Question of the day: Is Dubai / Abu Dhabi worth going to or not?

Truth be told, both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have never been on top of my travel list. In fact, if pressed, the only reason I could think of for visiting these emirates would if I had a ridiculously long layover there. Having said that, when the opportunity to visit presented itself, I certainly wasn’t going to say no.

So, to answer the question of the day… My answer would be yes. Visit once, and probably never again after that. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Dubai and Abu Dhabi to a certain extent (which is why I do recommend you go)

They’re beautiful cities so shiny and glittery on the surface – with every single structure competing to be the biggest, the boldest, the brightest; making it every Instagrammer’s dream place to be. But whew, it can get a bit much at times, and the stories of opulence and extravagance sometimes left a bad taste in my mouth. Plus, it always felt a bit like I was in a city full of style, but very minimal substance (happy to be proven wrong though!!)

Anyway, for all first time travelers – here’s a quick, helpful guide for anyone who has wondered what it would take to go to Dubai, including tips on how to get around Dubai once you’re there!

 

Table of contents

• How do I get to Dubai?
• Do I need a UAE visa?
• What type of visa should I get?
• When’s the best time to go to Dubai?
• Where should I stay in Dubai?
• How can I get around Dubai?
• What’s the currency used in UAE?
• Is it safe to travel as a solo female?

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How do I get to Dubai?

Three airlines fly direct from Manila to Dubai everyday (~9 hour flight): Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and Emirates

Obviously, out of the three – Cebu Pacific is the cheapest. Equally obvious, out of the three – Emirates is the absolute best! It was my first time to fly Emirates and wow, they have the MOST COMPLETE film, TV show, and music collection out of all the airlines I’ve flown with. Another perk of flying Emirates is they help you process your visa – which I’ll talk about next

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Do I need a UAE visa?

If you’re holding a Philippine passport, the answer is yes. There are a variety of ways you can apply for a visa – but unlike most other embassies, the UAE is really strict in asking for a “sponsor” before they’ll grant you a visa. If you have family or relatives living in the UAE, then good for you – apply via the Embassy if this is the case, and you’re good to. If you don’t have someone willing to sponsor you from UAE, then the following would be your options:

OPTION 1: Emirates Visa Service

It’s really straightforward. Just book your round-trip Emirates flight, then apply online through the Manage a Booking tab. They’ll ask you simple questions around your booking reference, passport, hotel details, and visa type. Afterwards, they’ll redirect you to the payments page.

After ~2-3 working days, they’ll then email you your visa via email – simple as that! When applying for your visa, do keep in mind that their working days are from Sunday to Thursday.

OPTION 2: Hotel

If you don’t plan on flying Emirates, then your next best bet would be via your Dubai hotel. When booking the hotel, ask them if they can help process your visa and what the requirements are. Typical requirements would be:

• Visa application form
• Colored passport and credit card copies
• Credit card authorization form (so they can charge your visa fee to your credit card directly)
• Colored passport sized photos

Having said that, these requirements will vary depending on the hotel, so just check with your hotel

Travel agency

If you normally travel via a travel agency, or you don’t want to go through the hassle of arranging everything on your own – then you should simply ask your travel agency to apply for you. Again, the visa application requirements would vary from travel agency to travel agency, but I’ve heard the application can take up to 10 working days – so budget that in accordingly

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What type of visa should I get?

There are several types of visas available – as I’m assuming you’ll be traveling as a tourist (like me), I’ll only go through the tourist visas

As for me, I planned to fly in Thursday early morning, and fly out Sunday night – so I opted for the 96-hour visa (also known as the transit visa). All in all, I ended up paying around ~USD 77 via the Emirates Visa Services after you factor in the taxes and whatnot

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When’s the best time to go to Dubai?

I’d suggest you go from November to March – as far away from the summer months as possible (when temperatures go up to ~40 degrees Celsius, and down to ~35 degrees Celsius at night.) As a Filipino, I always thought I had a higher threshold for heat tolerance, but wow, the Dubai summer heat is a whole different story! It is CRAZY HOT (I went in May). I don’t know how people survive to be honest… By my last day, I only ventured out of the hotel once it was past 5pm – in a bid to escape the cloying heat

Also, as Dubai is predominantly Muslim, they observe Ramadan religiously, which means during the Ramadan month (typically sometime in May/June to June/July), many of the establishments would be closed during the day + clubs and alcohol would be strictly prohibited. While I have friends who enjoy touring during Ramadan season, as there are less crowds, I personally would not recommend it

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Where should I stay in Dubai?

