BEING A TOURIST WITH FRIENDS IN OUR BACKYARD - DUBAI — Wandering Wolfs Travel & Photography

There are only two occasions when we do touristy stuff in our Dubai backyard.

When we have guests visiting.
I need to take a photo for 52 frames without breaking the bank.

My college friend Marli (we were known as the Arli’s) said they wanted to come to visit. This has been a pipe dream since before covid, and I didn’t believe it till the day the plane tickets were bought. I couldn’t wait to start working on the itinerary. At first, we had hundreds of ideas and places we wanted to take them, but time and budget forced our hand to edit that list.

Timing tip: Early October was still very hot but without the summer specials. So rather come before October for specials or after November for good weather.

Budget tip: Check the prices of food and drink (and ice cream) at popular spots. With a bad exchange rate, you can soon pay the price of weekly groceries for four ice creams.

My planning and itinerary were worked out, but it was not cast in stone to adapt to changeable circumstances. This works great most of the time and only backfired on me once.

Museum of the future.

We’ve got the go-to places we take people that we know are crowd pleasers. But we also try to do something new that we haven’t done yet. Museum of the future was that something new for us for this trip.

Due to the lack of fixed plans, we never bought tickets before their arrival. Hoping to see how things work out and buy tickets closer to the time. Unfortunately, the tickets were sold out much further in advance than when I previously checked, and we never made it there. In fact, we still haven’t visited it.

Tip: If you’re planning on going to the Museum of the future, buy the tickets well in advance.

Luckily Dubai has so much to offer that we just pivoted.

Boat Trip.

A yacht trip is well-known in Dubai but extremely expensive. However, I came across a company (See x Sea) a few weeks earlier that seemed really affordable. So I kept this idea in my back pocket for a rainy day.

After the letdown of Museum of the Future, we had a few Dirhams free, and I pulled out this card.

T and I have never done this before, so this would be our something new.

With the boat to ourselves, we packed a cooler and headed out for some main attraction sightseeing.

Dubai Marina
JBR
Dubai Ain (big wheel)
Atlantis
Burj al Arab

The guide/skipper was super friendly and knowledgeable.

Tip: Go just before sunset since sunset and blue hour is the best time to view these gems.

The battle of the observation decks.

Dubai is well known for its cloud-reaching skyscrapers. With these skyscrapers come observation decks, each with a unique height vantage point.

Burj Khalifa.
The most popular and well-known is probably the Burj Khalifa at levels 124 & 125 (456m). This is also the most expensive. On a clear day, you can see quite far, but unfortunately, Dubai is known for hazy days, which limits visibility. I think that a unique view of Dubai fountains can be seen during nighttime, but that time of day is priced even higher.
View at the Palm.
The second most expensive is View at the Palm. An observation deck is built 240m up, but a nice view of the Palm’s shape can be experienced. I think sunset would be a nice time of day, as the sun sets over the ocean, but be prepared for more crowds.
Sky View
Next in line, at 219.5m. This has a fantastic view of Sheikh Zayed’s intersections, as well as Down Town and the Burj Khalifa. It also offers one free glass slide ride for every ticket purchased.
Dubai Frame
Last in our battle, at 150m. Also the cheapest among all of them. The frame takes you on a journey from the past to the future. At the top of the frame, you can see old Dubai to one side and new Dubai with all the skyscrapers to the other side.

T and I have done the Burj Khalifa and Dubai frame before. I would love to visit Skyview next. Marli and Dewet then decided on the Dubai Frame which we love.

La Perle

I’ve noticed that without knowing it, T and I love booking one surprise activity when we get guests. This is usually something they don’t know exists, won’t think the money is worth it, or don’t know what to expect, so just give it a pass.

This time it was La Perle by Dragon. My cousin took all his wedding guests as part of his reception. It was one of (if not the best) live performance shows we’ve ever seen. Thus when we heard that they would visit, we decided this would be our spoil to them.

I think the best way to experience it is not to know what’s in store and to expect.

Tip: Only buy the tickets, and don’t google or look at it any further.

Budget Tip: Always keep an eye out for a special, as the tickets are quite expensive.

It was a fantastic evening, and although the program changed a bit, it still left us breathless.

The only negative was my wardrobe malfunction, with my shoes deciding their end of life just as I got out of the car. That evening I Brough the “casual” in smart casual by attending the show barefoot.

Supercars

Dubai is in the top 5 cities in the world with the most supercars. It brags with the biggest Lamborghini showroom in the world, seeing a Bugatti at the supermarket isn’t unheard of, and Dubai Mall, without a Rolls-Royce, is like Tom without Jerry.

Most people and men in my life (from my five-year-old nephew to my Dad) love these supercars. Out of respect, we would always say, “Ooo, there’s a …” but that’s as far as it goes. Thus admiring these masterpieces is usually out of the question.

Tip: There are a few supercar showrooms that don’t mind the public coming in and having a look.

VIP Motors is one of our favourites with the widest variety. This is always a treat for most people, and free entry is a bonus.

The crowd-pleasers

Dubai Mall, Dubai Fountains, and Burj Khalifa

Whenever “Dubai must visit places” are googled, this is probably on top or at least in the top three. There’s a good reason for these search results. We love the hidden gems of a place, but as my dad has said before, there’s a reason something is the main attraction. The Dubai fountains still amaze us even after living here for almost six years now, and most of the people we take there say it’s their favourite thing in Dubai.

