Dubai Travel Guide for First Time Visitors!
by Cindy Guerra 10+ Years Experienced BloggerDubai is spectacular for first-time visitors, it’s flashy and
gaudy. And they believe in going overboard and doing things which are pretty
ostentatious. Dubai is associated with lots of accolades and words like the
biggest, most expensive, and tallest for a good reason.
Every country has its culture and protocols to follow while
visiting. Dubai being an Islamic state follows stringent customs and laws. The
lifestyle revolves around the Muslim religion and culture and sometimes it can
be a bit overwhelming and daunting for the first time visitors.
Here what Dubai holds for the first time visitors and the Do’s and
Don’ts to follow while visiting Dubai.
A foodie’s delight
Streets of Deira is the cities' oldest and cheapest neighborhood
where you can find tasty treats at every corner thanks to a major influx of
Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Egyptians, Iranians who have poured into the
city.
The Ravi restaurant is every foodie’s delight, and it’s like being
in another Lahore. And the experience goes right to the top with celebrity
chefs like Gordon Ramsey, Sanjeev Kapoor, Marco Pierre all serving their charm
for a price which may be steep for some but its worth every bit you pay.
Weekends start on a Friday and goes up to Saturday in the Islamic
land. Friday brunches in hotels are popular, they serve every kind of food and
these branches are sumptuous, to say the least.
Cosmopolitan charm
There are not many local Emiratis around; forming less than 10% of
the population they keep their culture as a private affair.
A dry land after all?
Public inebriation may be a major issue here, and alcohol is
extremely expensive, served in bars, clubs and hotels only. Although there is a
lot of happy hours plans to avail, Champaign brunches and expat binge are
common; non-Muslims can have alcohol at home if they possess an alcohol
license.
Drinking and driving are a strict No-No as the Dubai Police has a
zero-tolerance approach to it and so it’s not safe to even have one drink while
driving.
Being drunk and disorderly in public is not acceptable which may
attract imprisonment or fine for the least.
Muslim law
Possession of drugs(attracts standard 4 years of imprisonment and
deportation), adultery, pornography and homosexuality are all forbidden and
they all invite strict punishments. Also, desist from criticizing Islam and
Sharia, the local authorities and politics.
Visitors must adopt a certain level of cultural and religious
sensitivity. Swearing in public is forbidden and one may get in trouble even if
they swear on Whatsapp.
Think before you leap
To unwind, only city malls are feasible for some comfortable leg
stretching, apart from this Dubai is not a walkers delight, the city is not
designed in that manner plus who would like to take a walk outside in the
scorching heat.
Dubai is one of the countries with the highest road accident
mortality.
Religion
Don’t visit Dubai during Ramadan days. Muslim fast for a complete
month during Ramadan. It's not prudent to eat and drink in public.
For foreigners, Ramadan days can be extremely tough, one can’t eat
or drink outside and it’s very difficult, for instance during a site seeing on
a desert with not even a permission to drink water.
Most shops are closed during the day and life comes to normal only
at the night time.
Avoid beaches in summer
With the temperature soaring 50° outside and the water at 38°,
hitting for a beach is not an option. Hotels have temperature controlled
swimming pools.
A shopper’s paradise
Dubai is definitely a shopper’s paradise at par with Singapore and
Hong Kong. Shoppers can buy best quality gold ornaments, designer clothes,
spices, best foodstuff and gifts. Shoppers can purchase an ounce of gold from
the ´Gold to Go´ ATMs as well.
While shopping at the Gold Souk, keep these facts in mind. Gold
rates are even at all shops and the gold rate is the same everywhere. There may
be variance however in the making charges for design which can be negotiated,
preferably a quarter of the value.
Don’t be reluctant to move on in case you want to explore because
many shops will have the same design and sellers are more motivated to sell
during the latter half of the day and before the close of the market at 10 PM.
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Created on May 24th 2018 08:37. Viewed 754 times.