Dubai, to my surprise, is really huge – must be all the reclaimed land… So I would advise you to stay near the areas you think you’d want to explore more lest you waste time traveling for ~30-60mins each day (one way) to get to your destination. In my estimation, there are four areas worth staying in:

Creekside (Deira)

The Old Town – if you’re eager to live closer to the area which showcases Dubai’s humble beginnings, then this area would be the one for you! Make sure to check out the Dubai Museum, the Gold and Spice Souk, plus ride the abra while you’re here

Having said that, I personally think half a day would be more than sufficient in this area, so would suggest you stay elsewhere instead, and just brave the traffic once to come to this area. This would also be a good place to stay if you want to be near the airport – it’s ~10mins from the airport, ~40mins from the downtown area.

Unsure what’s near this area and if it’s worth going to? Jump to my Deira blurb below to see if you’ll like the area

Friend’s advice: Four Seasons Sheraton

Jumeirah Beach (or any of the beaches)

If you enjoy being near the beach and the sea breeze, then grab a hotel along Jumeirah Beach, a man-made white sand beach with beautiful turquoise waters. This beach stretches from Deira (the Old Town) to Dubai Marina.

I’d advise you to stay between Burj Al Arab and the Madinat Jumeirah complex in order to maximize the restaurants and views along this area. Three popular tourist attractions would be:

• Madinat Jumeirah Souk: for traditional goods shopping
• Wadi Wadi: a popular waterpark for families
• Burj Al Arab: the famed 7-star hotel of Dubai

Taxis are plentiful, with a tram line – however there are no metros near this area. Taking a taxi to the downtown area (Burj Khalifa) would require ~30mins, while taking the tram (and switching to the metro) would require ~45mins.

Unsure what’s near this area and if it’s worth going to? Jump to my Jumeirah Beach blurb below to see if you’ll like the area

Friend’s advice: Stay at Jumeirah Beach Residences

 

Burj Khalifa (Downtown)

Check out the hotels overlooking the Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa. This area is the heart of the city, with restaurants and shopping treats alike – starting with the gigantic Dubai Mall! At night, this area turns into a fairy lights wonderland, and it’s worth strolling around to check out all the curious knick knacks you’ll find here and there

If you’re staying in this area, make sure to request a hotel room that faces the Dubai fountains, or better yet, a view where you can see both the fountains AND Burj Khalifa. The Dubai Fountain turns on every night, and showcases a beautiful watery extravaganza that you definitely should not miss.

Quick note: Sheikh Zayed Road is the true downtown area, where most of the financial centers are. Having said that, it would take ~20-30 mins from Sheikh Zayed to Burj Khalifa. So if you’re here purely as a tourist, I’d suggest you stay at or around the Burj Khalifa area, in order to save yourself time and transport cost

Unsure what’s near this area and if it’s worth going to? Jump to my Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain blurb below to see if you’ll like the area

Where I stayed: Carlton Downtown Hotel & Four Seasons Sheraton Sheikh Zayed. I opted to live in these hotels for work reasons. Both of these are pretty decent hotels, but again – not really the best location for tourists

 

Atlantis

If you plan on spending most of the time cloistered inside the Palm, then your best bet would be the Atlantis Hotel. Take note, it’s ridiculously expensive!! You can stay at the top VIP suite, where royalty and celebrities stay… if you’re willing to drop a cool $35,000 a night (with a minimum stay of 5 nights)

Of course, you can always opt for the cheaper rooms (I heard the best time to go for good rates is during Ramadan). Just remember, the two important places you NEED to check out while here would be the Lost Chambers Aquarium and the Aquaventure Waterpark!!!

Note that Atlantis guests are given unlimited free access to Aquaventure, but non-guests can enjoy this water park too ($74 for a day pass). Is it worth it? Yes yes yes!! The focal point of the park would be the Ziggurat, a pyramid structure that serves as the starting point for several thrill seeker rides, chief of which is the Lead of Faith – a 27.5 meters near-vertical drop!

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How can I get around Dubai?

