Dubai is no ordinary beach resort. Although the beaches and the ocean are amazing. It is a cosmopolitan center of attraction that is constantly growing. However, if you want to not only shop, but also swim in the Persian Gulf, you need to go here when it is not so hot or windy – in October-November or April-May.
How to get there
< p>You can fly to Dubai from Russia with direct flights of Aeroflot, Emirates and FlyDubai. For October, prices start at 37,000 rubles. Travel time is 5 hours 40 minutes. Or with a transfer in Cairo, Baku, Istanbul or Riyadh.
You can also catch a charter to Sharjah, often travel agencies sell the remaining tickets at a reduced price. From Sharjah Airport to Dubai it is only about half an hour by car. Or fly to Abu Dhabi and at the same time see the sights of the capital. The distance between the cities is about 150 km, which can be covered in an hour and a half. Yes, the emirates are very close to each other.
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Entry rules
The UAE authorities have opened the borders of some emirates for foreign tourists. Russian citizens do not need a visa if they plan to stay in the country for no more than 90 days. Required minimum:a passport valid for at least six months and insurance for the duration of your stay. Also, upon entry, they can check the availability of a return ticket.
Dubai from the airplane window, unsplash.com
But the arrival conditions in different emirates are different.
Dubai:
— Adults and adolescents over 16 years of age need to show a vaccination certificate (“Sputnik V” is suitable), a PCR test (not older than 48 hours) or a certificate of illness (no more than a month should pass after recovery).
– Download the COVID19-DXB Smart App at Apple App Store or Google Play Store).
— Take a free PCR test for coronavirus after passport control.
PCR test results and vaccination certificates are accepted in English or Arabic in printed or electronic form and must have a QR code. References in the form of SMS are not accepted.
Sharjah:
— Adults and adolescents over 16 years of age need to show a vaccination certificate (“Sputnik V” is suitable), a PCR test (not older than 48 hours) or a certificate of illness (no more than a month should pass after recovery).
Abu Dhabi:
— Adults and adolescents over 12 years of age need to show a vaccination certificate (“Sputnik V” is suitable), a PCR test (not older than 48 hours) or a certificate of illness (no more than a month should pass after recovery).
– Download the ALHOSN app.
In the emirate of Abu Dhabi, there are still restrictions on visiting attractions, shopping centers and entertainment venues. They are only available to owners of Green Pass (“green status”) in the ALHOSN application. Therefore, it is best to immediately take a PCR test at the airport, it is free. And then upload the result to the application and get the desired status. It will be valid for 14 days, and after that it will turn gray again, and it will be necessary to pass another PCR test.
Dubai Airport Metro, unsplah.com
How to get to the city from Dubai Airport
— By bus
They go to different parts of the city. The journey to the center will take about an hour, but there may be traffic jams. The ticket costs about 10 dirhams.
— By subway
With it, you can move much faster: you will reach the center in about 45 minutes. The ticket price starts from 8 dirhams.
— Taxi
The cost of a trip to the center of Dubai will be about 70 dirhams. Of these, 20-25 dirhams will go for landing at the airport.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is one of the largest in the world in terms of passenger traffic. There are three terminals here. Terminal 1 (for Emirates aircraft) and Terminal 3 (for most other flights) & nbsp;
All of them are nearby and connected to the city by the metro line. Terminal 2 is for low-cost airlines. It is separated by an airstrip, so the city can only be reached from it by bus or taxi.
Money and foreign exchange
The official currency of the UAE is the dirham (AED). Now 1 dirham = 16.5 rubles. But this is more of a nominal value, which will help give an idea of local prices. You are unlikely to succeed in exchanging rubles for dirhams on the territory of the Emirates – they do not accept Russian currency in exchangers. It is best to carry money in dollars: you can exchange them everywhere. In general, there are quite a lot of exchange offices in Dubai, especially in places where tourists gather. The most popular and reliable exchange offices are UAE Exchange, they are in the subway, and in shopping centers, and just on the street. The least favorable rate in hotels. Also, in special Telegram chats in the UAE, intermediaries offer to sell dirhams for rubles or make a transfer to a Russian card, but this will be done at your own peril and risk.
Regardless of the amount for currency exchange in the UAE, a commission of three dirhams is taken everywhere. Therefore, it is more profitable to change large amounts at once.
It will not be possible to pay with Russian Visa, Mastercard and Mir cards in the Emirates. Although negotiations about the work of the Mir card in the country are held regularly between Moscow and Abu Dhabi. & nbsp; But Russian Union Pay cards in the UAE partially work: both ruble and dollar.
Important: not all payment terminals accept the Union Pay system. Difficulties may arise when paying for parking meters, hotels, online services and gasoline at gas stations. Mir-Union Pay co-badged cards also work unstable. By the way, you can’t withdraw cash from them.
