dubai - talk to me

[Mattt]

The guy is after holiday recommendations, so don't turn this into a one man vendetta against Dubai.

You don't like it, some other people don't like it - fine, no point trying to change your mind. But, some people do like it, and it gets a bit tiresome when any Dubai thread asking for holiday tips turns into a Dubai bashing rant.

[Chilli]

Agreed Matt, usually by people who sleep with a copy of the Mail under their pillow, or once spoke to some bloke down the pub. Its tiresome, usually inaccurate, and quoted without the facts.
OP, Dubai is a great place, apart from some of the grinding procedures you have to go through as a resident, but apart from that, I suspect you'll have a great holiday if, as has been said, you don't act like you're in Newquay on a stag do.

[creampuff]

Well it is hardly a one man Dubai bashing thread. There have been a number of posts from several people stating that Dubai is a dump.

For information - I do not read the Daily Mail. I do not listen to blokes down the pub. I have lived and worked in one-party state dictatorships where there is arbitary detention and an opaque rule of law. As I said, these places don't pretend to be otherwise.

For where I get my information, I get it from mainstream news sources who report first hand accounts of women go to Dubai, who get raped in Dubai and who get jailed in Dubai. I'd love to hear how a positive spin can be put on that.

I am providing a travel information service by stating you can easily be jailed in Dubai. In the words of one woman who was raped, then jailed:

"In an interview with Reuters, Dalelv said that by coming forward she hoped to alert other people not to expect Western standards of judicial protection.

"Dubai seems like a Western city, but what a lot of tourists don't know for example that it's not legal for them to drink alcohol," she said. An officer asked if she was making the rape report because she had not enjoyed sex."That is when I knew: I don't think they are going to believe me at all,"

Edited by creampuff on Friday 8th August 14:31

[Mattt]

Crime happens everywhere, criminal justice in the Middle East isn't great - get over it.

I suspect the OP and his friends are unlikely to be raped, therefore your comments are irrelevant to his holiday thread.

Want to start a Dubai bashing thread in N,P&E then go ahead

[HoHoHo]

Mattt said:

Crime happens everywhere, criminal justice in the Middle East isn't great - get over it.

I suspect the OP and his friends are unlikely to be raped, therefore your comments are irrelevant to his holiday thread.

Want to start a Dubai bashing thread in N,P&E then go ahead

To be fair I am one who suggested Dubai wasn't a great place for a holiday with a mate (not the rape bit etc. ) and I stand by that.

If the OP (or anyone) thinks Dubai is a city with bars on every corner and nightlife much like Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris et al he's in for a shock.

However, if you want to essentially go out for the day shopping perhaps see the worlds biggest big fish tank, go skiiing or play in the sand finishing your day getting drunk in your hotel bar then great.

You are however 'almost' guaranteed great weather and a tan when you get home (sand storms or the most brilliant rain/lightning storms aside!)

I did however enjoy the Burj Khalifa but was slightly disappointed you only go up to the 125th floor around 40 floors short of the top!

[Mattt]

It certainly isn't for everyone, it's unashamedly brash in many respects - but if you are looking for the things it offers, it's worth a punt (especially if you've never been).

[audidoody]

OP- you'll be fine - as long as you don't put any poppy-seed buns from the plane in your pocket.

http://www.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/...

[creampuff]

Well since the Dubai apologists think OP won't get raped, which he may not if he's male, therefore everything in Dubai is OK, here are some further examples of tourists being arrested or jailed in Dubai for having medications such as paracetamol with codeine in their luggage:

http://diytravelexpert.com/dubai-danger-medicines-...

Here's the advice for taking any kind of medication to Dubai:

If you absolutely must take medication with you, because it keeps you alive, then ensure that you have as much documentation as possible. Not only should you have a prescription to cover each medicine, the doctor should explain in a letter what the purpose of each drug is. Get letters from specialists and hospitals. Have it authenticated by the local UAE embassy well ahead of your travel date.

In practice, it is not safe to take any medicines with you to Dubai. Passengers on aircraft diverted to Dubai, or in transit, who did not expect to pass through customs have been arrested and spent time in jail, even when in possession of valid prescriptions.

[Mattt]

Sorry yes, I forgot to mention that the tourists you do see in Dubai are the 1% of arrivals into DXB Airport who didn't get bummed, arrested and force fed poppy seeds.

