TRAVEL BLOG
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Dubai Airport
Dubai Airport (DXB) was recently named the best airport in the Middle East according to Skytrax. The airport is home to Emirates, which accounts for 50 per cent of all flight movements in and out of the airport.
Dubai Airport Duty Free Shopping
It is a spacious airport and easy to get around, despite all the building work going on outside. There is a metro line being constructed out the front and a terminal expansion (which is out of the way of the current operating area).
Dubai Airport Extension
Dubai Airport Arabian Landscaping
As if it wasn't enough to have one great airport, Dubai is currently building a second airport, the Jebel Ali Airport - Dubai International Airport City. Keeping with Dubai's current construction theme, this will be big! 6 parallel runways, 4.5 km in length, each separated by a distance of 800 metres, and of the 6 runways, 4 can be used simultaneously. The Airport City will cover 140 square kilometres.
Dubai Airport Duty Free Shopping
It is a spacious airport and easy to get around, despite all the building work going on outside. There is a metro line being constructed out the front and a terminal expansion (which is out of the way of the current operating area).
Dubai Airport Extension
Dubai Airport Arabian Landscaping
As if it wasn't enough to have one great airport, Dubai is currently building a second airport, the Jebel Ali Airport - Dubai International Airport City. Keeping with Dubai's current construction theme, this will be big! 6 parallel runways, 4.5 km in length, each separated by a distance of 800 metres, and of the 6 runways, 4 can be used simultaneously. The Airport City will cover 140 square kilometres.
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Monday, October 01, 2007
A guide to budget accommodation in Dubai
There is not much in the way of budget accommodation in Dubai. Cheap guest house style accommodation that is common in Asian destinations does not fit in with Dubai's grand master plan of being a luxury holiday and shopping stop-over destination.
Hostels
There is one hostel in Dubai, the UAE YHA, though it is not the most convenient location.
Guest Houses
There are budget accommodation options available, but booking online is generally not possible. Most of these places don't even have a website, let alone booking facilities, and their contact details are via a yahoo address.
If you are looking for a guest house in Dubai they can be found in the Deira and Bur Dubai area (the Dubai Creek area). I found a number of places that had single room accommodation for 150 UAE Dirham (about $40 US) . As a comparison, the cheapest room I could find on any hotel booking site was 300 UAE Dirham (about $80 US).
These guest houses are spread out all over the city as well, so it is not like you can just turn up in an area and look around, like say in the Khao Sanh Road in Bangkok or Colaba in Mumbai.
Mirage Guest House, an example of a basic Dubai guest house.
Hostels
There is one hostel in Dubai, the UAE YHA, though it is not the most convenient location.
Guest Houses
There are budget accommodation options available, but booking online is generally not possible. Most of these places don't even have a website, let alone booking facilities, and their contact details are via a yahoo address.
If you are looking for a guest house in Dubai they can be found in the Deira and Bur Dubai area (the Dubai Creek area). I found a number of places that had single room accommodation for 150 UAE Dirham (about $40 US) . As a comparison, the cheapest room I could find on any hotel booking site was 300 UAE Dirham (about $80 US).
These guest houses are spread out all over the city as well, so it is not like you can just turn up in an area and look around, like say in the Khao Sanh Road in Bangkok or Colaba in Mumbai.
Mirage Guest House, an example of a basic Dubai guest house.
Labels: dubai, guest house, hostel, hotels, uae
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Betel Nut Stains
Just as in western countries most pavements have chewing gum dots all over the pavement, across Africa and Asia is the Betel Nut stain.
Betel Nut Stain
Betel Nut Stains
Betel Nut Stain
Betel Nut Stains
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Beach Camels - Dubai
Jumeirah Beach Residence Camels
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Air Conditioned Bus Stops - Dubai
It sounds crazy, but then this is Dubai. The Dubai bus shelter project is billed as the first ever air conditioned bus shelters in the world on such a large scale. The will be 500 of these built eventually.
Dubai Air Conditioned Bus Stop
Dubai Air Conditioned Bus Stop Seats
Dubai Air Conditioned Bus Stop
Dubai Air Conditioned Bus Stop Seats
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Speeding is a Sin
Speeding is a Sin - Dubai
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
The New Dubai - Projects completed or under construction
Here is a list of notable projects that are completed or currently under construction in Dubai. It is not an exhaustive list but it gives you a general idea of the scope of construction going on at the moment. Most of these projects contain the words "world's" and "largest".
Dubai Marina
This area is known as the New Dubai. Upon completion it will be the world's largest man-made marina
Dubai Marina
Jumeirah Beach Residence
The world's largest single phase project. Jumeirah Beach Residence consists of more than 40 towers, mostly for residential purposes.
Jumeirah Beach Residence
Jumeirah Beach Residence and Beach
Ski Dubai
What to do on a 45 degrees summers day? Snow skiing of course. Dubai has the largest indoor ski resort in the world.
