April 14

A Traveler in Dubai

I am not one to thrive in warm climates. As a Canadian I welcome the cold, I am at one with it. When my friend told me about a great opportunity to travel to Dubai I was obviously dubious. As I looked at a climate chart my eyes narrowed to meet hers; I thought she was insane. After a few hours of arguments and counter-arguments I caved, I gave the city a try and it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made.
dubai skyline

Having never been to the Persian Gulf I didn’t know what to expect. On the plane I looked out the window onto the desert, nothing for miles but a small silver light in the distance. As we neared the recently renovated Dubai International Airport I saw that small light turn into a massive emerald city with the enormous Burj Khalifa building marking the skyline. I caught myself with a jaw fully opened at the beauty that was Dubai.

Knowing that Dubai had a reputation for being quite pricy as soon as I landed I went online to MyDubaiInfo.com to gauge where I could possibly stay in this new city. To my surprise it was possible to find budget lodging with the Qamardeen Hotel costing $85 to $290 a night. With a little more searching and perhaps an earlier booking I could imagine it being much more affordable.
pots in dubai

Finding things to do isn’t very hard when you’re located in one of the busiest cities in the world as there are many day trips you can do. Only a short bus from the city center the Shallow Water Dolphin Experience was something that I’d recommend to anyone interested in sea life. With a variety of activities, you can, like me, even get to feed one of the dolphins! (Even though I was fairly certain that this activity was reserved for children)

Feeling hungry, dining in Dubai leaves an individual with many choices and prices. I wanted to see a different angle of the city and still have the comfort of a good meal. The boat-restaurant Bateaux Dubai was recommended to me by one of the tourist centres and I immediately found my way to the docks. The cruise may leave your wallet a bit empty but you can’t put a price on but seeing the city in the gentle reflection of the water. The variety of dishes, from Canadian Salmon to Australian Beef, will leave you with a great deal of choice as you’re gently gliding through the city.
dubai food

Leaving the best for last, the Burj Khalifa experience is perhaps one of the most surreal adventures I’ve ever been on. Tickets to enjoy the tallest building in the world are around $65 for an adult but with pre-purchased tickets it could cost you a fraction less. Going up one of the quickest lifts in the world, it felt more like a theme park ride than just a mode of transportation. Finally seeing all of Dubai from the very top made me realize why I agreed to go on the trip. Gazing upon the tilt in the globe in the Arabian dawn, the experiences in Dubai will last me a lifetime. An adventure in the desert, Dubai is one of the most magical places in the world.

Michal Kniec, after completing a History degree in Canada, decided that a little change of scenery would do him some good and moved across the world to Manchester. Now studying law, he loves to write, cook, and travel as much as possible on this pale blue dot.

What would you expect to find in Dubai? Have you been there? What tips would you give to the budget traveler? Comment below and share this post if you liked it!


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  1. Indeed, it’s weird for a bustling modern city to pop up after so much arid desert… I only saw it from the plane window during a flight from Singapore to Istanbul. I saw the palm, some skyscrapers. Brightly lit-up…

  2. Hey guys you should also try out the food options available from the Grand Hyatt Dubai Restaurants.Especially the Asian noodles from The Wox Restaurant located inside Grand Hyatt Dubai, simply amazing !!

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