MastaHanky

Hi,

I'm planning a trip to the UAE and Oman in February. The primary purpose of the trip is photography - I'm looking to photograph some of the unique buildings, landscapes and deserts out there. I'm a mid-30s male and will be traveling by myself.

A couple of questions:

1) I had planned on visiting the emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Is there anything mind-bogglingly unique about the other four emirates that I will regret not seeing that I should try to include?

2) Would I be better off using public transport + taxis, or renting a car? I'm slightly apprehensive about driving after hearing all the horror stories about driving in that part of the world (for contrast, I've only driven in Sweden, South Africa and Scotland outside the US - all of which seemed fairly tame), but it's also possible that it's overblown.

3) I'd like to do a desert safari trip. Am I better off booking that in Dubai or Oman?

4) Do you think five days in the UAE + four in Oman would be sufficient to get the highlights?

5) Any recommendations on inexpensive lodging? I don't need to be stingy, but frankly I don't care for dropping a lot of coin on a room I'm only going to be using to sleep and shower in.

manneca

Just returned from Oman and Dubai. I went to dive (and found it utterly lacking in vis). I also thought I'd do some photography. Everywhere I was in Oman was hazy, lots of dust in the air. So, I didn't. I'm sure a more talented photographer could get some nice shots.

I used hotel points, so I can't speak for cheap digs. (The Hilton Salalah was 5000 points a night. Citi Hilton sign up bonuses are 50k for $1000 minimum spend--you can manage that by Feb). I think the Hyatt in Muscat was 15k points a night.

I thought I'd do a bit of photography of the architecture in Dubai, but also found it lacking.

I didn't do a desert tour, but would have liked to, once I got there.

At least in my experience, it looks better in pictures than in reality.

SEAskyrider

I would say renting a car is your best bet. Lots of people drive between the two countries, and the roads are relatively safe. Also it would be so much better to be on your own schedule, stop wherever you please for photos, etc.

I'd say Oman. It would probably be cheaper.

Be mindful of the local female population in the UAE and Oman. While it's usually ok to take their pictures, some of them don't like it. This isn't Saudi so you probably won't have an angry guy demand you destroy your camera because you disrespected his wife... however it's just good sense to be a bit careful. I had no problems in Dubai, and I'm sure you won't either. Just something to keep in mind though.

There is some very good architecture in the Emirates, but by all accounts Oman has better natural scenery.

Have an awesome time! Will you share some of your pictures when you get back?

DanielW

1) I had planned on visiting the emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Is there anything mind-bogglingly unique about the other four emirates that I will regret not seeing that I should try to include?

Not alot more to see. There are mountains up near RAK & Fujairah, nothing spectacular, but very different from Dubai etc, and make an interesting drive (the local car magazines do alot of their photography up there).

2) Would I be better off using public transport + taxis, or renting a car? I'm slightly apprehensive about driving after hearing all the horror stories about driving in that part of the world (for contrast, I've only driven in Sweden, South Africa and Scotland outside the US - all of which seemed fairly tame), but it's also possible that it's overblown.

Renting a car is a good option if you want to get out and about. The traffic isn't too bad, not western standards, but not Saudi/Egypt (chaotic) standards. Taxi's and the metro (in Dubai) are very easy and cheap. All taxi's are metered in Dubai.

3) I'd like to do a desert safari trip. Am I better off booking that in Dubai or Oman?

You can do a 'desert experience' in Dubai, i.e. go out in 4WD for a few hours, and have dinner at a desert camp, but Oman will be better for longer expeditions.

4) Do you think five days in the UAE + four in Oman would be sufficient to get the highlights?

Should be plenty.

5) Any recommendations on inexpensive lodging? I don't need to be stingy, but frankly I don't care for dropping a lot of coin on a room I'm only going to be using to sleep and shower in.

The Ibis in Dubai is a good option for something simple but not luxurious. Cheaper hotels are in Deira too.

DanielW

I'm abit of a photo nut too, alot of the photo's on my website are from Dubai:

www.dsw-photo.com

Sixth Freedom

Be sure that your images do not capture any sensitive areas. Sometimes hobbies like photography, plane spotting and birdwatching can be misunderstood.