While you're at it, why not bring up the fact the OP and his mate shouldn't fk each other on the beach.

[shirt]

creampuff, have you ever been to dubai? sounds like you haven't so you should probably just shut up. everything you're saying is so misguided it is laughable.

also the guy who says the beaches are closed regularly due to oil spills, had to laugh at that one. i have lived on the beach for 3 years [if i turn my head left from where i'm sat now i can see atlantis and the palm] and have never once seen these signs or any indication of water pollution.

dubai is a totally fked up place it is true, but then in my experience there are not many expat enclaves which aren't. personally i don't see why people come on holiday here, but then i could say the same for las vegas, benidorm, ibizia, etc. etc

jon, i'm from allerton bywater originally and used to buy my car insurance from your company when it was still in your mum's name. come over, give us a bell and the local PH contingent will take you out for a beer or two and point you to all the best dens of iniquity we are acquainted with.

[insurance_jon]

Shirt I will take you up on that offer. Ps I still run half of the company she didn't sell to swinton. Just dropped the annette

[Tonsko]

We stayed in one of the hotels in teh old town. It seemed much nicer there than the new developments up the road.

[acer12]

audidoody said:

OP- you'll be fine - as long as you don't put any poppy-seed buns from the plane in your pocket.

http://www.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/...

Your source is the equivalent of the daily mail

[anonymous-user]

My comments are based on the Op 'a holiday with a mate'. I actually have a mate who goes to Dubai fairly often with his daughter skiing, he enjoys that, but a holiday with a mate where you may have a bit to much to drink? That's the point I made earlier few beers in hotel, ok, holiday with mate no.

[Mattt]

Well every resident there has a few drinks then goes outside to the next bar/hotel.

Seriously, don't be a dick and you'll be absolutely fine.

[Tonsko]

Although - when we went there, we routed through Schipol. Our cases got delayed by 24 hours, then turned up at the hotel. Then Gf had a hard case samsonite, mine was a soft antler. The lock on hers was bust, but I got it working. Thought it was a bit weird, but nothing else. Fast-forward to the end of the hols, flew back into Leeds, walking through customs, it was if they were waiting for us. Cases completely stripped, put through this drug analyser. Hers was positive for Heroin, mine for Cocaine. They obvs didn't find anything and let us on our way. Felt sick for rest of day as to what might have happened! We surmised that UK sniffer dogs had marked our cases and that customs were waiting for us to get cases and walk out.

One funny thing though: whilst nervously waiting for our cases to be searched, there was an African lady in there too. Her case was full of this ghastly looking chunks of dried meat, the size of tea trays. It smelled awful. Quite why she thought could bribg it in, i don't know.

Anyway, I threw my case out cos the coke would be in there for ever more. At least the gf's could be scrubbed out.

Tl;dr Our cases won a lucky dip to be used as drug mules from Holland to Dubai. Got pulled at UK customs on way home under suspicion of drug smuggling.

Edited by Tonsko on Sunday 10th August 08:53

[slippery]

I'm taking my wife, my 15 year old daughter and her friend to Dubai in October. We are staying at Atlantis and I kind of wish I hadn't read this!

[Super Slo Mo]

Dubai is fine. The people who are scared are the ones who've never been there and simply believe the nonsense they read in the newspapers.
You'll be at bigger risk spending a week in London.

[Super Slo Mo]

HoHoHo said:

I did however enjoy the Burj Khalifa but was slightly disappointed you only go up to the 125th floor around 40 floors short of the top!

It's more like 75 short of the top.

I was on the 154th floor for the opening, it's still a very long way from the top.

[havoc]

Super Slo Mo said:

Dubai is fine. The people who are scared are the ones who've never been there and simply believe the nonsense they read in the newspapers.
You'll be at bigger risk spending a week in London.

I've been twice, as I said earlier, and I'm not going back:-
- I don't like the attitude / atmosphere of the place (definitely a money-talks sort of place, despite the alleged arab 'hospitality').
- I don't like their laws or the blunt way they enforce them on the odd occasion (and yes, of course, it is just a minority) that a tourist / ex-pat does get caught-out. They're a 3rd world dictatorship with a lot of money and the ego that goes with it, it's that simple.


Ref. London - at bigger risk of mugging/assault, sure. But not of being arrested on a technicality, convicted by a judge not a jury, and then jailed for something that wouldn't even have reached court in Europe or N.America.