nittany987

Would welcome some thoughts on how wife and I should spend 9 nights in and around Dubai. This is in early December, for what it's worth. I think I've got a decent handle on where we want to spend the days, but just curious on how to spread the days. Below is my initial breakdown:

3 nights in Dubai
2 nights at Al Maha
4 nights at Zighy Bay

We are primarily looking to just relax and see things we don't normally encounter in the US. However, since we will be over there, I think it might be worth some time at least in Dubai. That said, we're not particularly interested in doing tons of shopping, and I'm wondering whether we would enjoy an additional day in Zighy Bay more than one of the days in Dubai. The thing I'm a little nervous about is wasting the arrival day in Dubai (we land in AUH around 12:00) and then being jet-lagged the following day. If we only spend two nights in Dubai, we might just be too exhausted to enjoy trying to 'cram' whatever we need to see into that time period.

Thanks for any thoughts!

sharp5flat9

Perhaps do the more active part of the trip at the end once you have relaxed and acclimatised to the time change ?

You could spend weeks in Dubai/UAE and not see everything. What do you like to do and which part of Dubai appeals more ? The newer areas with bling malls and towers, western food and alcohol, or the older, more traditional areas ? The weather will be amenable to spending as much time outdoors as you would like.

How are you travelling within the UAE ? AD to Dubai is 100 miles and then a further 100 miles to Zighy Bay. These are 1.5 - 2 hour journeys.