I've just realized the power of this world nomad blog site. To date, my writing has been directed at family and friends and I will continue with that but this one is more for other travelers hoping to visit Dubai.
Costs: Jan 9-13, 2012
$1 = 3.67 AED. 1 AED = $ 0.07
Electricity: 220, British 3 prong plug
Beer: 30 AED. (we measure very country in the price of beer)
We only found this in hotel bars but admittedly our time away from the hotel was spent walking around and we didn't look many other places.
Hotel: Arabian Courtyard Hotel by the Duabi Meseum,
Very clean, nice, and efficient. Dining for English, Chinese, Indian, Starbucks. English pub has live music most nights.
Taxi: Dubai Museum (old city) to Dubai Mall (new city) 24AED.
Old city to Burj Al Arab (10 miles). 50 AED
Car rental: 200 AED Day
Traffic and roads in the city are excellent and it would be easy to get around with a car here. A trip to other cities would have been nice.
Dubai Museum: 3 AED
I entered through the courtyard and expected just a small exhibit but the heart of the museum is underground and very worth it. This gives a great overview of this country and a city that first got electricity in the 1950s. This impressed me as even the "old" city is not old although more distinctly Arabic than the new city.
Burj Khalil: You are not allowed all the way to the top (floor 123 of 240). You travel in the worlds fasted elevator, however, you do not feel any movement. Book this well before your trip. Check the moon rise times and remember that the sun sets super fast at the equator. Premium lighting for photography is a short window. If you book ahead the price is reasonable and well worth the trip. To pay the premium price for immediate entry 400AED is not worth it (in my opinion). The views are stunning but if you have been off the ground much at all the premium price jades the experience.
Desert Safari: more after today
We didnt but it looked like a good idea:
Rent a car
Travel in the Creek via small boat
Spend more time in the Souks
