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Dubai Travel – You might be traveling to the Middle East soon on business, but hopefully you will also get to savor the sights during some well-earned vacation time as well. Your plans for Middle East travel will likely hinge on the sights you wish to see that are nearby your Dubai hotel. There are many lovely local attractions, with hotels nearby, so that you can spend your precious vacation time enjoying the attractions rather than traveling to them.

If you enjoy golf and Dubai travel, or United Arab Emirates travel, then visit The Montgomerie Golf Course. You will receive excellent service as you enjoy this outstanding challenging but fair course designed by Scottish course designer Colin Montgomerie. For a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Dubai hotels, visitors choose the Burj Al Arab. A five star hotel located on a manmade island, with its architecture resembling the sails of an Arabian ship, the Burj Al Arab will offer you every luxurious accommodation you could wish, all with style and panache – an excellent choice for a Dubai hotel.

Visitors to Cairo, Egypt flock to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Pyramids. Cairo Hotels nearby include the Hilton Ramses. Located only eight miles from the Sphinx and the Pyramids, the Hilton Ramses offers their Windows on the World restaurant, which is up on the 36th floor and features glorious views of Cairo. The Hilton Ramses is one of the premiere Middle East Hotels.

For those who want history, privacy and luxury, you can find it all at Qatar hotels such as the Ritz Carlton Sharq Village. Fourteen courtyard houses with architecture reflective of an earlier time are where guests stay, enjoying spa treatments and palm trees that dot the waterfront. You will see craftsmen practicing the traditional artisan crafts of the area, and you can visit the lovely palace of the former ruler.

When you engage in Saudi Arabia travel, you will not want to miss visiting the Gold and Antique Souks, which are near the ancient city of Jeddah, the Khalil International Museum, and the Gateway to Makkah Al Mukaramah. Saudi Arabia hotels near these attractions include the Crowne Plaza Jeddah. Featuring a swimming pool, currency exchange, as well as several delightful ethnic restaurants that offer Arabic, Japanese and Chinese foods, you will bask in the luxury that places you so close to so many local attractions.

Saudi Arabia Travel is a great way to see a country rich in culture and history. During your stay there you will want to spend time exploring the Grand Mosque of Makkah and Kabah Musharrafah, as well as Jabal Al Noor and the Jannat Al Moaalah Graveyard. At the end of your busy day, retire to the Intercontinental Dar Al Tawhi Hotel, and enjoy the restaurants, non-smoking rooms, and even a florist to make your time at your Middle East hotel beautiful.

Dubai embraces a wide variety of scenery in a very small area. In a single day, the tourist can experience everything from rugged mountains and awe-inspiring sand dunes to sandy beaches and lush green parks, from dusty villages and ancient houses with wind towers to luxurious residential districts and from the colorful souks (markets) to ultra-modern shopping malls.

You get a fantastic introduction to Dubai, as your City Tour takes you through the historic sites, starting with a photo stop at the famous Burj Al Arab. Proceed to Jumeirah, home to the famous Jumeirah Mosque. Continue to Al Bastakiya, to reach the museum located in Al Fahidi Fort. Cross the waterways by Abra (Water Taxi), and then wander through the glorious Spice and Gold souk.

Enjoy a romantic dinner aboard a traditional Arabic Dhow that glides silently along the creek of Dubai under a starry and moonlit sky. Admire the architecture of places such as the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, the spectacular Chamber of Commerce building and also Sheikh Saeed’s house, the birthplace of Sheikh Rashid.

Spend a wondrous evening exploring the finer nuances of the desert. Enjoy a safari to explore the desert. Dip low in the deep trenches and rise high on the pinnacle of the dunes. Enjoy a camel ride and get beautiful henna designs or try out traditional Arabic dresses. Feel like a sheikh as you watch the belly dancers while smoking a flavored shisha and relishing a delicious barbecue.

And yes, don’t forget to shop… One of Dubai’s greatest visitor attractions is its superb shopping. The month-long Dubai Shopping Festival as always has on offer deep discounts across a vast range of must-haves, from jewelery to fashion wear, electrical goods and carpets. All this against a lively backdrop of cultural events.

