Staying in the beach during the hot hours, in summer days, is suicidal.

​However, the swim at sunset surely compensates the hours under the protection of the air-conditioned.

The heat is bearable, the water is hot, calm is everywhere, and the falling of the night a relaxing enhancement to the bath.

Good moments, but I remembered Cancun, with a bath at 6AM, impossible here, with the beach opening at 7.

​One day, this will be a rich and luxury place to live, but that wasn’t what I found.

Be careful when booking your hotel, because you risk to get installed in the middle of a noisy and dusty construction site.

It must be a lively place, nowadays, but,,, distances are still the same, isn’t it?

The useful with the pleasure

You “have” to cruise the creek. You have to spend a couple of hours each night to have dinner.Why not, joining the useful to the pleasure, and book a dinner cruise? It’s not too expensive, you may book in at your hotel desk where they may pick and drop you, so why not? We did! And it was OK.

Select your company
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The right event demands the right people in the right place. The same program may become boring or unforgettable, according to the behavior of the clients. The dinner cruise is an opportunity that depends on the customers.

Fernanda was in the mood, but… alone. The singer tried her best, pulled the people, but the other clients seemed to have a funeral (or work) the next day.

No way!

I use to like low season.

The sensation of almost exclusive use of the hotel is nice, and the prices are better, but in Dubai, low season… burns!

​No! I don’t recommend Dubai in summer.

What a waste of time, the red flag in the private beach of Dubai Marine until 7AM!

At 6 AM, both the air and water were under 40º C, the water absolutely quiet, the beach empty, no shark or jellyfish, good visibility, and… no swim?

​Why?

You feel good in the air conditioned. But you need to exit and… there’s your photo! Take it easy.

The warmth and humidity instantly dims the lenses and disgraces any quick photo, so, each time you face the strong shock of temperature and humidity, you’d better give your camera a time to adapt, or clean the lens.

Otherwise you will end, like me, ashamed of your pictures, and the computer will make only half miracle.

Remember – that may happen each time you leave the air-conditioned!

The secret for a good vacation is… preparation. Time is always short, the budget, short or large must be controlled, and the location and quality of hotel may make the difference. I booked my stay in Dubai with the objective to stay first in Deira to visit the city, and afterwards in Jumeirah beach. I booked the Sheraton hotel that, in the net, seemed very good and well priced.

​In VT forum I was alerted for Sheraton’s location, almost 30 km from town, and that made me change to Dubai Marine, at the other end of Jumeirah beach and close to town. I visited the Sheraton and confirmed the wisdom of my decision: It is a good hotel (I think) in the middle of a building quarter. With the impossibility to stay long in the beach (the heat…) and with nothing else than cranes in its surroundings, without changing I would have spent a lot of time and money in long distance taxis. VT, (Thanks Jess) was precious!

Booking an escorted visit around town may seem a good idea, and, considered the aggressive weather out there… it was, but I must confess some disappointment, when I noticed that half of the announced time of the trip was used… collecting guests from the hotels. That’s when we realize that the city is wide, the construction obsessive and the traffic generally jammed. Of course, we passed in places where we wouldn’t go, saw what we wouldn’t see, but discovered that a taxi to the souks area would be cheaper and allow more time to what really should be seen.

One of the recommended goods to buy in Dubai is… gold.

If you know what you want, and are sure about how to choose, the gold souk will be your universe. I can’t recommend one shop: they stand door after door, and you will end losing yourself in the golden maze, searching for your precious ornament.

​The prices seem to be good, but… it’s gold, you know?

It is wise to have in mind the recommendations of Dubai-online:

“Always barter on the price of anything you wish to purchase. Sellers will initially set a high price. The weight element of the price is non-negotiable but the charge for workmanship is. Reductions of as high as 30 percent are possible. Similar items can be found in many of the stores so take your time to shop around. Credit cards are accepted, but better discounts can usually be obtained if you pay in cash.
To be on the safe side ensure you purchase from the stores. Strict government regulations ensure items on sale are accurately described. The street vendors don’t adhere to the rules and the jewellery they sell will often (if not always) be fakes.