# So what do you advise visitors to do in Dubai when they come to stay...?!



## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

OK, so we've been here since April, but with trying to get settled and organised and coming and going we've not actually explored too much yet in Dubai!

As I'm sure most people will have, we've got friends and rellies starting to come over from next month when the weather gets better, but what can we recommend them to do? 

Bars and restaurants are easy enough to find, but there's only so much shopping people can do. The obvious stuff seems the Khalifa, wild wadi and Atlantis for kids/big kids, skiing and ice skating, plus afternoon tea at the Burj Al Arab for the classier visitors, but what else? 

We don't mind doing a few touristy things with them ourselves - usually overpriced but often a good way to see things you'd usually miss when you live somewhere - but what sort of things do you recommend your visitors do, especially when they usually only have three or four days here?

Thanks!


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

Emanef said:


> OK, so we've been here since April, but with trying to get settled and organised and coming and going we've not actually explored too much yet in Dubai!
> 
> As I'm sure most people will have, we've got friends and rellies starting to come over from next month when the weather gets better, but what can we recommend them to do?
> 
> ...


Take them dune bashing;

Visit Bur Dubai/Deira/Satwa. 

Eat at Ravi (preferably Satwa Roundabout), Bu Qtair or (if you want to go a bit more upmarket) Rawabina;

Skydive (book ahead for this)

Go Karting;

Drive to Khasab, then rent an Abra. 

Drive to Liwa Oasis;

Scuba;

Rent jetskis;

Etc. 

Lots for visitors to do.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Rent an abra for thirty minutes and go up and down the creek.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

get up early, and be out at the camel racing track at about 6.30am.
you'll be the only non-camel racing folk there, particularly as there are rarely any visitors there, and the season has only just started.

took my brother there on Thursday morning. We joined in with the cars driving up and down the course. hilarious, if a little dangerous.

a great spectacle, and, along with an Abra on the Creek, a great antidote to 'bling' Dubai.


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Ravi's at Satwa is overrated IMHO, and standards have dropped over the last few years


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## Eddie R (Sep 23, 2013)

A desert safari is always worth doing once, even if you are a resident.

Dubai Museum in Bur Dubai

Park the car near Shindigga Tunnel and do a big circle on foot. Along the creek, a visit to the heritage musuem then onto the fabric souk. Take a public abra across the creek, I think it's 1 AED per person to the spice souk and walk down the gold souk. Either retrace your steps back or take the pedestrain tunnel under the creek back to your car.

Do a Discover Scuba Diving session or if they are qualifed a day trip to Al Aqah or Musandam, pre booking is necessary.

Jumeriah Mosque or a visit to the massive Abu Dhabi Mosque.

Al Mamzar Beach Park is one of the better beach parks in Dubai and out the way so generally a bit quieter.

Drive to the top of Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain, do whitewater rafting, kayaking and even surfing at the water park there.

The parachute air tunnel simulator at Mirdiff mall or do an actual tandem parachute jump.


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## ash_ak (Jan 22, 2011)

Tropicana said:


> Ravi's at Satwa is overrated IMHO, and standards have dropped over the last few years


Not meaning to go off-topic, but, do you have a new secret place to share instead of Ravi's. I love Delhi Restaurant in Naif square area, Deira. it's to die for!


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

ash_ak said:


> Not meaning to go off-topic, but, do you have a new secret place to share instead of Ravi's. I love Delhi Restaurant in Naif square area, Deira. it's to die for!


Delhi Darbar is good but the roads are so crowded and parking so annoying that I have not been there in 5 years. The food in their Bur Dubai branch does not taste as good though. 

For good Pakistani kababs and curries, you can try Lal Qila in Satwa and BBQ Delight in JBR/Lamcy Area.
For great Pakistani Biryani, Students Biryani is good ( has branch near MOE)
And for street fare, some people prefer any of the Karachi Darbar outlets. 

Ravis also has a branch in Bur Dubai opposite Bur Juman and unlike Delhi Darbar, the food tastes the same in both branches


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## gfarmen (Sep 25, 2013)

i can say there are to many things you can enjoy, also you can have dinner in the desert, dhow cruise dinner, there are some company which provide these service.


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## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

Thanks guys, that's all very helpful! I'll start writing up a list so we're ready for when they start coming out! 

Please free to add more if you can think of any, or recommend any companies that are worth looking at for the more touristy things.

....and for the record, there's no way I'll be jumping out of a plane....!