There are many reasons of why you would want to visit Dubai. The breathtaking architectures, sparkling beaches, tax-free shopping and high-profile events all amounts to a bizarre and enthralling foray into tourism life of Dubai. For starters, here are 4 reasons that would make you contemplate booking a ticket on Dubai flights.

Shopping

Dubai is a shopper’s haven like an undiscovered pirate’s trunk of gold and diamonds. Shopping in Dubai is also about flowing rivers of gold at various souks, malls at drop dead discounted prices. Duty free prices on jewelry, electronic products, handicrafts, spices and international brands lures tourists from around the world who are able to buy products they may have considered out of their reach. The shopping malls in Dubai are extravagant in offering an unforgettable experience but also a variety of unimaginable entertainment options. Shop until you drop at The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Gold & Spice Souk, Deira City Centre.

Eating Out

Dubai is the hub of multicultural lifestyles where people from various countries and cultures mingle to form a single world. Diverse cultures have affected the cuisine of Dubai because of which international restaurants and bars have made a mark. Other than local Arabic and Middle Eastern cuisine, tourists can get to savor American, Asian, European, Mediterranean and Oceanic flavors. There are restaurants to suit all budgets but remember public consumption of alcohol is banned. Alcohol is available only in pubs and bars of 5 star hotels and at the homes of people who have the license to own alcohol. However, nightlife is good despite a ban on alcohol.

Good Hotels

Dubai has a fantastic range of hotels to suit every taste and budget. The star hotels offer high quality and luxurious services while the budget hotels promise a comfortable stay, though not many amenities. The beach properties always running high occupancy given that they offer a magnificent view of the Arabian Gulf plus access to their very own private beaches. The amenities at these hotels are top-notch to make the most of your vacation. Remember to book hotels in Dubai well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Fabulous Attractions

There is so much to see and do in Dubai, right from Arabic architecture to ice-skating. Under the blazing sun, Dubai has constructed its own little heaven where all four seasons meet irrespective of what the outside weather is. Bastakiya Quarter, Jumeirah Mosque, Dubai Museum, Sheikh Saeed al Maktoum House and Dubai Heritage and Diving Village are places that revel in the history and culture of UAE, tracing the roots of Dubai’s origin. Then again, extreme modernism is visible at sites such as Burj Al Arab, Burj Dubai, and landmark towers. Outdoor activities also have an upper hand in increasing Dubai’s tourist scores with activities such as camel riding, sand skiing, and dune bashing and barbecue dinner in the desert.

Travelers have many options when it comes to choosing a hotel. So why should guests stay at your hotel? While this may seem like a simple question, many hotel managers fall short answering it.

Typical Generic Answer: “You should stay at our hotel because our staff is great, and our rooms are clean.”

While there is nothing inherently wrong with this answer, it does not make your hotel stand out. All hotels claim to have great staff and clean rooms. Have you ever heard a hotel manager describe their staff as rude or their rooms as dirty – probably not. Instead of giving a generic answer that fails to impress, figure out what your hotel does well and what makes your hotel stand out.

Better Answer: “Our hotel staff is great. We will make sure all of our guests are well cared for. If you have any needs, let us know and we will take care of them. There is always someone on duty that is ready to help you. Also, our rooms are extremely clean and we have a great location just off the expressway.”

The better answer has details, and details make a difference. Details will make customers choose your hotel over another one down the road. It is your job to make customers aware of the details and the reasons why they should stay with you. From now on, instead of giving a generic answer, think deeply about the strengths of your hotel and provide details.

Here are some questions to get you thinking about ways your hotel can standout:

– Is your property conveniently located near an attraction or highway?

– Do you have a great pool area?

– Are your mattresses new and comfortable?

– Do you offer a great tasting or elaborate continental breakfast?

– Do you have great towels or bed linens?

– Are your hotel soaps and amenities spa quality?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, make sure to inform your guests. Give potential guests the details that will make them choose your hotel. Include these details on your website and make sure your staff reinforces the details any time they are asked about your property. Hopefully with some careful thought and consideration, you will make your hotel standout from the competition, and you will book more rooms – just by presenting your hotel is the way it should be.

History:

As per several written accounts, Dubai was supposed to be in existence even before the configuration of the United Arab Emirates, for as long as 150 years. But at that time, the landscape of this city was that of an uninhabitable desert, where only the Bedouin tribes could survive. Only a stream of water, an excuse for a creek, proved to be the lifeline. The camel was the only means of transport.

