Vegemite Kids

I've worked in both Singapore and Dubai and would say S'pore definately has more to see and do, plus I found the locals to be much friendlier and easier to talk to.

Public transport is better in S'pore also, so getting around is much easier.

Regards
VK

heldownunder

Singapore definately
Went to dubai coming didnt like it - singapore is easy to travel around different cultural areas, metro, botanical gardens, but expensive
Kl also good lovely area around mandarin oriental hotel ( honeymooned there)which has parklands shops restaurants etc
Any advice from my well travelled oldies just shout myrtle ...

eddie007

if you're booking their accommodation avoid the Fragrance hotel... Booked my father in the on line he's in his 70's... He had a LOVELY time... My bad

myrtle1

Thanks so much to everyone for all their comments here We were trying to convince the rellies that Singapore was better than Dubai ... we'll now pass these comments across! Much appreciated

Kooky.

In Singapore? It's a chain, quite a few of them - pretty much all rentable by the hour

Avoid the Hotel 81 chain for the same reason.

koalakim

Singapore gets my vote as well!

I last went to Dubai over 10 years ago but no doubt it's probably nothing like the Dubai I visited back then. We went to the souks in the evening which was okay and a arabian desert evening (camel rides, belly dancing, wadi bashing) which was fun.

Dubai in June/July can reach 50 degrees so consequently much cheaper to go then!

Also no hanky panky in public in Dubai otherwise you find yourself staying longer than expected! It's a strange culture, we were working at the airshow and the local men wouldn't even talk to us girls to do business (real business not the other sort .

Feel much more comfortable in Singapore!

Amazulu

Interesting. I've never understood the desire for Western people to move their families/life to a place that is basically a medieval society.

Kim67

It's fun for a bit. The cultural diversity of the place is amazing and a great experience for kids.

Amazulu

I understand wanting to work there for a few years to make a lot of cash (although there are other, more civilised places to do this), but I cannot understand people moving there to live there permanently. I know 2 people who have done this.

Kim67

Well, it's hard to move to the UAE forever because you're not entitled to ever be a citizen and if you are not sponsored by your employer/spouse/parent, you have to do "visa runs". This is okay for some nationalities, but for nationalities (such as your own) you must leave the country for 30 days before you return. I know a lot of long term Dubai residents that are either leaving or making their plans to exit as soon as they can. A lot of people like to live there long term because they love the big house, flashy car, maids, private school kind of lifestyle the UAE offers them. There are also people that feel Dubai is the only place that offers them a safe and happy lifestyle - for example, my friend who is blonde haired, blue eyed german married to a native Sudanese Muslim. She is a covered and has four of the most beautiful mixed race kids you could ever have the pleasure of meeting, but in Germany and Sudan, they don't fit in, in the UAE nobody even notices.