I stood at my seventh floor viewpoint, my hands pressed softly against the glass of the hotel room window, my eyes wide and taking in everything in front of me. Below on the street men wearing white robes drove past in glimmering cars worth more than my family home. In the distance beautiful women in flowing black robes sashayed past gracefully, Gucci pumps glistening in the morning light and Louis Vuitton bags slung neatly over robed shoulders.
An ocean of tall buildings flowed out in front of me, separated only by small islands of desert sand and shrubbery. It was 7am and I had been awake for hours, too jet lagged to sleep. Below me the glowing residents of Dubai began their day in style; which is exactly what you would expect from those who choose to live in the most expensive city in the Middle East.
Once a small fishing village on the Persian Gulf of the UAE, in less than 30 years Dubai has grown into the commercial centre of the Middle East and is the fastest growing city in the world.
Once a small fishing village on the Persian Gulf of the UAE, in less than 30 years Dubai has grown into the commercial centre of the Middle East and is the fastest growing city in the world. A city built in the middle of the desert, only a small percentage of the cities’ residents are local Emirati, with ex-pats forming the majority of the population.
Stunning, lavish, grand and expensive, in recent years Dubai has become a playground for the rich and famous and a Middle Eastern hub of upmarket tourism. So is Dubai reserved only for those with buckets of money? Not at all. I visited earlier this year as a stopover on my way to London and by some miracle, managed to actually avoid spending too much money. Here’s a few tips to help you save some cash on your next trip to the glistening city.
Consider Visiting During Ramadan
Ramadan is an annual muslim holiday that lasts one month and usually takes place around May or June. During the festival muslims fast during the day, meeting after sunset to break the fast and celebrate. Many tourists avoid visiting Dubai during Ramadan because there are often certain restrictions in place that prohibit eating or drinking in public areas. This being said, the rules generally do not apply in hotels and malls, so many tourists will not notice the restrictions during their trip. The upside of visiting during Ramadan is that Dubai is not only quieter but hotels also tend to be a lot cheaper. During my visit I managed to find 5 star accommodation for a fraction of the normal price and enjoyed a quieter, slower paced city during the annual festival.
Skip the Tourist Traps
It’s easy to burn through money in Dubai and if you have your heart set on tourist activities, your money will practically fly out of your wallet. The Burj Khalifa for example is a skyscraper with a viewing point that will set you back around $50NZD, which is a lot of money to pay considering all you get is a view over the city. Sure the view may be great, but the price for a short visit is not cheap. My advice would be skip the overpriced tourist traps and spend your money elsewhere.
Avoid the Breakfast Buffet
In Dubai breakfast tends to be a grand affair, which means most hotels charge upwards of $30NZD per person for a daily breakfast buffet. The buffets are amazing, but unless you can eat a good few plates every morning, you won’t be getting your money’s worth. On closer inspection I found that my hotel offered an amazing room service breakfast menu with options that were a fraction of the price. For an omelette, pastries, fruit platter, coffee and juice I was only paying about $12NZD from the room service menu and an added bonus was I could eat in my room and stay in my PJs for breakfast. For an even cheaper option, purchase your own cereal and milk from a local corner store and have breakfast in your room before heading out for the day.
Shop Around
If you are visiting Dubai, a desert safari is a must-do. Basically a these safaris consist of a half or full day trip where you visit the desert outside of Dubai, ride camels, have dinner at a traditional camp and watch a traditional dance show. There are dozens of companies in Dubai who offer fairly similar trips, so it can be hard to know if you are getting a decent deal. My advice would be shop around and spend time reading reviews. Avoid booking with your hotel as you’ll be charged a premium and instead, book online. After days of searching I managed to find a super affordable option with great reviews. I had a great experience and was glad I took the time to find a good deal instead of just taking the first option that came along.
Take a City Tour
If you want to see everything that Dubai has to offer, jumping on a city tour is the cheapest and easiest way to see the sights. The tour I chose was half a day and extremely well priced; much cheaper than a private tour or grabbing taxis everywhere. Included were the main outdoor attractions in the city, as well as museum entry, a water taxi ride, and a tour around the spice souks. A guided group tour may seem a bit cringe, but when it’s 40 degrees outside you’ll be glad to have a cool bus to go back to, bottles of cold water available and a guide who will keep you from getting ripped of while shopping in the souks.
Image: Divjot Ratra on Unsplash
