We are planning a trip to Thailand next year and have a chance for a stop over in Dubai on our return jouney. Is it worth doing ?

Very interesting place, great mix of cultures, good shopping, nice beach places, chance to spend the night in a desert tent, all depends what you are looking for. If you have never been it serves to give an experience. Highly efficient and organised, some say the 'Singapore' of the Gulf.

For what it is worth, we are going to be doing a 3 or 4 night stopover in Dubai in November and I am rather looking forward to it..Although, I have not reserved a hotel yet...

If you want to shop till you drop, fantastic idea!

yes...i would die to stop there..

How many nights do you think one should stop in Dubai (we have up to 4, is that too many ?)

Just to visit the Berj Al Arab Hotel would make me want to stopover there! It is a fabulous hotel and worth a visit if only for a drink! Take you black, red or purple Amex!

Mitzy, what time of year is your trip? Dubai is very hot from April through October. Surprisingly, it is also very, very humid. The desert is too hot them, IMO, to be enjoyable and the beach is not that pleasant either. The winter months from November through March are very pleasant. Also, I think a 36 hour stopover will exhaust you more than refresh you and make a long flight to the US even longer. Either drop it or stay for a few days. Even better, go over to Jordan and see Petra.

Rhkkmk, considering all the places you have been, I think you would find Dubai not that interesting. Put Jordan and Egypt way ahead of Dubai. Dubai does a great job of selling itself, but in actuality does not offer a lot for Western visitors. The shopping is not any different or any better than the US and is mostly US brands (Toys R Us, etc). Goods are also not any cheaper than the US. Compared to handicraft and jewellery shopping in Thailand, it is no shoppers paradise.

I call it Singapore with Sand, but that is in fact a bit of an insult to Singapore, which is more interesting, IMO.

The Burj Al Arab is, IMO, one of the tackiest hotels I have ever seen! Please Lyndie, how can you say you like that hotel??!!!

Although built up there are still places like Bastakiya, plus you have the Museum, great fun to go to the overnight camp in the desert. Excellent restaurants, ride a boat across the Creek, I think it's a good place for a stop if you can. It certainly shows how people can live in prosperity and harmony, very very safe, I think it can be an 'education' to many. I still reckon it is a great place for people to see even if just from the 'human nature' aspect. I think many would be quite surprised at how busy Dubai is with such a mix of peoples from literally ever corner of the globe.

WEll despite what Cicerone says about Dubai, I am still game to go.I also loved Singapore (and I believe she didn't).As a matter of fact as we will have about 3 nights, I was just on Emirates website as we will be booking our hotels and excursions through them and think this evening sounds really cool..Its called the Sundowner Dune Dinner

Leaving behind the bustle of the city in the afternoon, our safari guides will transport you by four-wheel drive vehicles, for a thrilling journey over rolling dunes, deep in the heart of the desert.

En route you will stop to see camels resting at their camp, and then, from the crest of a high dune, watch the setting sun cast its orange glow over the vast expanse of rippling sand all around you. Like a shimmering mirage in the distance, you will see the flickering lights of your camp where a traditional Arabian welcome awaits you.

The encampment conjures up images of the Arabian Nights. Relax on comfortable low cushions in Bedu tents and quench your thirst, have your hands painted with intricate henna designs, experience a short camel ride, or just enjoy the aromatic shisha.

A feast of grilled meats, fresh salads and delectable Arabic sweets is served and under a galaxy of stars, you will be entertained by a bewitching belly dancer, swaying to the haunting strains of Arabian music. You won’t want this enchanting evening to end.
Doesn't that sound fun? It sounds like a great way to wrap up a vacation..
Plus it will break the trip up on the way home, do some shopping (interested in the Spice Souk..I love cooking).

Dearest Cicerone-how are you? You gave us such magic advice re our recent trip to India, remember? It saved us lots and we enjoyed the adventure but we will not do it again as I got searched at the Singapore border and was taken to the customs duty officer for "smuggling" a one litre bottle of vodka over the border. I was not aware you cannot bring in ANY liquor without paying duty via the road border! A bit stressful but my partner talked them out of fining me! Ignorance is bliss!

Well I just love the Berj Al Arab because any place that call its self "7 star" and costs 2000 quid a night cannot be all bad!! I've not been to Dubai since it was built but I met a girl in Thailand who'd worked there and she told me it was a magic hotel. Since then I've whinged & nagged (to no avail-yet-anyway) to have a stopover there!) I want to stay there and hit tennis balls off the rooftops!! Tacky is in the eye of the beholder! I think Louis Vuitton's latest patterned handbags are tacky! All the best!!!

Having lived in Dubai for last 4 mths, I would have to agree with some of the +ve and some of the -ve.
Burj el Arab is totally OTT - but interesting to see. It does cost $60 to go over the bridge, refundable on meal costs.
Shopping is overrated. Bangkok is far more interesting. I would not say all brands are US - lots of European as well but other than at shopping festival there is a fair bit of ripping off, eg Next clothing costing 35% more than London. Electronics are cheaper as are cars - but you are not likely to be buying one of those.
As to harmony and prosperity -try telling that to the huge number of Pakistani workers earning $125 per month and having to pay off air fare and visa costs so only earning anything in the second year and living in dreadful conditions. Sorry there is tremendous number of poor workers here. 60% of the population is Indian and Pakistani of which the majority are men who have a really tough time. There is a large mix of other nationalities - lots of Fillipina shopworkers, Sri Lankan maids, Russian girls working in hotels for cash, and rich Russians shopping and buying property, Lebanese in advertising and lots of other areas, British and Antipodean execs, and odd ones like Swedish dentists. So it is definitely and interesting place, but a tremendous PR exercise as well for style over substance. Agreed it is safe but do not get amorous in the back of a taxi - you might have the taxi driver having you arrested for lewd behaviour as happened in January to an Italian guy and Egyptian woman.
Restaurants are variable - some excellent -eg MArina at Jumeirah Bach Hotel and Lebanese restaurant at Dubai Marine Beach Resort are 2 recommendations.

TracyB, I lived in Singpoare for 5 years and really liked it, and often post on hit here, so you must be confusing me with someone else who didn't like Singapore. . .

Lyndi, LOL about Singapore customs! I didn't know about the liquor rule either, and I definately violated it on many weekends returning to S'pore from Malyasia! If you want to spend a lot of money on a hotel, I can suggest many other places that are superior to the Burj Al Arab. . . .don't be fooled by the 7 stars, as there is no such thing!

My apologies Cicerone..i must of confused you with someone else!!

Some people think the Wild Wadi Water Park makes Dubai worth a special stop.