Where to stay
Dubai is divided into several districts. There are several key ones: the old Bur Dubai, historical Deira, the coastal region of Jumeirah, as well as new areas – Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina.
Downtown Dubaiis a new upscale neighborhood that has grown up around the Burj Khalifa skyscraper. Business center of the city. Here are the main attractions of modern Dubai: Burj Khalifa, Burj Plaza, Dubai Mall, dancing fountains.
Dubai Marina – perhaps the most prestigious residential area of Dubai, a kind of local Venice: tall skyscrapers have grown around a specially dug water channel. The most luxurious yachts are moored here and there is everything for a comfortable life: restaurants, bars, cinemas, shopping centers and snow-white beaches.
Dubai Marina, unsplash.com
Jumeirah – something like an elite suburb, where the best hotels of the Emirates are located. Also – art galleries, boutiques, parks, fine restaurants and impeccable beaches. Adjacent to Jumeirah is the legendary bulk island in the form of a palm tree, the top of which is crowned by the seven-star (yes, it happens) Atlantis hotel.
Atlantis Hotel, unsplash.com
Deira— an eclectic area that mixes authentic oriental bazaars, a fish market, an old boat pier and amazing shining skyscrapers, business centers, shopping centers. Housing is more affordable here, and centuries-old sights can be reached faster.
Deira, unsplash.com
Bar DubaiAnother mix of old and new. This area is especially loved by tourists and travelers. Next to modern skyscrapers are ancient Arab buildings with courtyards, a textile bazaar and the old merchant quarter of Bastakiya with wind towers.
Housing prices are high. In general, Dubai is sometimes famous for its overly pretentious pomposity and luxury. For a night in a hotel on the Palm, you can easily pay 12,000 AED, a room in a three-star hotel can be found for 150 AED, in a four-star hotel for 200 AED. For 70-80 AED you can rent a decent hostel near the center. If you want something cheaper and more luxurious, go to Sharjah, the prices are more democratic there, and it’s not so far to go to Dubai.
What to do in Dubai
It's hard to get bored in Dubai, you have to work hard. There is literally everything here: from a disco rollerdrome to a ski complex. A classic of the genre: climb to the top of the Burj Khalifa, watch the singing fountain show and visit the Dubai Mall aquarium, which is considered the largest in the world. You can also swim in the same tank with sharks.
Dubai has dozens or even hundreds of amusement parks. Among them are IMG Worlds of Adventure, whose attractions are based on Marvel comics and Cartoon Network cartoons, Aventura Parks rope park with zipline, water parks & nbsp; Legoland, Aquaventure and Wild Wadi. You can go on a jeep safari and go snowboarding on the dunes.
Jeep safari, unsplash.com
Shopping
Dubai is the unspoken shopping capital. The shopping centers here have literally everything: from popular world brands to authentic local textiles.
Must on the shopping list in Dubai: clothes and shoes, jewelry, perfumes and cosmetics, carpets. Branded clothes and shoes are cheaper here than in Russia, and there is more choice. It is very profitable to buy fur coats (if you bargain, you can easily throw off 20% of the price) and jewelry (Arab gold is considered one of the cheapest in the world). Buy jewelry at the Gold Souk and the Gold and Diamond Park. In addition to classic perfumes, take a closer look at Arabic perfumes: locals make persistent oil-based perfumes.
The best place to start shopping is Dubai Mall – the largest shopping and entertainment center in the world, which has more than a thousand stores, an aquarium with a pedestrian tunnel inside, a 3D cinema, an Olympic ice rink and amusement parks. And then you can enjoy the singing fountains.
Dubai Mall, unsplash.com
You can search for tech at Nasser Square, Dubai Old Souk, Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Center or Sharaf DG.
When shopping in stores, do not forget to ask for issue tax free. You will be refunded the tax if the amount in the check turned out to be more than 250 dirhams. To do this, show the seller your passport, he will stick a tag on the back side of the check and create a special electronic form. At the airport, before check-in for the flight, go to the check-in points & nbsp; tax free, capturing checks with tags and the goods themselves. So you can get back 5% of the purchase price.
At the end of December, the annual sale begins – the Dubai Shopping Festival. During the month, shops, salons and cafes offer discounts up to 70%. Another local large-scale sale – “Summer Surprises” – runs from late May to early June. In late November – early December, Jewelery Week is held, where representatives of jewelry brands come together.
Life hack: To avoid crowds and queues, avoid visiting malls at the beginning and end of the month – this is the time to receive a salary from the locals.
Learn more about traveling to Dubai by writing to YouTravel.me travel experts.
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Emirates