Luxury vacation on the cheap
Travel date - end of February 2012. Savoy Park Hotel Apartments. savoydubai. come
The selection began before the end of 2011. Since the date itself did not really matter, they wanted to take advantage of hot offers and book a trip in a few days. But it turned out that it takes 4 days to get a visa. Plus they have days off on Thursday and Friday, and we have on Saturday and Sunday. In short, you won't be able to fly away before a week. The tour was chosen on otpusk. com. ua, and there they chose a couple of tour operators from our city who sell this tour. JoinUP turned out to be the most active and compliant. Thanks to them for organizing the holiday. By the way, the tour turned out to be from the TUI agency, but despite this, they had it more expensive. The meeting party was Royal Park. The meeting with the representative was the next morning. After making sure that we were explaining ourselves in English and would not order excursions, she gave a couple of practical tips, added maps and wished us a good rest.
Very nice woman, sorry I didn't remember the name.
They chose stubbornly, since there are a lot of hotels there, and the reviews differ as the haircuts of recruits before the call. They wanted 4 stars with breakfast, but for mere pennies - a standard desire. Beach options on Jumeirah disappeared immediately because of the cost. Especially for outdoor activities - this is not the best option. After the sea and dinner, usually, you don’t feel like flying to the other end of the city on the cradle for the sake of some events. But a city vacation with the possibility of a morning transfer to the beach is the golden mean, with which it is worth starting your first visit to an Arab monastery.
(By the way, a lot of proposals for different emirates like Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Fujairah and various types of beach-city holidays rained down on our not strengthened foundation of ideas about holidays in the UAE. But although we didn’t manage to visit there, we made sure that the chosen our model is optimal.
Next time we will probably choose a beach hotel in Sharjah (it is cheaper there) with a car rental for trips to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah).
City hotels clustered along the 2nd shore of the Dubai Creek. The northern region of Deira is closer to the airport, more colorful, rich in markets and Russian tourists. South coast - Bur Dubai - more modern, less noisy. He was chosen, first of all, because of the remoteness from the airport and the good location to all the attractions.
Organized organization
On Saturday evening, the JoinUp company took a symbolic advance payment from us and began work on booking tickets and a hotel. By e-mail, we threw off copies of the first pages of passports and a page with an insert for a child and 2 photos 3.5x4.5 for a visa and said goodbye until Monday. On Monday, everything was confirmed and, having signed the contract, we went to collect bags. On Thursday, we had our visas and a tour package with tickets and insurance. UIA flew 4.5 hours.
They fed and drank tea.
line control.
Dubai is 2 hours ahead. We arrived at 10 pm, but we went out into the fresh air after midnight. The process of passing the control was very delayed due to the huge number of passengers. Looking at the scoreboard, I found that planes arrive every 5-10 minutes, so even the presence of about 20 passport officers did not speed up the process very much. But, in order.
First, with a passport and a printout of a visa, we go through an eye control. There, your eyes are scanned and stamped on an A4-format visa. This is called entry control. Moreover, the ladies occupy a separate queue, and their eyes are not scanned. It's all on the first floor. Do not get in Passport Control to you in Eye Identification, where most of our compatriots already form a queue. Then to the 2nd floor, where we killed another 1.5 hours. There, the procedure is simple - they gave you a passport and a visa with a seal, and you can already leave a stamp in your passport and visa as a keepsake. All - you are in the United Arab Emirates.
For those who cannot live without alcohol infusions, welcome to Duty Free. There I advise you to buy everything you need right away, since I have not seen alcohol in Dubai. Of course, whoever seeks finds, but it will not be cheaper and easier. You can import up to 4 liters. But do not get carried away, as you have already been waiting for the exit.
You can wave some dollars or euros at once, or you can do it at the hotel. Courses are almost the same 3.6 and 4.6 respectively. It is better to change the rest of the funds in shopping centers or nearby. There rates are 3.66 and 4.78 respectively.
The city is striking at first sight. Such wide and clean roads are still to be found. The sizes here are American, but the infrastructure and convenience are an order of magnitude higher. Since the design here is modern, and the city itself is quite new. Fantastic tunnels and skyscrapers glow with blue fire against the backdrop of palm trees and a starry sky. Very impressive. The hotel was brought quickly.
The quality of the roadway was amazing. We quickly crossed the Dubai Creek bridge from Deira to Bur Dubai to find our hotel among the spacious streets.
The hotel, at first, did not impress my wife, but after living for 7 days, we can unanimously say that it was the best hotel in our life. Its only downside is that it could use some cosmetics to give it a chic sheen, but otherwise the hotel is a solid 5. Speaking of stardom. This hotel was positioned as 4*. Since it is part of the Savoy hotel group, we also found Savoy Suits and Savoy Crest nearby, which went up in class. Tobish our hotel turned out 3 *. But he did not go to any comparison with 3 * in Mallorca. The staff generally elicited praise and applause. Not a single "no" in response. Everything is possible and everything was organized.