Ski Dubai
Dubailand
An entertainment complex consisting of six zones. Some of the projects are complete but much of it is still under construction.
- Attractions and Experience World:
A theme park area that will be bigger than Disneyland/DisneyWorld combined. Will feature a Universal Studios and Dubai Snowdome, an indoor ski resort.
- Downtown:
Includes the Mall of Arabia (mallofarabia.ae), which will be the world's largest shopping mall.
- Retail and Entertainment World:
- Themed Leisure and Vacation World:
- Eco-Tourism World:
- Sports and Outdoor World:
Dubailand is expected to be completed in 2010.
Dubailand
Dubai Metro
There are 4 metro lines proposed for Dubai, and two are under construction.
There will be a total of 70 kilometres of lines, and 42 stations (including 9 underground stations).
Dubai Metro
Burj Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab 5-Star Deluxe hotel, (advertised as the world's only 7-Star hotel) stands at 321 metres, which makes is taller than the Eiffel Tower.
Burj Al Arab
Burj Al Arab
Rose Tower
The Burj Al Arab was the world's tallest hotel until the 333 metre Rose Tower took the title.
Rose Tower
Burj Dubai
The worlds tallest tower. Its eventual height is still a secret.
Burj Dubai
Jebel Ali Airport
Still under construction, this will become the world's largest airport, with 6 parallel runways and covering 140 square kilometres.
Jebel Ali Airport
The World
A man-made archipelago of 300 islands in the shape of a world map currently being built off the coast of Dubai.
The World
The Palm Trilogy
Like The World project, The Palm Islands are being built off the coast and it will be the three largest artificial islands in the world. The project features The Palm Deira, Palm Jumeirah and Palm Jebel Ali.
The Palm
Further reading: Dubai Megaprojects
Dubai Marina
This area is known as the New Dubai. Upon completion it will be the world's largest man-made marina
Dubai Marina
Jumeirah Beach Residence
The world's largest single phase project. Jumeirah Beach Residence consists of more than 40 towers, mostly for residential purposes.
Jumeirah Beach Residence
Jumeirah Beach Residence and Beach
Ski Dubai
What to do on a 45 degrees summers day? Snow skiing of course. Dubai has the largest indoor ski resort in the world.
Ski Dubai
Dubailand
An entertainment complex consisting of six zones. Some of the projects are complete but much of it is still under construction.
- Attractions and Experience World:
A theme park area that will be bigger than Disneyland/DisneyWorld combined. Will feature a Universal Studios and Dubai Snowdome, an indoor ski resort.
- Downtown:
Includes the Mall of Arabia (mallofarabia.ae), which will be the world's largest shopping mall.
- Retail and Entertainment World:
- Themed Leisure and Vacation World:
- Eco-Tourism World:
- Sports and Outdoor World:
Dubailand is expected to be completed in 2010.
Dubailand
Dubai Metro
There are 4 metro lines proposed for Dubai, and two are under construction.
There will be a total of 70 kilometres of lines, and 42 stations (including 9 underground stations).
Dubai Metro
Burj Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab 5-Star Deluxe hotel, (advertised as the world's only 7-Star hotel) stands at 321 metres, which makes is taller than the Eiffel Tower.
Burj Al Arab
Burj Al Arab
Rose Tower
The Burj Al Arab was the world's tallest hotel until the 333 metre Rose Tower took the title.
Rose Tower
Burj Dubai
The worlds tallest tower. Its eventual height is still a secret.
Burj Dubai
Jebel Ali Airport
Still under construction, this will become the world's largest airport, with 6 parallel runways and covering 140 square kilometres.
Jebel Ali Airport
The World
A man-made archipelago of 300 islands in the shape of a world map currently being built off the coast of Dubai.
The World
The Palm Trilogy
Like The World project, The Palm Islands are being built off the coast and it will be the three largest artificial islands in the world. The project features The Palm Deira, Palm Jumeirah and Palm Jebel Ali.
The Palm
Further reading: Dubai Megaprojects
Labels: buildings, dubai, infrastructure, uae
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Dubai - old and new
The old part of Dubai is centred around Dubai Creek, an inlet of water from the Gulf which served as Dubai's original port, and still handles small cargo vessels today. Old Dubai consists of Deira on the north side of the creek and Bur-Dubai to the south.
Dubai Creek
The area around the creek is where the older and more interesting streets of Dubai lay. Here you will find old and reconstructed market laneways (souqs) on either side of the creek.
Bur Dubai Souq Laneway
If you are staying in the creek area of Dubai you could be forgiven for wondering what all the noise is about regarding Dubai. The old part of town is an interesting if architecturally unremarkable place, and there are not many high rise buildings in the area. Old Dubai looks like what an Indian city would look like if it had no rubbish and livestock on the streets and if the roads were all sealed. That Dubai is 60% populated by Indians probably contributed to my illusion.
