# Satnav: shall I bring it?



## greatexpectations (Aug 5, 2008)

ok - so I did search and this is what i found:

"
Word of advice, don't use SatNav yet. Although it's a great tool it will not allow you to learn the roads by getting lost !!! Also most of them are from 2003 which means they are well out dated and probably get you lost anyway 
Keep in touch....Thanks, Imran 
"
does this advice hold true. dubai too small, fast moving to bother with satnav?

and whilst I am on stupid questions: is it worth bringing our tents? when people go camping in the desert (something we plan to do) do they sleep in permanent tent set-ups, under the stars, or under nylon. I am conscious that the waterproofing is unlikely to be put to the test, but I guess it can get cold at night ??


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Speaking from experience, I wouldn't bother. Satnav says one thing, the road cones tell you another!

Your best bet is to choose a quiet time (Friday mornings!) and just drive around until you learn your way. Satnavs are bloody useless in Dubai.


----------



## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

Pasanada said:


> Speaking from experience, I wouldn't bother. Satnav says one thing, the road cones tell you another!
> 
> Your best bet is to choose a quiet time (Friday mornings!) and just drive around until you learn your way. Satnavs are bloody useless in Dubai.


I agree unless you use it to just log your own way points once you have found your way about.

Wouldn't trust any directions it would give as the roads are a nightmare here!!


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

I was just following this line of discussion on another post


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> I agree unless you use it to just log your own way points once you have found your way about.
> 
> Wouldn't trust any directions it would give as the roads are a nightmare here!!



You can indeed log your points but the roads change quicker in Dubai than Road Runner on speed! LOL


----------



## Ogri750 (Feb 14, 2008)

Sat Navs are ok for heading you in the general direction of where you want to go.

As for your tents, plenty of people head off camping. Just wouldn't do it in the summer though


----------



## greatexpectations (Aug 5, 2008)

thanks all - another item ruled out!

Ogri - do they use regular european style tents when they go?
& rest assured I have no intention of frying in summer 

any other ideas on things to bring ???
i will fill most of a 20 ft container but with some space spare i think

i was thinking of a one year supply of baked beans and marmite - like when i went to uni in france (my french colleagues were horrified!)


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Baked beans and marmite are found on sale in Dubai, I believe Crazymazy splurged out on some from Carrefour in the MoE recently! 

What foods you find in the UK, you will find in Dubai. I was shocked as some items I hadn't seen for 5 years (was in Spain) so I was almost having orgasms around the shop!! LOL


----------



## greatexpectations (Aug 5, 2008)

Pasanada said:


> Baked beans and marmite are found on sale in Dubai, I believe Crazymazy splurged out on some from Carrefour in the MoE recently!
> 
> What foods you find in the UK, you will find in Dubai. I was shocked as some items I hadn't seen for 5 years (was in Spain) so I was almost having orgasms around the shop!! LOL





understood, but from experience, they can be priced quite steep right??

or are prices similar to eu??


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

I couldn't tell you the price as I tend to eat/cook Spanish dishes plus I hate baked beans! LOL

Anywhere where expat items are sold will always be higher than back in your home country, you have to take into account the shipping costs as well as profit margins for the store.


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

I find vegemite very expensive, Copperpot dips, No blue Tongue Beer or Matilda Bay - Redback, or Bees Knees good Newcastle and West Australian Beers, how sad, lucky I like a Bud as well


----------



## greatexpectations (Aug 5, 2008)

yep - don't worry - i'm going to bring in heaps of booze to see me through the desert years....


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

No don't think you can do that there is a limit but didn't you say yr from US, you'd like a bud wouldn't you? We have a greatplace to go for duty free and they sell heinekin, budweiser,grolsch, VB, I think, Stellar, just to name a few. The buds sell for about dhs105.00, from memory, I like grolsch and bud, grolsch is about twice that., so don't worry about packing the beer. the spirits and licquers are a bit cheaper than home, jaegermeister for dhs60.00, smirnoff vodka 45.00 - 60.00dhs so we spoilt there. CHEERS MATE


----------



## Trusty (Sep 10, 2008)

macca_24 said:


> No don't think you can do that there is a limit but didn't you say yr from US, you'd like a bud wouldn't you? We have a greatplace to go for duty free and they sell heinekin, budweiser,grolsch, VB, I think, Stellar, just to name a few. The buds sell for about dhs105.00, from memory, I like grolsch and bud, grolsch is about twice that., so don't worry about packing the beer. the spirits and licquers are a bit cheaper than home, jaegermeister for dhs60.00, smirnoff vodka 45.00 - 60.00dhs so we spoilt there. CHEERS MATE


Where is this oasis? I will be plugging this into my SatNav...

Seriously on the SatNav front, I was heading for the Irish village and PN navigator was sending me in one direction, but the traffic cones sent me another way - an hour and a half later it got me trawled up in airport traffic via Sharjah - I was only staying in Bur Bubai, I went by instinct to get home and it took me 10 minutes...10 MINUTES, Bloody roadworks/airport traffic!

Seriously where's the oasis? I move out next month and will be thankfull for gems of info like that.


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Trusty said:


> Where is this oasis? I will be plugging this into my SatNav...
> 
> Seriously on the SatNav front, I was heading for the Irish village and PN navigator was sending me in one direction, but the traffic cones sent me another way - an hour and a half later it got me trawled up in airport traffic via Sharjah - I was only staying in Bur Bubai, I went by instinct to get home and it took me 10 minutes...10 MINUTES, Bloody roadworks/airport traffic!
> 
> Seriously where's the oasis? I move out next month and will be thankfull for gems of info like that.


This is why I wouldn't recommend a Satnav in Dubai, it took me 2 hours to reach Irish Village from International City.....I wasted too many hours of my life relying on a piece of plastic!


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

Trusty said:


> Where is this oasis? I will be plugging this into my SatNav...
> 
> Seriously on the SatNav front, I was heading for the Irish village and PN navigator was sending me in one direction, but the traffic cones sent me another way - an hour and a half later it got me trawled up in airport traffic via Sharjah - I was only staying in Bur Bubai, I went by instinct to get home and it took me 10 minutes...10 MINUTES, Bloody roadworks/airport traffic!
> 
> Seriously where's the oasis? I move out next month and will be thankfull for gems of info like that.


Baracuda Beach Resort, the very first stopping place for any expat. I hung out for a weekand a half before I could talk someone into taking me there. I read about it in the Dubai Explorer before I came over, my bible I couldn't manage without it.
Oasis is right I think the "Resort" only exists for the bottlo


----------



## greatexpectations (Aug 5, 2008)

cool - thanks!

i was actually kidding about bringing a crate load over - thought it was prohibited and all that jazz  but good to get the info on the booze mart...


----------

