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Dubai question for Anne (Jayayeff)


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4 hours ago, Summer35 said:

Thank you. If I buy them through Groupon, I have to pick them up or did I get them in advance ?

 

 

I will admit, I haven't bought mine yet as I don't arrive until April, but I have read about this option on TripAdvisor where it is used frequently.  As Anne mentioned, they are most likely vouchers.  The Groupon website has numerous ticket options and there is a 'Fine Print' section that describes what to do, when it is available, how many.....all those details.

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On 10/1/2019 at 9:35 AM, Jayayeff said:

 

I'm pretty certain the two mentioned are selling official tickets however, all options will only be 'vouchers' or 'receipts' and you will need to collect the actual tickets from the ticket office for At The Top which is in Dubai Mall - either in advance or on the day you have booked to go up the Burj Khalifa...

 

Anne...

Anne, thank you for your help 🙂

 

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On 10/1/2019 at 1:40 PM, mef_57 said:

I will admit, I haven't bought mine yet as I don't arrive until April, but I have read about this option on TripAdvisor where it is used frequently.  As Anne mentioned, they are most likely vouchers.  The Groupon website has numerous ticket options and there is a 'Fine Print' section that describes what to do, when it is available, how many.....all those details.

Thank you 🙂 

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  • 2 weeks later...
3 hours ago, Canuckjammer said:

I'll be travelling solo late January for 2-3 nights pre-cruise and am looking at AirBnb.  Would the area near Jumeirah Beach or Marina be a good choice?  Are there any specific areas to avoid?  Thanks in advance for advice.  Maureen

 


If this is your first visit to Dubai and you want to sightsee during your time here I personally would not recommend Dubai Marina as it’s quite a distance from many of the popular sites.  If by Jumeirah Beach you mean AirBnB properties in the Jumeirah Beach Residences development, they are in the same Dubai Marina location, just some of the JBR ones overlook the beach/sea....  If you prefer a ‘residence’ as opposed to regular hotel accommodation then there are many Hotel Apartments managed by established hotel companies that are not as far out as Dubai Marina.... It really depends what you want to do with your time as to which location would be best but just to give you an idea of distance - the Marina area is a good 45 minutes by car or Metro from the Creek and ‘Old Dubai’....

 

Anne..

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On 10/18/2019 at 12:32 AM, Jayayeff said:


If this is your first visit to Dubai and you want to sightsee during your time here I personally would not recommend Dubai Marina as it’s quite a distance from many of the popular sites.  If by Jumeirah Beach you mean AirBnB properties in the Jumeirah Beach Residences development, they are in the same Dubai Marina location, just some of the JBR ones overlook the beach/sea....  If you prefer a ‘residence’ as opposed to regular hotel accommodation then there are many Hotel Apartments managed by established hotel companies that are not as far out as Dubai Marina.... It really depends what you want to do with your time as to which location would be best but just to give you an idea of distance - the Marina area is a good 45 minutes by car or Metro from the Creek and ‘Old Dubai’....

 

Anne..

Thanks Anne, Now I'm reconsidering and looking at DoubleTree by Hilton Business Bay.  Would that be walking distance to Burj Khalifa, Fountains & Mall?

 

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4 hours ago, Canuckjammer said:

Thanks Anne, Now I'm reconsidering and looking at DoubleTree by Hilton Business Bay.  Would that be walking distance to Burj Khalifa, Fountains & Mall?

 


The walking distance from the Doubletree Business Bay to Dubai Mall, Fountains, Burj Khalifa etc. would be around half an hour.  If you wanted to be closer than that then you’d need to look at properties that are around the Sh. Moh’d Boulevard (the horseshoe road on the map)

 

Anne...

 

 

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Hi Anne, how is the metro on Friday evening? Will it be very crowded? We are planning to spend the day in Legoland with our kid and then take the shuttle bus + metro to Mall of the Emirates to pick up our luggage and then take the metro again to the airport for our 19:00 flight. I think the Mall of the Emirates is relatively at the outskirt of the city centre and we should be OK? 

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3 hours ago, ad156 said:

Hi Anne, how is the metro on Friday evening? Will it be very crowded? We are planning to spend the day in Legoland with our kid and then take the shuttle bus + metro to Mall of the Emirates to pick up our luggage and then take the metro again to the airport for our 19:00 flight. I think the Mall of the Emirates is relatively at the outskirt of the city centre and we should be OK? 


