Dubai - sandcastle and camels... or not...

As it has to be about the journey rather than the destination and as Emirates appear to be rather palatable I shall be intending a stopover in Dubai for a day and a night or so...

So I am requesting any recommendations from you fine and dandy stylish folks not necessarily pertaining to sandcastle and camels in an oasis in the desert.

Thanking thees in advance...

Just be sure not to kiss anyone or go to the beach.

One can stay in the Burj al-Arab for 500 USD v. 1,000, since Abu Dhabi interests have taken control. Pearls will be more expensive than in Beijing, so skip. Check out the Meydan racecourse/complex.

sandcastles?

I don't know anything about sandcastles. was that what you really wanted to see?

Go to the souks (markets).

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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sandcastles? I don't know anything about sandcastles. was that what you really wanted to see?
It's a desert. It has sand. Sand equates to sandcastles IHOMO. Anyhows it has been suggested that Bab Al Shams is a rather nice replica fort like sandcastle restaurant with traditional (more or less) cuisine with a rooftop to smoke shisha on. And cocktails at the top floor bar at the Jumeirah sandcastle. em38 will check out the donkeys as have connections from here there and thanks for letting me know staying at the Burj is within budget... So souks and sandcastles ahoy... any other suggestions welcomed as I must endure a couple of weeks in Englands green and pleasant, apparently, land prior...

Go ghetto.

Dubai mall should be sufficient for any shopping you want to do.Seriously avoid going to every shopping mall as this one has everything.

I would reccomend you go to Joes there and have lunch or dinner overlooking the fountain.

Originally Posted by AcÃ

phale

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It's a desert. It has sand. Sand equates to sandcastles IHOMO.

Anyhows it has been suggested that Bab Al Shams is a rather nice replica fort like sandcastle restaurant with traditional (more or less) cuisine with a rooftop to smoke shisha on.

And cocktails at the top floor bar at the Jumeirah sandcastle.

em38 will check out the donkeys as have connections from here there and thanks for letting me know staying at the Burj is within budget...

So souks and sandcastles ahoy... any other suggestions welcomed as I must endure a couple of weeks in Englands green and pleasant, apparently, land prior...

pretty much everything that you see will be paved over, you don't really see that much sand, let alone sand castles.

most people go to the malls - the fountain at Dubai mall is pretty cool, there is a lebanese resteraunt, sufi gourmet, that overlooks the fountain and has pretty good food.

if you are going now, the global village is open, you should see that.

walking along the creek, on the east side and to a lesser extent on the west side, there are some pretty cool buildings and markets. the spice and gold souk are cool, but less so than most cities in the region. really, Dubai is about as exotic as dallas.

Another thing that's quite good fun is the desert off-roading ("dune bashing&quot. Can feel quite dangerous when there's 20 Landcruisers cutting in front of each other on these massive sand dunes. Maybe not a good idea if you suffer from motion sickness though: when I went people all around were puking like it was going out of fashion

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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Dubai is about as exotic as dallas.
We're exotic...in a boring, residential, Manhattan-wannabe, big-haired, more-money-than-sense kind of way.

I went dune bashing with a friend I stayed with there last fall. Too much fun and great photos.

join www.dubai4x4.com and start a thread on the forums. They organize trips all the time and someone would be willing to pick you up. Look up sd5675 he is pretty cool (tell him Jodum5 recommended you).

Pictures from trip:

Taking a break during dunebashing


Gold or spice souk (i forget)


Dunebashing - this is between Dubai and Oman (I'm in the red truck)


I will admit, there is no culture in Dubai - everything is from somewhere else and is less than 30 years old. But you can have a great time there.

Originally Posted by em36

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Pearls will be more expensive than in Beijing, so skip.
Indeed. Restrain any impulse you may feel to purchase your own pearls.

Yeah i forgot to say Riding the dunes..Thas alot of fun and you dont see that alot out of the Gulf.

I am an architectural photographer and have spent a ton of time in Dubai over the last 2 years. With that being said the best advice I can give someone about to go over there is to do their own research. You know better than anyone what you enjoy doing and Dubai offers a lot of different activities. I would start by buying the Dubai travel guide by lonely planet. I travel extensively and those guides by Frommers and Lonely Planet are worth their weight in gold especially in regards to accommodations and restaurants. They are also invaluable in regards to pricing as again only you know how much your looking to spend. Of course there are plenty of online travel guides as well. I would honestly give this advice to anyone planning a trip, not just someone going to Dubai. Take the time to actually learn about the place your going and it will pay off in spades when you actually go there.

The bottom line is most people have a limited time when they take trips so being well prepared in regards to where your traveling will help ensure you make the most of that time. I have been traveling quite extensively for over 20 years and that is the best advice I can give.

I will admit that 4x4'ing in the desert is an absolute blast! I do it at least once every time I go there.