By Louis Vanleer (Retired Naval Officer/ Traveler / Tour Agent) – If you want different and safe you will find it in Dubai, U.A.E.. Their super modern buildings mesmerize the most seasoned tourist. To-date it has the tallest skyscraper (Burj Khalifa), one of the largest malls in the world (The Dubai Mall), the world’s only seven star hotel (Burj Al Arab) and a museum shaped like and eye (the Museum of the Future). You can stay in a hotel or an AirBnB, the latter has the most value. Hotels vary in prices. The costly ones are around in the Marina area and lesser prices can be found in the older areas of the city.
No need to be concerned about crime because the harsh penalties for committing them serve as a deterrent which is a norm for a Muslim country. So leaving your purse unattended or letting your toddler wonder about in a store is no worry. Don’t be surprised that you don’t see law enforcement because there are so many cameras watching all places that if you get in a car accident, traffic police will be on the scene within a few minutes.
The city has many restaurants for any pallet. The Dubai mall even has a Joe’s Crab shack and an IHOP inside. The Marina district has the beach on the Arabian Gulf on one side and a canal on the other within a few blocks from each other and don’t be surprised to see a camel being ridden on the beach. The canal has a Mecca of restaurants along it and the beach even has most western restaurants like the Cheese Cake Factory, KFC, Burger King, etc.
Things to do are plenty. Just to name a few you can parasail, jet ski, go on a desert safari and ride ATVs and be shaken around inside SUVs with a follow-on camel ride and dinner with entertainment. You can go inside the Burj Khalifa up to the 124, 125, or 148th floor. The Dubai Mall is adjacent to the Burj Khalifa which has 1200 shops and it has one of the largest aquariums inside along with a soccer field. The Emirates Mall has skiing, sledding, and bumper cars all in one. The city also has Ain Dubai which is the largest and tallest observation wheel in the world.
While there is still time, you can also visit the Dubai Expo which lasts until Mar 31st 2022. For kids or the entire family you can visit the Miracle Garden which has over 45 million flowers grown and bloomed in a spectrum of colors, styles, and shapes. Also, the family can visit Dubai’s Garden Glow Park which four themes; Ice Park, Dino Park, Magic Park, and Art Park. If want to see the city on the water, you can catch a Dhow dinner cruise on the creek while viewing the beautiful Dubai skyline that includes traditional dancers.
Cash is not needed, but if you want to buy a low cost item from a small street merchant you can use the money which are dirhams which equates to 1 USD equaling to 3.6725 AED (AED is the U.A.E currency code) to-date. All types of transportation are available (taxis and ubers accept debit/credit cards),
The metro, trolleys, and buses require a NOL pass (a smart card that enables you to pay for the use of various RTA transport modes in Dubai) that you can purchase with a debit/credit card at their departure stations.
The climate in Dubai is tolerable from October to April. However, be aware the temperature can reach as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer with high humidity and UVs.
During COVID one main concern to U.S. citizens returning from overseas is getting a COVID test a day before their departure date. There are many places to get test performed, but few that will guarantee findings within several hours. One place that guarantees findings within several hours via email is 123 PCR. You can reserve your test online with them at a cost of around forty dollars. However, you need to hold your taxi there at the test facility to return back to the city because the facility is in a rural area where few taxis frequent. Dubai airport also conduct testing which can provide results in a few hours. You should get a paper copy of the results to show at the airport check-in desk prior to returning to the U.S.. A print out can be obtained at Kodak in the Marina district if your test is conducted by 123 PCR.
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