Is Dubai a beach resort??

peterc2609

I've been thinking of somewhere to go in September with the GF.

Looked at Carribbean etc... but cant pick anything...

Now my dad has said I can have his Emirates Air Miles and they are doing an offer of 50% off.... so we can both fly to Dubai for 40k miles!

But wondering if it is a beach type holiday, with some shopping thrown in... or is it more of a city break!?!?

Peter

sinizterguy

Dubai is anything you want it to be.

Beach, shopping, watersports, desert safaris, activities (including skiing).

peterc2609

i've noticed also that its ramadan...

Can we go to beach etc?? or would we need to stay in hotel?

Any recommendations for a hotel?? Paying around the 400 - 500 mark?? Or less!!

sinizterguy

During Ramadan, you would not be allowed to eat or drink outside during the fast times ... So you can eat in your hotel room.

This was when I was there - it was a while ago. But AFAIK, it shouldnt have changed.

Going to beach should not be a problem, just make sure you are properly attired when you are off the beach (again this is not something very strict or enforced, but just respecting local culture).

peterc2609

And one thing i have no clue about...

Is it an expensive place?? Al the hotels don't seem to be AI or anything?? So how pricey is food or drink??

I'm not a posh nob, looking for an expensive 7 star hotel... just a nice hol so dont want to spend a fortune on food etc

sinizterguy

Its a while since I have been there, and rents etc have skyrocketed in the last year or so.

But as far as food is concerned, its not very expensive if you dont want it to be. But its not the cheapest place either.

lesley1960

We went in May and found it too hot to do anything but lay by the pool , Its a great place

budgetflyer

Ramadan is 13 Sept to 11 Oct, so there will be restrictions on eating and drinking during daylight hours although many of the large hotels make arrangements and cater for non Muslim guests too
If you are going for a week, with shopping and excursions etc, I feel that staying at Jumeirah beach is a bit of a waste as you are only likely to use any of the hotels private beach facilities a few times. The Jumeirha resort hotels are priced OTT as far as Im concerned.
Better to stay in the city, cheaper and near everything.
If you want you can pay into the likes of the Sheraton or Hilton Jumeirah on a daily basis for around £15pp inc sunbeds and beach towels.
That way you can enjoy a hotel room from as little as £18 to £30 per night in September.
http://budgetflyer.co.uk/SearchResults.aspx?fileName=Dubai&languageCode=EN&checkin=2007-9-16&checkout=2007-9-23&currencyCode=GBP

littlereddevil

The food tends to be expensive in the hotels but in the malls it can be very cheap.

Factor25

Alcohol can be expensive especially wine. They have lots of promotions though, ladies nights, all incl buffets etc. The Friday Brunches are a must and very good value. We picked up a Time Out Dubai magazine which tells you whats on for the week and we didnt really pay much more for drinks than over here. The Jumeirah Beach Park was less than £1 each and perfectly ok for us. If you stay somewhere on Sheikh Zayed Rd you are central to everywhere in Dubai and about £6 cab to beach if i remember rightly. Be careful of your location if looking for a cheap hotel because the traffic is hell on earth and you need to allow for it. I got all my info from www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g295424-i872-Dubai.html and we didnt go far wrong.

mummymania

I've been twice this year and although stayed at a pricey 5 star beach hotel, I wouldn't do so again. It was too hot to go on the beach, the sea was like a hot bath. Next year I am going to stay downtown probably the Hilton on the Creek. It is very expensive to eat and drink alcohol in the hotels. We got the hotel free shuttle bus to the malls and had a lovely slap up meal in the food court for £3.70 for me and £0.90 for my daughter - bargain!