It was a good idea to take an apartment instead of a standard room. Everything here is close to home.
The room is extended and due to this it was possible to place a kitchen-studio with everything you need: microwave, stove, toaster, kettle. There was also an ironing board and iron. You could wash your own clothes in the washing machine on the basement floor.
If you are planning an economy vacation, then apartments are all you need. We had breakfast at the hotel, dined in the room, and dinner in Arabic cafes, which allowed us not to break out of the limit.
The breakfasts at the hotels were excellent. It had everything you needed and a little more. About 4 hot dishes, vegetables and fruits, a few sweets, 2 types of cereal and plus a table with Arabic bread and various pastas and dates with olives. Tea, coffee - everything is served by well-groomed waiters, and you feel like in a cafe, and not like in a hotel dining room.
After the visit, 4 beaches became known to me. Al Mamzar, Jumeirah Open Beach, Jumeirah Park Beach, Jumeirah Public Beach. They stretch in order from north to south along the coast of Dubai. The 1st and 3rd are paid for 5 dirhams, the rest are free.
On Monday we were taken to the 1st as the 3rd was women's day. The rest of the time we hung out on the 3rd beach.
Al Mamzar is a cozy beach with a beautiful park and quiet coves created for photography.
Jumeirah open beach - only passed by. A good beach, but there were complaints about the cleanliness of the sand and a more simplified system of changing rooms and showers.
Jumeirah park beach is a great beach with everything you need. This is where we spent most of our vacation.
Jumeirah public beach is another free beach. We were on it only at night, when we took pictures against the backdrop of Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel. In the same place, even in good weather, you can see the incomparable Atlantis. In the dark, of course, you can’t see much, and it’s far from the city center. 40 minutes by bus.
The price is usually for towels 5 dirhams, umbrellas 10, sunbeds 15. Towels and bedding can be rented directly at the hotel for 1 dirham.
Breakfast at the hotel, lunch in the room and dinner at large. We focused on such a menu. Breakfast was from 7:00 to 10:00.
00 and, as I said, were exhaustive. We organized lunch right in the room due to the availability of the studio's kitchen and my addiction to fresh vegetables. The main grocery shopping center was Spinneys Market. They are everywhere. But, if you want to save some money and feel the local flavor, then dive into Iranian shops. They are also everywhere, but not as noticeable. By the way, there you can buy inexpensive local sweets.
We ate at restaurants and cafeterias. At first, I was guided by the instructions of the guide. But those data should be divided by 3 and rounded up to the 2nd decimal place and more guided by your own eyes. For example, we ran into a rather pretentious (I'm talking about the middle class, not for the majors) Paul restaurant with French cuisine, which is located in almost all malls and even at the airport. Prices for dishes there vary from 30 to 50 dirhams. Drinks 10-20 dirhams.
But the portions are so big that I don't recommend ordering more than one. They have great meat salad-between-the-loaves burgers, as well as baked dishes. For children, there is on the menu - french fries + croquettes (chicken or fish) + fanta juice + small ice cream for 33 dirhams. Our child would agree to live here.
We also visited the much-lauded Golden Fork. In Bur Dubai, it is located near the waterfront, in the pedestrian zone of the old quarter. Next to the Astoria Hotel. Or on the other side - Deira - Nasser Square. Filipino diaspora restaurant with a huge menu and a large selection of seafood. Here are the best (probably) and cheap fresh juices. For 11 dirhams you will be offered at least 300 ml of pure strawberry, kiwi, mango and any other juice (except tomato? ). Delicious soups, good kebabs, but not bright plates of seafood mixes. Better order separately.
There are pictures everywhere, so even with basic English you won't go hungry.
Bayt Al-Wakeel is another inexpensive local restaurant. If you don't use a fancy Dh4 cruise boat to cross Dubai Creek, but a discreet AED 1 boat, like all locals, this restaurant will be 20 steps from the pier. You will see it as you drive up to the station. Nearby there is also a local market where you can practice your bargaining skills.
But do not forget to agree on the degree of spiciness of the dishes. Otherwise, be like me, eat and cry.
Lebanese Village Restaurant is an inexpensive, tasty restaurant with chic shawarma and a wonderful space on the 2nd floor. You can also arrange take-out and delivery. Located near Al Fahidi metro station. With meat there, as elsewhere, take a closer look. It's either chicken or lamb. Specify everything else.
All malls have food courts.
These are airfields with runways for McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Subway and at least 20 other fast food patties, including local teams. We ate here once and then out of necessity. The kids will probably like it, but the stomach definitely won't. But this is an amateur. At least the prices do not differ much from the house.
