[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

It had been a while since we had gone on a vacation so decided to make an international trip. Every time I had a layover at Dubai airport I always wondered what the hype about Dubai was.
.......

I am glad you liked UAE. I am a Dubai resident since 2014 and love every bit of this beautiful city. It is very safe, has got great infrastructure and of course is a paradise for petrol heads.

I totally agree that one should avoid tour operators while visiting Dubai. They often take you to the 4-5 well known touristy places and many great experiences are left out...

Dubai has a lot of clean and well maintained beaches. Dolphin show and Miracle garden are often left out by these operators.

Watching the live show in Rajmahal theatre in Dubai parks and resorts is never included in these packages. Even the Bollywood parks are in general omitted unless you pay more.

A drive to the mountains in Al Ain or Ras Al Khaimah (which has great beach side resorts) is never in the list! Enthusiasts would love a track day at the Yas Marina circuit or Autodrome.

The best way to explore UAE is to rent a fast coupe or a luxury sedan and drive yourself!

[DBeast]

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

Day 4 of the package: Abu Dhabi (Energy level required 5/5)
Hindsight is 20/20. I should not have left Ferrari world for the last day!

Abu Dhabi is the richest of the 7 states that make up the UAE! So needless to say it shows. We have a tight schedule ahead of us (its a 2 hour drive from Dubai) so most sights are covered by bus.

Amazing photos. Got nostalgic, as I spend 4 years in UAE (Dubai to be precise) and came back for good in April 2018.
It's an amazing place, and if you are a automobile enthusiast, this place won't disappoint you.

[srs_shetty87]

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

Passed it on our way to Abu Dhabi, felt like this was on the highway between the two states

True, it is between the two.
Using the Dubai metro is a good idea (if it can take you close enough to the places you want to visit), but one could also just connect through buses.

For visitors, renting a car and driving can be cheaper (more the merrier and cheaper) than travelling by taxis or even public transport.
The only thing to note, very few companies provide self drive cars for Indian License holders and off course not to forget the left hand driving and the speeds.

[DBeast]

Originally Posted by srs_shetty87

For visitors, renting a car and driving can be cheaper (more the merrier and cheaper) than travelling by taxis or even public transport.
The only thing to note, very few companies provide self drive cars for Indian License holders and off course not to forget the left hand driving and the speeds.

They do provide, but won't give insurance if you are on Indian DL. So one has to be very careful while taking these rental cars.

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

I will definitely go through your travelogue before visiting.

Thanks for your kind words. Yup there is a certain joy in exploring.

Originally Posted by raj_5004

A drive to the mountains in Al Ain or Ras Al Khaimah (which has great beach side resorts) is never in the list! Enthusiasts would love a track day at the Yas Marina circuit or Autodrome.

Very true, I got to know of the mountains , hot air balloon rides and the worlds longest Zipline from the Safari guide but I was already locked in by a fixed schedule..

Originally Posted by DBeast

if you are a automobile enthusiast, this place won't disappoint you.

Thank you very much and yeah the last thing I would want on a vacation is to be caught in a fender bender with no insurance.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by alphadog

Its good fun and a total stimulation of the senses, when you come here for the first time. But pretty soon, one gets used to the opulence everywhere you look. Its glitz and glamour, on the surface, everywhere. Makes one wonder, if it is to hide a darker underbelly.

The dark side of the Gulf is known, despite all attempts to supress it. It's one of those public secrets. Everyone knows, but cant talk about it.

Originally Posted by alphadog

Even after living here for sometime, I still have not done the desert safari and the dhow cruise.

Born there, and lived there for 18 years, but I too have never done the desert safari. Did a few rides on the abra though.

[Jeroen]

Very nice travelogue, brings back some memories.

When we lived in Delhi quite a few of our friends and colleagues often went to Dubai for long weekends. My wife wasn’t particularly keen to be honest. Her rule was that when she was back in Europe or the West Indies I could only engage in things she did not like. Whilst she was on a trip back to Europe I booked a long weekend by myself. Flight and hotel all courtesy of JetAirways loyalty program.

It was an interesting experience. But I must admit that after 3-4 days I was done with Dubai. The malls are quite the experience, but at the same time it is all very decadent too. I had arranged a few trips to see a bit of heritage and culture with some private guides that came recommended by friends. Good guides, but after a few hours things became somewhat repetitive. At the end of the day it is all about desert, tents and camels. I don’t want to belittle anybody, but I found it interesting, but only up to a point.

These sort of deserts are very impressive, but after a few hours the novelty wears thin for me.

You will be hard pressed to bump into any true locals. One day I went out on a little ferry from the old harbour to the marina. Some 30-35 passengers and crew. They got chatting and it turned out every single person on that ferry, passengers and crew, were from India. So they look at me, I don’t look particularly Indian. But when I told everybody I’m from Delhi too that got a good laugh.

You will bump into 100% locals at the immigration desk at the airport though. Those guys all look identical. Very tall, very slim, wearing identical white dress, same beard, same facial expression!

So I am glad I went, but I don’t think I will be going back for a repeat visit to tour around. As it so happens I have visited Dubai three times in the last year on business. I will be there again in a few weeks. As a business destination it works well for us. It’s very central for everybody travelling from Africa, Europe, middle and far east.

Very convenient, good facilities, safe, not too too expensive either. Good public transportation with pretty reasonable fares. Although Dubai traffic during rush hour is becoming quite the nightmare as in any major town around the globe.

Jeroen

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Very nice travelogue, brings back some memories.