It was only closer to the 19th century that Dubai came into picture as travelers passing along the trading route that connected Mesopotamia to the Indus Valley, built it into a hub of sorts. Soon, signs of civilization grew, starting with the fishing village at the creek. It was then that the Bani Yas tribe came to reside here, and the leader family, the Maktoums, established their rein in this desert land, and the dynasty continues to rule over Dubai even today.

But, Dubai first made news on the world scene as late as in the ’60s, when, even as the British colonizers were just leaving the land, inhabitants there struck upon oil. And oil it is that has made Dubai a hotspot commercial and trade center if ever there was one. Within a short span of just four decades, the city reinvented its image and went on to become the role model for the several mushrooming cities, as well as the existing ones, all over the world. The economy of Dubai is reaching for the sky, and it is not just oil that is propelling it. Foreign admiration for the several man made wonders here has also helped Dubai evolve as a hot tourist destination. In fact, the city has also seen a major population explosion in the recent years, and stands approximately at 1.5 million as per the latest records. But Dubai is more cosmopolitan in its demographic makeup than any other city in the world, and the original Emirati inhabitants account for only a quarter of Dubai’s population. This is also seen as one of the reasons as to why ethnic conflicts haven’t really flared up in the city, as they have in the neighborhood regions of the Middle East.

Today, Dubai, as a tourist destination, boasts of some of the most spectacular and monumental structures, that has been attracting people from all over to witness man made creation in its full glory. And it seems that making grandiose, ambitious plans is almost a penchant, or fetish, for the rulers of this emirate. If Burj Arab wears the crown of being the tallest tower in the whole world, the man made islands, called as the ‘Three Palms and the World’, is a spectacular creation by itself.

Tourism has come to contribute almost 30% to the GDP of Dubai, and it looks like for many travelers, natural wonders have taken a back seat, when Dubai and its artificial magic is in questions.

Facts:

o Dubai is the second largest emirate in the cluster of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and has a land area of almost 38885 square kilometers.

o It is located on the edge of the Dubai Creek.

o Dubai is actually not a city, but an emirate. But generally, Dubai as a term is used to refer to just a part of this emirate, known as Dubai city.

o The Dubai Creek partitions the city into two regions, which are the Diera district (in the north), and the Bur Dubai (to its south).

o Dubai has close proximity with three continents, namely Asia, Europe, as well as Africa.

o Dubai is the commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates.

o The population here has reached the 1.5 million mark within just a short span of time.

o Almost 80% of the resident population in Dubai is comprised of foreign immigrants.

o Dubai boasts of the highest population in the whole of the UAE.

o The Al Maktoum dynasty has been ruling over Dubai right since 1833.

o The emirate earns much of its revenue mainly from trade, financial services as well as real estate, and has become a hot property for housing.

o Only 6 percent of the total revenue to Dubai’s economy is received from its trademark riches of natural gas and petroleum.

o The Dirham is the main currency of Dubai, as well as for the whole of the United Arab Emirates.

o Dubai is one of the only two emirates, the other being Abu Dhabi, to have the privilege of veto power in the legislature of the country, when it comes to matters pertaining to crucial aspects of the nation.

o The main hub for the gold jewelry business in the whole of Middle East lies in Dubai.

o The Burj Dubai is the tallest building in the world, as well as the tallest built man made structure ever.

o UAE’s first ever manmade island has been created in Dubai and is known as the Palm Island.

o As per recent updates and records, Dubai counts as the fastest growing city in the world.

o Even though the city is essentially located in a desert region, it now boasts of some of the best indoor ski slopes, for which snow weighing up to 6000 tons is used.

o In Dubai, the government has restrained from levying any kind of income tax or personal tax on the citizens of the city.

o Dubai as one of the highest per capita incomes in the world

o Since it is a desert region, the city receives only 13 cm of annual precipitation on a yearly average.

o Dubai has one of the most multicultural societies in the world.

o Dubai, however, is known to follow a class-based structure in its social makeup, and it is the migrant workers who form the lower class in the social hierarchy.

o The transport hub of the Emirates Airways is the Dubai International Airport, which not only operates for the emirate of Dubai alone, but also for the rest of the emirates in the UAE.