Dubai Marina Construction Workers
It is not until you get out of the old town and drive along the coast that you start to see the jaw dropping expansion of greater Dubai. The Emirate of Dubai has lofty ambitions of become one of the great global cities of the world so there are construction sites on steroids all over the place.
A canyon of construction at Dubai Marina
Dubai Creek
The area around the creek is where the older and more interesting streets of Dubai lay. Here you will find old and reconstructed market laneways (souqs) on either side of the creek.
Bur Dubai Souq Laneway
If you are staying in the creek area of Dubai you could be forgiven for wondering what all the noise is about regarding Dubai. The old part of town is an interesting if architecturally unremarkable place, and there are not many high rise buildings in the area. Old Dubai looks like what an Indian city would look like if it had no rubbish and livestock on the streets and if the roads were all sealed. That Dubai is 60% populated by Indians probably contributed to my illusion.
Dubai Marina Construction Workers
It is not until you get out of the old town and drive along the coast that you start to see the jaw dropping expansion of greater Dubai. The Emirate of Dubai has lofty ambitions of become one of the great global cities of the world so there are construction sites on steroids all over the place.
A canyon of construction at Dubai Marina
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Arrow to Mecca
In my hotel room there is a black arrow on the ceiling pointing in the direction to Mecca, a common site in Islamic countries.
Mecca Arrow
Mecca Arrow
Labels: dubai, mecca, religion, uae
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Free Range Chickens - Dubai
Free Range Chickens - Dubai
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Greenery makes great cities
What a difference a tree makes in a baking hot city of concrete. With all the money that is pouring into Dubai to make it one of the premier global cities of the world, they should start planting shady trees everywhere to make a more pleasant place.
A shady tree in Deira - Dubai
A good example of a green city in a hot and dry climate is Madrid. The Spanish capital in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula is one of the greenest cities in Europe. The shady elm trees make the summer days bearable.
Los Angeles has realised the benefit of urban trees and have embarked on a campaign to green the city by launching the Million Trees LA project.
Trees For Cities is another site about beautifying our cities through tree planting.
Having greenery is one thing, but it needs to be usable as well. I found this park near the creek only to find that you can't use it!
A shady tree in Deira - Dubai
A good example of a green city in a hot and dry climate is Madrid. The Spanish capital in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula is one of the greenest cities in Europe. The shady elm trees make the summer days bearable.
Los Angeles has realised the benefit of urban trees and have embarked on a campaign to green the city by launching the Million Trees LA project.
Trees For Cities is another site about beautifying our cities through tree planting.
Having greenery is one thing, but it needs to be usable as well. I found this park near the creek only to find that you can't use it!
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
As Arabian as Date Pie
McDonalds Date Pie - Dubai
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Arabian Fashion
Fashion that never goes out of fashion.
Arabian Fashion - Dubai
Arabian Fashion - Dubai
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Dubai Weather
...it's hot, damn hot! At the end of September the forcast maximum is 40 deg C and a minium of 29 deg C. Step out of the air conditioned comfort of the airport and it hits you in the face and fills your lungs. And this is at 6 in the morning!
For 4 months of the year Dubai gets to over 40 degrees Celsius every day. The rest of the year is in the more managable 30's and in the "winter" months down to the very comfortable 20's.
Rain is so rare here that there is not need for street drains. In the south of Spain they boast of 300 days of sunshine a year. Here in Dubai the boast is of 360 days of sunshine a year. You would be unlucky to get those 5/6 days of no sunshine. No wonder they are building beach resorts and theme parks everywhere here.
For 4 months of the year Dubai gets to over 40 degrees Celsius every day. The rest of the year is in the more managable 30's and in the "winter" months down to the very comfortable 20's.
Rain is so rare here that there is not need for street drains. In the south of Spain they boast of 300 days of sunshine a year. Here in Dubai the boast is of 360 days of sunshine a year. You would be unlucky to get those 5/6 days of no sunshine. No wonder they are building beach resorts and theme parks everywhere here.
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
Dubai as a stopover
I have been wanting to visit Dubai for some time but I've only considered it as a stopover destination rather than a destination unto itself. While it makes more sense as a destination from Europe, travelling from Australia or North America is too far for a city that is a work in progress.
Most airlines flying between Europe and Australia stop in one of the Asian hub cities, so getting a decent priced flight via Dubai can be hard. If you fly with Emirates
though you can get a Dubai stopover and quite often they offer the best price going on the kangaroo route.
One advantage of flying with Emirates is that you can fly from Australia to 22 destinations in Europe (including 6 UK airports) with only one stop. A direct flight to Dubai, then connecting to the city you require.
Most airlines flying between Europe and Australia stop in one of the Asian hub cities, so getting a decent priced flight via Dubai can be hard. If you fly with Emirates
One advantage of flying with Emirates is that you can fly from Australia to 22 destinations in Europe (including 6 UK airports) with only one stop. A direct flight to Dubai, then connecting to the city you require.
Labels: dubai, emirates, stopover, uae
Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
Subscribe in a Reader
or Subscribe by Email
