Hello fellow Members of Jesta Freak! 🖐
My wife and I have had Dubai on our bucket list for years but unfortunately, we had to postpone our plan a couple times till we finally made the decision to visit in 2025. Of course, we have heard and read A LOT about the city but like every destination, a local or an experienced resident can always give better insights and more useful tips and recommendations.
The plan is to stay 14 days in a beach resort (1 or more) and of course to experience Safari. We would appreciate it if anyone had great tips and good suggestion of top experiences that are unique to the city and whether you think that visiting other Emirates is also something to consider. Of course, any recommendations regarding cost and expenses would be highly appreciated.
Thanks.
the key is to set a budget and stick to it. Dubai is not cheap and there are lots of temptations. The most expensive part of the trip is accommodation. There are plenty of beach resorts at the JBR at lower rates than The Palm Jumeirah for example. If you can deal with high temperatures, plan your trip during the off season to save lots of bucks on accommodation and flight tickets. You will then profit from the shopping festivals up to 90%.
As for experiences, I highly recommend booking through your hotel The Big Bus Tours (they have several options and packages) as it will save you a lot of time and will give you the opportunity to see all interesting attractions in the city like Burj Al Arab, Atlantis the Palm, The Dubai Mall, The Mall of The Emirates, Ibn Battuta Mall, The Gold Souk and The Spices Souk, The Museum, etc.
Seeing all these sites and more in 2 just days, you will then have plenty of time to revisit any of these places if you like the most and wish to spend more time in.
For us, for example we decided to visit Atlantis the Palm again and booked a journey with the Dolphins, and spend the day at the Aquaventure water park, of course it comes at extra charge. The gold Souk we also visited again, our friends wanted to buy something, and you can actually get good deals – you need to bargain really well. Madinat Jumeirah is lovely and a must see. The Miracle Garden and Butterfly Garden are connected and a must see. The Global Village also, if you fancy seeing other cultures, products and specialties. The JBR is a must see as well, you may spend a full day shopping and bathing on the public beach. Another amazing experience is the parachute jumping at Skydive JBR. We had kids with us, so we also visited Legoland, Dubai parks, IMG world, Ferrari world and Abu Dhabi Sea World.
Restaurants and night life in Dubai, also a must see. We haven’t seen much of it as we had kids with us, but hopefully next time.
In 2 weeks, 10 thousand dollars can easily be spent in Dubai. But that is a personal matter. Hope you have a great time!
Wow thank you so much for the valuable tips @Abdul_Rahman.🖐
Jebel Ali Resort I spacious with many swimming pools, I think 3, golf course, fishing boats and marina, beach club, tennis courts, small farm and peacocks walking around. And of course, a large private beach. Prices are more reasonable than the resorts at the JBR or the Palm Jumeirah.
I recommend you take the city map from your concierge and mark the experiences you decide you want to visit as there are plenty of sites to see. 3 shopping malls are the most interesting to visit, Dubai mall, Ibn Battuta, and Mall of the Emirates, which can be done in 2 days. If you visit in high season, you get the chance to experience Global village and Butterfly village as they are closed in the hot season. The museum of the future is worth visiting and it is situated at the iconic Sheik Zayed Road. Atlantis The Palm and Royal Atlantis are worth visiting and give you access to Aquaventure, while Jumeirah beach hotel next to Burj Al Arab give you access to Wild Wadi. In Abu Dhabi, it is worth visiting Ferrari World and MGM. Legoland in Dubai. And Royal Meridien al Aqqa, where you can experience safari. I strongly suggest you also visit Hatta Mountain, especially if you are traveling between November and March as weather is excellent for hiking. For clubbing, Dubai is buzzing with very nice clubs and restaurants, Time Out magazine can be pretty handy here. Barasti is a must visit though, close to the JBR. It actually depends on your taste in clubbing, chic and seated or wild and dancing.
The Gold Souk and Spice Souk are a must visit. You can find interesting treasures there. Also, experience the Abra boat for 1 AED only to cross the Creek in Old Dubai and see the history of the old city. The Heritage Village is also a unique experience to introduce you to the real old Emirati Life.
Well, best of luck with your trip! Let us know how it goes. We last visited in 2016.
Thanks Man for the amazing recommendations. I love this platform; people are genuine and very helpful. Will definitely keep you posted.
You welcome. I agree, I also like “Jestafreaking”. Very interesting information about brands and destinations in here. More of a blend of Facebook, LinkedIn and Reddit all together. 😂
😂 Jestafreaking? Love that. Admin Must love it too.
We visited Dubai with a group of friends in 2022. We strongly recommend the following experiences based on our own:
Beach Resorts: Rixos The Palm, Al Nassim Beach Hotel, Jebel Ali Resort, Atlantis The Palm, and Mina Seyahi are very nice resorts we are familiar with. Depends on if you want to stay in a touristic are or you prefer a bit of a quiet resort.Make sure you are aware of the high temperatures between end of May till October. This is when usually prices drop but also outdoor venues are closed. I think it is most crucial for you to define the period you want to travel first.If you drive you better rent a car as Dubai roads are easy to drive on, with lights all over the highways. Note that speed in Dubai grants you 20km extra while in Abu Dhabi for example you don’t have grace speed of 20km. You must strictly commit to the speed signs.Your hotel can recommend plenty of Safari options, I don’t recommend looking yourself. You can also book a Limousin experience, it’s fun for couple hours lol. My wife and her girlfriends had a great time.For shopping, there are outlet malls, but not for top luxury brands. Most recommended mall is the mall of the Emirates. We found Dubai mall very crowded but also has the aquarium experience and underwater restaurant, which is a great experience, as well as the iconic fountain and Burj Khalifa that is a must visit. The Gold Souk and Spice Souk of course. My best friend bought the engagement ring from the Gol Souk and said he got a great deal.Dining: Dubai is full of amazing restaurants and service is lavish and chic. You really feel like a VIP. Too much of attention and care for details. Greek, Japanese, Italian, French, Michelin Restaurants, you name it. It depends on your preference. As for the budget, I suggest you consider 10k-15k $ easily, especially if you want to spend on shopping. For souvenirs, however, don’t buy from shops in hotels and malls, rather go to a town called Karama you will find everything there for much cheaper prices, also from shops called 1 to 20.
Best of luck.
Thank you so much for the great tips! Very very helpful indeed.
I personally visited Dubai a couple of times. You can control your spending if you stay in beach resorts during the week, and not over weekends and during public holidays as prices get very expensive. Ideally around May, June or October. It would still be hot and humid but bearable. I advise you to visit Ras Al Khaymah and Al Fujeirah for dune rides and Abu Dhabi / Al Ain for Safari with hotel accommodation to experience the local way of camping in the beautiful desert. The Gold and Spices Souks are a must visit in Dubai. Previously in Atlantis the Palm swimming with dolphins was part of the experience but some friends visited lately and said this experience has been stopped, the aquaventure however is a must visit for kids as well as Wild Wadi, Sea World in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi and Legoland in Dubai. The Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, now known as Mandarin Palace Hotel is also worth the visit. You can take the hotel shuttles to avoid extra spending, same for visiting the malls. We love the country and plan to visit again, maybe extend the trip to Oman as well. We heard very interesting things about Salala and the turtles hatching sites. Anyway, enjoy your visit. Hope this helps.