This past spring break we took a family trip to the United Arab Emirates, Dubai to be specific. This also happens to be our son's first time on an airplane( He was a great for a toddler on a16 hour flight ). The vacation has been two years in the making and I thank God for provision and making it possible without any glitch.
I will be sharing my Dubai experience in today's blog post, what I learned that was useful for us and might come in handy for you on your next vacation. Also to make this post easier to read I will be doing this Q & A style.
Q: Why Dubai?
A: Why not?...lol but seriously I have heard a lot of good things about Dubai and I was curious.
Q: What do I need?
A: You will need money (Obviously), a passport and visa( which you will get at your point of entry).
Q:How much?
A: Please send me an email at hicdat@gmail .com if you want to know our exact numbers (privacy reasons).
Q: What do I look for in a hotel?
A: Dubai is a beautiful but expensive city so the less you spend the better for you. When it comes to the hotel make sure you stay in a hotel that has complementary breakfast (amongst other things) that way you can save on food. The hotel we stayed was very central, it was 10 minutes to the beach and the mall in opposite directions.
Q: Do you advise shopping in Dubai?
A: I wouldn't recommend you shopping in Dubai,like I stated earlier it is an expensive city ( but if you are balling like that shop till you drop). When I did the comparison with the prices in the US it cost more to shop over there.
Q: How was the food?
A: I wasn't a fan of the local food. I tried Shawarma and for some reason it had pickles in it ( I don't like pickles). But there are popular fast food chains in Dubai, fun fact: Their portion size is way smaller that the US( I have heard this before but it was funny experiencing it).
Q: What mode of transportation is the best?
A: I would recommend the local taxi, they are inexpensive and convenient.
Q: Best time to travel?
A: The best time to visit Dubai is between February and March. The temperature was in the 70s and 80s. You do NOT want to go to Dubai in summer, please don't do it!
Q: How was it travelling with a toddler?
A: It wasn't bad. I made sure to pack all his food, toys and necessary medicine.
Q:Do I need a tour guide
A: Absolutely, Dubai is not a place you want visit and just wander around, getting a tour guide will make the experience better. I have a recommendation if you are interested.
Q: What to do in Dubai?
A: What to do in Dubai is a function of how much you are willing to spend. I will recommend the following:
Visit Abu Dhabi ( its an hour thirty minutes drive from Dubai)
Tour Emirates Place hotel
Tour the Ferrari Park
Take a city tour
Go to Burj Khalifa ( The tallest building in the world, the view is amazing. There is a light and fountain show in the evening as well)
Visit the beach ( The water is blue and very clean)
Visit the Dubai Mall ( Don't feel obligated to buy anything)
Go on a desert safari ( we didn't do this because we had a toddler)
Q: How to dress?
A: This one was a shocker for me, before we traveled I did a lot of research on the internet and I found so many articles listing what you can and can't wear. I read that as a woman you can't wear cloths that shows your shoulder or your knees. I found this to be false when I got to Dubai, I saw women wearing all sorts of revealing outfits. To be on the safe side be modest with your dressing
Q: My final thoughts?
A: Dubai is a wonderful place, I will encourage you to travel if you can afford it. You don't have to go to some where far or expensive. Traveling broadens you horizon and enables you to see the world from a different point of view, you get to see how others are living. I will like to visit Dubai again
Here are some of our Kodak moments..... ( If you are on a mobile device double tap on the pictures for a better view)
