Bonnington Jumeirah Towers

Do ask about for a Turkish restaurant - when you sit down at the table you`re presented with a huge bowl of fresh salad vegetables and bottles of water. Then along comes those big round pancake bread things, made fresh on the spot while you wait for your food order.
You`re not charged extra for the salads/water/bread ..... it`s included in the menu price of your order.

Yes, you pay at the beaches, and have the luxury of change-rooms, showers, toilets, with attendants who keep everything spotlessly clean.

Another little item of interest, if you have some free time. Visit the Emirate Palace Hotel! It`s an establishment to provide westerners with a glimpse into the lifestyle of a Sheikh.

We only went there to have a wee
The employees line the steps to greet you (irrespective of your intentions) ..... auto is driven away to be washed/vacuumed. Toilets are a wondrous old-fashioned venture! Marble and gold .......As you emerge, an attendant turns on the water tap, dispenses soap, hands you a clean towel to dry, dispenses hand-cream, and opens the door for you to leave. As you appear to depart the same entourage assemble on steps to wish you a good journey ..... in freshly washed/vacuumed car!

Ahhh a moment in a Sheikhs daily life!

watch out for the in the cars !!!

I don't know about Your experience, but we have been into one of those Desert trips from Dubai this year. Our Hotel (5star) recommended the company we went with as the best.

Well the trip was a TOTAL RIPP-OFF. Authentic Bedouin experience??? Are You kidding me? Like 50 Land cruisers gathered besides a huge "camp site" with like 50 tables. The area around was full of garbage. Absolutely no atmosphere at all!!! The "show" was a joke as well, with one single belly dancer. But the worst part was that the shows and dinner was finished in like 1 1/2 hours! Some people did not even manage to finish.

We booked an overnight safari so we stayed for the night. Which was quite nice....after we waited for HOURS after everybody left for the guys to pack everything. It was nothing like advertised: NO camp fire or anything like that. Then in the morning the breakfast was almost uneatable!

So all in all a terrible rip-off.
If you want a really authentic belly-dancing show, go to Kusadasi in turkey to the Caravan Saray: that was belly dancing and good food.

Gee, sorry you had a disaster! Must be more than one of those organisations then?
I was not looking forward to it, at all, had my arm twisted to go ... and was most pleasantly surprised.
Ours booking was a private advert in newspaper, amalgamated with a small hotel.
Come to think of it - the tour-guide guy with the 4x4 did scoff at the large more popular hotels, so maybe this was a more "private" type of entrepreneurial venture?

Ok. Strike "Desert Safari" off to-do list! Not worth the risk to be stuck in middle of desert at a flop!

Isnt that hotel in Abu Dhabi?

Pretty good? Compared to what, human excrements?

Total Rip-off: see my post above.


While the EP is really impressive, I found it disgusting.

All-in-all I still believe a visit to UAE is worth it ONCE. Just to see what's all the fuss about and never return! But going for a beach-holiday to Dubai? Why would anyone do that?

The environmental footprint is the worst in the world. The water is like pee, full of slush from desalination. The entire cities are completely pedestrian-unfriendly, etc.

What is nice though: the fountains of dubai! However, it is just a COPY of the Bellagio fountains in LV.

Also worth the ride is the Formula rossa in YAS Island: the 0-250kmh in under 5 secs is quite an experience, even though the rest of the ride is boring (no loops or whatsoever).

And finally if you like architecture, the the Burj al Arab is worth a visit. Probably one of the few things unique in Dubai.

I would NOT say it was a COMPLETE disaster. The sleepover in the desert was nice - but this was by no means due to the "organizers".

BTW: we did not take the "dune bashing" as my wife was pregnant. People say that is quite an experience. Even though a friend who was a nurse in Dubai said that they had quite often people with serious back injuries from dune bashing. Just to know the risks.

Absolutely: I would not be without a car for a single day in Dubai. Traffic is not as bad as they say. As Dubai is not pedestrian friendly at all, I would not rely on the metro unless you are on a very tight budget. Even though at the rental prices....

Ha...best "smiley" ever

They're part of a Democracy with a high standard of human rights, too. Unlike Dubai. Strange that people want to support such a regime and enjoy 'cheap' holidays in a place with a lousy approach to freedom. Best not to mention it though. Mustn't bite hands which feed etc.

Parking. Finding a parking place is the problem! You can drive for hours and hours, at any time, and be lucky to find a spot, no matter how far you have to walk in that heat!
And road signs. You have to know the lingo to read a map - for instance Sheikh al Buub el Shalazaz could also be Road 7, so it`s no use asking a pedestrian for directions, as the numbered roads are not on maps, and roads were given numbers before they were given names, and no-one knows the names.

Take a taxi. More user friendly.

..uuhhh........ could be? All those high-rises/mosques/hotels/cities looked alike to me.

But it was a nice experience anyway, worth a visit, if you`re there.

Gosh. I found the beaches clean and well kept, and lots of lovely shells.
Ja, I wouldn`t trust the water too much - with all those desalination plants working overtime on the coast, pumping concentrated salts back into the sea. But you can always take a shower in the nice change-rooms?

The EP is the Emirates Palace? What was disgusting about it? Unless you`re a retired Sheikh and the place was not up to your usual expectations?

Yes, the cities are pedestrian unfriendly, in a way I guess, like most big cities are.

Oh okay, I get it ... you`re young, so something really cool is travelling at 250kmp in 5 seconds is exciting?
Did you do the indoor surfing thing? I did. The waves were disgusting. Not like Durban at all.

Im dying to visit Dubai sometime but never got round to it !
Its a completely different scenery but why dont you consider south africa,
it will be nice and hot round that time, has SO much to do and really isnt expensive ! The Safaries are amazing...

regarding Israel, I would definitely not put it off the map, its a country packed with culture like not many others, and believe it or not youl see jews and arabs actually getting on and living on the same streets not as portrayed on the news as all day fighters, if you travel the main citys you wont even notices the concept of terrorism or war, they all still live normal life's !

Did one time Dubai, will never do it again.
Did not feel the hospitality (people looked at me like I am an Alien walking on the footpath) or getting into a Taxi (the Question came up: "Are you american" ?
not"Where do you want to go" ?
Did the desert safari as well, is wasn't good doing the same thing in Australia.
If you like belly dancing and people from Russia who can't behave like normal
people , go for it.
I think drinking alcohol it such a Country is a no go, but some people can't live
without their fuel
I prefer Australia , even if the flight takes about 24 hours to get there, it is worth every single minute you spend there.
In Australia you feel the hospitality..........

cheers for the 3 drive by groans to the comment above, how about giving a bit of feedback then?

Great, three weeks out and anti-American violence breaking out all over the Middle East. Who knows if it will be safe to even go to Dubai by then.

Yes, it is time for Dubai to go.

That sounds wonderful! I was looking for better ways to f/ck up the environment after spending the last few Christmases skiing in Singapore's indoor ski slope.