travel blog, minus the bull$hit

*completely based on how I like to travel and I am a bit of a train wreck

Listen up, habibi. We outies to the Middle East smack dab in the middle of summer AKA outdoor oven season. Not the vibe.

Goal of the trip: figure out why everyone loves boasting about their extravagant Middle Eastern trips

Trip duration: 7 days in July

Climate: around 40C/104F/way too much for my Bay Area ass and weirdly humid?

Attire: as this is a Muslim country, fellow women please be mindful of local religion and pretty much just dress more conservatively in public areas like cover your shoulders, knees, no cleavage.

It is more liberated in Dubai and attire is not strictly enforced, but beware of uncomfortable stares from locals if you have lots of bare skin showing. I learned the hard way by going sleeveless! But usually only happened in non-touristy areas.

Warning: Unfortunately sexism is still very much alive and kicking in this area, despite how glamorous it may seem. I never found it necessarily unsafe, but I did find some parts of the trip to be extremely uncomfortable for me when we weren’t in hot tourist spots.

Budget breakdown (divided between 2 people):

• Flights: $700 USD each for SFO-DXB roundtrip (but also redeemed some credit card points for this to reduce cost)
• Hotel: $515 USD (note that I make use of a family discount to support my broké lifestyle, also could’ve been a lot less if my boujie ass did not pick a beach resort)
• Food: did not keep track, but prices varied greatly depending on where we ate
• Transportation: also did not keep track but primarily used Uber, Careem, or local taxi and it was very affordable
• Shopping: I refuse to limit myself from life’s simple pleasures I can’t let my parents know the truth

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Dubai

days 1-5

Is everything in Dubai as expensive as everyone claims? Yes and no. It can be as expensive, and as cheap as you make it. Here’s how we balled out on a semi-budget. I like to call it balance, baby.

Hotel for days 1-3: Courtyard Marriott World Trade Center, Dubai ($130 USD)

DAY 1

Literally all we did was check in, eat, then sleep

Arrival in Dubai: 8:00PM local time

Time to get out of the airport: 45 minutes – 1 hour including time needed for Covid-19 checks

Head to hotel to freshen up as one does after a nearly 16 hour flight

Take an Uber to the Dubai Mall because guess what? The mall closes as 1:00AM. This is considered one of the world’s largest shopping malls— it even has an indoor aquarium (which is unnecessary IMO but still super cool).

Meal of choice: shawarmas and kebabs from one of their many massive food courts

Would I recommend? Hell yeah I love a good food court meal

Uber back to the hotel to pass the f#ck out from exhaustion because we got lost in one of the many parking structures looking for our Uber driver

Tip: wear good walking shoes because sweet baby jesus that mall is enormous

DAY 2

Breakfast at BURJ KHALIFA – Atmosphere Grill & Lounge: Morning Coffee in the Clouds

Meal of choice: Kopi luwak with 24K gold ($45 USD/160 AED), breakfast plates

Would I recommend? the food was okay. Honestly just make sure you hit the minimum spend and enjoy the view instead

Morning coffee in the clouds for 100 AED minimum spend per person. There is a smart casual dress code. This is on the 122nd floor of Burj Khalifa, not the very top 163rd floor. But honestly, is there really a difference when you’re already that high up? I’d be nauseous no matter what floor.

Make reservations in advance to be seated by the window with the famous Burj Khalifa view. We decided to do this so we could kill 2 birds with 1 stone; try a $45 USD cup of kopi luwak topped with 24K gold that literally just tastes like lactose intolerance and enjoy the views of the worlds highest skyscraper.

Getting tickets to At the Top gets you just that— tickets to the very top. So why not just spend the same money to be a few floors lower, paired with a mid-tier breakfast plate?

Burj Khalifa views comparison:

Al Fahidi Historical District

Cute little area filled with traditional-style buildings with a slice of modern architecture. Really enjoyed the coffee museum, had a cup of turkish coffee and dates!

Lunch at Al Ustad Special Kebab

Price range: $8-13 USD/30-50 AED

Meal of choice: I can’t remember but here’s a picture – was enough to fill us both (and make up for breakfast ❤ )

Would I recommend? I get the meat sweats just thinking about it. And I mean that in the best way possible.

