United Arab Emirates
A trip to the United Arab Emirates is one of the greatest dreams of every traveler. A significant part of the Arab travel destinations in their offer guarantees a very high standard of stay at a relatively low price. In the case of the Arab emirates, until recently it was much harder to find an affordable price, but the situation has changed in recent years. Formerly, a trip to this direction of the world was associated with a considerable expense, but the multitude of attractions and the very standard of adventure fully compensated us for the money invested in this trip. Nowadays, it is easier for us to find a good holiday offer to this country. I made my trip to this place in 2019, where the price value of such a trip was still quite shaken, but relatively decent. Then I used one of the travel agency offers found on the Internet. As far as I know, in the case of traveling on your own, nowadays it is also possible to make an interesting trip at a price that is friendly to our wallet. In this aspect, however, you have to rely on good organization and catching interesting opportunities. As for the direction itself, at the beginning it is worth mentioning its geolocation - it is a Middle Eastern country, located on the Persian and Oman Gulf, consisting of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Sharjah, Umm al-Cayman Islands, Fujairah and Ras al-Khaimah. The country borders on Saudi Arabia and Oman. Below, for better visualization, there is a map showing the location of the country.
My stay in the country
My trip to Dubai started with finding a suitable holiday offer. The travel destinations I was considering then were a bit different, but with similar characteristics in terms of standard, as in the case of the Arab Emirates. The occasion that happened to me then was so attractive that it put in the shadows all other travel offers that I considered at that time. Although the price of this offer was slightly higher than that of other destinations considered by me, the very fact of traveling to the Arab Emirates and the highest standard of the offer meant that I finally decided on this offer. The preparatory procedures for each of my trips are always the same. Just before leaving, I meticulously pack all the things I need most. Those required to take full advantage of the rest and the things I need to create content for my social media, such as a SLR camera, tripod, laptop, etc. To make my preparations for the trip run quickly and efficiently, I prepared a special universal list of things to take. This allows me to ease the tedious packing process and also ensures that I do not miss any of the essentials. My stay in the Arab Emirates lasted 11 days and during my stay I visited two of the previously mentioned emirates - Dubai and Fujairah. The trip was divided into two stages, the first few days in which I fully relaxed and enjoyed the attractions offered by the hotel of my choice and the second part of the trip was the stage of sightseeing, where for a few days I went to Dubai to learn about its history, attractions, monuments, community mentality and local cuisine. Although during my stay in this country I expanded my worldview with a lot of new things, I still think that this country still has a lot to offer me and I will be happy to return there as soon as possible. For more, longer and better. What you find there is worth every money, and despite many stereotypes, this country is a place in which you can easily fall in love. In the following sections, I will discuss all the most important elements of this country.
Places worth attention
A country known all over the world mainly for its luxury offers much more than it seems at first glance. In one of the Arab emirates I visited - Fujairah, you could admire the extraordinary beaches and the beautiful sea. If you were satisfied with these views, you could visit one of the interesting local or cultural places. The most interesting places to visit here are such places as the local museum - Fujairah Museum, Fort Fujairah, Heritage Village and Madhab Park or well-known to us from Instagram photos - Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque - Fujairah. I personally managed to visit only some of the previously mentioned places, but I will definitely come back there more than once and I will have a chance to catch up.
The multitude of attractions and monuments in this country is overwhelming, and to visit them all, it would be best to live there for a few months. As I mentioned in the previous section of this article, the part of my trip that I spent in Fujairah was classically reserved for pure rest, but being in Dubai itself, I managed to visit many more interesting places and cultural facilities. Although, looking at the multitude of sightseeing options that this city offers, one might say that I did not manage to see much. The city can boast of such interesting places as: Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Fountains, Palma Jumeirah, Dubai Creek, Al Fahidi Historic District, Dubai Desert, Dubai Mall, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Frame, Dubai Water Canal, City Walk, Dubai Garden of Miracles, Dubai Marina, Hatta, IMG Worlds of Adventure, The View at The Palm, Ain Dubai or the Museum of the Future and many more. As you can see, the number of attractions offered by Dubai is huge, and to see them all, a few-day trip may not be enough. During my visit, I was able to visit the classically visited Dubai Mall with the Dubai Fountains. The shopping center amazed me with its luxury and size. The number of shops and streets to go through was so huge that I am not sure if I managed to visit every corner there.
This is definitely one of the places that impressed me the most. I visited several local stores there, where I did my shopping, analyzed the issues of price differences with regard to our country, and checked several restaurants, which I will describe later in this article, while discussing local cuisine. I also saw the so-called Dubai Fountains that offer a visual experience unprecedented by me at night. The water choreography system implemented in them moves streams of water to the rhythm of the music played in the background. You can also buy a boat trip to this attraction, thanks to which we can take a close look at the water spectacle shown. Another of the attractions I visited in this city was the ascent to the Burj Khalifa. It is one of the tallest buildings in the world, measuring 828m. When buying a ticket, you can choose which floor you want to go to. The journey in an ultramodern elevator is very quiet, and the light and visual attractions displayed during it can make going on the top of this building more pleasant. After entering a selected floor, most people take pictures of themselves or record films. Others, on the other hand, use the tourist attractions provided there, or the bar located on the 154th floor of the building. The only thing that, in my opinion, was quite problematic in visiting this place were the queues, which, according to the local population, are usually long, but there are times when it is much easier to get inside. As far as the views from this building are concerned, I just happened to have good weather, where the sky was crystal clear and the views were breathtaking. With one glance, you could see every little detail and the city's building. The next places I saw while exploring the city were the Dubai Water Canal, Dubai Marina, and Palma Jumeirah. The water canal, as well as the bridge itself, impressed with its modernity and panache. As for the next two places, I was able to visit them quite superficially due to the limited time of my stay and the huge distances that have to be covered between key tourist places. However, about the previously mentioned places, it should be mentioned that Dubai Marina surprises with another portion of shopping venues and restaurants to visit, and the city in these areas is bustling with life regardless of the time of visit. Palm Jumairah charms us with its incredible innovation. There are many exclusive hotels, restaurants, bars and other restaurants on the man-made island in the form of a palm tree. While visiting this place, I started to wonder what it would be like to wake up every morning living in such a place.