The Metro tends to be busy whatever the day however, the trains run every few minutes so if one is too crowded then wait for the next one, or buy Gold Class tickets for your journey from MoE to the airport as those carriages don’t get so crowded....

 

Anne...

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Hi, Anne, wow, thank you for all of your contributions to this forum. What a bonus for all of us traveling to the UAE!

 

I have one for ya. I'm making my first visit over the winter holidays (in part, via Royal Caribbean's 7-night RT out of Dubai hitting various area ports). I read about this festival--it gets rave reviews for cultural experience. But there's not a lot of detailed information to be found online. I posted the question below to the UAE forum on the usual travel research site (I haven't been on CC in a while, so don't know if I can say the name!), but no one's answered. I do have a fair price quote on a car and guide to make the trip from Abu Dhabi (and the guide outfitter also promised to research, but nothing yet). So I'm just trying to decide whether to commit! 

 

Do you happen to have any scoop? Thanks in advance for any information you know or any "very local" online resource you might suggest as possible fertile ground for details.

 

  • I will be visiting for the first time in late December 2019. The best day for me to go to the Al Dhafra Festival is Sunday, December 28, 2019. The website doesn't show the program. See turathuna.ae/en/event/al-dhafra-festival

    Can anyone share program information for that day? Or at least offer general advice about what to expect. Is there a Mazayna every day of the festival, and if so, at what time?

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5 hours ago, Artemis said:

Hi, Anne, wow, thank you for all of your contributions to this forum. What a bonus for all of us traveling to the UAE!

 

I have one for ya. I'm making my first visit over the winter holidays (in part, via Royal Caribbean's 7-night RT out of Dubai hitting various area ports). I read about this festival--it gets rave reviews for cultural experience. But there's not a lot of detailed information to be found online. I posted the question below to the UAE forum on the usual travel research site (I haven't been on CC in a while, so don't know if I can say the name!), but no one's answered. I do have a fair price quote on a car and guide to make the trip from Abu Dhabi (and the guide outfitter also promised to research, but nothing yet). So I'm just trying to decide whether to commit! 

 

Do you happen to have any scoop? Thanks in advance for any information you know or any "very local" online resource you might suggest as possible fertile ground for details.

 

  • I will be visiting for the first time in late December 2019. The best day for me to go to the Al Dhafra Festival is Sunday, December 28, 2019. The website doesn't show the program. See turathuna.ae/en/event/al-dhafra-festival

    Can anyone share program information for that day? Or at least offer general advice about what to expect. Is there a Mazayna every day of the festival, and if so, at what time?

 

This is the second 'unusual' information request in as many days!!  I do know of the Al Dhafra Festival but not a lot about it however, I've found an online blog from an expat in the UAE who has been to the festival on more than one occasion.  I'll post a link below along with another link to an Abu Dhabi information site that just gives brief details, along with location map.  One thing I have noted is there seems to be conflicting dates for this year's event with both of these sites listing 9th December - 24th December, but I have also seen 17th December - 1st January 2020 listed??   As you know Al Dhafra region is quite a drive out of Abu Dhabi heading out toward the Empty Quarter and the border with Saudi Arabia, and the festival is an annual celebration of the heritage of the people who lived in this region before the 21st century captured the UAE.  The festival 'site' spreads over a very large area and whilst there is a programme of sorts, it isn't a daily timetable of events so I doubt very much whether you would be able to time your visit to see any specific event.   I believe the Mazaynas take place throughout the festival until such time as the 'champion' is selected however, at what time each day I would have thought you're unlikely to know in advance.  The festival site isn't quite as 'basic' as it used to be - the traditional souq is now a permanent structure along with I believe a fuel station and other 'luxuries' that were not standard to the nomadic desert tribes when they would gather for such festivals in the not too distant past!!!   I hope these will give you a bit more information::

https://www.familytravel-middleeast.com/al-dhafra-festival-abu-dhabi/

https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/al-dhafra-festival-2019

 

Anne...

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I sew as a hobby and have an interest in local fabrics or needlework. I was wwtching some Youtube videos and wondering if the Textile souk closer to the Dubai Museum and the Creek is better than Meena Bazaar for trims and fabrics? It seems very julticultural, so hoping for something a little more locally authentic. Is there such a thing? Did local womem have a specific type of needlework or fabric use I should look for?

