Originally Posted by Goldmember
Thanks a million for the input on the Marhaba Service. It looks excellent, and I will likely go this route. Just a question though, are there multiple providers of the service? I see it is offered through the Airport as well as through Emirates. I'm not sure if Emirates has the ground handling contract at the airport, in which case it is a moot point.
Not sure how much time you spent touring around, but anything you would recommend as far as a "must see" or "must do"? Its basically a 48 hour layover for Ms Goldmember and myself.
Marhaba has only 1 provider: DNATA which seems to be linked in both with the aiprort and Emirates. It is available for all flights whatever airline.
Havent really seens a lot so cant offer too much advice ! Have always just crashed out on the beach. There is little enough in terms of real sights. In DXB itself there is the creek area which is about a 10-15 min taxi ride from the Fairmont and would take a couple of hours to see inlduing the Gold Soukh (ghastly) and a water crossing across the Creek. If you want fakes (bags wtaches etc. imported from Thailand) go to Karama area (5-10 mins from hotel by taxi but pretty dull). Sharjah is about 30 mins or so by taxi (maybe a bit more in bad traffic) and it is older and has some quite 'echt' Soukh areas. More genuine than DXB and possibly worth a visit if you have nothing eslse to do.
The only other 'should do' is to take a cab out to Jumeirah beach (about 15 mins or so) and gaze at the Burj Al Arab hotel (best when lt up at night), possibly as part of a dinner experience at the nearby new Mina A Salam (?) hotel (another sight in its own right in terms of ostentation). It has a Chinese restaurant which we could not get into because it was booked 2 weeks ahead, but looked really interesting and not overpriced. May be worth an advance boooking if you like Chinese.