Thank you! Coming from someone who has travelled the world, it means a lot to me.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

But I must admit that after 3-4 days I was done with Dubai. The malls are quite the experience, but at the same time it is all very decadent too.

I share the same sentiment. Dubai will always be a one hit wonder for me unless work takes me there (highly unlikely).

[Saanil]

I have heard from many people that a 4-5 day vacation in Dubai is more than enough to see the popular tourist spots. I have never heard of people exploring other emirates in UAE like Fujairah/Sharjah. I am not sure but do the other emirates (apart from Dubai/Abu Dhabi) have anything interesting to offer?

Also what is the visa cost and procedure? Do Indians have the option of Visa on Arrival? A close friend of mine told me that Dubai is very expensive (excluding any shopping). How much would a typical Dubai trip cost assuming one does all the touristy things? Is a figure of 1lakh/person (including flights) a fair assumption?

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Saanil

I have heard from many people that a 4-5 day vacation in Dubai is more than enough to see the popular tourist spots. I have never heard of people exploring other emirates in UAE like Fujairah/Sharjah. I am not sure but do the other emirates (apart from Dubai/Abu Dhabi) have anything interesting to offer?

My info would be quite outdated, but when I was young, Fujairah, RAK etc were known for their drives, as well as beaches. These emirates are not as marketing savvy as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so they don't encash on the tourist hype.

[Nagesh Bhatt]

Wonderful review deepfreak15 !

Very crisp & neat. One really feels the essence of the place, Dubai in this case, in not so many words.

The superb pics did the justice, great camerawork, esp the night shot atop Burj Khalifa & all around photography. Grand Mosque looks beautiful. Any particular lens in use ? Equipment ?

The short narration/caption is self explainatory & gives one a clear idea of the place.

Well done deepfreak15 !

[coolmind]

Hi BHPian friends,

I will be in muscat for 4-5 days on an official trip in first week of November.
Can someone local or who had already visited to muscat please advise the places which I can cover during my visit.
Probably I may have time for roam around only during the evenings and a Sunday.
Thanks in advance.

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by Saanil

I have heard from many people that a 4-5 day vacation in Dubai is more than enough.... Also what is the visa cost and procedure? Do Indians have the option of Visa on Arrival? How much would a typical Dubai trip cost assuming one does all the touristy things? Is a figure of 1lakh/person (including flights) a fair assumption?

Even if you only want to see the popular tourist places 4-5 days may not be enough. But that again is completely based on what your definition of visiting a place is. Case in point, if someone would ask me if I visited the Jumeirah Palm I could say "Yes", though I do not consider a drive through in a coach as valid. For me unless I got down and spent sometime I wouldn't consider it a visit. So if you have the same definition then 4-5 days is not enough but you can cover a lot in those days.

As for cost, if you were to select a good package you should be able to have a good trip in 70% of the cost you mentioned per person (including flights and excluding shopping).

Visa on arrival for Indians is available with a few caveats, the one I'm aware off is if you have a valid US visa (could be any category) you can avail that option. Though its always a good idea to check before you travel

Originally Posted by Nagesh Bhatt

Wonderful review deepfreak15 !
Any particular lens in use ? Equipment ?

Thank you very much for you kind words! I have a basic DSLR (Nikon D5300 with a 18-140 mm lens) While the lens is an all purpose Jack of all trades type I felt the biggest differentiator for me was my willingness to lug around a tri pod. Also I used an ND8 filter during those long exposures. Couldn't find an ND10 until the last day and I used that at the Grand Mosque


PS: I watched a ton of youtube videos and used this trip as my practice ground

[Anindya_Anni]

Very well written travelogue and beautifully captured pictures.
I have a trip planned to dubai in february first week with my parents. Two things I want to ask-

1) Can I share my itinerary here to discuss with you. I have customised it as per my research based on trip advisor customer ratings.

2) I read on quora about electronics like dslr camera and iphones, that they are cheaper in Dubai as compared to India. Is it advisable to purchase them from there, and if purchased, will customs here create a problem for me.

With regards
Anindya

[Anindya_Anni]

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

Day 3 of the package: Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa (Energy level required 5/5).

As per MMT the Mall visit starts at 4pm and the Burj Khalifa is in the same building, word of advice go early! We went at 11am and did not have time to roam around.

I have a trip planned to Dubai in first week of february. I have planned entire day for dubai mall, aquarium and burj khalifa. My pickup is at 10 a.m. from hotel. Will I have sufficient time for all three.

TIP: Skip the explorer package (behind the scenes tour)

I'm planning to purchase this one, as it offers glass bottom boat ride also. May I know the reason why you are advising to skip it.

TIP: Though your ticket has a time slot they don't mind if you are 30 minutes early .
There is no time limit how long you can spend on the 124th or 125th floor.
You might have to wait for a while to get a good spot near the viewing glass.

How much time you took, from going upwards, clicking photographs and then, coming back to the ground. My time slot for burj khalifa is 7 p.m. and travel agent has given the return pickup time as 9:30 p.m. I want to watch fountain show and laser show also. Are 2 hours 30 minutes sufficient for all this.

The floor has wood panel layers, so moves when people walk around so if you try long exposure photography there will be movement and a lot of ambient light reflecting with flashes going off galore , but that didn't stop me from trying.

Attachment 1808305

If you don't mind, can you please share the camera settings at which you clicked night shots. I have just purchased Nikon dslr and I'm a beginner at dslr photography.

With regards
Anindya