o In context of the international passenger traffic, the Dubai international airport is the 6th busiest international airport in the whole world.

o Cricket and football are the most closely followed sports in Dubai.

o The Dubai international Film Festival is a noted event that is held every year, and which attracts the biggest celebrities form all over the world.

o The nightlife party culture has caught on popularly in this city, and Dubai was listed as New York Times travel choice in 2008 for a good partying environment.

o Though infrastructure wise and economically Dubai is highly progressive and modern, the government regulates strict censorship to protect the cultural as well as political nature in the Emirate. Some of the major things considered to be a violation include drugs, homosexuality, Darwin’s theory of evolution, etc.

o The official language of the emirate is Arabic, but the other popular languages spoken here are English (which happens to be a lingua franca), Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam, Persian, Bengali, Chinese, Tagalog and several others.

o Islam is the official religion of the United Arab Emirates as per UAE’s Provisional Constitution.

o Apart from Muslims, the other prominent religious communities in Dubai are the Hindus, the Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and several others.

Climate: Since Dubai is essentially located in a desert region, it experiences a hot, arid climate almost all year long. There is constant sunshine in this part of the world, and the climate is usually idyllic which brings in tourists any time of the year. Dubai receives minimum annual rainfall, and the annual precipitation that the city gets on an average is just about 13 centimeters. The summers are hostile in this region, however, and thus, most buildings and malls are necessarily air-conditioned to keep citizens and tourists comfortable. If you are planning to travel to this city, it is advised that you do so during the pleasant and cold winter season, and preferably stay away from Dubai during the hostile and torturous summers, unless you want to just spend your vacation sitting inside your air-conditioned hotel.

Health: Dubai has an internationally acclaimed standard of the most advanced medical care, in both the sectors, primary health, as well as in public hospitals. The public hospital system is highly equipped to deal with even the most dire emergencies, while private health care also provides the best in terms of medical treatment. In order to ensure complete accessibility, the hospitals in the city are strategically situated to face any emergency. As many as 20 hospitals are dispersed all across Dubai. The Department of Health and medical Services offers affordable medical services and employs the best professionals from over the world. However, for tourists, the medical costs can be high, and thus you must decide on trips only when your health supports you.

Dubai boasts of a very highly life expectancy, which is almost 77.87 years for the females, and 72.73 years for males. The rate of infant mortality in this emirate is 9.2 deaths for every 1000 people of the population. 12.8% is the crude birth rate.

If you are planning to travel to Dubai, it is advised that you take necessary precautions to prevent being bogged down by the common infections there, particularly chicken pox (in 2006 itself, there were 3472 recorded cases of chicken pox). The other infectious diseases common in Dubai are Pulmonary Tuberculosis, as well as Viral Hepatitis B, that also account for a large number of cases. Another important health instruction that every tourist to the place is warned of is to take due care to avoid possibilities of getting a heat stroke, which can prove to be quite dangerous. Dehydration is also another threat to most tourists, and sometimes, many may even face problems related to breathing and respiration. During the summers, the temperature can go up to almost 50 degrees Celsius, and can be unbearable, particularly for tourists from the colder parts of the world, and thus it is advised that you avoid travel to this region during that specific time. The high amount of dust in this region can make a foreign national prone to some allergies and respiratory problems, and thus, you must make sure that you carry enough equipment for protection from the intolerable heat and the high levels of dust and sand.

Safety: nowadays, most tourists are largely concerned about the safety aspect in a destination location and they make sure to have a good knowledge of the whole scene beforehand. One of the biggest factors related to safety in Dubai would be to conform to the strict rules while you are staying there temporarily. The rulers there are highly intolerant towards violation of the basic rules that are meant to safeguard the essential values that are hailed in the Islam world. Thus, try to keep away form drugs as much as possible, particularly since there are a lot of exploitative drug marketing networks that can easily con unsuspecting tourists.

Another measure of safety to be taken is regarding your health, and it is advised that you avoid travel to Dubai when your health has not been good, since the medical care charges here are exorbitant for foreign nationals. There are also certain infectious diseases that you should take care of, particularly pulmonary tuberculosis, chicken pox, etc. you should also take enough precautions to avoid harmful heat strokes in the city which is common due to the high temperatures during the summer seasons.

