This largest city and capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) never ceases to amaze and change. Even those who visited the Emirates just 7-10 years ago no longer have the full right to say “I’ve seen Dubai,” because Dubai prepares new surprises for its residents and guests every day. Only a few things remain unchanged: the rapid growth of the city upwards, towards the stars and new records for the height of buildings, incredible architecture and grandeur of projects, incredible shopping, vibrant nightlife, entertainment, and the eternal desert in which this modern and cosmopolitan center of the Arab country grew.
Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
The myth of Dubai’s petrodollars has already lost its relevance – revenues from the oil and gas industry account for no more than 6% of the Emirate’s GDP.
Unremarkable fifty years ago, today Dubai has become one of the richest cities in the world, a leading tourist, trade, financial and transport hub on the world map. The Emirates are ready to offer their guests the most unexpected and exciting leisure options – a ski resort in the midst of eternal summer, a huge aquarium with tens of thousands of marine animals, exhibitions of various world-class trends, festivals and unforgettable impressions of man-made islands and dizzying skyscrapers.
How to get to Dubai
This is the case when you don’t have to think too much about the choice, the answer is one – by plane: simple, fast, and also quite affordable. Dubai International Airport is one of the largest air hubs in the world, receiving several thousand flights a week, a little north of Sharjah Airport, and further south, another giant is preparing to launch – Al Maktoum International Airport, designed for 160 million passengers a year, so open the aggregators and go ahead. Several flights depart from Ukraine every day, it remains to choose a carrier and time.
Direct flights from Kyiv are operated by airlines: UIA, flyDubai and Hahn Air. Flight time is from 5 hours 10 minutes. The cheapest tickets for direct flights Kyiv – Dubai were found by our users for 5,412 hryvnias.
One of the cheapest ways to get to Dubai is with two Wizzair flights from Kyiv to Katowice (transfer duration 3 hours 5 minutes) and a direct flight from Katowice to Dubai, the price of such a one-way trip, when buying tickets in advance, will be about 100-150 euros.
From Odessa – direct flights are operated by low-cost flyDubai. The flight duration is 4 hours 35 minutes, and the ticket price is from 6000 hryvnias.
Flights from other cities of Ukraine are operated with connections. Flights from Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Lviv, costing from UAH 3730, are operated by Pegasus and Turkish Airlines with a transfer in Istanbul; from Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk, with a transfer in Kyiv, the airline UIA – the cost of a one-way ticket is from UAH 5900.
We recommend booking air tickets in advance, because the cost of air tickets depends on the number of seats sold for the flight: the fewer seats left, the more expensive the air ticket.
Districts of Dubai
Back in 2000, it was customary to divide Dubai into 2 large districts – the old Deira and the growing Bar-Dubai, and the natural border between them was the Dubai Creek. A couple of years later, a construction boom began in the city, real estate was allowed to be sold to foreigners with some conditions, and these same conditions caused the birth of new districts, of which there are already more than 200 today.
True, some of them do not occupy even a tenth of a square kilometer, and it is not at all necessary for a tourist to understand many dozens of areas with intricate and similar names. It is worth remembering only a few main parts of the city: the historical Deira with authentic markets and relatively affordable housing, the prestigious and business Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina with its super skyscrapers, promenades and embankments, the beach-shopping Jumeirah and its man-made islands, Bar-Dubai with preserved old buildings, Al Barsha with the famous Mall of the Emirates.
5 places in Dubai that tourists should avoid
Transport
An extensive road network and the availability of economical public transport ensure free movement around the city.
Taxi
The most common vehicle in Dubai. There are more than 7 thousand taxis in the city, which are regulated by the state. The minimum fare for a trip around the city is 10 AED ($2.72). When traveling from the airport to anywhere in the UAE, the boarding fee is 20 AED ($5.44). If you are heading to the Northern Emirates of Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman, the surcharge will be another 20 AED.
At the initiative of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, the Dubai Taxi Corporation introduced women’s taxis (Ladies taxi) with female drivers. Such taxis are easily recognizable by the pink color of the roof, seats and interior. This is a great option for women traveling alone.
