Top Tourist Insider Tips

1. Late night shopping

Malls and shops are open till at least 10pm every night so don’t panic about getting your shopping done between 9 and 6… there’s plenty of time after hours and some malls are even open till midnight at the weekend.

2. Different weekend

The weekend in Dubai is probably different to the one in your home country. Here the weekend is Friday and Saturday- everyone goes back to work on a Sunday so think about that when booking your holiday dates.

3. Make sure to cover up!

Don’t wear beach wear apart from at the poolside or at the beach- it’s not acceptable here due to regional sensitivities so make sure you cover up after sunning or swimming… you’ll feel much more comfortable.

4. Don't forget your sun lotion

It’s hot, hot, hot here! Temperatures are usually in the high 30s and high 40s in the summer months. It does not get significantly cooler at night- it can still be 40 degrees at 10pm… just so you aren’t surprised! The best i.e. coolest weather is between October and April. Suntan lotion is really expensive here so do stock up before you come- we recommend factor 50!

5. In case it does rain (yes, it really does sometimes!)...

It does rain here! It can rain in Dubai anytime from November onwards- usually it’s just a few showers but there have been heavier periods of rain in some years. The roads don’t cope very well when it does rain so some flooding can occur although this is quite rare. Don’t worry there’s plenty to do indoors if it is raining and it’s welcome respite from the heat!

6. Bottled water

Nobody here really drinks the tap water! You’re going to be on the bottled water bandwagon. You usually get complimentary bottles in your hotel room. Don’t panic if you run out- ring housekeeping for some more complimentary bottles- they should be free from there! If they are going to charge you for them- take a visit to a corner shop or nearby supermarket to stock up- the water is much cheaper there.

7. Grab a deal! 

There are loads of voucher and deal sites that you as a tourist can take advantage of- have a Google and see what you can find. There are usually lots of tourist activities at a reduced price geared towards visitors of residents but tourists can do them too- like desert safaris, boat trips, tours and more. Do you research before you come to see what savings you can make. Make sure you’re booking with reputable companies by checking them out on Trip Advisor and the like.

8. Exchange your money easily

There are loads of money exchange places and ATMS here so don’t worry about bringing all your holiday spends in dirhams. You can sort it out when you get here at one of the many exchange houses or withdraw direct from your bank in your home country through an ATM. The dirham exchange rate is pegged to the US Dollar and the exchange rates are set by the government so there’s only a slight variation in the exchange house rates based on their fees. Most malls have at least one exchange house if not more for you to compare the rates.

9. Travel in style

You’re not going to do that much walking in between places. There are places you can go for a stroll like Dubai Creek, JBR, Dubai Fountains etc. but you are going to be using some mode of transport to get there- the roads are wide, with many lanes and always busy with not many pedestrian bridges on the super highways so you don’t walk from place to place- hop on the metro, tram, use a private hire car service or jump in a cab.

10. It's safe here

It’s really, really safe here! Everyone who lives here has to be on someone’s sponsorship and if they get in trouble, they are more than likely going to jail and getting deported. That’s a big risk to take for the sake of stealing someone’s iPhone! So the petty and serious crime rates are really low. You won’t feel scared or intimidated walking the streets at night like in other countries. Obviously, use your common sense but enjoy the feeling of freedom that you won’t feel in many other countries.