Camels! Dubai! Question for Anne?

[Karkies25]

Hello!

 

If Anne from Dubai is reading or any other experts on Dubai....please help! 🙂

 

We will be in Dubai on a Saturday on MSC Belissima cruise ship. 

 

Is it realistic and doable to rent a car at the port and:

 

—11am: get rental car near port

 

—drive 40 mins to Camelicious for short tour and visit for approx 1 hour

 

—drive 30 mins to Camel race track to see races and camels. stay 1-2 hours

 

—drive back 45 mins to cruise port / car rental return before dinner ~7pm on the ship

 

This is a basic loop drive from the port. Route map below.

 

Doable?

 

Better to rent car or hire a driver?

 

We’ve driven rental cars internationally. Any concerns on driving in Dubai?

 

Thanks!

Edited October 19, 2019 by Karkies25

[Jayayeff]

36 minutes ago, Karkies25 said:

Hello!

 

If Anne from Dubai is reading or any other experts on Dubai....please help! 🙂

 

We will be in Dubai on a Saturday on MSC Belissima cruise ship. 

 

Is it realistic and doable to rent a car at the port and:

 

—11am: get rental car near port

 

—drive 40 mins to Camelicious for short tour and visit for approx 1 hour

 

—drive 30 mins to Camel race track to see races and camels. stay 1-2 hours

 

—drive back 45 mins to cruise port / car rental return before dinner ~7pm on the ship

 

This is a basic loop drive from the port. Route map below.

 

Doable?

 

Better to rent car or hire a driver?

 

We’ve driven rental cars internationally. Any concerns on driving in Dubai?

 

Thanks!

I think your plan is ambitious and would only work if you got a clear run to/from each location which is unlikely as Saturday is a work day for many here so you could get held up at any point along the route.   Personally, I wouldn’t like to guarantee you could complete your proposed itinerary and be back at the ship before all aboard time, unless the ship overnights or has a very late departure time... It may look like a simple loop on paper but there are several  intersections and inner city roads in there where you could experience delays... Nice idea though to do something different, but risky for a morning to evening port call, would be better suited if you were either here pre or post cruise....

 

Anne...

[irisbax3]

Hi Anne,

I truly appreciate all the advice and suggestions you have given on this board.

We will be staying at the Hyatt Regency Corniche from Dec. 5 to Dec. 7 pre-cruise. I have a few questions about the hotel's location. 1) Is the creek within walking distance from our hotel?  We would like to take a water taxi around the creek, possibly to the marina area. 2) Are there restaurants and other things to do in the Hyatt area? 

Thanks, again, Anne, for all of your insights in helping us plan for our trip to Dubai.

Iris

[Karkies25]

Thank you Anne. I appreciate your kind feedback and excellent perspective. 
 

our all aboard time is 11pm, so I think we will have enough time?

 

If we go with the plan, do you recommend a hire car or should we get a car/driver?

thanks again!

 

[Jayayeff]

7 hours ago, Karkies25 said:

 

our all aboard time is 11pm, so I think we will have enough time?

 

If we go with the plan, do you recommend a hire car or should we get a car/driver?

thanks again!

 

 

In which case you should be fine with your planned day out with the camels!!!  As I said, it's nice to see someone interested in doing something different to the usual choices.  I think you'll be surprised to see just how different Dubai is once you venture beyond the city limits!!!  If you are comfortable self driving then I'm sure you would be fine with a car rental and Google Maps or GPS, but you could also check with the car rental companies if they have a car with driver as an option for you to consider.   

 

Anne...

[Jayayeff]

8 hours ago, irisbax3 said:

Hi Anne,

I truly appreciate all the advice and suggestions you have given on this board.

We will be staying at the Hyatt Regency Corniche from Dec. 5 to Dec. 7 pre-cruise. I have a few questions about the hotel's location. 1) Is the creek within walking distance from our hotel?  We would like to take a water taxi around the creek, possibly to the marina area. 2) Are there restaurants and other things to do in the Hyatt area? 

Thanks, again, Anne, for all of your insights in helping us plan for our trip to Dubai.

Iris

 

I haven't been over that side of the city recently so I'm not sure if it's still possible to walk from the hotel to the Creek.  It used to be possible to walk along the Corniche road right down to the Creek but there has been some redevelopment of the area recently.  If not then it is only a short taxi ride from the hotel, and that may be the option you require as the water taxi station for the ferries that travel between the Creek and Dubai Marina is actually on the opposite side of the Creek to the hotel - it's on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek very close to the Rulers Court compound... The Hyatt Regency hotel has always been somewhat out on a limb, and whilst it close to the old gold souk and the spice souq, etc. it isn't really an area that has many other hotels, restaurants, etc. within close proximity, but again it's only a short taxi ride to the Creekside where there are plenty of options...