Here you have all the options. Feet, buses, subways and taxis. You can rent your car. We did not have time to issue a card and were left without this possibility. This is a great alternative. But, I recommend doing it not on the first day. And explore the city for a couple of days. Traffic is normal, roads and signs are exhaustive, gasoline is cheap. I did not notice aggressive drivers, although they drive smartly. As I understand it, for a rental car, you can also pay with a debit card, but you need to put about $ 500 on top of your account for freezing. You can contact by email.
And these in Russian can www. ru. economy hire cars. com, www. economybookings. com.
Feet are not needed here. No, of course you can walk.
But this is for the fans. For example, there may be a distance of 3-4 km from the metro to the point you need, and this is in the center. There are many tracks, concrete fences and roundabouts - you can’t run to the overpass. Buses here are more intricate than the metro and there are a lot of routes. Optimally - it's a taxi to the subway, and then the subway. Or, if it's close and you're not alone, then just take a taxi. I tormented my family for 5 days with my optimality, despite all the difficulties of buying tickets and transfers, that for the last 2 days we enjoyed only a taxi. Yes, and in some places there are no pedestrian crossings at all. So, it is necessary to break . There are also not many bicycles. Although sidewalks and roads are ideal.
Taxi. A good alternative for moving within the city center. 3 dirhams for landing and 2 dirhams for km. If you are with a family, it may turn out even cheaper than a metro bus, since children over 4 have to pay in full.
Just clearly name the landmarks you need, otherwise you will ride around the city at your own expense, and the taxi driver will also accuse you of not understanding the names. Once, having heard about a not very long route, the taxi driver decided to make a circle, for which he was immediately poked his nose into the map. He was offended and dropped us off before reaching the bus stop. Everyone else was more conscientious. Maybe because I kept a card handy?
Metro bus. If you are planning this type of transport - get both maps for metro stations (free of charge in the metro itself) and a general city plan with all routes (take it for free at bus stations - but not stops! ). Ask your guide or hotel if they have these cards.
The metro has 2 branches. Green - the city center and red - to the suburbs. The first carriage from the bow is for important persons and women. Don't go there. The metro is clean, fast and modern. Some stations lead directly to the pier.
From some you need to take a bus.
The buses are also as good as the metro and like the metro, the front of the bus is for women and families only. Tickets are not sold at stops and on the bus itself!
Here, all payments are made using electronic tickets. For tourists, there are only 2 types: red and gray. If you plan to use transport for more than 1 day, then buy yourself a gray card. It costs 20 dirhams and the account will be 14. She can pay for the subway, bus, boat and even parking. Simply, as soon as 14 dirhams evaporate, replenish it again at the ticket machine or at the cashier at the stations.
I recommend not messing with red tickets, as there are too many restrictions on use. And for each ticket you need to pay 2 dirhams.
You can book a round trip on one ticket, but there is a time limit, plus if you change your mind and decide to go to another place, then it may no longer be suitable and you will again have to pay an additional 2 dirhams only for the ticket itself. There is a ticket for the whole day - unlimited, so to speak, for 16 dirhams.
Travel payment.
The city is divided into several zones. Within 1 zone travel 2.5, 2 4.5 and by metro and by bus. There are also time limits, so scan your ticket at the entrance (the window on the handrail in the bus and the entrance gate in the metro) and be sure to exit at the exit, otherwise they will rip off the maximum fare. With a gray ticket, you can hop on any bus instead of running around looking for red tickets.
In the subway, take a gray book. Although it is in English, everything is described in detail how to use this NOL card.
The people here are very peaceful and polite, so no one will tell you if you are dissecting in a short T-shirt and shorts. But here in the park, transport or they say you may not be allowed. So try to dress modestly. Although women themselves will feel on themselves from the tireless glances, if they are not dressed very modestly. In the piers you can not be with bare shoulders and knees, kissing, drinking or eating on the go. I did not meet smokers in the city at all. Perhaps there are some special places.
Modest clothing can be good for you - do not burn during the day, and do not freeze in the evening. In the evening it is good if there is no wind. Then a long-sleeved T-shirt or pita will be just right.
Arabs are very fond of children - especially girls. Compliments are poured, touched on the face and photographed in full. Very touching.
Entertainment
Entertainment in itself. They try to place additional attractions to attract tourists.
Such as children's entertainment, aquariums or snow slides. We missed the festival this year. It ended on February 5th. Without it, prices do not look very attractive. Approximately, as in Kyiv without discounts.
Wafi Mall seemed to me the most beautiful. You can just come there to take pictures and have lunch. Since there are chic sphinxes and pyramids of the Egyptian style, as well as a huge indoor market, for orientation there is even a map. (In general, there is a map and information centers for orientation in each complex). Plus Entertaining Zone for children with small carousels and a bunch of machines. It is located on the 3rd floor and is divided into 2 wings: for children up to 6-7 and older. Good games, but only to distract the child for an hour or two.
