Anyone in Dubai?

jaybel

Hi..
I know this does not belong here..but I would like to know if there are any members living in Dubai,I have some Q'S

Hope I have not broken any RULES here !!!

Merchant

I'm in New York now, but I've been to Dubai--feel free to PM me or post here.

rohan5577

Hi,

Keep travelling between dubai and delhi frequently. any questions?

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You can take a man out of India, but you can never take India out of a man!

goangoangone

I'm in Goa but my daughter is flying from the UK to Dubai today for a 7month spell.I will be interested to hear about Dubai and will post back accordingly when I find something out

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GoanGoan......here

jaybel

hi,
What i would like to know is where can one buy real good Indian sweets and snacks And of course real good Indian food..craving for the Indianness if u understand what I mean

Merchant

Dubai will seem like a section of Mumbai. Parts of it, especially the area along the creek (Bur Dubai and Deira), are heavily Indian (and Pakistani). You will not have any trouble finding Indian food or sweets or gold or anything, really, except Hindu statuary.

jaybel

Hi..thanks a ton for the info... Good to know that some parts are like my home town Bombay

TracyB

Now that this thread has come up, we will be stopping in Dubai on the way home from Kerala in November. Can you guys recommend a hotel and what to do for 3 nights? Thanks.

Merchant

Hotels in Dubai are plentiful but limited. There are tons of five star (which are often good value and not terribly expensive for what they are) and a smattering of lower end (from seedy to respectable)--but not much in between. There is only one youth hostel and no guest houses.

Dubai is about money. There is not much infrastructure devoted to budget travel and no interest in, or reason for, developing it.

If you are looking for an experience similar to India, you can stay in Bur Dubai or Deira (the old sections of the city on either side of the creek). There are lots of independent, non-descript hotels. The secret is to make sure you are staying in a "family hotel" (ask). This means that single men and unaccompanied women are not allowed--prostitution is Dubai's huge open secret, and these small hotels are the locus for it, as women from the former Eastern Bloc ply the trade. The locals love to talk about it. Anyway, "family hotels" are supposed to be free of prostitution--that's the local code.

This is not to say that these areas are seedy or dangerous. Crime in Dubai is practically non-existent. You will not be mugged.

I stayed at the Hotel La Paz in Deira near the gold souq last year. I think it was about $35 per night, which is a good price for cheap but respectable. It's a little Indian-run "family hotel," which could just as easily have been transplanted from Mumbai. Only drawback was the two muzzeins' loudspeakers at 5 AM, but they're hard to avoid in the old city.

The famous resorts are spread out along Jumeirah Beach and can be expensive, but they are lavish and delightful, even just for a drink in the bar. A good compromise is to stay at the World Trade Center hotel, which is not at the beach but is a part of Jumeirah International, the luxury group that runs many of the beachfront resorts. As a guest at the WTC, you can get a free pass for the beach and other facilities at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel (shaped like a wave) and Wild Wadi, the water park, both of which are at the foot of the famous sail-shaped Burj al Arab. The WTC also has free shuttles running to Jumeirah and the gold souq.

I stayed at the WTC. It was about $100/night, which is a little high for what it is but not bad for Dubai for five stars. It's also a good location, between Jumeirah and Deira (between the beach and the old city).

Cabs in Dubai are fairly cheap, and they are metered, air conditioned, and clean. There are shared taxis and mini-van buses that go to the neighboring emirates like Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, and these cost only a few dollars.

What to do? There are endless markets in the Deira, selling gold, spices, TVs, carpets and all that. It's all fairly modern--don't expect some romantic Arab bazaar. Bur Dubai on the other side of the creek has some historical buildings and a truly lovely museum (well worth seeing). There's also a nice walkway along the water, plus all the abra water taxis going back and forth. It's only a dirham to get across but you can charter any of those boats to take you on a tour up the creek. I'm sure I overpaid giving a guy $10 for 30 minute ride.

I spent much of my time exploring the large ex-pat Indian community. There is a beautiful Indian High School, next to the India Club (where one of Dawood Ibrahim's henchmen was gunned down a few years ago). There are cricket camps for kids in the desert south of the city. Indian sailors (mostly from Gujarat) work on the dhows that dock in the city center. South Asian and Filipino laborers are building all of those hotels and resorts, but they are seqestered in poorly named "labor camps" in the desert when they are not on the job. There's also a very large, entrepreneurial Indian middle class, who work as traders and other professionals throughout the city--so there are upscale Indian restaurants, A.R. Rahman concerts, Bollywood theaters, all of that stuff.

Dubai is a huge boomtown and very much a part of the Indian imagination. It's a fascinating place if you are willing to peer through its dazzling, overblown surfaces.

goangoangone

As I might be stopping off in Dubai now, can anyone give me guide prices for digital cameras and laptops compared with the UK? I've been looking for online shops but without much success at the moment.

TracyB

Merchant, thanks for all of that information..Have you ever did any of the tours outside of Dubai?? There are several that Emirates Air offers when you book a flight with them..One in particular (i'll just include the whole thing), or can you recommend something a little cheaper...Thanks.

Sundowner Dune Dinner

Days: Daily
Cost: US$ 77
Duration: Evening
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Leaving behind the bustle of the city in the afternoon, our safari guides will transport you by four-wheel drive vehicles, for a thrilling journey over rolling dunes, deep in the heart of the desert.

En route you will stop to see camels resting at their camp, and then, from the crest of a high dune, watch the setting sun cast its orange glow over the vast expanse of rippling sand all around you. Like a shimmering mirage in the distance, you will see the flickering lights of your camp where a traditional Arabian welcome awaits you.

The encampment conjures up images of the Arabian Nights. Relax on comfortable low cushions in Bedu tents and quench your thirst, have your hands painted with intricate henna designs, experience a short camel ride, or just enjoy the aromatic shisha.

A feast of grilled meats, fresh salads and delectable Arabic sweets is served and under a galaxy of stars, you will be entertained by a bewitching belly dancer, swaying to the haunting strains of Arabian music. You won’t want this enchanting evening to end.

Merchant

I didn't do any of those tours. They would probably be fun for an evening, but I found most claims of grand Arabian traditions, falcons, belly dancers, and sheeshas, to be vastly overstated. On those tours, you may find yourself inside a mobile EPCOT or on the set of "Bolero."

The Bedu were scraggly desert warriors (read Thesiger's "Arabian Sands"), and the UAE itself was formed in 1971 when a general ceasefire was declared among clans who had warred for centuries. It's difficult to read the history of the region and then view the tourist brochures . . .

But $77 isn't bad for a night under the desert stars.

kpsk

Hi people,

I was wondering what could be considered a good salary in Dubai for a bachelor if the offer package does not include accommodation. Also, how much would the average monthly expense in Dubai be? will appreciate if anyone can give a reply!

rohan5577

Not that ihis belongs here, but I have spent some time in Dubai and recently turned down a job offer there coz of the money!

Well in short the offer was 6500 dirhams per month all inclusive + 1 annual home airline ticket+ 1 month accommodation + medical.

The single greatest cost is rent , a decent studio apartment would cost approx 3500 dirhams per month, but then again that depends on the kind of palce you willing to stay.

So after taking everything into consideration I thought 6500 was not good enough perhaps 7500 dihams would be good as a start.

Rohan

kpsk

hey rohan,
Thanx for that. the office is located in Jumeirah, which i understand is a very expensive area. In which case, wud a salary of 7500 dirhams be ok?