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

Tropicana said:


> Delhi Darbar is good but the roads are so crowded and parking so annoying that I have not been there in 5 years. The food in their Bur Dubai branch does not taste as good though.
> 
> For good Pakistani kababs and curries, you can try Lal Qila in Satwa and BBQ Delight in JBR/Lamcy Area.
> For great Pakistani Biryani, Students Biryani is good ( has branch near MOE)
> ...


Thanks for the recommendations, I will try these. 

I don't agree about the Burjuman branch tasting the same as Satwa though. I was there about 3 weeks ago and it was very disappointing - flat and with little flavor. I was so disappointed that I went back to the Satwa branch a few days later and it's completely different. 

My take on these different experiences is that these kinds of restaurants are a bit variable. Sometimes you get a good day, sometimes not so much. But that's part of the fun.

For another kind of place, I had a good Korean meal at Pyongyang Okryu-Gwan. As an American, I am not sure what was more fun - eating at a North Korean restaurant, or the obvious surprise on the North Korean waitresses faces to find an American eating at a North Korean restaurant.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

i'd avoid the desert experience companies that try and give you dune bashing, camel riding, sand-boarding, quad biking, belly dancing and a BBQ in as quick a time as humanly possible, with several hundred others.

Pick one or two of these activities, and do them well, rather than going all in.


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Simey said:


> For another kind of place, I had a good Korean meal at Pyongyang Okryu-Gwan. As an American, I am not sure what was more fun - eating at a North Korean restaurant, or the obvious surprise on the North Korean waitresses faces to find an American eating at a North Korean restaurant.


It was a pretty bizarre eating experience that I had there; imagine a restaurant where all waitresses are 5'7" or taller. 

They all had half smiling/half suspicious faces, and I liked the reaction when I told them I had visited Seoul (_not good place!_)

And for the free starter stuff, you get popcorn instead of Kimchi. 
And for some reason they always had a waitress in front of the restroom.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Tropicana said:


> And for some reason they always had a waitress in front of the restroom.


To stop staff running away and trying to claim political asylum I expect


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

What's the deal with going up the Burj Khalifa?

My parents are visiting at the moment so went online to book 4 adult tickets to go up on Wednesday and they're trying to charge me 520 Dhs (125 each + 5 booking fee).

That can't be right surely?

The girl in my office is adamant that you can just turn up on a weekday without a prior booking and get up for 100 Dhs each?


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

It's generally cheaper to book on line. Price went up recently. Can't remember there being a booking fee before though.


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## persianfromtexas (Sep 23, 2012)

Gavtek said:


> What's the deal with going up the Burj Khalifa?
> 
> My parents are visiting at the moment so went online to book 4 adult tickets to go up on Wednesday and they're trying to charge me 520 Dhs (125 each + 5 booking fee).
> 
> ...


You would be better off going up to atmosphere it's a minimum spend of 200aed for guys on drinks or food and you get the same if not classier view.


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

Gavtek said:


> What's the deal with going up the Burj Khalifa? My parents are visiting at the moment so went online to book 4 adult tickets to go up on Wednesday and they're trying to charge me 520 Dhs (125 each + 5 booking fee). That can't be right surely? The girl in my office is adamant that you can just turn up on a weekday without a prior booking and get up for 100 Dhs each?


Take them to the atmosphere instead, 200AED minimum spend per male but not hard to consume that considering the prices. 

122 floor, the bar has appetizers.


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

persianfromtexas said:


> You would be better off going up to atmosphere it's a minimum spend of 200aed for guys on drinks or food and you get the same if not classier view.


Damn, beat me by 2 minutes!


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

Gavtek said:


> What's the deal with going up the Burj Khalifa?
> 
> My parents are visiting at the moment so went online to book 4 adult tickets to go up on Wednesday and they're trying to charge me 520 Dhs (125 each + 5 booking fee).
> 
> ...


turn up without a ticket price is around 400 AED


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

vantage said:


> i'd avoid the desert experience companies that try and give you dune bashing, camel riding, sand-boarding, quad biking, belly dancing and a BBQ in as quick a time as humanly possible, with several hundred others.
> 
> Pick one or two of these activities, and do them well, rather than going all in.


Well, yes there is too much program squeezed into those packages. 
Do you know if they do just the pick-up, dune bashing and then return back?
I found the rest of the package to be pretty much useless to us. I want to do it again but with a customized package. We paid 150 DHS per person and I'm wondering how much they would charge with just the dune bashing? I haven't found any ads for that. 
Has anybody negotiated a package of just the dune bashing and if so, how much did you pay?