Dubai Metro
Opened in 2009, the Dubai Metro covers the entire city. The metro is designed to significantly ease traffic, it also contributes to the growth of the economy and tourism in Dubai. To increase the number of passengers who use public transport every day, buses were launched that run to the metro stations.
In addition to the metro, the country has the Palm Jumeirah Monorail (the only one in the Middle East), which connects the island of Palm Jumeirah with the mainland of Dubai.
Water buses
The water bus is a new way to travel between Bur Dubai and Deira. From the Shindagha station, tourists can embark on a 45-minute journey through Dubai Creek, ending at the Al Seef station. In addition to the tourist route, water buses offer transport services, operating 5 routes along the bay. You can admire the panoramic views in comfort, because the water buses are equipped with air conditioners, equipped with spacious seats, and also have an entrance for wheelchairs. Each station has a kiosk selling snacks, newspapers and magazines, and prepaid travel cards.
In addition, the Deira and Bur Dubai districts are still connected by a traditional mode of transport: Arab abra boats.
Dubai on the map
Water taxi
Since May 2010, new water taxis have started running in Dubai Creek, which stop at the berths of abra boats and water buses. In addition, a taxi can be ordered by phone, having previously agreed on the place of waiting and boarding. The air-conditioned water taxi has 11 seats, including 2 seats for people with disabilities, the seats are equipped with built-in LCD monitors with remote control.
Tourist buses
For a sightseeing tour of the city, you should use the services of sightseeing buses. Several such companies operate in Dubai, including Big Bus Dubai (website) and the world famous City Sightseeing. The first floor of the buses is closed and air-conditioned, the second is traditionally open to all winds and sun.
A one-day ticket for an adult at City Sightseeing costs about $68, for children and teenagers 5-15 years old – $44. It makes sense to take tickets for 3 days, the price will increase slightly – up to $95 and $68, and the time for sightseeing, stops and photographing will seriously increase, and there will be more bonuses. The standard ticket price includes unlimited travel on the “Modern”, “Historical” and “Sea” routes, as well as pleasant additions such as a free night tour, museum passes, free guided walking tours and abra trips. A two-day ticket, among other things, gives free admission to the underwater zoo and aquarium and a transfer to Sharjah with a bus tour of this emirate.
Evening and night tours of the city deserve special attention. In the dark, Dubai blossoms with thousands of lights, and the skyscrapers turn into scenery from some fantastic film. In addition, after sunset, it is not hot at all on the top floor of the bus, which is important.
Prices for operators are approximately the same, but the routes and included bonuses are slightly different.
Car rent
There are several reasons to rent a car in Dubai: ride the highways of a chic city in a supercar, save time and money on excursions and trips to attractions, go to the other end of the country and swim in the Gulf of Oman or drive along the sand dunes. Choose a car based on your wishes. There are plenty of rental offices on the market, you can use the services of international aggregators such as Rentalcars, Сагѕ-scanner, Eavtoprokat, Autoeurope or inquire about the conditions of local players. When renting a car, rent a GPS navigator, it will save you a lot of time.
Mini and economy start at $24 per day, mid-size and class cars cost about $43 – $68, family cars – from $81, SUVs – $54 – $136 for convertibles and sports cars will ask from $190 to $2178, here it all depends on ambitions and wallet.
Dubai’s perfect roads can dull the sense of speed, but it’s best not to face traffic violations – fines will seriously overshadow the trip. Do not forget to buckle up and demand this from your passengers, the fee for ignoring this requirement is $108. Things are not bad with parking here: look for free places in numerous shopping centers, paid parking lots are equipped with parking meters and clear rules for their use, often a parking space is provided by the hotel. But for a car left in the wrong place, there is a big fine.
Communication and Wi-Fi
Travelers who are accustomed to buying a local SIM card in the first souvenir shop or newsstand that comes across will be disappointed in Dubai – if you did not manage to purchase a local operator’s card at the airport, you will have to look for a company salon, and there you will also have to present your passport. In terms of the combination of “quality – affordable prices”, one of the leaders is Etisalat. The operator has a convenient website in English, where you can pre-determine the required tariff and service packages. For example, guests of the emirate are offered a universal Visitor Line tariff worth $27. For this money, the user gets a choice of three options: 1 GB of mobile Internet and 5 hours of Wi-Fi to Etisalat hotspots, 60 minutes of local and international calls and 60 SMS to local and international numbers, or a mixed “line” with 30 minutes of calls, 30 SMS and 500 MB of Internet. Spend the allotted minutes and access to the network in 2 weeks.