I am not good at bartering, but I know it is expected and part of the fun. What is a typical percentage reduction I should aim for?

Thanks Anne.

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55 minutes ago, mef_57 said:

I sew as a hobby and have an interest in local fabrics or needlework. I was wwtching some Youtube videos and wondering if the Textile souk closer to the Dubai Museum and the Creek is better than Meena Bazaar for trims and fabrics? It seems very julticultural, so hoping for something a little more locally authentic. Is there such a thing? Did local womem have a specific type of needlework or fabric use I should look for?

I am not good at bartering, but I know it is expected and part of the fun. What is a typical percentage reduction I should aim for?

Thanks Anne.


You are referring to one and the same place - Meena Bazaar is just a name that has been adopted for the streets in the area you mention,   https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/dubai/meena-bazaar-a-slice-of-india-in-dubai

 

I’m afraid handicrafts have never been my forte so I can’t really offer any advice on the topic or the materials used.  As with anything - bargaining, bartering, call it what you will, is all about paying what you believe to be a fair and acceptable price.  There is no typical percentage off, if you feel something is more than you thought it would be, or are willing to pay then just make it known you find it too expensive and take it from there until you either get a fair/acceptable price or walk away and try elsewhere.   I’m not sure what the exchange rate is for the Canadian $ against the Dirham but if you go knowing what it is you will have a better idea of whether something is value for money or not by having a benchmark to work from....

 

Anne...

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7 hours ago, Jayayeff said:


You are referring to one and the same place - Meena Bazaar is just a name that has been adopted for the streets in the area you mention,   https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/dubai/meena-bazaar-a-slice-of-india-in-dubai

 

I’m afraid handicrafts have never been my forte so I can’t really offer any advice on the topic or the materials used.  As with anything - bargaining, bartering, call it what you will, is all about paying what you believe to be a fair and acceptable price.  There is no typical percentage off, if you feel something is more than you thought it would be, or are willing to pay then just make it known you find it too expensive and take it from there until you either get a fair/acceptable price or walk away and try elsewhere.   I’m not sure what the exchange rate is for the Canadian $ against the Dirham but if you go knowing what it is you will have a better idea of whether something is value for money or not by having a benchmark to work from....

 

Anne...

Thank you Anne.  I will say that when I used Google Maps, the bazaars seemed separate, but close enough, I guess. And your article confirms that much if it is more India based that UAE. (I think the original Meena Bazaar is in Delhi, so I can see how the name was adopted). I would prefer to buy my India fabrics in India, so was wondering if there was a textile heritage for UAE.

I sometimes do a little currency conversion table for myself before travel. I most likely will have to this trip as I think I'll be working with 6 different currencies during this cruise. I am also used to comparison shopping, which isn't possible with no price tags or knowledge of what is a fair price for an item. I certainly don't want to haggle to the last fil, but it is intimidating and was wondering if there was a loose rule of thumb. Some places seem to be 50%, but I'll stumble along.

Thank you for your time for this reply and all the answers to the myriad of questions here. They wre invaluable.

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2 hours ago, mef_57 said:

Thank you Anne.  I will say that when I used Google Maps, the bazaars seemed separate, but close enough, I guess. And your article confirms that much if it is more India based that UAE. (I think the original Meena Bazaar is in Delhi, so I can see how the name was adopted). I would prefer to buy my India fabrics in India, so was wondering if there was a textile heritage for UAE.

I sometimes do a little currency conversion table for myself before travel. I most likely will have to this trip as I think I'll be working with 6 different currencies during this cruise. I am also used to comparison shopping, which isn't possible with no price tags or knowledge of what is a fair price for an item. I certainly don't want to haggle to the last fil, but it is intimidating and was wondering if there was a loose rule of thumb. Some places seem to be 50%, but I'll stumble along.

Thank you for your time for this reply and all the answers to the myriad of questions here. They wre invaluable.


I’m not sure there is a textile heritage as the two countries (India and what is now the UAE) have always been close trading partners, which is why all those traders and tradesmen, i.e. tailors etc. beside the Creek tend to be of Indian origin.  The traditional UAE female dress is also very similar to the Indian shalwar khameez  - tunic and ankle cuff pants, worn beneath their abayas.  Although today's generation tend to wear more Western dress underneath their abayas!!!  If you are interested in women’s heritage, a visit to the Women’s Museum may be of interest if you have time.  That is also quite close to the Creek but across on the Deira side..

http://womenmuseumuae.com/eng/
 

Anne...

