can visit an observation deck at the top for views of Dubai both day and night.
There are also two great water parks in Dubai that are fun for all. Wild Wadi is on Jumeirah Beach right in front of Dubai’s 7-star hotel, Burj al-Arab. And Aquaventure is part of Atlantis, The Palm, featuring a waterslide that goes right through an aquarium.
TimeOutDubai.com is an excellent online resource for finding out about current and interesting happenings around the city, from nightclubs and restaurants to all kinds of special events.
GETTING TO THE UAE
You can fly into Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, or you can also fly into Dubai, as they are both cities with good airports and they are only about an hour drive from each other.
The flights from the United States are long, but thankfully there are many options. Emirates flies direct New York-Dubai and Etihad Airways flies direct New York-Abu Dhabi, but you’re looking at a 13-15hr flight each way. I decided to take Turkish Airlines from New York and I booked a full day stopover in Istanbul, which allowed me to venture into the city, visit the Blue Mosque, have a relaxed lunch at a little outdoor café, do some shopping along Divan Yolu and in the massive covered bazaar. You have to purchase a visa to enter Istanbul ($60USD), but this can be done after you arrive, and there is an information desk to help you with taking the Metro into the city. Taking the train to and from the airport was easy, just make sure you leave enough time to get back for your flight! And also bring back a nice box of assorted baklava and Turkish Delight to snack upon from one of the plentiful shops. An alternative if you are coming from Los Angeles, which makes the trip even longer, would be to catch a flight with Air France and stopover in Paris for a day.
GETTING AROUND
For day trips and tours in the UAE, they will usually pick you up from your hotel, the ultimate in ease and convenience. Dubai has a new Metro system that is excellent and easy to use. Otherwise, taxis are plentiful and one of the best ways to get around within towns, since public transport is often non-existent or not geared towards tourists. Beware of overcharging attempts with taxi drivers since you’ll be an easy target as a fresh international customer. Always negotiate price before getting in (it’s a good idea to find out a fair rate for your destination from a local or your hotel), or insist on the meter being used if it works. Many taxi drivers don’t speak English, and street names are usually not used at all, but rather landmarks, which can be a hilarious way of getting directions since traffic circles are used everywhere and the “landmark” in the center of the traffic circles are often impossible for foreigners to figure out. Haha, get lost, have fun, take pictures!
Renting a car is affordable and great for traveling farther distances in the UAE if you’re a confident driver, and there are several international rental companies available. Speeding seems like a national pass-time in the UAE, so most cars are fitted with a beeping alarm that won’t stop until you are driving below 75mph (120kph), but I guess most people ignore it, disconnect it somehow, or just turn the music up because cars will whiz past you like you are standing still even when you’re doing a good clip. License plates with single digits signify royalty, so I’m betting that they’re not getting speeding tickets from the photo radar that lines most highways. I had a not-so-pleasant surprise on my credit card bill a week or so after arriving home – a speeding ticket charge of $175 USD.
Another not-so-pleasant experience with our rental car – a flat tire – actually turned into a very pleasant experience in the end. We got the flat while driving around Abu Dhabi, interestingly, the day after driving to the oases of Al-Ain to get a glimpse into the Empty Quarter, and we had been commenting on how the intense heat and sand must be hard on the tires! After pulling into an empty parking lot and getting out to find the 3-inch tear in the completely flat tire, we were glad to locate our full-sized spare in the trunk, along with the jack and a lug wrench. The lug wrench, however, seemed much too small to make the lug nuts loosen, and even with as much lugging as we could muster, it wasn’t making them budge one bit. Then along came a small Muslim fellow dressed in white, and without a word, ....