The Emirates have their own view of censorship on the network, so don’t be surprised to see your favorite site blocked. East is a delicate matter.
Check the terms of access to the network when booking a hotel, sometimes you will have to pay extra for using the local Wi-Fi in the room. Although a free hotspot will not be difficult to find in one of the malls or cafes.
Dubai Pass
A subscription for tourists, allows you to visit city attractions with discounts up to 60%. In total, 33 cultural and entertainment facilities participate in the partner program.
Guests of the UAE get the opportunity to visit the most interesting objects in Dubai: the tallest building in the world Burj Khalifa, IMG and Dubai Parks adventure parks, an indoor ski slope, a safari, a water park, a dolphinarium, Legoland, etc. Also, club card holders will be able to take a sightseeing tour of the city, buy a half-price ticket to the La Perle aerial acrobatics show and get many other experiences.
Today, three types of cards are available: Dubai Unlimited, Dubai Flexi Attractions Pass and Dubai Select. Dubai Pass Select – assumes 3 tickets of your choice for any shows and attractions participating in the program, costs from 96 USD and is valid for 7 calendar days from the date of first presentation. Dubai Unlimited (“all inclusive”) costs from 218 USD for a three-day card from the date of first presentation (there are also passes for 5 and 7 days) and opens access to all shows participating in the program and interesting objects with a maximum discount of up to 60%.
Detailed information about tariffs and services is on the official website.
Dubai Hotels
After reading about the fashionable and ultra-expensive hotels in Dubai, some travelers give up before traveling to the Emirates, worrying about the excessively high prices for accommodation. Yes, indeed, Dubai is famous for sometimes excessive pomp and luxury, the simplest room (if such a definition can be applied to a 7 “star” hotel) in one of the most famous buildings in the world – Burj Al Arab – will cost $1225, but this is not the limit – for a night in the apartments of one of the complexes on Palm Jumeirah they can ask for $2366. The other side of the coin is not unfounded “horror stories” about terrible rooms in cheap hotels, where the window rests on the wall of a neighboring house, and there is nowhere to turn around in the room.
But there is always a compromise, the main thing is not to lose optimism and carefully study all the offers. For example, rooms in three-star hotels with a lot of good reviews are offered for $39-50. For $49-60 you can find excellent options with proud 4 *, and 5 “stars” start from not so sky-high 80-136 AED. More budget options can be found in Sharjah, if you are ready to travel between two cities every day, since the distances are not so critical.
Dubai beaches
It is always sunny in Dubai, however, unfortunately, this does not mean that the beach season here is endless. In winter, the winds will not let you sunbathe, in summer it is so hot that there can be no talk of relaxing in the open sun. Therefore, when planning to splash in the waters of the Persian Gulf, plan your vacation for October-November or April-May.
Although Dubai stretches for many kilometers along the coastline, not all of it is covered with beaches, and part of the beach area is not available to everyone. About this important point – a little more.
The best stretches of the coast are expectedly occupied by hotels and so-called beach clubs. Entrance to such a club usually costs $40-80 per day, but can reach $130-200 for particularly prestigious places or related events. For this money you get beautiful views, clean sand and water, sometimes – a green area with lawns and palm trees, the absence of annoying characters, sun loungers, most often – drinks, ice cream, fruits and snacks, parties and performances, children’s areas, as well as access to swimming pools with fresh water. Good examples: Nasimi Beach, Joumana Club, Mina Club or the beach of the Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa hotel.
Of course, there are also beach parks with a more democratic approach to prices, for relaxing on the territory of which they will ask for $1.3-2.7, plus $2.7-4 for a sunbed. It will already be more crowded here, not so beautiful and well-maintained, but the difference in price is noticeable. Try spending time at Al Mamzar Park or Jumeirah Beach Park, on Monday it is open only for children and women, you will surely find many advantages.
Set aside Friday and Saturday for sightseeing and shopping – the beaches are pretty crowded these days with local holidaymakers and visiting workers.
