Dubai

If you ask the average person on the street where Dubai is and have them point to it on a map, you'll probably have them scratching their head and looking for the nearest exit out of the building. Either that, or searching for a chart of our solar system. And yet, Dubai tourism is BIG. And if you're thinking of going there, you might want to read this article first. It contains a few tips for tourists that will definitely make your stay a lot more enjoyable.

For starters, and I know this isn't a glamorous subject, but it is important that you are aware of certain medicines that are NOT permitted into Dubai. And I'm not talking about just a few. A PDF that is supplied by the Ministry Of Health Drug Control Department is 49 pages long with over 200 controlled substances that are not allowed in Dubai. It is important that you carefully go through this document BEFORE planning your trip.

As for the weather, you can't want for a better place. The climate of Dubai is sub-tropical. Most of the year you will find nothing but clear blue skies and lots of sun. There is very little rain throughout the year as well. Temperatures can get a little on the hot side however, peaking around 118 degrees. The good news is that it rarely drops below 50. So don't even think about packing anything more than a light jacket.

If you're worried about what airline is going to get you to Dubai, get it out of your mind. There are over 80 airlines that fly directly into the area. Major cities such as London, Frankfurt and Hong Kong are only six to eight hours away. So we're not talking about a very long flight, relatively speaking that is. And if you are handicapped or have any kind of physical disability at all, Dubai airport is equipped to handle all your needs.

There is a lot more to cover, which I'll be doing in a followup article. In the meantime, if you really want to know how to get the most out of your Dubai experience, check out the resource in my signature. It will provide you with everything that you need so that your trip to Dubai is the best that it possibly can be.

In a previous article, I covered a few things that you probably would like to know about Dubai before planning a trip to the area. Of course I really just scratched the surface. So in this article, I'm going to give you some more great tips for your journey so that your experience in Dubai is as pleasant as it can possibly be. Keep reading to find out more.

Let's start off with language concerns. A lot of people worry about going to a foreign land because they don't speak the language and wonder if they're going to be able to communicate. Well, this should put your mind at ease. While the official language is Arabic, English is widely spoken and understood by most of the people there. So you should have very little trouble communicating while there. Bring an Arabic/English dictionary just to be on the safe side.

Okay, I know a lot of people like to drink, so let's get this issue out of the way so that you don't get into any sort of trouble. You can get alcohol in any hotel club, restaurant or bar. However, restaurants outside the hotel are NOT allowed to serve alcoholic beverages nor are you allowed to bring any inside. These laws are STRICTLY enforced, so be cool.

Photographs are a big thing with tourists. Who doesn't bring a camera with them when they go and visit a foreign land? Well, here's what you need to know about taking pictures. It is normal and acceptable to take common tourist photos of the area with these exceptions. It is considered offensive to photograph Muslim women. Don't do it. Also, if you're going to photograph men from the area, ask permission first. Photographs of government buildings and military installations are a big no-no.

What about getting around in the area? This is no problem. You have a choice of a number of transportation modes including taxis, car rentals and even water taxis. This is a great way to travel between Dubai and Deira. Water taxis will take you right across the creek from one place to the other. There are also fully air conditioned water buses.

In the last article in this series, I'll go over some more great tips. In the meantime, check out the resource below for all your Dubai tourism needs.

This is the last of my three part series on tips for Dubai tourism. So far I've covered everything from what you can bring with you to how to get there to what you can do once you've arrived%u2026not to mention how easy it is to get around. In this article, we'll touch on a few final things that I am sure you are going to want to know.

On thing we didn't touch on in the first two articles is how to pay for stuff. Yes, you need money here. Good news on this front. There are many local and international banks in Dubai that offer the standard commercial banking services. Banking hours are a little odd though if you're used to US banking. Banks are open from 8 AM to 1 PM Saturday to Wednesday. On Thursdays, they're open from 8 until noon and that's it. Hope you're an early riser.

As for credit cards (who doesn't have one?) most of the common ones are accepted including American Express, Diners Club, Visa and Mastercard. These cards are taken by most of the larger shops in the area, though you may have a problem using them in the smaller establishments. So it's good to have some cash on you. The monetary unit in Dubai is the dirham. The exchange rate, at this point in time is one US dollar for Dh3.67.

Tipping in Dubai is pretty standard and actually less than the going rate in the US which, in many places is up to 20%. In Dubai, a 10% tip is considered acceptable. If you want to be a big spender, you can up it to 15% but it's not required or expected. Here's a tip. When treated to excellent service, tip accordingly. You'll feel a lot better about yourself.

Business hours in Dubai are nothing like in the US. So if you're planning on doing any business there at all, you need to know this. The Dubai weekend, traditionally, is Thursday afternoon and Friday. However, some places now close on Friday and Saturday. Office hours in the private sector are all over the map. Some places are open from 8 to noon, reopen at 1 until 3 or 4 and others are straight 9 to 5. Some shops stay open until 10 PM at night, so if you're a late night shopper, these will do just fine.

Naturally, these three articles just scratch the surface.