So, for an up and coming city with meticulous urban planning, I expected a lot more in terms of their transport infrastructure. While their metro is state-of-the-art, it’s made immediately clear that this isn’t a city for commuters. The city boasts 2 metro lines (Green and Red) and a tram line, but they don’t exactly cover the whole city. So, if you’re planning to get around, the following would be your options:

OPTION 1: Taxi

Dubai is definitely a city for cars, and taxis abound wherever you go! If you’re coming from your hotel, just ask the concierge to flag one for you. Likewise, major tourist attractions should have taxi stands, making it extremely convenient to grab a cab

However, during rush hours, it can get difficult – so make sure to keep your options open. Cost-wise, a ~15mins taxi ride would cost you ~PHP 300. For someone used to Philippine prices, I find this rather pricey, but if you’re from the US/Australia/Canada, this would seem like chump change to you!

OPTION 2: Uber / Careem

If you’ve got working internet connection and a smartphone, download either Uber or Careem. The wait time’s usually ~5 to 15 minutes, but at least you’re sure you can get a ride no matter where you are (within the Dubai city). Also, it’s always fun to guess what fancy car will drive up to you (typically it’s a white Lexus)

NOTE: Careem is the Middle East equivalent of Uber. Don’t think there’s much difference between the two, but I typically use Careem when I’m in the Middle East as they’re more entrenched, and tend to have better GPS systems (at least in Pakistan)

 

OPTION 3: Metro

As mentioned, Dubai has two metro lines (Green and Red). Now most of the “newer” parts of the city are part of the red line (e.g. Burj Khalifa), while the Old Town can be accessed through the green line (e.g. Al Ghubalba, Al Ras)

If you’re itching to go to the Palm, then you should check out the tram. Having said that, the tourist attraction you typically want to go to won’t be found immediately outside the metro station, so prepare to walk for ~5-15 minutes to reach your final destination

OPTION 4: Bus

To be honest, I only used the bus once – and it was to head to Abu Dhabi (AED 50 round-trip vs AED 600 roundtrip if I took a cab). Now I’m sure you can catch a bus within the city as well, except I personally don’t know how that works…

But, if like me, you’re considering taking a bus to Abu Dhabi, then just head to the Al Ghubalba bus station (it’s right in front of Carrefour – which you’ll see as soon as you step out of the Al Ghubalba metro station)

To read about my Abu Dhabi adventure, check out my blog here!

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What’s the currency used in the United Arab Emirates?

The currency used in Dubai (and across the United Arab Emirates) is the AED (also known as the Emirates dirham). The exchange rate is roughly AED 1 = PHP 15, during the time I was there (May 2017)

Note: while most cabs accept credit card payments, some still don’t, or they tell me their credit card terminal isn’t working. So, it’s still good to have ready money on hand. Likewise, if you’re headed to the souks for some shopping, they typically accept cash only

During my ~3 day stay, I withdrew ~AED 300, which was sufficient for my needs. Although, note that I typically used Careem/Uber if possible, paid for all my restaurant meals using my credit card, and did minimal shopping

To withdraw, there are multiple ATMs in the airport. Once you’re past immigration, there are ATM machines in the baggage claim area. Likewise, once you exist the baggage claim area, there will also be international ATMs to your left (including HSBC)

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Is it safe to travel as a solo female?

I’ll be honest. As a solo female who regularly travel to different parts of the globe, I typically encounter this question, “Don’t you ever feel unsafe?” The simple answer is, “Not really, because I travel smart.” As much as possible…

• I travel during the day and I stick to populous area (where tourist attractions normally are)
• I try to use Uber/Careem/Grab as opposed to taxis. That way, someone somewhere has a record of where I am, and who I got into a car with
• I try to blend in as much as possible by dressing decently and respecting existing customs and cultures

If you’re still wary, remember this: Crime rate in Dubai is low for good reason, because there are stiff consequences for those who disobey (and that includes foreigners)

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For other Dubai related posts

• Dubai Desert Safari: Definitely an adventure to remember
• Yellow Boat tour: A chance to see Dubai from another perspective
• Deira (Old Town): Reacquainting myself with the history of Dubai
• Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark: The best waterpark in the world

For other Abu Dhabi related posts

• Abu Dhabi: A five step guide on how to make an Abu Dhabi trip worthwhile
• Ferrari World Review: Unique rides and attractions for all ages

For first time travelers to Dubai, you may have questions regarding visas, how to get around the country, where to stay, and so on. If so, you might be interested in:

• Logistics and Travel Guide to Dubai
• Top Ten Things to See and Do in Dubai and Abu Dhabi