Mentality and manners
Social mentality is a topic that has always intrigued me. People's attitudes to life, their social attitudes and their hospitality can vary depending on the chosen place. In the case of the Arab Emirates, many stereotypes have arisen regarding the local mentality, such as a conservative approach to women's clothing, or a certain restraint in some social behavior, which I did not experience during my stay.
Perhaps it is the result of a good first impression or a proper camouflage of its approach by the local community. The attitudes and behaviors outlined earlier were sometimes noticeable, but not on the scale in which it is generally portrayed. During my stay, I had the opportunity to speak English with one IT specialist residing there, who came with his father from India. His attitude was very warm and positive. He told me about the local people and about the living conditions this place offered him. In each of his sentences, one could feel gratitude, satisfaction and joy for the possibility of living in this country. He talked about, among other things, how he was positively surprised about the living, working and local community conditions. There is a very popular stereotype that women in this country are objectified and taken away from certain privileges. During my stay, I was able to notice couples of Arab origin who looked and presented a set of behaviors similar to the European ones. I have also seen couples with a more restrictive religious approach, but they were not in the majority. What I felt when I was among these people is that when moving around the city center, there are no major concerns for your safety. This also applies to women who like to dress in a purely European style.
The local population does not pay so much attention to this aspect as long as it is within the limits of a healthy approach to behavior and presence in public places. I think this is quite rational. In my opinion it is a country that until recently was completely closed in terms of culture and society, but with tourists from other countries visiting it, it is undergoing a certain socio-cultural "redefinition". I assume that with the passage of time the society of this country will become more and more open to both new social behavior and new standards of social functioning.
Local cuisine
The topic that always interests me the most when going to a new country is local cuisine. After all, who doesn't like trying new flavors or broadening their culinary horizons? I really like. I have always followed the principle promoted by one of my favorite artists - Salvador Dali, who said: "You can not eat at all, but you cannot eat badly." I fully agree with this idea.
Broadening our culinary horizons allows us to find out what dishes are in our taste and which do not belong to our taste and enrich our diet. And what impressions did Arab Emirates cuisine have on me? Being in one of the restaurants located in Dubai Mall, I had the opportunity to try a classic dish for this country in a slightly innovative version - Shoarma Tower, i.e. a tower consisting of chicken slices with 2 pits (classic Arabic bread), fries and a set of vegetables and sauces. A classic Arabic drink, the so-called Jellab (a mixture of grape molasses and rose water, seasoned with pine nuts and raisins) and extra water. For dessert, I had the opportunity to try Chocolate Maajouka along with classic Arabic coffee. The food was very delicious, the flavor notes were well-balanced, and the visit to this restaurant was at the highest possible level. Being here, I would like to add that I was positively surprised by the prices of dishes offered by local restaurants. These were very comparable to the prices that we can experience while in Poland. This could be due to the fact that the exchange rate of the local currency, i.e. the dirham, is very comparable to the Polish zloty (currently 1AED = 1.3PLN). While visiting other restaurants, I was able to try other classic dishes for this country.
They were the so-called Fouga, or sweet, yellow rice with raisins, on which are served slightly spicy king prawns and the so-called Khanfaroosh, one of the most sought-after delicacies that can be found in Dubai. Most often it is served with coffee or tea. This local specialty is made from a combination of flour, sugar, eggs, yeast, saffron, cardamom and rose water. My overall impression of the local cuisine is very positive. I would be able to eat like that every day so I think that's enough recommendation. The desserts served in the Arab Emirates deserve special attention. These charm us with their extraordinary and deep taste. This is one of the elements of the local culinary cuisine that has made my taste buds fall in love with it. The dishes prepared in this country are something that I recommend to try every visitor of this country.
Personal travel advice
If you plan to visit the Arab Emirates, you've come to the place where I will present my personal travel tips for the country presented here. When going to this country, you should remember a few important things. Polish citizens do not need a visa to enter the territory of the Arab Emirates. The currency in the UAE is the dirham, denoted as AED. The exchange rate of this currency is very comparable to the polish zloty. Dirham is a currency that is difficult to access in Poland, so I recommend taking dollars with you here or obtaining dirhams by simply withdrawing from a locally available ATM in the Arab Emirates. Cards from polish banks often offer the possibility of withdrawals in the currency of a given country. You can also use a card from a polish bank to pay for local attractions. This is the form of payment that I used during my stay in this country. It is best to go to the Arab Emirates when it is winter in Poland. The temperatures then stay at the level of 26-28 degrees and are ideal for sunbathing, swimming in the sea or visiting the most interesting tourist facilities. If someone likes warmer climates like me, it is definitely worth considering the idea of going to the Emirates during the polish summer, when the temperatures here reach even 50 degrees. It is best to travel around the Emirates by car, due to the great multi-lane roads and long distances between the destinations of our trip. Right-hand traffic is in force here, and the cars available in rental companies usually have an automatic gearbox. The costs of renting a car are very reasonable, as well as the costs of fuel.
