Anyone else feel that Dubai is completely overrated?
 

Just came back from a 4 day trip to Dubai and was disappointed. For visitors, I found the following observations:

1. Not very child friendly. Strollers are hard to navigate on the streets.

2. Taxi's are very difficult to get if you are not at a hotel or shopping mall. Even then there is a lineup.

3. Malls are overrated and overpriced. No sales like Canada and USA. Everything is regular price (unless you go during the shopping festival). Most of the stores are your usual international brand stores

4. Traffic is terrible. Usually jams at any time of the day

5. Weather is hot and humid

6. Dubai zoo is pitiful with majestic animals caged in conditions that would make any animal lover cringe.

7. Wonderland, Children's Park and most other attractions are pitiful.

7. Impossible getting into Burj Al Arab without a restaurant reservation. Cheapest reservation for coffee shop for afternoon tea is about $75.00 USD each. We tried for 3 days straight and couldn't get a reservation. Reality is that most new Vegas hotels would probably be just as nice without the $150.00 entrance fee for a couple.

8. People are generally unfriendly and inhospitable. This is coming from someone who is of Indian origin. I'm sure it's a different experience for caucasian people but we felt there was an underlying tone that we really couldn't afford whatever we were looking at. Starting from the taxi ride from the airport to shopping centres and bazaars.

9. Government sponsored abuse of labour is very sad. Taxi drivers work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, can't bring their families. The taxi companies are all owned by the government. All the beautiful building being constructed are government sponsored cheap import labour from India and Pakistan.

Before anyone gets riled up, I visit India and other "culturally different" areas and my observations are based on personal experience.

My God, I thought I was the only one. I just spent two days in Dubai on business, as part of a trip that also included Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, and Doha. (It was my first visit to all of these places except for Doha.)

When I left, the huge question in my mind was why on earth ANYONE would go to Dubai on vacation. The air is horribly polluted, it was broiling hot--too hot to lie on the beach--even at the end of October, the place is one big construction zone with absolutely nothing green or pleasant, there are no cultural or historical attractions, the traffic is nightmarish and the whole city is the most pedestrian-unfriendly place I've ever seen in my life. I am dumbfounded that this place gets any tourists at all, much less the millions that show up every year. What on earth is the attraction?

Kudos from me to the Dubai Tourist Board, or whatever it is, that has concocted this spectacularly successful snow job.

Meanwhile, 1.5 hours down the road is Abu Dhabi, which was vastly more pleasant (and less smog-choked). And a 45-minute flight away is Muscat, which totally took the prize in terms of tourist charm. Even Doha is better than Dubai (although the fact that they take your alcohol from you at the airport is a bit of a negative, I admit...although now at least they give it back on the way out!).

As for the Burj al-Arab, consider yourself very lucky that you could not get in. One of my traveling companions was staying there, so we went in with her. I have never in my life seen anything more tacky and hideous.

I agree
 

I agree with you, although I have not been to Dubai and I have no wish to either ! The point of going on vacation is to be outside, not stuch inside looking for the A/C. I'm also of Indian and go to Mumbai every 6 weeks for business and hate it- I can't wait to go home. The pollution laden haze over the city I can't stand !

Mumbai is no prize either--I have been going there 1-2x a year for the last ten years, with my last visit a week ago at the tail end of the Gulf trip. The traffic there has gotten so disastrous in the last few years that it's worse than the old days before all the flyovers. But at least Mumbai has a very exciting and dense culture of its own, not to mention history, art, and fantastic food. In Dubai you get none of the above. Yuck!

Biggest difference is the people. You don't get warmth or personality in Dubai whereas India if full of vibrant and interesting people. Granted most of the people working in Dubai are from India, Pakistan and the Phillipines, but most are not very happy and are only working in Dubai for the money.

Your last sentance says it all... people are there for jobs and to make money. I go every month, and generally have a better experience than you, simply as I am in the airport->hotel->office loop, and avoid the tourist sights.

If you want a week of winter sun and to save the VAT on some expensive purchase then it still suits many people.. just don't plan to go out of the resort very often.

Frankly the less of you that go, the better it is for me, so am enoying this thread.

The apparent attraction for Arabic tourists is that it is a little more free than other Arabic speaking countries, in some ways a replacement for dangerous Lebanon.

