabin crew on our flight was wonderful. It was nice see the discipline in their uniform. All ladies wore the same uniform as on other flights, but, their hair was done up the same way, their shoes were the same, and their make up was similar. This was a preamble to what we could expect once we landed. They had a smile on their faces at all times. There was never a cross look or attitude. Customer service is a theme that started on our flight and continued throughout all our experiences during our stay.

The Freebies

It doesn’t matter where you sit on the plane, everyone is gifted so many freebies. Everyone receives a personal care package including an eye mask, toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, and a reusable makeup pouch.

All passengers are provided with a headset for use during the flight.

Warm towels (real towels not wet wipes) are passed around at several points throughout the flight.

Meals

Never have I been on a flight where I am served food with real cutlery – not plastic. The meals are full meals with a main dish, dinner roll, fruit, and dessert. Along with the meal came a beverage of your choice including alcoholic drinks. When you ask for a soda, you get the whole can not just a small glass. Two full meals and a snack are provided on the long hail flights. And, if I must say, the meals are actually delish – not like your typical airplane food. Ours was a 13 hour flight from Toronto, Canada non-stop to Dubai.

In-Flight Entertainment

A large screen on the back of the seat in front of you has so many options to pass the time. With a large selection of movies, TV shows, children’s programs, games, in a variety of languages, you will not be bored. If you prefer to see where you’re headed, cameras on the belly and nose of the plane give you an unparalleled view of the sky.

Don’t get me wrong, the amenities on the aircraft for first class and business class passengers far outweigh those of economy class but, I must say this economy class trip was so much better than any other flight I have ever been on.

Dubai Airport

DBX is the largest international airport in the world. It is as opulent and spectacular as one would imagine and a great way to start your Dubai vacation. Getting through customs is quick and easy. Tourists from countries like Canada, US, and many European countries are granted a 30 day tourist visa at the airport when going through the entry process. Double check the visa requirements for your country before booking your flight.

Please note that the Dubai airport is a silent airport. There are no announcements for flights, baggage or passenger calls. You must know where you are going and when.

Dubai Vacation

We toyed with the idea of renting a car to get around. Honestly, we don’t think it’s necessary. There are cabs everywhere. Uber and Careem (UAE’s version of Uber) are easy to book. Most of all, the cabs are government run so the fees are the same no matter which cab company you use. A cab ride starts at 5.00 dh ($1.36 USD) and goes up 0.50 dh per km. A 15 minute ride from the airport to our hotel was 27.50 dh ($7.49 USD). Nowhere in Canada could we get a cab ride for that price. It costs more than that just to get into a cab in Toronto – not including the ride. Cabs are easily hailed from anywhere in the city.

The ride was jaw dropping. 12 lanes of traffic with bumper to bumper traffic that puts LA traffic to shame. Architectural marvels line both sides of the freeway. Your head will be spinning to take it all in.

Where to Stay – The Beach

For a beach vacation, the Dubai Marina or Jumeirah Beach is the place for you. It has a true beach vibe with many of the majestic hotels including the Atlantis are found here. The money that lives in Dubai are on display with the many yachts in the water and private air strip just off the main beach. The water is warm and very calm. The odd speed boat will cause a bit of a splash but otherwise, you will enjoy a peaceful swim. Be forewarned, the water does have the remnants of diesel fuel from the boats floating on the surface as you go deeper away from the shore.

There are plenty of little shops and restaurants along the beach and on the road behind the hotels. You won’t be bored and you definitely won’t be lonely. The beaches are crowded no matter which day of the week you decide to go. Don’t forget your sunscreen because that sun is HOOOTTTTT!

Business Bay

Being within walking distance of many of Dubai’s attractions was our goal. Business Bay is provides exactly that. We stayed a 15 minute walk from the World’s largest mall – the Dubai Mall. Attached to the mall is the world’s tallest tower called the Burj Khalifa. At the base of the Burj are the Dubai Fountains.