From the courtyard you can get to the Pyramids. This is a 3-storey luxury complex. There are restaurants and spas. You should pay a visit there, if only to take pictures.
The Dubai Mall also attracts because of the aquarium located inside and the show of singing fountains in the evening from 18.00 to 22.00.
The aquarium, of course, is inferior to the world counterparts, but compares favorably with an underwater tunnel. Children will especially like it. Combo ticket aquarium + tunnel costs 50 dirhams. You will be photographed at the entrance and at the exit they will offer a framed photo for 170 dirhams! For me, this is still a record for the price. You can buy, or you can smile broadly - they will not be upset. After the tunnel, you need to climb 2 floors up and continue the tour of the aquarium itself.
The singing fountains are 100% worth a visit. Evil tongues say that there are plenty of them, but I don't believe them. A memorable show, especially for children. The show lasts 5-10 minutes and starts every half hour from 18 to 22.
If you come here by metro, then most likely you will have to take a bus from the metro to the F13 pier itself. It runs throughout the district, which is a separate mini-town.
The third, fades against the background of the first two, but costs more democratically 115 dirhams and children under 10(? ) are free. In addition, it consists of two parks: aqua and an amusement park. And for 280 dirhams, the whole family got unlimited access to both of these parks.
Wonderland. When we got there at 10 o'clock, it was empty, which was surprising. But today was a day only for families, and the water was no higher than 18-19 degrees. During the day, of course, it warmed up more, but it was still refreshing. There are not many attractions here and they are not scary. For the first time I rolled to the dumps, as there were almost no queues. The water is clean, the territory is well-groomed, but there is a feeling of the 2nd league, compared to other water parks. It has everything you need, but without glamor.
On the other side there is an amusement park for adults and kids. We were indicated on the ticket all the rides and the total amount of rides. But you can ride as much as you like, only certain attractions will let you in 1 time.
Yes, and all slot machines for a fee.
What I liked was that all the rides were acceptable even for women and there were practically no queues - they swam and rolled for pleasure. But who needs gloss and completeness in everything, it is better to go to 2 others.
children's city
A must visit for those with children. This is the best development facility I have ever seen. Entrance 15/10 dirhams. We got here before leaving and even a little late for the transfer because of the show in the planetarium. It is there on the 3rd floor and starts every hour. It was exciting. My daughter was scared at first, but then she got used to it.
There are also 2 floors of educational exhibits, including a massive human mouth, a huge computer and telephone, and much more that your child will be delighted with. This is the best time spent by a child, after the beach, of course .
Located in Greekside Park next to Wonderland. There are 5 gates. You to Main gate.
We did not take tours with a guide.
We speak English and spent a week on the internet planning our trip. The only excursion you won't do yourself is a jeep safari with dinner in a Bedouin village and the opportunity to decorate your hands with wonderful drawings. All the rest, for me, are not worth their $70-100 per person. But if there is trouble with English and this money is not a pity, then act. Otherwise, you will leave without seeing all the beauties of this delightful city.
As I said, we missed the festival. Good stint at Carrefour and Max - another store located in several locations. It is rich in casual clothes, children's things and inexpensive prices. Children's clothes 20-40 dirhams, adults 40-80, and shoes 20-80.
Souvenirs are best taken at the open bazaar, or in the souvenir shops of Carrefour itself. Prices there reach ridiculous 7-10 dirhams.
We didn't take the gold. Not very cheap and plus not very clear. You feel that it is very difficult to defeat the Arabs on the deal.
Although, who is more self-confident, they can bargain. Bought a silver bracelet and a couple of rings in the same Carrefour building where the souvenirs are. There are no discounts, but the prices are very reasonable. The bracelet cost 120 dirhams, the rings 70-100 dirhams. This wonderful Carrefour is located next to the central bus station Al Ghubaiba. From it, everyone goes on buses to other emirates.
Near the gold market, a nimble Arab caught us and went to show his wife the bags - "a good fake. " We went through some turns-corridors. But the guide warned us that go anywhere - everything is safe. My wife liked the Burgary bag, but it cost 400 dirhams. They didn't give up much. True, after my intervention, for 400 dirhams, we took 2 bags - another sister.
Rest turned out well, and do not believe the evil tongues. Our sea was 18-20 degrees, the wind blew for 3 days, and on the last day a sandstorm began. But none of this spoiled our holiday.
Prepare in advance and try to get the most out of that miserable week, which is clearly not enough for a stay in this wonderful metropolis. I hope that my not short opus did not tire you, but gave you the necessary guidelines and ideas.
Have a good rest, good mood and self-confidence! !