Everyone else goes there to make money.

I did meet a crazed Ron Paul advocate recently who was moving there because, he claimed, it was a Libertarian society. I have my doubts. :D

I can understand the attraction for Arabic tourists (although Beirut is so much nicer and more pleasant that it is just a crime that people are not going there). But as for the everyone else going there to make money part, that's not at all what I saw--Europeans are going there on vacation, in droves. It's stunning (and kind of horrifying). I went there to make money :cool:, and a lot of other people do too, but not the vacationers! What are they thinking!?

It depends. For example, there are quite a few Russian tourists in the UAE. It's easier to go there than mess about with getting a Schengen visa just so they can sunbathe a bit!
Others are just stopping over on the way from/to Asia/Pacific. EK and EY usually offer free stopovers, so you can effectively get an extra holiday at the same time as saving money on flights (typically, Middle Eastern carriers are cheaper from Europe to Asia/Oceania than LH/BA/AF). There is no VAT and a bit of bargaining can net you cheap watches/electronics without any of the fear that you would have in China/HKG that they may just be good quality fakes.
Hot weather year-round, too. Shorter distance, many more flights, and much less crime compared to the Caribbean.
DXB may not be the world's most exciting destination, but it works for an awful lot of people.

Have lived in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Kuwait - each for long periods (now back in Kuwait).

Each of the Gulf state's cities are better/worse for something/someone. In terms of liveability, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Bahrain are perfect, but as a tourist there's very little for anyone in those places. Other Gulf Arabs like to go to Dubai for the shopping, and for tourists at least the weather's warm to sit on the beach, the desert is an expanse for sand-boarding or dune-bashing in a 4x4, and it's good to be in-between Abu Dhabi and Oman to do a bit of exploring (the mountains in Oman or Khor Fakkhan on the eastern UAE coast are really pleasant).

But Dubai as a single-venue holiday destination? Nope.

We really enjoyed the dune bashing and desert safari. That was the highlight of our trip, however, I inclined to think that "sand boarding' is not really a sport you can try. Climbing up sand dunes is quite difficult (once you are at the bottom) and it's really hard to catch any sort of speed. It's nice to try out once, but I wouldn't qualify "sand boarding" as a sport just yet.

which company did you use for the safari and dune bashing? I am going in April and looking into mini excursions. Thanks.

LOL! :D

You're not wrong there. But our guide would come down in the Landcruiser and drop us off at the top of the dune again ^

I used to use - and recommend to friends and visitors - Arabian Adventures. Never had a problem with them at all.

http://www.arabian-adventures.com/To...sp?nav=2&sub=1

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...res-Dubai.html

I would agree. Given that I've been there when it's mid-summer in the mid-forties (C!) and very humid, I have a hard time picturing how it's going to be a major tourist desitnation. Combine that with the fact that it rivals Vegas for perhaps the most artificial, manufactured destination on Earth, and I fail to see the appeal.

Having said that, there are other regions in the UAE (Fujeirah, Abu Dhabi) which are quite appealing, but I don't get the appeal with Dubai either.

Not to get overly philosophical, but what is a country's identity if there are no (only about 10% of population) native population?

I liked Dubai enough during my first visit (April 2006) that I found a job and moved here a few months later. I took a massive paycut to come out here, so it wasn't about the money for me. I just think that it is interesting to see a city being built the way Dubai is. Granted, this is a benefit of living here. As a tourist, then yes, it's mostly shopping, with a desert safari option thrown in.

FWIW, I think there are a lot of cities like that. As time goes on, there will be more to do (e.g., DubaiLand). And even now, there is a lot to do, you just have to know how/ where to find it (I'm still trying to figure that out and I've been here 6 months).

To come in the summer or during Ramadan would be a mistake, IMO. Right now is the best time actually, since the weather is pleasant, Global Village is open, and shopping festival has started.

Its Las Vegas without the casinos..........And even then I'm not being fair to Las Vegas, as there is some of the most incredible scenery to be seen arround, which is not really the case for Dubai.

We felt most unwelcome, found empty, and most unlively shopping malls. The place with the most buzz must have be the Carefour supermarket, how exciting is that?

For Europeans North Africa offers far more interesting dessert destinations, and the shopping is no more interesting in Dubai than back home.

