Change Forum
Hello everyone! I'm travelling to Dubai with my boyfriend, we are going to stay 3 nights in Dubai on our way to Australia (we arrive on november first at 21:00 pm and leave on the 4th at 10:00am). So we don't have much time... We are planning to stay at Arabian Courtyard. I wonder were can we go to grab a late bite on the evening we arrive - I guess we'll be ready to leave the hotel around midnight... Are Buddha bar or Barzar at madinat good choiches? Do you have anywhere else that could be nice so late at night?
We are planning to go on the first day visiting the museum, the bastakia, the gold and spice souk, heritage village, taking an abra ride. Afterwards, go back to the hotel to get changed and have a drink on skyview bar at Burj al Arab (soon enough to watch the sunset) and after go to the Dubai Mall to see the fountain (maybe get a table on TGI - I know it will look not so nice after Skyview bar...
On day 2 we'd like to see (and only see) Jumeira Beach (as we are going to Australia, is just to get to know how it looks like), Ibn Battuta Mall, MOE, Madinat, then go for a drink on observatory bar and after have a real dinner at Pai Thai on Madinat Jumeirah. Is this feasible? I mention going twice to Madinat as I believe it's worth be seeing also at daytime - I have seen great pics!
I also wonder about bastakiah nights... has anyone gone there? How is thw food like? Is it worth? Because to go there I would need to drop someplace from my itinerary, it is really hard to decide!
One more question: From were can I take the best pictures from Burj al Arab? From inside when I go for drinks or should I stop someplace at Jumeirah beach?
Thank you very much!!!!!!
3 nights and 2 days in Dubai - first timers - HELP!!!!!!
Recent Activity
View all Africa & the Middle East activity »
- 1 My first African Safari going solo
- 2 1st trip to Botswana OR South Africa? I'm PETRIFIED of both!
- 3 Arusha National Park - Day Trip Operators?
- 4 tour guides for Morocco -- please respond if you know any of these?
- 5
South Africa, Eye To Eye With “Jaws”
- 6 Where in Morocco for about 8-9 days.
- 7 Planning a first safari that's budget friendly in february
- 8 It's Big Cat Week on Nat Geo
- 9 March 2012 Trip to Egypt - Safety
- 10 Looking for small group tour company to Morocco for solo traveler
- 11 Jordan and Israel in 11 - 14 days
- 12
Mara trip report - Emakoko, Rekero and Mara Plains
- 13
Back from Israel -- Week-long, Independent Trip
- 14 Our final itinerary - Feb/March 2012 Northern Circuit Safari - Tanzania
- 15 The migrations in Tanzania
- 16 Teaching English in Morocco
- 17 Mara Serena Lodge/Masai Mara - Balloon Safari?
- 18
Namibia Nirvana (3 week trip to Namibia and South Africa)
- 19 wonderful story from Syria
- 20
Trip Report – Cape Town – an Insider’s view
- 21
Trip Report to Egypt and Jordan
- 22 Vic Falls Travel Guide - Anyone know a great one?
- 23 Hiking Boot Suggestion
- 24 Malarone side effects
- 25 Vic Falls Travel Guide - Anyone know a great one?
We are going to be stopping there in May next year for a few days also so I'd be interested in any replies you get and what you end up doing. I have noticed on another website though that you need to have a reservation at one of the various restaurants or bars in Burj al Arab to be allowed inside. Otherwise it will just be photos from outside. Good luck.
Comment has been removed by Fodor's moderators
I am really wondering how your trip went - it loooks like you did some really good research on it before you went - a well-thought out trip. I am going there myself for 2 days, on my own. Do you have some feedback to offer - hotel, places you visited? Thanks.
Comments have been removed by Fodor's moderators
TassieTwo, Alisono, Noel -- Iam in Dubai few days in Sept. is there a tour I can book that will take me 4x4 sand dunes late afternoon and then to desert show/ BBQ dinner same evening?
thanks
Comment has been removed by Fodor's moderators
For the 4x4 dune bashing and BBQ Dinner take a look at Arabian Adventures, they are part of the Emirates group and a very reputable company. We went just a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed the experience.
Do not miss a desert tour. Go with a reputable company but beware some companies have very similar names. Arabian Adventures is probably the best known. They all seem to have a dinner show and some you can sleep in the desert. We were glad we had opted to keep our hotel room ad not do the sleepover. The tour we took had very disappointing overnight situation. Unless you can be sure of the sleepover situation.. I wold just do the tour and show/dinner.
Be sure to understand the distances in Dubai before you set off to have drinks in one place and dinner in another. If you map out your route. You will not back track. Dubai is crazily huge and its urban planning has created several independent distant urban areas.
There is no "center" so to speak and it is very spread out.
We enjoyed lunch on the Sheraton's terrace watching the boats go by on the old river across from the market.
The rest is stunning architecture and ultimate luxury and service.We never paid t go into the Burj but enjoyed taking pictures from everywhere and had a tour of a hotel nearby that gave us excellent vistas from their glass outdoor elevator.
Be very careful choosing your hotel as many hotels are on busy highways and very difficult to cross the roads or one must make a huge detour in the taxi.
Fun place for a few nights but plan.. plan.. plan.
If I recall we picked up a local English magazine with GREAT restaurant and bars with views recommendations. We had fabulous food everywhere. The lemonade with mint is absolutely delicious. We kept comparing everyplace we had it.
We also enjoyed chatting with the taxi drivers and restaurant/bar staff. They are all foreigners and explained their lifestyle and family routines to us.
Dubai is an unusual place and you will perhaps leave with your personalized attitude towards all this spending and consumption.
We stayed at The Address - Downtown, it was fabulous, view of the Burj Kalifa and dancing fountain was awesome from our balcony and the Dubai Mall was just across the road. We stayed in a Junior Suite which gave us access to the club lounge, it was fantastic value for money. 5 star luxury for a lot less than you would pay in other locations.