 

 

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8 minutes ago, Jayayeff said:


I’m not sure there is a textile heritage as the two countries (India and what is now the UAE) have always been close trading partners, which is why all those traders and tradesmen, i.e. tailors etc. beside the Creek tend to be of Indian origin.  The traditional UAE female dress is also very similar to the Indian shalwar khameez  - tunic and ankle cuff pants, worn beneath their abayas.  Although today's generation tend to wear more Western dress underneath their abayas!!!  If you are interested in women’s heritage, a visit to the Women’s Museum may be of interest if you have time.  That is also quite close to the Creek but across on the Deira side..

http://womenmuseumuae.com/eng/
 

Anne...

 

 

Thanks for the tidbit about the similarity in women's dress.....I typically see western dress or abayas on any footage (inexperienced tourist here).  Good to know, as I had some ideas for sewing items for that cruise that were more on the line of the shalwar khameez as I have an India trip in my mind for soon so double duty would work.  I do plan on seeing the women's museum.  Maybe I better see that before the market.  I also need to learn more about the trading history. I did see the trading dhows on the creek videos and wondered where they all went.  More to read.  Thanks.

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Yayayeff - Anne:   We will be arriving on March 19, 2020 at 9:30 pm at DXB airport and want to get to our hotel, Holiday Inn Dubai Festival City (you recommended this hotel to us).  What is the most reasonable way to get to the hotel?  Does the hotel offer a shuttle?   We are boarding the NCL Jade on March 18.  Thanks for your help.  Frank and Sarah - SF,CA

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1 hour ago, sfjakey said:

Yayayeff - Anne:   We will be arriving on March 19, 2020 at 9:30 pm at DXB airport and want to get to our hotel, Holiday Inn Dubai Festival City (you recommended this hotel to us).  What is the most reasonable way to get to the hotel?  Does the hotel offer a shuttle?   We are boarding the NCL Jade on March 18.  Thanks for your help.  Frank and Sarah - SF,CA

 

I think you have posted incorrect dates however, the advie remains the same.   Without checking the hotel website I really don't know if the hotel operates a shuttle service to/from the hotel, it is quite possible, but I'd check with them directly.  If they don't then it is very easy to get a taxi from the airport over to Dubai Festival City - it's a very short distance, and for a 9.30pm arrival time taxi availability at the airport shouldn't be an issue either...

 

Anne..

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Anne - We arrive on March 16, 2020.  Sorry for the typo .  The Hop on Hop Off bus stops at the Holiday Inn and the cruise dock is close to the hotel too?   Will the taxi take a credit card?  Is Ube or Lyft available from airport?  Thanks  for your help, Frank and Sarah

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1 hour ago, sfjakey said:

Anne - We arrive on March 16, 2020.  Sorry for the typo .  The Hop on Hop Off bus stops at the Holiday Inn and the cruise dock is close to the hotel too?   Will the taxi take a credit card?  Is Ube or Lyft available from airport?  Thanks  for your help, Frank and Sarah


It’s only a short ride from the airport and I’m not aware of the taxis taking credit cards, I always use cash.  I do not believe that Uber can pick up from within the airport - access to that area is only permitted for the RTA taxis or the Emirates courtesy cars...  The Hoho bus stops at Dubai Festival City mall but I’m not aware it picks up from the hotel itself however, that may be the case I’m sure the hotel staff would let you know.   There is a covered walkway the links the hotel to the mall.   The cruise terminal is approx 20 minute ride from the hotel depending on traffic/ time of day....

 

Anne...

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Sorry if this has been asked.   I try to print everything related to our trip but sometimes I forget and then I can't remember.   What type of currency will we need?  Our plan is to take the hop on hop off bus during our cruise stop,   Not sure which attractions we will tour.  Too much on my mind getting ready to be gone 6 weeks.   And so many ports  to make arrangements at.    So we  will wait and decide when we are on the ship and can relax with clear heads.     I am trying to figure out which and how much currency we need to bring.   I was hoping euros might be ok in some of the ports.  I do not like to use ATM's but can if I need to.    Thanks so much for any help.  And thanks for all your advice - It is heartwarming when strangers come forward to help others. 

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