 

Anne...

[Karkies25]

Thank you Anne! 🙂

[irisbax3]

11 hours ago, Jayayeff said:

 

I haven't been over that side of the city recently so I'm not sure if it's still possible to walk from the hotel to the Creek.  It used to be possible to walk along the Corniche road right down to the Creek but there has been some redevelopment of the area recently.  If not then it is only a short taxi ride from the hotel, and that may be the option you require as the water taxi station for the ferries that travel between the Creek and Dubai Marina is actually on the opposite side of the Creek to the hotel - it's on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek very close to the Rulers Court compound... The Hyatt Regency hotel has always been somewhat out on a limb, and whilst it close to the old gold souk and the spice souq, etc. it isn't really an area that has many other hotels, restaurants, etc. within close proximity, but again it's only a short taxi ride to the Creekside where there are plenty of options...

 

Anne...

Thanks, Anne. That information is very helpful as I prepare. 

[irisbax3]

On 10/19/2019 at 10:53 PM, Jayayeff said:

 

I haven't been over that side of the city recently so I'm not sure if it's still possible to walk from the hotel to the Creek.  It used to be possible to walk along the Corniche road right down to the Creek but there has been some redevelopment of the area recently.  If not then it is only a short taxi ride from the hotel, and that may be the option you require as the water taxi station for the ferries that travel between the Creek and Dubai Marina is actually on the opposite side of the Creek to the hotel - it's on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek very close to the Rulers Court compound... The Hyatt Regency hotel has always been somewhat out on a limb, and whilst it close to the old gold souk and the spice souq, etc. it isn't really an area that has many other hotels, restaurants, etc. within close proximity, but again it's only a short taxi ride to the Creekside where there are plenty of options...

 

Anne...

Now I'm wondering if we should stay somewhere else. Would the Sheraton Four Points be a better location?

[Jayayeff]

2 hours ago, irisbax3 said:

Now I'm wondering if we should stay somewhere else. Would the Sheraton Four Points be a better location?

 

 

There a 3 Four Pionts Sheraton Hotels in Dubai however, none of them are located near the Creek - the closest would be the Bur Dubai one, but I wouldn't recommend that one, and the 2 newer ones, which are much nicer hotels, are both in the Dubai Mall area.  If you prefer a hotel that is Creekside, or you can walk along the Creek from, then I would suggest looking at either the Dubai Sheraton Hotel & Towers which is Creekside or the HIlton Dubai Creek which is within walking distance from the Sheraton. Alternatively, you could look at the 3 Jumeirah Group properties - Zabeel House Al Seef, Zabeel House Mini or the Heritage Hotel Al Seef which are all incororated into the Al Seef Heritage development on the opposite side of the Creek and are within walking distance of the Al Ghubaiba main water taxi station.  From the hotels I listed that are on the Deira side you could get one of the local abras (small water taxis that criss-cross the Creek) over to the Bur Dubai side.   I posted photographs on the other Dubai questions thread of the Al Seef Heritage Hotel earlier this year after I stayed overnight there....whilst it's part of a new redevelopment project as opposed to original, it's something different to look at if you're only staying for 1 or 2 nights.

 

Sorry, to repeat - I've just noticed that it was to you I already posted this information to  earlier this year!!!!!

 

Anne....

Edited October 23, 2019 by Jayayeff

[irisbax3]

10 hours ago, Jayayeff said:

 

 

There a 3 Four Pionts Sheraton Hotels in Dubai however, none of them are located near the Creek - the closest would be the Bur Dubai one, but I wouldn't recommend that one, and the 2 newer ones, which are much nicer hotels, are both in the Dubai Mall area.  If you prefer a hotel that is Creekside, or you can walk along the Creek from, then I would suggest looking at either the Dubai Sheraton Hotel & Towers which is Creekside or the HIlton Dubai Creek which is within walking distance from the Sheraton. Alternatively, you could look at the 3 Jumeirah Group properties - Zabeel House Al Seef, Zabeel House Mini or the Heritage Hotel Al Seef which are all incororated into the Al Seef Heritage development on the opposite side of the Creek and are within walking distance of the Al Ghubaiba main water taxi station.  From the hotels I listed that are on the Deira side you could get one of the local abras (small water taxis that criss-cross the Creek) over to the Bur Dubai side.   I posted photographs on the other Dubai questions thread of the Al Seef Heritage Hotel earlier this year after I stayed overnight there....whilst it's part of a new redevelopment project as opposed to original, it's something different to look at if you're only staying for 1 or 2 nights.

 

Sorry, to repeat - I've just noticed that it was to you I already posted this information to  earlier this year!!!!!

 

Anne....

Anna, again, I thank you for sharing your knowledge. I will look into these other suggestions before making final hotel decision.