Even for a stop over I will do my best to avoid Dubai in the future.

No, I don´t find Dubai overrated. It isn´t cheap anymore as 5 years ago, but I feel always save. I am often there for business and it is a nice place. But if I am more interessted in the arabic culture and way to life, I would recommend to visit OMAN.

I agree,
Most Indians may even offer you help when got in trouble. They are so friendly and expressive that you can't get rid of them.

yeah I heard that about Oman..never been there though. The other place in the gulf that gets high ratings amongst travelers is Yemen. Anyone been there?

Yemen is amazing - I lived in Sana'a for a few months in 96/97 and my work took me all around the country. Amazing culture, incredibly warm people, spectacular scenery. Not for the timid nowadays ... I've promised my wife I'd take her but we'll wait until things cool down a bit.

Perhaps as a business traveler, if conducting business, Dubai is an attractive place to be, for a leisure traveler no doubt about it, Dubai is WAY overrated.

After seeing some of the unique buildings (I've heard the term "Vegas on steroids" used) or the indoor ski slope (was neat to see for 5 minutes), but once the latter is done, for Dubai proper, what's next??

Sun? (get that many other places and for cheaper, less $$), Nice Resorts/hotels (again get that many other places and for cheaper, less $$), Malls (not cheap and big whoop, all the crap I can get at home:rolleyes:), Culture? (not in Dubai).

If anyone is interested in the Middle East as a leisure travel desitination forget Dubai, take in Jordan, Israel, Egypt.

Oman does sound like it has potential.

Gotta go see what that oil money is paying for. Golf courses? Indoor ski slopes? 6-star hotels? Takes the edge off those gas prices, huh?

Am sure there's a bit of Vegas style build-it-and-they-will-come thinking, as well as the notion that the region has room for only one pre-eminent place of that type.

I did research on it in 1998 and darned near went (out of BKK) because airfares from BKK were so cheap in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. But the timing wasn't right (don't go in summer or Ramadan). I dunno if the visa situation is easier now, but then you had to have a hotel sponsor it, and the possible budget hotels that would do it were very limited.

Oman did sound more authentic, the kind of place Indiana Jones might go.

I got ripped off by 2 cabbies and my steak dinner for 2 that included a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir and 8 glasses of Scotch later cost me $560 USD. Then having to go through security 4 times at the airport turned me off to Dubai. Nice passport stamps but I would rather go elsewhere!

Dave

Shocking. Between 2005-08, I don't think we spent $560 on eating out in a month... and we ate out at least 4 times a week, sometimes every night. Of course we avoided the big hotels and we don't drink. How did you go through security 4 times? There is one screening right before the check-in counters and another just after passport control. Where were the other two?

I second this on all counts. San'aa, Ta'iz, Ib, Jibla, Tarim, Shibam, Bait al-Faqih... Amazing places all, and a real adventure.

I um.. third that. Yemen is my favorite place on the peninsula and one of the most fascinating places in the Middle East if not the wider world.

Dubai doesn't have any oil or natural gas to speak about. It's debt-financed.

It sure is, and boy, have those chickens come home to roost. I'm heading to Dubai tomorrow, my first visit since late 2007. I'm wondering if I should bother finding a taxi, or if I should just grab one of those free BMWs with the keys in them that are supposed to be all over the airport parking lot. :D

I've had long discussions about the future of Dubai with a lot of people, including many UAE residents, in the last couple of days. My initial impression of the place, which appears to be borne out by recent trends, was that it was a complete house of cards that was only held together by cheap debt, a pegged currency, and a housing bubble. Once the cheap debt was gone, the housing bubble evaporated too, along with the rationale for a lot of the population to come there (i.e. flipping real estate or building it). Sadly for the UAE, the currency peg (to the USD) is NOT gone, which means that the country has gotten vastly more expensive for pretty much everyone that might have gone there on vacation.

What the general consensus seems to be is that Dubai will remain in existence, but mostly as the world capital of money-laundering. That's what it is really perfectly suited to.

Couldnt agree with you more!

7 months ago i was getting 7.3 dh to the pound, now its down to 5.2! dxb has become a lot more expensive for every one traveling there..

But its still a great place to go out, enjoy have fun and party!