Dubai Mall – is opened till midnight everyday. It has all the expensive American and European brands you can imagine. As well, there are many local brands available. Walking the mall in itself is an experience. The architecture is amazing. There is a giant aquarium that spans 3 floors high. You will see a waterfall that is two stories tall. Restaurants and food courts pepper the mall. It will take you a couple of days to see the entire mall.

Dubai Fountains – a beautiful, musical coordinated water show will mesmerize you for 5 minutes. You will be hard pressed to get close to the rail if you go on the weekends to witness this experience. It’s better to pick a mid-week day to get up close and personal with this show. As blown away as I was with this free show, I have to be honest, the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas are a little more spectacular for me.
Burj Khalifa – this is the tallest tower (burj) in the world that reaches far into the clouds. This building stands at 830 meters (2,716.5 feet) from base to tip. Trips to the top of the Burj Khalifa can be booked online through companies like HeadOut or Klook. The 124th and 125th floors provide 360 degree views of the city.

Deira

Not far from Dubai is the more traditional city of Deira. The costs of hotels in Deira are more reasonable. The Gold Souk is found in Deira. Those looking to purchase gold jewelry, this would be the place. Tourists not only enjoy lower prices for gold, there are no sales taxes in the UAE that stretches your funds further.

Deira has traditional style buildings without the glitz and glam offered by the skyscrapers in Dubai. The prices of groceries, personal items, and pharmaceuticals are more economical than Dubai. When travelling on a budget, Deira is a great place to stay.

Lastly, the Spice Souk of Bur Dubai is a 2 dirham (0.54 cents US) abra ride across the Dubai creek.

No matter which souk (marketplace) you visit, the experience is bar none. Be prepared to have sales folks approach you from all sides. Don’t be alarmed when someone offers to take you to their “secret” store just off the market. This is where you will find all the hidden treasures. And, you will be perfectly safe with these salesmen.

Abu Dhabi

About 1.5 hours outside Dubai is the capital city of Abu Dhabi. In Abu Dhabi, you will find 5 palaces, many sky scrapers, and the world’s largest mosque. Enjoy time at the waterfront. Or, experience a yacht ride along the gulf. While Dubai is tourist rich, Abu Dhabi caters more to the business world. This is where the oil of the UAE is found. Hence why, Abu Dhabi is the richest of the 7 emirates.

Ferrari World, Warner Bros World, and Yas Waterworld are all found in Abu Dhabi. The thrill seeker and fairground lover in you will be thrilled to experience these theme parks.

For a little culture, stop in at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. This museum is named for the Louvre in France and houses many works of art like Vincent Van Gough’s self portrait from 1887 and Number 26A Black and White Jackson Pollock from 1948.

Cost of a Dubai Vacation

It goes without saying that a vacation like this would cost some coin. To be brutally honest, it was a lot less than I anticipated. The flight and accommodations were the bulk of our expenses. Shout out to Oskena Vacation Homes for the apartment we rented. It is a clean and nicely decorated 1 bedroom apartment. It has 2 bathrooms, a living and dining room, a full kitchen with laundry and a balcony with a view to die for.

There are so many free things to do in Dubai that you will fill your days and nights without spending much at all. The American (and Canadian) dollar goes pretty far in the UAE. Some of the most expensive things we did were eating at a Brazilian BBQ restaurant and our excursion to the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. And, of course there is plenty of shopping. Frankly, we have spent more on an all-inclusive vacation to the Caribbean in the past than for 17 days in Dubai.

In Summary

A Dubai vacation is exciting and lifechanging in many ways. You can experience the future among the relics of the past. Understand a new culture. And, feel welcome no matter where you go. There is a sense of peace that covers the city. Although, it is a bustling metropolis, everyone is respectful of the laws and of others. There is so much to see and do that 17 days were not enough for us. We will come back to explore the balance of what we missed this time.

As a woman in Dubai, I felt comfortable and safe walking the city at night. No one frowned upon my choice of clothing, although, I was respectful for the culture and CHOSE to dress conservatively. You could see woman wearing everything from short shorts and ripped jeans with crop tops to ladies dressed in full Arabic dress. Both are accepted equally.

Why not cross this off you bucket list?

We want to know. Have you been to Dubai? What was your experience like?