Dubai mall, although many might think is just a mall, has so much more to offer. From an aquarium to an ice rink and the funkiest sweets store, there’s something to see and do for everyone.

Tip: Visit Dubai mall at least twice, once during the day and once at night, as the outside and the Burj Khalifa can look so much different each time.

Tip: Walk past the crowds and Souk al Bahar for better fountain and Burj views. Most people gather when they get out of the mall, but if you walk on a little, you’ll be sure to grab a front-row view of the show.

Souk Madinat

Our other touristy spot that’s slightly under the radar is Souk Madinat. It mostly consists of restaurants, souvenir shops, and a hotel. The setting has an Aladdin / Arabian Nights feel, with water canals and Dows and the cherry on top is the backdrop of the Burj Al Arab. In my opinion, this is one of the best places to view the Burj Al Arab.

Tip: Souk Madinat is an excellent spot for sundowners and dinner, but keep an eye on the prices.

Desert Safari

The desert safari is the other most mentioned thing to do in Dubai… And we (T and myself) don’t get it.

I think the main attraction is the “full desert experience” for a “reasonable” price.
What I mean by full desert experience is that a lot is included:

Pickup and drop-off from home/hotel
Dune bashing in a 4×4
Arabic dinner
Camel riding
Performances (belly-, fire- and tanoura dancer)
Henna
etc.

T and I have this thing about an all-in-one printer that does so many things but nothing really good. This, to us, is like that. Sure, you get high-end models that do everything well, but then it’s not “reasonably priced” anymore.

Our issues with the experience:

Pickup and drop-off from home/hotel

If you didn’t hire a private car (for an additional cost) and are less than six people, you get cramped into a Land Cruiser with strangers. If you’re not picked up first, you don’t get seating preference and might end up in the back. Then after a long afternoon/ evening, everybody needs to be dropped off.
The Dunes are quite far away, about an hour, so at least two of the seven hours they claim is getting to and from there.
All the companies get together at a central meeting point, with horrific (some of the worst I’ve seen and we’re from Africa) ablutions. And many people want to sell stuff at inflated prices.

Quad biking

This is usually at an extra fee.
It’s a few hundred-meter course that you and numerous others need to stay on.

Dune bashing in a 4×4

Probably one of the main attractions. They claim anything from 30-60minutes of dune bashing, but in reality, it could be much less, especially during warmer months as they stop before the vehicles overheat.
And if you are in the unlucky position to be wedged between strangers, you’ll fall all over them during this ride.
When stopping in the desert to take sunset photos, it’s filled with inconsiderate fellow tourists, litter and plastic bottles, and power cables everywhere.

Arabic dinner in the desert

The size of the camp where dinner and shows are served depends on the company used. The food is very average and forgotten by the following morning. Basic drinks are included, and alcoholic beverages can be purchased at an insane price.

Camel riding

A camel ride is available in a hundred-meter circle and led by its handler.

Performances (belly-, fire- and tanoura dancer)

This is probably my favourite part of the entire evening. The performers and length of performance once again depend on the company you used.

Falcon.

Besides the fact that I still feel uneasy about falcons in a domestic setting, I wish we could be taught more about them instead of just posing for a photo with them.

Giving the desert safari another chance.

This was Marli and Dewet’s only “must-do” item for their visit to Dubai.

During my endless hours and days of research, I found two solutions:

The budget option that T and myself refused to take part in.
The most recommended “Platinum Heritage” route. Which is more up our alley with a conservation drive instead of dune bashing, educational stargazing and falcon talks, more exclusivity, etc. Unfortunately, this was out of all of our budgets. T and I might attempt this for a special occasion one day…

Despite our reservations about it, we agreed to join them on a budget-friendly safari on the condition that we hire a private vehicle. The problem with a private vehicle is that it increases the costs quite a bit. This made it less budgeted but much more affordable than Platinum Heritage.

Arabian Nights Tours looked like the best value for money we could get.

I can’t fault Arabian Nights on anything, as it was one of the better tours we’ve done. The driver was super friendly and knowledgeable, the camp was small enough, and the entertainment was pretty good. Overall the night out with friends was amazing and valuable time spent together. I managed to get a few nice photos as a bonus.

If you’re still keen (after my rant) on doing a desert safari at the “budget” fee, I can recommend Arabian Nights.

Did this evening change our feelings toward the all-in-one desert safari? Nope. Still not a fan.

My tips on a desert safari or alternatives:

Book a private vehicle. I know I’ve mentioned it, but it’s THAT important and made an enormous difference.
Take cash. They don’t accept cards.
Try to see what part of the safari looks appealing to you, and rather get a specialized activity in that department.
Spend a little more, and rather stay the night in a desert resort such as Qasr al Sarab (read about our trip here) or Telal for the desert experience. If you add up all the extras, you might even end up at the same price.

Final words.

We love getting visitors, and it makes us feel extra special if someone takes time and spends money to travel all this way.

Marli and Dewet were great guests. The time spent with them went by way too fast, but we will be remembered it forever.

Thank you for coming and exploring our backyard with us, and congratulations on the new baby coming soon. We think he/she should have a Dubai-inspired name 😉

In our next post, T and I go in search of a winter wonderland and some Aurora Borealis.

BEING A TOURIST WITH FRIENDS IN OUR BACKYARD - DUBAI