It’s a holiday I will never forget. Before I left, my well-travelled friend described Dubai’s heat as 10 hairdryers blowing in your face! Luckily, the impact wasn’t so extreme as I wasn’t crazy enough to head there in the summer. Although it was November, as soon as you exit the plane after landing, you do indeed feel the desert heat penetrating the seams of the airport walkway as you traverse to the airport.
My family and I stayed at the glorious Ritz Carlton Dubai Financial Centre. It doesn’t look much from the outside, but on the inside, the mostly Filipino staff took incredibly good care of us. They regarded us by our names the entire time-almost everywhere! How do they remember everyone? It was a nice personal touch that I haven’t experienced before in all my travels!
Know Before You Go–Recommended Read:
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Dubai is a great companion, taking the best of the printed guidebook and adding new eBook-only features. Dozens of Top 10 lists–from the Top 10 museums to the Top 10 events and festivals. There’s even a list of the Top 10 ways to avoid the crowds.
A Desert Oasis
What’s the most important thing for fashionistas to do once landed? Go shopping! And not just any shopping, shopping at The Dubai Mall. It’s a mammoth, home to more than 1,200 stores, over 200 restaurants and cafés, and the world’s largest indoor gold souk. The leisure attractions include an aquarium, an Olympic-sized ice rink, an indoor theme park and a 22-screen cinema spreading over 5.9 million square feet (550,000 square meters) of space over four floors!
Getting There:
Getting to The Dubai Mall is easy via the Dubai Metro. Men and women must travel in separate cars, so keep this in mind. The nearest station is the Burj Khalifa/The Dubai Mall Station and, conveniently, connecting buses service the mall directly and on a frequent basis. Alternatively, the mall is a walkable distance from the station using the Metro Link Bridge.
What’s the perfect way to cool off in Dubai? Ice skating in an Olympic sized-rink of course!
The exquisitely choreographed dancing Dubai Fountains, the world’s largest dancing water theatre. Next to The Dubai Mall, the free light and water show attracts big crowds. Powerful jets fire water more than 500 feet (150 meters) into the air, accompanied by music and illuminated by laser projections and thousands of lights. We loved watching this.
The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper and free-standing building, stands at just above 2,716 feet (828 m) and is a top landmark in Dubai to see. Take a high-speed lift up the tower and be greeted by a spacious observation deck outfitted with large viewing windows. We would have loved to have gone, but at AED 315 per person (about $85 dollars), it was as steep as the Burj itself!
Dare to Be Aware:
10 Tips to be Aware of Before Visiting Dubai/Abu Dhabi:
1. The heat: Intense. Bring a travel size UV blocking umbrella. I have this exact one. It is really well made and does an excellent job blocking out the sun, it actually feels cooler in the shade: 
2. Water–to be safe, it’s always a good idea to drink bottled water–even when brushing your teeth. Ask for no ice in your drinks at restaurants and cafes.
3. Ferrari World. If you are a single guy in your 20s and you love cars, Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi is not–I repeat–not for you! It’s actually a theme park that mainly caters to young children.
4. Sunblock-essential. A UV blocking 30+ face cream or oil and a reliable UV blocking 30+ body lotion or spray is essential. Shop my sunblock and beauty suggestions:
5. Identification: The Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi asks women to surrender their passport or driver’s licence in exchange for an abaya in order to be admitted inside. Consider that this valuable ID is left with a person, where it is hot and chaotic with hundreds of people pressed up together like large herds of cattle. If you really want to go, provide none of these IDs and instead hand over a less valuable card with your pic on that looks official enough as a driver’s licence.
6. Bring an adapter. Abu Dhabi has 220 volt electricity, meaning unless your computer or appliance is dual voltage or designed for 220 volts, you will need a converter or transformer. If you are visiting from the US then you will need to use a plug adapter for The United Arab Emirates because American plugs won’t physically fit in a UAE power outlet, and because the voltage is much higher you will also need to use a power converter for The UAE to prevent damage :
7. Go easy on the liquor. The UAE is more open than other muslim countries, and there are a lot of expats living here, however it is best to avoid being drunk and drinking too much out of respect to the local Emirates.
8. Public affection: Men and women should refrain from excessive displays of kissing.
9. Transportation: Take a taxi instead of renting a car to Abu Dhabi. We had a huge scare after returning our car to the rental company, which was connected to our hotel. I had forgotten my hat in the car, so I went back to the agency to retrieve it. The clerk took a long time to look for it and returned with a basket full of items (along with my hat). One of the things he pulled out looked like a bag of hashish. He looked at me seriously asked if it was mine–! It wasn’t of course, but the thought that I could have been framed for something as serious as this scared me to death! The U.A.E.’
10. Dress to Impress: Last but not least, dress modestly. Tops that have offensive slogans on it are a no-no. Avoid showing cleavage. The knees and shoulders should not be exposed. Mini skirts should not be worn. Avoid bandage or bodycon pieces. You may see foreigners wandering around not adhering to this, but it is considered respectful to be sensitive to these cultural differences. Here are some shopable suggestions:
What I really regret about going to Abu Dhabi, is not accommodating enough time to see it. I was too busy having a leisurely breakfast in the hotel back in Dubai and should have got up and left when my husband suggested we leave earlier!
What am I doing outside when I should be inside The Grande Mosque? Women are required to wear an abaya to enter. If you don’t have one, you must line up downstairs and exchange your passport or driver’s licence to be loaned of one. I went down to line up and discovered a massive queue where people were pressed up against each other and decided it was not worth surrendering my passport nor my driver’s licence as I didn’t feel comfortable giving this up. My husband and son decided to go into the mosque on their own and I chose to explore outside and take pleasure in a beautiful, warm desert evening.
Conclusion
The UAE is a fabulous destination. Visitor friendly, clean and safe. I can’t wait to return! How about you? Have you been yet?
I have been on layovers in Dubai, but have never actually seen the city. This post is a big call telling me that I should, it looks stunning! :)x Awesome post!
Thanks so much Jesica! It really is worthwhile having a look around on your next layover!
Trace x