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

QOFE said:


> Well, yes there is too much program squeezed into those packages.
> Do you know if they do just the pick-up, dune bashing and then return back?
> I found the rest of the package to be pretty much useless to us. I want to do it again but with a customized package. We paid 150 DHS per person and I'm wondering how much they would charge with just the dune bashing? I haven't found any ads for that.
> Has anybody negotiated a package of just the dune bashing and if so, how much did you pay?


If you just want to go dune bashing, then I think the best way is quad biking with a guide. To do that all you do is go out to Big Red and negotiate with one of the quad bike places. 

If you plan to go out in a 4X4 SUV I would only go with an experienced driver.

I had a guest a few months ago who did both the quad biking and one of the desert safari tours. He enjoyed them both and was glad to have done both. But out of the two he said quad biking beat the safari hollow.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

Simey said:


> If you just want to go dune bashing, then I think the best way is quad biking with a guide. To do that all you do is go out to Big Red and negotiate with one of the quad bike places.
> 
> If you plan to go out in a 4X4 SUV I would only go with an experienced driver.
> 
> I had a guest a few months ago who did both the quad biking and one of the desert safari tours. He enjoyed them both and was glad to have done both. But out of the two he said quad biking beat the safari hollow.


i followed Simey's quad biking advice a week or so ago.

Excellent advice it was, too!
Great idea for my brother who was visiting for a weekend, and a 40th birthday present for another friend here. 
At least you're driving, rather than getting thrown about in the back of someone elses 4x4...!


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## SquattingCow (Sep 29, 2013)

Some great ideas in here - thanks!


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

vantage said:


> i followed Simey's quad biking advice a week or so ago.
> 
> Excellent advice it was, too!
> Great idea for my brother who was visiting for a weekend, and a 40th birthday present for another friend here.
> At least you're driving, rather than getting thrown about in the back of someone elses 4x4...!


I think it would be safest for all parties concerned if I leave the driving to an experienced driver. In a 4x4 safely protected...


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## ibkiss (Feb 1, 2012)

Tropicana said:


> Delhi Darbar is good but the roads are so crowded and parking so annoying that I have not been there in 5 years. The food in their Bur Dubai branch does not taste as good though.
> 
> For good Pakistani kababs and curries, you can try Lal Qila in Satwa and BBQ Delight in JBR/Lamcy Area.
> For great Pakistani Biryani, Students Biryani is good ( has branch near MOE)
> ...


I think ... he was referring to 'Delhi Restaurant' ,not Delhi Darbar ,which is somewhere near the Fortune Boutique Hotel in Deira ..... if I'm not wrong


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

I've heard good things about Eric's Restaurant and Calicut Paragon in Bur Dubai, haven't tried either of them yet though.


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## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

Ah! Not been getting email updates to say there were more replies in here.... great stuff guys, thanks!

I can't remember what I paid last December when I went up the Khalifa but I remember it being cheaper online. I think I paid there but for the next morning, can't remember how much I paid though. 125 dihrams is overpriced for what it is, but 400 dihrams is just a crazy price! 

I imagine most of our family will want to do that so if it is cheaper online they're better of doing that. Good idea about Atmosphere instead for when friends are around. Presumably you can easily get views in all directions from in there?

My dad and brother in law will probably want a round of golf as well.... how does that work here? Can you just book a slot at a club and turn up and hire all the kit? Or are they a bit stuffy and make you become a member? I presume a large percentage of their punters are people here on short breaks so they're likely to be more flexible than the courses back home. 

And any recommendations on courses?


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

Pay and play is available on most/all courses.

Meydan is worth a try, they've usually got cheap rates with a free burger and a pint afterwards, plus their course is floodlit so you can play at night too.


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## Emanef (Dec 19, 2012)

The course is floodlit.... blimey, hadn't even considered night golf! I guess it is Dubai....!

Thanks Gavtek.


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## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

meydan is nice but it's only 9 holes. obv you can book to play it twice for 18. but i'd also recommend faldo at emirates. it's at the other end of town so may be better depending on where you live. it is also floodlit if you'd like to try night golf. emirates also has a floodlit nine hole par-3 course which is fun [Gav and i play every week] and it's a fun way to check out night golf. not very expensive either.


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