I know a photographer who went to prison for a short period following taking pictures that were deemed inappropriate at Doha International Airport.

rankourabu

Definitely rent a car outside of Dubai. Its the only way to see Oman.
Roads are wide, pothole free. If you've driven in SA, you ll be fine. People in Oman I found actually courteous on roads

Make sure the insurance covers Oman - most of the time you pay extra for that.

Naseem Hotel in Mutrah has an ideal location, free parking, and great access to nighttime views of the cornish and market for photo taking.

MastaHanky

Yikes! I'm guessing "sensitive" could pretty much mean any building that is military or government-related?

I was toying with using public transport + taxis in UAE, then taking a bus down to Oman and renting a car there, although maybe I'd be better off having a car the entire time.

csdf

If you're into landscape photography, then I'd highly recommend Fujairah and also the Mussandam peninsula. Whilst you can never be certain that you won't arrive in the middle of a hazy period, February, with it's associated cool temperatures, often has relatively clear air. In any case, haze makes for great sunset photos!
Obviously no use for when you're in a city, but if you like natural landscapes, you can camp pretty much anywhere you like* in the desert or mountains, for free. Your only distractions are going to be amorous donkeys (in Oman and the northern Emirates) and curious locals who might pitch up for a chat and an invitation to eat with them.

* With the obvious caveat of not camping in the middle of someone's field.

DanielW

I wouldn't get too worked up about it, I've lived here for 8 years and had no problems at all.

Sticking to public transport in the UAE if you're just sticking to Dubai and Abu Dhabi is quite doable. They have a good, regular bus service between the two cities too, big coach buses with wi-fi etc.

http://bus.rtaprojects.me/rta_bus_eng/

El Cochinito

My 18yo son and I are heading to Dubai and Muscat on a similar schedule but in April. I've been to both cities before; this is his first trip to the region.

I'm planning to rent a car in Muscat. I have a Garmin Nuvi GPS and there is a downloadable map for the region I can purchase from Garmin to load onto my GPS. Looks like Europcar is the only rent-a-car agency that offers unlmited kilometers in Muscat so I'll probably go with them.

If you're looking for an inexpensive place to stay in Muscat check the Muttrah Hotel. I stayed there on my last visit and will stay there again on the next trip. Budget property, clean and a 20 minute walk to the Muttrah Souk.

rankourabu

If you are renting in Dubai - make sure to find out what extra charges for kms and insurance there are - and what the conditions for taking the car to Oman are - these are often in fine print. Some may include an age restriction as well.

Also, renting from city locations instead of DXB (you can return it to DXB) saves some change. I think we rented from Budget at one of the malls.

Also, if you arrive into DXB - you do not have to pay for the Omani visa at the land border - but only if you ve flown into DXB.

MastaHanky

Oh that's good to know. Is there any special stamp or paperwork I need for that, or is the DXB entry stamp into UAE sufficient?

rankourabu

Just the entry stamp - you will have to remind the visa collector from the booth that you arrived in DXB = no visa needed


COMMON VISA FACILITY WITH THE EMIRATE OF DUBAI
Nationals from countries in List Nos.(1) arriving from Emirate of Dubai to Oman bearing an entrance visa or stamp from the Emirate of Dubai are not required to obtain a separate visa for Oman. The Entry stamp/Visa for Dubai is recognized for entry to Oman, whether individually or as groups entering through land, air or sea terminals regardless of the sex or age after filling in the designated forms.

Fee: No fee is charged. Fee is only paid to the relevant authorities in the Emirate of Dubai
Visa Validity: The bearer of the visa is allowed to stay for the period of the visa issued to him or a maximum of 3 weeks.
Extension Procedure: The visa may not be extended. As per the law, a fine of OMR 10 per day is charged for overstay beyond the validity of the visa.

MastaHanky

Wonderful, that'll save a bit of hassle.

Has anyone reading this thread been down to Salalah? The pictures I've seen look pretty nice, but it's quite a ways from Muscat. Is it worth setting aside an extra few days for?