Dubai - www.appuntidiviaggi.net

Dubai is a place for a long time attracted me and so along the way to Philippines I decided to make a short stop over with the idea to shop in the shopping heaven (as it is defined) and to give a glance to the city. Even if the visit has been fast, I have not remained very enthusiastic, I had the impression of a place with little personality, not so much things to see, the suqs are quite interesting, for the rest big shopping and residential centers. Beautiful the Jumeirah beach park, with a big beach even if artificial, sin for the sight of the ships entering the pier. Unfortunately I have not had the possibility to make a short cruise along the Creek, I have been satisfied to cross it and of a pleasant walk along the shores.

I visited almost all the shopping centers but I have to say I remained quite disappointed, the prices of the electronic goods are comparable to ours and the choice it is not ample, same discourse for the famous Duty Free of the airport. In Deira around Abdul Nasser square are found many small shops where after long negotiations good prices can be sprouted for electronic goods to pact to abdicate to every type of guarantee when you go out from the shop.
Other kinds of goods are not also seemed me cheap, apart the spices of the homonym suq.

Lodgings
For low budget travellers, lodging in Dubai represents probably the big problem, really to say the truth a lot of relatively cheap lodgings are found starting from the YHA hostel, the problem is to book, I sent different email/reservations but I have not had ever answered. Even on the net I had the opportunity to verify that also with the telephone bookings there are notable difficulties.
So also arriving during night I decided not booking anything, I took the bus for the central district of Deira, really next to the Sabakha bus station I found a discreet room to the Pacific Hotel already seen on Internet. The zone is full of cheap hotels, is necessary however to make attention because almost all are "time-hotels".

FOOD
In the shopping centers you can find food for every taste and price, from the fast food to gourmet cousine, in the city center are found Arabic restaurants, the omnipresent kebaab (that I adore) seemed me is considered more one snack as for the smallest portions in comparison to those tried by other parts.

LOCAL TRANSPORTS
Taxis are quite cheap and available so much that local people use them to go shopping the supermarket; I used where possible the buses, also from/to the airport, attention: usually the front seats are reserved to the women. The surface metro reach all districts.
On friday with the exception of the taxi all the transport don't work until late afternoon, as all shops with the exception of the big shopping mall.
Also to try crossing the Creek with the typical abras.

Jumeirah beach park

An animated night landing

Deira street

through the skyscrapers