You can not pay for a beach holiday at all. In the Dubai Marina area there is a good beach and entertainment complex The Beach at JBR with free admission, a cinema, cafes, children’s towns and a small water park. Nearby is the more famous Jumeirah Beach Residence beach (be careful, they ride camels here), Dubai Marina Public Beach – a beach with skyscrapers, as well as the “Russian Beach” – Jumeirah Open Beach.
If you have settled in the Deira area – the old city, then it is better to plan routes to the beaches of other areas in advance. Almost the entire coast of Deira is a port, with all the consequences.
Diving in Dubai
Diving in Dubai is an expensive pleasure. In addition, opinions about the conditions and quality of diving vary widely. But you can still get your portion of adrenaline and emotions from diving while relaxing in the Emirates, and avid divers even need to, at least for the sake of another flag on the world map, and there will certainly be interesting features.
The main complaints about diving near Dubai are the meager marine life, which was driven out of their usual places by the monumental construction of the miracle city and its artificial islands, rather muddy water (but this is the trouble of the Persian Gulf), as well as a short season (January and February are considered ideal time: good visibility, pleasant weather and peak activity of marine flora and fauna). If you want more lively variegation and clear water, you will have to go to the coast of the Gulf of Oman. But if the vacation is tightly tied to Dubai, do not despair – a couple of interesting sites will be found.
The diving program takes place on sunken merchant and industrial ships, pontoons and drilling platforms. Some went under water due to insurmountable circumstances, others were flooded on purpose – to form reefs and restore the biosphere. Beginners will not be allowed to inspect most of the man-made spots, experience and licenses are required, which can be obtained right there, in one of the international dive clubs. Interesting: the dry cargo ship “Jasim” with cars in the hold, the ship “Lion City”, chosen by a colony of tuna, the tanker “Zeinab”, which sank while fleeing the coast guard, was chosen by barracudas, as well as a barge of hamurs – stone groupers. Professionals will be interested in seeing the Energy Determination supertanker with a maximum dive of up to 80 m.
For a more detailed acquaintance with the intricacies of diving in Dubai and the UAE, you should buy or borrow the book Underwater Explorer from enthusiastic friends.
By the way, in order to get emotions from communicating with the marine world, it is not at all necessary to dive into the Persian Gulf. Both beginners and experienced divers should pay attention to the diving programs in one of the largest open-air aquariums – the Ambassador Lagoon of the Atlantis resort. The price depends on the level of complexity and richness of the program – from $64 for a walk with a mask and snorkel to $500 for underwater swimming with predatory fish. Similar entertainment is offered by the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. 20-25 minutes of swimming with sharks will cost $170.
Shopping
Dubai is a true paradise for a shopaholic. Or hell – it depends on how you look at the rapidly melting wallet and the balance of expenses from a bank card. Even taking into account the not-so-pleasant exchange rate, purchases in Dubai are made with great pleasure and benefit than in Kyiv or even European capitals. The secret is in the rejection of VAT, low import duties, the oriental immense scale of trade, as well as significant discounts during sales seasons in winter or after Ramadan. An epidemic of unplanned purchases threatens even those who are in transit in Dubai for only a few hours – the impressive duty-free zone of local airports will only release a true ascetic without new clothes.
Dubai itself can become for you a continuous series of shopping galleries and megamalls, flashing with bright windows, beckoning, magically leaving the traveler without money, handing over packages with the next shoes, gadgets and other delights of consumer culture in return. The main thing is to pull yourself together in time and not let go of everything acquired by overwork in the first couple of days of vacation. In pursuit of the buyer, Dubai’s shopping centers are ready to surprise with unexpected solutions and forms, for example, a glass pyramid, on top, its own ski complex or a fountain show. Among the local malls, we highlight the Mall of the Emirates and the Ibn Battuta Mall, the first – for its impressive size, the same selection of goods and a bunch of entertainment, the second – for reasonable prices and a unique “appearance”.
Feel free to ask for a discount even in boutiques. Especially if you pay in cash.
Going into the abyss of shopping, do not miss the traditional oriental bazaars – walk through the spice market, marveling at the colors and aromas, look at the Gold and Textile markets, and for high-quality fakes, visit the Suk-Karama market in the Al-Karama area. And don’t forget to bargain!