There are certain strict taboos in a highly censored place like Dubai, and it is necessary that you conform to them for the short period of your stay here. Homosexuality is an offence, and so is Darwin’s theory of evolution. Stray clear of these few things and you will be safe from being convicted for violation of the law of the land.

The other safety measures to be taken include the common ones, which most tourists follow for travels to any part of the world, like taking care of your belongings all the time, avoiding contact with strangers, and so on.

Shopping: Dubai is a paradise for shoppers simply for the range of its shopping malls and the latest style and fashion that every shopping store is abundant with. The best thing bout shopping in Dubai is the attractive price range on the various items and products that the shops and markets here offer. Here’s a guide to direct you to the best places to shop when in Dubai.

o One of the popular shopping malls in Dubai is the Ibn Battuta Shopping mall that is located in Jebel Ali.

o Another popular shopping mall, one of Dubai’s first major ones, is the Bur Jaman Centre that also boasts of the best range of restaurants and cafes as well. This mall is located in the Khalid Bin Waleed Street in Bur Dubai.

o Another one on the list of the best malls to shop in Dubai is the visually-appealing Wafi City Mall that is known more for its attractive atrium roofs shaped in the form of pyramids than the range of products available here. But the mall doesn’t fall behind in that aspect as well, and boasts of an array of over 200 retail stores, as well as a full-blown family centre which includes a theatre, and restaurants as well.

o The Wafi city Mall is located in the Al Garhood region, near the Grand Cineplex. The first shopping mall to be purpose-built is the Al Ghurair Centre, which was constructed by the Al Ghurair family way back in 1981, on Riqqa road in the Deira region. Some of the best range of collections in merchandise can be easily found here.

o Al Mulla Plaza is the oldest mall to be built in Dubai, which is located between the two emirates, Dubai and Sharjah, on the dubai-sharjah Highway.

Transportation:

The transportation in Dubai is efficiently regulated by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and is an added bonus to the city’s tourism sector. Most travelers do not face many hassles getting here and even traveling within the city. Here’s a detailed introduction to Dubai’s transportation status.

a) Airports: The Dubai International Airport functions as the most important center for UAE’s Emirates Airline. It in fact, is quite a state of the art airport if ever there was, and has several excellence awards to its credit, not only for design, but for service as well. This airport is located at the Al Garhoud district, almost 4 kilometers to the southeast of Dubai. The largest operating airline at the Dubai International Airport is the Emirates Airline. Apart form this, the other frequent airlines operating from this airport are the Emirates SkyCargo and the FlyDubai airlines.

Another airport under constyruction is the Dubai World central International Airport in the Jebel Ali Airport City. Emirates is one of the most popular airlines to this part of the world.

b) Sea ports: tHe two important commercial seaports that are in service in Dubai are the Port jabel Ali and the Port Rashid, which are used as hubs for international trade routes. For local use, the common ports used are the Port Saeed and the Dubai Creek. In fact, the traditional way of ferrying passengers across from Bur Dubai to Deira is facilitated through Dubai Creek.

c) Public Transportation: the Roads and Transport Authority famously run an efficient public transport bus system that runs along a network of 193 routes across the city. Even the taxi system in the city is extensive, and is in fact the most popular means of public transport in the whole of the Emirate. The Dubai Metro project is still under construction and is expected to greatly improve the public transport in the always crowded city. The Downtown Burj Dubai Tram System is also planned to function as a popular means of public transport by 2011.

Attractions:

There is no dearth of spectacular attractions for tourists in Dubai. Here’s a list of some great places to visit when in the Emirate.

One of the most impressive regions in the city is the Shaikh Zayed Road that marks the spectacular progress of the Emirate in all its glory. There are some splendid buildings here, like the Emirates Tower Office, the Dubai World Trade Center, and several others.

The desert Safari is a must for visitors to Dubai, and so is a trip to the magnificent Jumeirah Beach. All the fun beach activities are played out here in full form.

Ski Dubai is another spectacular destination for those who want to experience snow in the middle of a desert. The Dubai Museum is a haven for history-loving tourists.

Attractions for Kids:

Apart from the several splendid places to visit in Dubai, there are also several water parks meant solely for the complete entertainment of children. Some of the famous ones are the Wild Wadi Water Theme Park and the Wonderland theme Park Dubai, apart from several others.