UAE, Sharjah from 27.04-02.05.2017. Copthorne Hotel Sharjah 4*
Tour operator. Transfer.
We took a ticket in Chiptrip, operator Anex tour. Tickets by mail a day before departure. Upon arrival, you will be met by guides, seated on buses and taken to hotels. In general, I liked everything, the bus is cool and good. It took 1.5 hours to get to the hotel (evening, traffic jams), our hotel was the first on the list. They told us the basic information, handed out brochures with a map and the guide's phone number. The next day we talked with a guide named Alisher. Young, boorish, impudently "stealing" excursions with the words "this is not Egypt for you, excursions must be taken only from the operator, otherwise they will definitely deceive and kill", "Decide now, then I won't have time for you. " At the same time, he doesn’t really say anything, he is impudent, he reluctantly answers questions. Signed up for shopping for leather and gold. The trip as a whole is useless - the quality is so-so, the price tag is horsey (In general, you have to go shopping for a sale in January at the Dubai Mall and the prices are lower and the sellers do not ask "What can you afford, well, how much do you have? " - so the Russian comrades persuade buy a leather jacket in Dubai : -)
Hotel
We arrived at the hotel after 23:00. They settled quickly, the administrator gave the cards from the room, the WiFi password, called the restaurant, the porter carried the bags, and we went to dinner. From the road, it was perfect. And this despite the fact that dinner is until 22:30! The food is good, almost everything is edible, unlike the Turks and Egyptians. Meat, chicken, fish are always available. For breakfast, the chef prepares scrambled eggs, there are 3-5 people in line. There is oatmeal. Tea / coffee only for breakfast, the rest of the time the waiters go and pour bottled water. But you can drink in the room (there is a kettle, mugs, bags). I don’t know why they write about a closed refrigerator, we had it open, every day they added 2 bottles of water for free, soda for money. Shampoos, soap and even razors and toothpaste are all available, added as needed. 5 towels for two is enough. The shower is designed in such a way that it is almost impossible to wash and not flood the floor. Everything dries up in the morning. The view from the windows to the neighboring building, no balcony. I'm not a smoker so it didn't bother me. By the way, alcohol is prohibited in the UAE, there is nowhere to buy, so we buy at Duty Free, take cola near the hotel for 3 dirhams, ask for ice at the hotel restaurant, go up to the room and... enjoy a pleasant evening. I do not recommend reveling in the dupel, Sharjah is the most strict Emirate! Also on the territory of the hotel there is a swimming pool, spa and gym (11th floor). The pool and gym are free, the girls at the Health Center reception actively offer a spa. I recommend agreeing to free advertising procedures : -)
Beach
Municipal beach (free). Went on foot - 20 minutes yards. The beach is clean, sand, few shells. Few people, quite comfortable. The water is warm, it would be cooler. The sun is hot, I recommend buying an umbrella, creams in advance and taking water with you, a bite to eat (there are no sun loungers, umbrellas on the beach, no one offers churchkhela, it’s far from the store).
Excursions
. Since there was little time, the program was quite dense. On the first day, we drove through the whole of Dubai, looked at the hotels Atlantis, Burj Al Arab, Medinat Jumeirah and many others, walked around the Dubai Mall, admired the shark aquarium, climbed the Burj Khalifa tower. On the second day we went to Abu Dhabi: Yas Waterworld Water Park, Ferarri Park, Sheikh Zayed Mosque, city tour. At the same time, the prepayment was only the cost of the tickets themselves, the rest was calculated after the fact. The price tag pleasantly surprised (see photo), the attitude pleased. He really knows his business, he will tell you everything, show you, advise where it is cheaper (Dates and pistachios - fire! ). There is an excellent store selling phones, tablets and other things - I recommend it. In general, if you apply, speak from Vladimir, let him rejoice : )
City/Currency Exchange/Eat
The city is clean, at the exit from the hotel there is a beautiful embankment for evening walks. Behind the hotel on a parallel street there are a lot of shops with groceries, cafes, pharmacies. The currency was changed at the Golden Tulip shopping center (at the exit from the hotel to the right for about 15 minutes, across the bridge). Commission 3 dirhams, but there is a good supermarket with fruits and nice shops. Among all the cafes, it is worth highlighting the local institution "Bukhari Al Khaleej". The price tag is very reasonable, and at the same time, everything is sooo delicious. As in most similar establishments, local soup, salad, sauces, bread and tea are served free of charge. I really liked the fried chicken on the grill and crumbly, long rice. Attached is a photo of the menu.
Summary
In general, I really liked my stay in Sharjah. The town is quite quiet, excellent promenade for walking, fountains, Ferris wheel. It will be a bit boring for young people, since there is practically nothing to do in the evening, we go to Dubai for parties. In the case of a rich excursion and party program at the hotel, it is better to take only breakfast - they did not always have time for dinner. You can also change dinner for lunch, if you warn the reception in advance.