BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi

My wife and I went to Dubai a few years back (March 2002) and we had a good time there (check out the trip report on http://gardkarlsen.com/dubai.htm ). The other day I talked to a guy who had lived in Dubai for for a year in 2002 and he said that he could hardly recognize the place when he returned in 2005. I see that they have been building like crazy over the years so I guess a lot will change there.

But I have also gotten the impression that Dubai is becoming more of an expensive destination. Or is my impression totally wrong? Is Dubai still an affordable destination? When we went there is 2002 we stayed in Bur Dubai and we ate at many local places in town and we only went out to places like Jumeirah on day trips. I did find quite a lot of good offers in the malls and I came home with stuff like shoes, squash rackets...even a surround sound amplifier :d Is it still a shopping paradise?

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

There are quite a few questions in there; hope I can answer most of them!

First, Dubai is still a shoppers' paradise. You don't need to go to the malls to get the deals, the souks are still where it's at. On Bur Dubai side there is the electronics souk off of Al Fahidi St. and Karama is always a fun place for knock-off designer goods and souvenirs. Deira side of course has the gold and spice souks and a large area just behind the creek for everything under the sun, electronics, household goods, you name it. Of course the old rule still applies; haggle, barter, and bargain all you can.

Dubai is hardly recognizable now for all the building they are doing, it's true. They say that two thirds of all the building cranes in existence are being used in Dubai right now. (The other third is probably in Beijing! ) The hotels are getting more expensive but there are still deals to be found. One of the best hotel websites I've found is one that I have noticed other people recommending too on this forum: www.southtravels.com which has good deals on all kinds of places. The one thing I would suggest now about staying there is decide in advance what you want to do and which area you will probably spend the majority of your time, and then book a hotel close by. The traffic in Dubai has become unbearable and if you stay away from the city centre you will spend most of your time in a taxi, stuck in a traffic snarl. My recommendation is to try and find somewhere reasonable which is close to the creek and the central part of the city, then you can get to both sides easily via the Abras.

Also, avoid the city during the Shopping Festival in February, the bargains are good but the thousands of people and the absence of cheap hotels means it's not worth it. Also don't go in the middle of the summer (July and August) when it's unbearably hot and the humidity is about 98%. You can't walk outside for more than about 10 minutes before starting to melt, or go to the beaches or anything. Not pleasant.

All this recollecting about Dubai is making me homesick for it, I love that place! Don't know why, but I do.