UAE-A tourist view
UAE is a union of seven emirates, namely, Abu Dhabi (capital), Dubai, Sharjah,Ajman, Umm-Al-Qaiwain,Ras-Al-Khaimah and Fujairah. UAE gained independence on 2 Dec 1971, after the British left. Abu Dhabi is the largest emirate, followed by Dubai, then by Sharjah. Ajman is the smallest one.
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Jumeira Mosque in Dubai |
The big cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi are very modern , sometimes, I may easily forget that I was in an Arabic country. This may disappoint traveller looking for adventurous Arabic experience if they're in the big cities all the time. It is advisable not to visit Muslim countries during Ramadan, their fasting month . Business hours may be shorter or erratic. |
In 1999, Ramadan begins on Dec 9. In 2000, it begin on Nov 27 .
Although UAE is situated near countries with longer history and have great monuments and famous archaeological ruins which are not found in UAE, it has its own merits and still worth a visit. UAE on the whole, is a very liberal country in the Gulf where you can enjoy better night life.
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Desert Safari |
It is a very safe and comfortable place to visit, and it offers visitors an Arabian experience. It is a place where you can see desert with big sand dune, oasis , mountains, beaches, camel racing, Souks (markets), a great place for shopping, etc. For water sports and Golf lovers, it's a great place for them too. |
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The best time to visit will be their winter season, ranging from Dec to Feb, where temperature is cooler. In summer, the weather is very hot and humid, not a good season to visit. |
Camel Racing track in Dubai You can see camel racing mostly in winter, on Friday and sometimes on Thursday.
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Due to warm weather, it's good to wear light. For female traveller, it's advisable not to wear too revealing clothes. Afterall, it's a Muslim country. Female visitors can get some attention if they expose too much of their body.
At beaches, it's quite normal for western female to wear bikini. But if you notice, there'll always be a few groups of "locals" to stand near somewhere in the beach. I frequently saw male Indians holding hands strolling along the beach, admiring the "view". For Indians, holding hands is a symbol of good friendship.
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Keeping costs under control is possible but difficult, as the cost of living is a bit high. The currency is in dirham(Dh),sounds like "the hump". |
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100 fils make up 1 Dh. If you wish to change money there, it's advisable to take more US dollars with you, as I've seen money changer which accepts only limited currencies.
I stayed in Dubai throughout my stay in UAE, but visit other emirates by local tour packages. So it's pretty obvious that I'm only know more about Dubai than any other emirates.
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National Bank Of Dubai |
Although Dubai is not the capital of UAE, it is one of the most vibrant city in the middle east. Dubai is often referred as the Arab version of Hong Kong. |
There's a lot of night life in Dubai, despite the fact it is a Muslim country. Sharjah on the other hand, ban all alcoholic drinks , and will get a weeks jail if caught.
Dubai is divided by the Dubai creek. Deira on the east, and Bur Dubai on the right.
In Dubai, I normally take taxis. There're meter taxis and non meter taxi, and I've to bargain to for the non meter ones to get a reasonable price. It's better to ask hotel staff to call a meter taxi for you or check up the cost of the taxi trip. There're service taxis too for inter-emirate trip. I booked a full day local tour to visit other emirates instead.
The car drivers in Dubai seems like they don't see the zebra crossing if there's one in front of them, so be careful.
You can rent easily a car . The petrol there is cheaper than water. To visit the desert, you need a 4WD (four wheel drive), but it's advisable join a local tour if you don't have experience driving in desert.
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Don't miss the boat ride along Dubai Creek, the water taxi is called abra. You've to bargain too if you're an independent traveller. It's possible that the abra driver will convince you to book the whole abra and enjoy the scenery of the creek all by yourself, with a price to pay too. |
A bra along Dubai Creek |
But usually, the abra is mostly used by the locals, mostly Indians, to cross the Creek to work. It's very cheap actually, probably less than 1 Dh, at least for them.
Most locals are Muslims. Muslims pray 5 times per day. If you walk in the streets long enough, you can notice crowds inside the mosque and some of them stand near the entrance. You can hear the prayers from far. It sounds like a chant or song.
The official language of UAE is Arabic. English is widely understood in Dubai.
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Only less than 30% of the people in UAE are UAE nationals. The rest are from neighbouring countries coming to work on UAE on contract basis. To work in UAE, you'll need to get hold of a job first and need the company to sponsor you over. I noticed a lot of Indians, Pakistani, Iranian, and maybe from Oman, Yemen etc. Iranians controls most of the spice and gold souk( market ). If you happen to patronise the spice or gold shop, ask them where they're from. |
A market at Ras-Al-Khaimah |
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