Tip: If you think something is walking distance, no it is not. At least not in the summer.

Gold Souk

Prices are pretty much market price + maker’s fee. What you haggle on is primarily the maker’s fee. My haggling skills? Non- existent. My Filipino mother is ashamed.

Tip: if you have local friends who know how to haggle, TAKE THEM WITH YOU.

Another tip: if vendors call you Shakira, do not give in. You aren’t special- they called me Shakira too. And Nicki Minaj. I’m also very Southeast Asian looking.

Hotel for days 3-5: Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa ($265 USD)

Dinner overlooking the Dubai Fountain show

I honestly forgot the name of the restaurant, but we were able to get outdoor seats on the balcony to watch the famous fountain show while we dined!

DAY 3

Breakfast at Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe

Meal of choice: Arabic breakfast tray ($17 USD/65AED) and Turkish coffee ($5 USD/20AED)

Would I recommend? Yes, I came for the aesthetic. Yes, I thought it was worth it solely because our server gave us heart bread since I seemed like such a lovely girl. A little worried she says that to all the foreign guests though.

Checked into Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa and explored the resort land

Tip: it’s really f#cking hot in July. Pick a different month.

Platinum Heritage Desert Safari– $162 USD each

This is considered a “luxury” safari priced at $162 USD/head which is pretty steep, especially compared to all the more budget friendly options. Here’s why we went with this tour company:

• I’m a sucker for good advertising
• Option between vintage Land Rover or Camel-back safari tours (we picked the Land Rovers)
• Does not offer dune bashing since this is Dubai’s only eco-friendly desert safari exclusively in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
• Offers hotel drop off/pick up
• The desert camp where we end the night is gorgeous. Served amazing Emirati food, shisha, henna, and a display of culture.
• Professional photographer (caution: we didn’t realize this was an extra $120 (I think?) to get a copy, this was just sprung on us after dinner! But your tour guide can also take photos for you on your phone for free.)
• Got to see Arabian Oryx during the tour – conservation efforts brought their status from Extinct in the Wild up to Vulnerable

DAY 4

Rest day to lazily do whatever

Explored the Palm, Atlantis, there was an indoor ski resort at some point, ate at a random buffet (that was not worth it), and had some good ole food court meals to make up for it.

Gold & Diamond Park

An indoor, airconditioned version of the Gold Souk. Haggle as much as you can!

DAY 5

Since we were getting free shuttle service to Abu Dhabi since we dropped quite a bit of $$$$, we decided to drop by the jewelry store again in the morning to do a bit of extra shopping before we hit the road.

Abu Dhabi

days 5-7

Hotel for days 5-7: Courtyard by Marriott World Trade Center, Abu Dhabi ($120)

DAY 5

Since our hotel is connected directly to the World Trade Center mall, we met up with my local cousin there. Had some Nando’s ❤

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

They are STRICT on respectful clothing here. Always remember to be respectful of the Muslim religion and culture here and follow their rules, or you’ll get kicked out.

This is easily the most beautiful mosque I’ve ever seen in my life. It is one the world’s largest mosques and a massive architectural work of art.

DAY 6

Breakfast at Al Mandoos at the World Trade Center

Meal of choice: Meat machboos (42 AED), bukhari rice (15 AED)

Would I recommend? I’d cry tears of joy if you fed me this again

Warner Bros. and Ferrari World

2 park ticket for 1 day – $107 USD/395AED each

Warner Bros. World

Yet another “world’s largest.” This is the world’s largest indoor theme part and honestly, it was pretty surreal. We came without much expectations but as a pair in their mid-20s, we were pleasantly surprised and had a blast here! I might’ve been more excited than some kids there. We were pretty lucky considering we went during a religious holiday, so the lines were practically non-existent for each ride.

Ferrari World

Theme park for adrenaline junkies. And those who do not fear heights. (not me)

Tip: when they say keep your head laid back into your seat, KEEP YOUR HEAD LAID BACK INTO YOUR SEAT.

DAY 7

Spent the morning recovering from the week and getting ready for our flight to Qatar!

Conclusion: the Middle East is absolutely making use of all that oil money.