scorpio4lfe;8376382 said:
So Dubai trip is coming up and as of now I have 2 hotels booked.
Question: When you book a hotel, do you base your decision off the ranking on Trip Advisor? What basis do you use?
Things I'm definitely doing include: Ski Dubai, Desert Safari, Sand Buggying, Visiting the Souk and Mosque, Burg Khalifa, Dubai Fountains, Dinner On A Yacht, Abu Dhabi for a day. That's it so far. Any suggestions?
My two cents...
Ski Dubai is awesome... it is inside the second biggest shopping in Dubai (Mall of the Emirates) and you can play with penguins too!
Desert Safari is fun... dune bashing in 4X4s, sand boarding options (like snowboarding but with sand), a chance to ride a camel or ATV around some of the smaller dunes... usually a night time meal with bellydancing performance in the middle of the desert
Burj Khalifa... got lucky and got the "VIP" experience... even higher up than the regular crowds (no one gets to go right to the top but you are still higher up than any other building on earth including the CN Tower in Toronto)... this sells out weeks in advance and I know some people there weren't able to get tickets when I went...
the fountains are right next to the tower (and free to watch) which is also next to Dubai's biggest mall which is worth some time exploring... the Dubai Mall even has dinosaur bones, an aquarium, and an ice hockey rink among other things in it...
the Souk is fun for shopping and the "old Dubai" experience before the modernization of the city...
there is really only one mosque in Dubai that is open for tourists but if you want to be even more impressed, visit the Sheik Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi... it is comparable to the Taj Mahal in India for sheer architectural beauty...
we had dinner on one of those floating dhows (a large wooden boat)... great way to see Dubai lit up at night time
depending on how much time you are spending, I would also suggest:
Ferrari World (a cool day-trip from Dubai... has the world's fastest roller coaster and you could even combine with a quick visit to Abu Dhabi)
Atlantis on the Palms... cool hotel and water park at the top of the giant, man-made palm tree islands
Burj Al Arab... famous sail-shape hotel... great views of the city from the Skybar at the top (be warned though... drinks start at around $50 each and go up from there... usually have to know someone if you want to get into the hotel and aren't staying there...
both the monorail/ tram system and the taxis are cheap to get around... never had to rent a vehicle the whole time we were there...
have fun