For me the lure of a place is its culture, heritage and architecture. Dubai has none of this. Just the same shops and offices you can see anywhere in the world but in a hot climate made hotter with the mass of concrete and air conditioners churning out heat.

The population are either poor expatriates longing to see their families that they cannot afford to or are not allowed to bring out with them, or overpaid expatriates and locals enjoying the golf and fast car lifestyle.

The one area, Satwa, where some sort of community has built is due for demolition and replacement with more high rise buildings.

For me I enjoy myself more in places like Oman, Jordan and syria.

What I dont understand is where are all the CRASH deals, it seems like a ponzi scheme that should be starting to unravel?
Maybe when the kids get out of school, then everybody will leave.

I still want to visit, but have heard truly awlful things about the level of crime and its failure to get reported, in fact their refusal to report crimes etc....
Anybody had experiences with that aspect of Dubai?

During the three years (2005-2008) I lived in Dubai (near Safa Park for those familiar with the place), we never had any issues with crime. We would walk the 3.5km track around Safa Park at any hour (even 2am) with no issues. I don't know anyone who was the victim of crime in Dubai. I am sure it happens, but it seems very rare indeed.

I know Safa Park very well, lived in Al Safa I. I've walked around at night all over the city (Jumeirah, Bur Dubai, Deira) and no problem.

I talked to a few people here in Lebanon and they talked of crime, and the unwillingness of the police to take reports or misreport murders as something else... (Including some pretty horiffic stories). I wonder if there is a difference to ex-pat and arabic speaking experiences.

Dubai...Vegas without gaming YUK
 

Not sure why people are attracted to this destination...well except for what appears to be those living a double life. Conservative by day....by night a different story. With that said...some decent hotels. Stayed recently at the Raffles Dubai, the pyramid shaped hotel. Great rooms and restaurants.

fly out of DXB VERY often and the people i have spoken to, usually wearing fake burberry baseball caps have loved every minute of it, clutching their fake Lois Vitton and polished soveriegn rings checking their fake Rolex watches, to make sure the get back to MAN, GLA, LGW or BHX so they can grab a spritzer before their local calls last orders!

That saoid, i saty at the burj lots, and there is a certain feeling when you drive through the gates with people looking, taking pictures not being allowed to get in, book early, although Tea not worth it, make a reservation at the chineese ont he ground floor, lunch for 485AED including wine!

The burj offers the best breakfast in town for 250 AED, again you can book!

I have never once been in a shopping Mall and not seen at least ONE store with a massive sale on. I was in French connection just yesterday and brought 5 shirts for 545 AED. One alone was reduced from 1340 AED. So there aere bargains.

Those that have had had sob stories from cab drivers - have heard exectly what they are - sob stories - it means they receive a larger tip! I have spoken to plenty that are in their 5th or 6th year - can it be that bad! Yes, its a bit of a shock, but the biggest shock to them is how they are treated by the passengers, not just westerners, but fellow SE Asians too.

Yes it's a building site, so is Shanghai, Yes the traffic is bad, is London any better? People do not realize the distance you travel for the time it takes you, there are plenty of hihgways that move often at a great pace! Much faster than the M25 for instance.

I think if you go to DUbai with an open mind and are genuinly pleseant to the people you meet/see then you will be treated fairly back!

I have whitnessed so many people complain, or be darn right rude to people, and when they are treated the same way back - do not get it?? Derrrr!

I am not saying my fellow members here are rude, I am saying go with an open mind - it is still very popular!

Im in Dubai now. It’s overrated.
 

That's quite a tacky attitude towards fellow passengers and visitors to Dubai! You miss out Heathrow so i guess that's your home airport.

The Burj is a palace of bling, but it's fun: certainly worth doing once, if you enjoy that sort of thing.

To offer an answer to the OP. Dubai is what it is: you should visit to see if you like it. Plenty do.
It isn't all bling and skyscraper, it doesn't need to be expensive, and if you travel outside the long summer you don't need to set foot in a mall. Taxis are not as cheap as we often get told: but the metro is quite extensive and good value.

But it's not Brighton. Or Torremolinos. You need to be aware there can be pretty onerous consequences for behaviour that wouldn't cause eyebrows to be raised elsewhere.

As much as Dubai bores the heck out of me, petty crime + Gulf States = difficult to imagine