WHY VISIT DUBAI?
by jamumoto
Dubai has no culture and character. Arabs make up only 20% of the population and you will hardly see or interact with them. They hide behind tall compound walls in their mansions. The taxi drivers are all Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, the hotels and businesses are run by Indians. These are people who are not allowed to bring their families to stay with them even if they have been working there for 20-30 years. The permits to bring families are dictated by how much you earn. Low wage earners are denied the right to be with families. They have an option of bringing them to visit at their expense for 3 months in a year but not more than that.
There is nowhere to see the local culture except in a make believe area at the museum. The Arabs otherwise like to ape the west and everything else is geared to that. However they do things backwards! They built big big buildings but not enough roads to accommodate the traffic. Traffic jams are a nightmare in this man made make believe city. There is construction everywhere. They are building more tall buildings, roads and elevated rail lines, there is chaos everywhere. Hyped for tax free shopping, the prices are the same as in Australia and US and more than what you pay in Thailand or Singapore etc. Even that will stop as they introduce VAT from next year. The climate is VERY VERY HOT & HUMID. One wonders what is there to see or do in Dubai. NOT WORTH VISITING!!!! The sunglasses and camera lenses fogging up due to the heat and humidity! The pictures come out all hazy.
resist the urge to point and shoot
by rachelleiris
whenever you see ladies in abaya (the black traditional dress with veil) or men in dishdasha (those white flowing robes), i'm pretty sure you get that urge and split-second impulse to click away! that, my friend, is a big NO NO! i'm also equally sure that you would try posing and shooting beside... or somewhere near those ladies in abaya (you as a blurry foreground or background while zooming in on the desired subject, which in this case is -- you guessed it, the ladies in abaya) just to prove to your family and friends back home that you have actually been in a muslim country! again, a resounding NO! they will not allow that.. not in this lifetime.. not in this country.
you can try asking for permission. but am almost 99% sure that they would say no. so if you're stubborn, chances are, you would end up in jail or somewhere along those lines. ok, maybe not in jail.. but doing such a thing will cause you big trouble. i mean, they don't cover themselves like anything -- for nothing!
so if you're really itching to get a shot taken with the arab locals in their traditional costumes, you can avail of the desert safari tours.. where there's a tattoo lady in abaya. she must be indian or pakistani in costume. even better, you get to wear those dishdashas and abayas yourselves! ain't that cool or what? you get to shoot them, you get to wear their traditional costume -- and not end up in jail too!
Persian Antiques in Dubai
by benjaminpendleton about Home of Eastern Arts
If you're interested in Persian antiques, you might want to check out "Home of Eastern Arts" at the Hyatt Galleria, Deira. Everything from inexpensive camel-bone miniature paintings to rare $600,000 collections of hand-written Qur'ans. The owner may be up the hall at his other business at the internet cafe.
AT THE HEART OF THE CITY
by Siddha3th about Deira City Centre
City Centre is a legend unto itself in Dubai, having been one of the first shopping malls to sprout up in the city. Of course, those days are ancient memory, 'cause today there's a new one coming up every week! The Centre still remains a huge draw though, thanks in part to its central location in Deira, right across from the Dubai Creek Yacht & Golf Club. Though the mall's large and spacious, you'd be fooled into thinking it was as tiny as a can of sardines during the weekend, when probably the whole of Dubai lands up! Here's a tip - stroll through City Centre in the late morning/ early afternoon on a weekday - the only time it's anywhere near tranquil. Virgin - for all your music + movie needs. Though leaning heavily towards mainstream stuff, luckily they have a nice Alternative section as well. Drop by the Virgin Cafe on your way out, it's good for a cup of coffee.
Arabian Treasures - this is a very beautiful conclave of shops, selling a varied collection of art and furnishings, the accent of course, being very Arabic.
Sightseeing tours by bus
by SWFC_Fan
The Big Bus Company offers an open-top bus service around Dubai, providing a good opportunity to see much of the city in a short space of time.
The first time that I visited Dubai, I took one of these tours on my first day and it proved to be very useful in helping me find my bearings and deciding which parts of the city I wanted to see more of. I would only do the tour once, to familiarise yourself with the city, since it is very costly compared to taxis.
There are two tours - one of the city, and one of the beach district. The two tours connect at the Wafi City Centre, where you change buses, and the price of the ticket includes both tours (or at least it did when I was there, but it may have been a promotional offer).
Up-to-date prices can be found on the company's website, but in late 2003 the prices were as follows:
Adults: AED120
Children: (5-15) AED75
Family: (2 adults + 2 children) AED315
These prices are for 24 hours, during which time you can hop on and off the bus as often as you like.
The city tour covers many of the major sites, and the stops are as follows:
1. Wafi City shopping mall
2. Karama ("Little India")
3. Creek walk
4. Al Fahidi Fort (Dubai Museum)
5. Dubai Old Souk
6. Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House
7. Gold Souk
8. Abra station
9. Deira City Centre shopping mall
10. Al Boom Tourist Village and Wonderland
Included in the price is English commentary of the sights, entry to the Dubai Museum and Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House and a free Wafi City Advantage Card, offering a variety of discounts in the mall.
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Inside Khalid bin Al Waleed or Burjuman metro
Dubai Creek
mango juce and dossa
Richard at entrance to Seville's - Dubai
