One Day in DXB
 

Afternoon happy campers,

I'm potentially going to be quite lucky and have my big Sis stopping in Dubai for 24 hours on her way back to Blighty from SA with work.

She's angling for 2-3 days but looking like it'll be just one (1am land, fly 26hrs later at 3am).

So, she's got a day. What do I do with her?

Thinking:

Brekkie somewhere, probably take her down to JBR to Paul or something, it ticks off that, the Marina and JLT and the impressive skyline etc.

Then take her onto the palm, up to Atlantis, pictures taken.

Then maybe Dubai Mall or MoE for the ski slope.

Then maybe Karama for some shopping for her (her request Meow, not my suggestion)

Then back home, change and out to dinner at Soukh al Bahar or something.

Will I die of exhaustion or is this all doable? Am I missing anything mega obvious?

Re: One Day in DXB
 

Find somebody to take her up the burj?

Re: One Day in DXB
 

****, man. It's my sister.

Could take her to the viewing deck of the Khalifa (careful...). Not a bad suggestion.

Re: One Day in DXB
 

Creek, Abras and souks?

Re: One Day in DXB
 

Bingo, good shout, that's the arvo sorted.

There's fake stuff for her to buy in Bur Dubai too. I also like showing people the older bits of town.

Re: One Day in DXB
 

Beat me to it.... Sorry Scamp!

Re: One Day in DXB
 

make sure her ticket allows to exit at Dubai and that she is not a transit passenger.

Re: One Day in DXB
 

Similar schedule a few weeks back with some friends on an 18 hr stop over en route to Singapore. We entertained & filled the time as follows:

9am airport pick up
Home, change
11am Burj K
12.30 to 2pm - lunch at Carluccios followed by a wander thro Dubai Mall look at the aquarium etc.
3pm to 6pm - 4 pints by the pool at home promising them time for an hrs snooze before going out to dinner
6pm to 8pm - no snooze but some Equestra DJ tunes with a couple of vodkas to liven us up before going out to dinner at Rivington Grill Madinat.
10.30pm - back to Dubai Mall to catch the 'must see' fountains.
11pm - Neos Bar on the 63rd to check out the night view & fountains from above + a very expensive nightcap or 2.
12.30am - home, 1am taxi ordered for friends to take them back to the airport.

I understand they were asleep before take off and stayed that way until they landed in Singapore having last slept the morning before they left the uk :D

Great day!

Hope you have as much fun with your sis Scamp!

Re: One Day in DXB
 

Can't think of any Dubai bingo establishments. There's a Mecca in Saudi. Two fat ladies

Re: One Day in DXB
 

That's why I suggested you find someone else to do it. She might thank you if you choose well.

You said big sis so I assumed there was a lifetime of teasing and torture to repay. If it was your little sis maybe I could understand you being all protective and indignant.

Anyway, here's an alternative to mall madness building a bit on other suggestions.

Start with a walk around Bastakiya and light lunch in one of the lovely courtyard cafes (like this one or the XVA). If any of the doors are open you can go inside the buildings; most have courtyards and you can even climb up inside some where you'll find odd little museums and shops and galleries.

Then walk down to the main square with the restored Al Fahidi fort housing the Dubai museum (worth 45 minutes to get a cheesy but decent overview of Dubai's history). Past the down-at-heel (for Dubai) grand mosque and into the textile souq. You may want to keep an eye on the gropers (as will yours) but it is a real live souq though increasingly touristy. In a square off to the left before the end of the souq passage is the blue and white tiled riotous facade of the Iranian mosque.

The abra station is at the end of the souq. If you're hungry you can walk back up along the boardwalk over the creek a few metres to Beit Al Wakeel, a decent-enough Lebanese food place in a great converted old shipping company offices right over the water (make sure and go upstairs to the toilet at some point). Then you can catch an abra over to the spice souq (the best of them) and then wander over to the gold souq. After all that it's an easy taxi to the Park Hyatt (which is a great Dubai experience just to walk through) for sundowners over the creek in their lovely chilled out bar on the water.

Re: One Day in DXB
 

OR.......
go from the airport and drive to the Bastakiya area, by the time you get out of the airport it will be 2.30 ish...have something to eat and a coffee at 1 of the coffee shops in the area and walk down by the creek.
Go home, have a nap and a shower and then go down to Jumeirah beach area and walk along the beach and take pictures of the burj al arab. Go to Mina al Salam hotel and take the abra over to Al Qasr, have a wander around the hotel and stop for a coffee in the foyer. Go to Karama ( if you must) Book lunch at The Atmosphere..they do a special deal and it is a fab view. Walk around Dubai Mall and then pop home to shower and change, go to The Rivington at Souk al Bahar for dinner, book a table on the terrace, and see the fountains.then you will still have time to go home freshen up and take her back to the Airport. What day of the week is she arriving?

Re: One Day in DXB
 

More to the point - although which day your sis would be arriving is relevant - is when? Next week, next month?

Re: One Day in DXB
 

Everything you have suggested I have done a few times with visitors without really knowing it. The Mosque you refer to - I assume this is the one that pops out of nowhere at the back of the 'modernised' souk which is all fantastic and incredibly decorated on the front and plain on the sides?

The eatery you mention - this is the one with a big queue generally and you sit on the wooden 'boardwalk' type structure over the water....toilets up the very short stairs right?

Great suggestions.

Awesome, sounds like you had a quality day, I've not been to Neo's yet but fancy it....how pricey?

Hadn't considered Atmosphere - ticks the viewing deck almost and has grub. Thanks for that...also, Rivington was going to be my choice.

Erm, it would be Tuesday next week.

Re: One Day in DXB
 

Can't a British passport holder simply get a day pass type of thing? I remember doing that about 8 years ago.

Re: One Day in DXB
 

:frown:

Bad news. Just seen an email from her last night saying that she's no longer flying back via DXB.

Sorry for wasting your time folks but thank you for some quality suggestions.

Trying to twist her arm to come for the Grand Prix....one of her best friends is married to a senior chap in the McLaren garage so I have my greedy little fingers crossed. :fingerscrossed: