Things To Do In and Around Dubai International Airport(DXB)?
Discussion
My sister and parents are to have a 9 hour stop over in Dubai International Airport, having already flown a good six hours from Thailand, and with another 6-7 hours to look forward to back to Blighty.
I've yet to go to, or travel through, Dubai - can anybody recommend something to do aside from shopping?
And, are they allowed to leave the airport while in transit?
I've yet to go to, or travel through, Dubai - can anybody recommend something to do aside from shopping?
And, are they allowed to leave the airport while in transit?
I worked there for 6 months and I would go to the Madinat and have a meal and a drink.
Shimmers especially but you would have to prebook, most other places there you can just walk in and sit down.
Shimmers is by the beachj and my favourite restaurant. The rest there are great, nice atmosphere, markets for the women to walk around etc. Don't underestimate how long it can take to travel there in rush hour so leave plenty of time, 2 or 3 hours round the Madinat would be a nice break and give you a chance to see what Dubai can be like.
Dave!
Shimmers especially but you would have to prebook, most other places there you can just walk in and sit down.
Shimmers is by the beachj and my favourite restaurant. The rest there are great, nice atmosphere, markets for the women to walk around etc. Don't underestimate how long it can take to travel there in rush hour so leave plenty of time, 2 or 3 hours round the Madinat would be a nice break and give you a chance to see what Dubai can be like.
Dave!
I didn't think it was so bad.. but I did spend a lot of time looking at all the gold, and figuring out if it was actually cheaper than home.
See if there's an exec lounge or something? I have a friend that always pays a little bit extra (think about £15) so they have somewhere comfortable to wait.
See if there's an exec lounge or something? I have a friend that always pays a little bit extra (think about £15) so they have somewhere comfortable to wait.
Howitzer said:
I worked there for 6 months and I would go to the Madinat and have a meal and a drink.
Shimmers especially but you would have to prebook, most other places there you can just walk in and sit down.
Shimmers is by the beachj and my favourite restaurant. The rest there are great, nice atmosphere, markets for the women to walk around etc. Don't underestimate how long it can take to travel there in rush hour so leave plenty of time, 2 or 3 hours round the Madinat would be a nice break and give you a chance to see what Dubai can be like.
Dave!
I agree. Madinat Jumeirah is one of the best places in Dubai to go to eat and just relax. If you can, try to go through the hotel (Mina a' Salam in Madinat) and go and see the sea turtles for a few minutes. I loved seeing them last time I went.Shimmers especially but you would have to prebook, most other places there you can just walk in and sit down.
Shimmers is by the beachj and my favourite restaurant. The rest there are great, nice atmosphere, markets for the women to walk around etc. Don't underestimate how long it can take to travel there in rush hour so leave plenty of time, 2 or 3 hours round the Madinat would be a nice break and give you a chance to see what Dubai can be like.
Dave!
jasandjules said:
It was bloody boring when we went. Didn't even get a nice cheap Tag like I was expecting.
I imagine in 9 hours you would have time to leave the airport and check back in again though, so I would probably go round the place a bit (unless I was cream crackered from the flight).
I imagine in 9 hours you would have time to leave the airport and check back in again though, so I would probably go round the place a bit (unless I was cream crackered from the flight).
I've never had such a long stop over, and so have never 'needed' to leave an airport mid-transit.
What would be the situation? Do you simply leave the airport, with your ticket and passport, but without bags? Are there no security implications?
Andy M said:
jasandjules said:
It was bloody boring when we went. Didn't even get a nice cheap Tag like I was expecting.
I imagine in 9 hours you would have time to leave the airport and check back in again though, so I would probably go round the place a bit (unless I was cream crackered from the flight).
I imagine in 9 hours you would have time to leave the airport and check back in again though, so I would probably go round the place a bit (unless I was cream crackered from the flight).
I've never had such a long stop over, and so have never 'needed' to leave an airport mid-transit.
What would be the situation? Do you simply leave the airport, with your ticket and passport, but without bags? Are there no security implications?
You just check into the country, through immigration, and wander out the door. I did it on New Years Eve, booked a cab to a hotel downtown to stay for six hours until my connection. I sat in the cab for two hours in solid traffic while every frigging rag head in town drove his 4 x 4 round the streets all night to celebrate New Year.
I had an Indian taxi driver who cursed arabs solidly for the whole two hours, until eventually I told him to head back to the airport as I could not be bothered going to a hotel, just to have to get up again three hours after I got there.
There are some comfy bed lounger type things in the airport in a quiet place where I lay for a few hours, whilst dick heads talked in this labelled 'quiet area' all night.
Theres a British style pub there. I was there by myself for about 5 hours waiting for a flight to Hongkong so ended up just getting hammered. The majority of people in the pub were British too. Then got too pissed, left pub and puked up on their immaculate floor then got flight and slept all the way.
qwertyford said:
Theres a British style pub there. I was there by myself for about 5 hours waiting for a flight to Hongkong so ended up just getting hammered. The majority of people in the pub were British too. Then got too pissed, left pub and puked up on their immaculate floor then got flight and slept all the way.
So, you missed your calling; you should have been a diplomat!
If you are a British citizen, you can enter Dubai without a visa if you have a ticket for your exit and are entering as a tourist for 30 days or less. So yes, they can leave the airport. Your bags will have to be taken with you.
There's a lot to do in Dubai, so just do your research and pick one or two things. I would recommend boating in the creek along with a nice meal of freshly caught fish, and then drinks and snacks and some beach fun at the Jumeirah Beach hotel.
You can pay the 50 quid or so to go into the famous Burj Al Arab hotel (it's right in front of the Jumeirah Beach hotel), and you will get the money back if you buy something in there. Don't expect bargains though, just think of the slight premium as the cost for a nice memory and you can go up to get some fantastic pictures/views.
There's a lot to do in Dubai, so just do your research and pick one or two things. I would recommend boating in the creek along with a nice meal of freshly caught fish, and then drinks and snacks and some beach fun at the Jumeirah Beach hotel.
You can pay the 50 quid or so to go into the famous Burj Al Arab hotel (it's right in front of the Jumeirah Beach hotel), and you will get the money back if you buy something in there. Don't expect bargains though, just think of the slight premium as the cost for a nice memory and you can go up to get some fantastic pictures/views.
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