Dubai

Dubai was a welcomed change of pace after Egypt. We moved from a place obsessed with the past, to a city focused on the future. From ancient temples and deserts, to large malls and man-made beaches. From people asking for money to people blowing money like there is no tomorrow.

Dubai was pretty high on my list of cities to visit. I remember in high school learning about the city of luxury with the 7-star hotel, the indoor ski resort, and the Ferrari police cars. So personally I was excited to see this city for real.

We knew Dubai was going to be expensive, but we’ve gotten pretty good at traveling without spending an arm and a leg so figured we could handle it. We tried to be more “responsible” than the average Dubai tourist. We’d get a 1 bedroom Airbnb instead of renting a penthouse and would take the metro instead of renting a McLaren. You know… not make it rain, but we could make it sprinkle a little bit. But being the Dubai Dave Ramsey was harder than I thought.

Our game plan was almost flawless. We’d get an Airbnb in the Business Bay area. This is a centrally located spot close to the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, and the metro was only a few streets over. I figured we could walk around see the sights and hop on the metro to get to different parts of the city.

Once we got here, we learned exploring on foot here is not only difficult but I think the city is deliberately built so you can’t. Everything is miles apart, sidewalks will randomly disappear, and walls or gates will block what should be normal street crossings. You will think you can quickly cross over a river or road then find out the nearest pedestrian bridge is five miles away. With the heat all year we knew walking wasn’t the number one mode of getting around but this was another level.

You have the metro but it is only sort of helpful. It is basically one line running through the middle of the city. So it’s better than nothing, but you still end up walking a lot once you get off. But we are good sports and are averaging over 7 miles a day on this trip so we weren’t too concerned.

Ultimately, our Airbnb was where our spirits began to deflate. The place we booked looked great in the photos. But when we arrived, there was no hot water and a sewage smell coming out of the A/C. We messaged the host, but in Dubai they do not really subscribe to the “customer is always right” mindset, so we had to prove everything with photos. Finally, after sending enough evidence, they sent in a team to fix it. While fixing the smell they busted a pipe and flooded the apartment. The host didn’t think it was a big deal and it should “dry up soon” but we explained we weren’t interested in sleeping in a flooded apartment. Maybe we are too high brow, I don’t know.

The full story is long and dramatic, but after fighting with the hosting company and the Airbnb customer service team, we decided to cut our losses and get a hotel.

The last-minute hotel booking prices hurt the budget, and Dave probably would not have approved. But after we did, our trip completely turned around for the better. If we had one piece of advice for Dubai: skip Airbnbs and stay in a hotel. A lot of these rental units are in buildings specifically designed for short-term rentals so they are very cheap and are not well taken care of. We learned the issues we ran into were pretty common.

Once we got our living situation sorted out, things reset ansd we started to really enjoy Dubai. The biggest realization was to not treat this city like any other. Normally, we wander around neighborhoods and stumble into places that look good for lunch or dinner. In Dubai, that does not really work. You have to research and plan. A lot of the food scene lives inside massive malls or complexes. It is very hard to find “local” food. They’ve spent a lot of time and money to bring in food from all over the world.

We were surprised by how many famous restaurants had second locations here. Places like Le Relais de l’Entrecôte from Paris, and Bread Ahead from London. Then there were some American classics: Texas Roadhouse, Hardee’s, Krispy Kreme. We usually avoid food we can get back home, but after five months away, we gave in. Shake Shack and Chipotle have never tasted better.

To be fair, there are exceptions. One morning near Kite Beach we wandered a bit and found Air Specialty, which ended up being our favorite coffee spot of the entire trip. So exploring can pay off, but it’s definitely not the norm here.

Another thing that we did not realize until we arrived, but very few people in the city are actually from the UAE. The city obviously has its share of tourists, but it is full of people from other parts of the world that run the day-to-day of the city. The locals are not typically working the hotels or driving the taxis so they bring in labor, most of which are from India. Indians make up more than 50% of the population in the city. Also it’s all dudes here, so if you are a guy looking to meet women, maybe skip Dubai.

Dubai also has a weird obsession with world records. Apparently everything in the Guinness Book is in Dubai. The first place we visited was a coffee shop holding the record for the most expensive cup of coffee sold in the world. Literally right after that, we ate at the world’s cheapest Michelin-rated meal. (They balanced each other well). They had advertising all over the city showing the city had: a water park with the most slides, the world’s deepest indoor pool, the world’s biggest Ferris wheel. Records no one is even going for, Dubai is trying to break.

We decided one morning had to go up the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building…see). We ended up choosing the sunrise slot since the internet told us that was the best time. The internet was actually right on this one. The views were incredible, and really cool to see it as the city wakes up. The 4 am alarm was rough but worth it if you get the chance.

Our biggest takeaway from Dubai is this: if you are going to come, spend the money and “ball out”. Rent the cool car and stay in the nice hotel. The economical trip to Dubai just isn’t worth coming halfway around the world for. If you stay outside the main zones to save money, you will just end up spending half your time in taxis anyway. We also found there is not much reward for wandering the road less traveled. Dubai was built for a curated experience and it is best if you just accept it and follow along. We gave in a few times and went out one night to the Atlantis Royal, had dinner and a few overpriced cocktails, and it actually ended up being one of our favorite nights.

You might have figured out by now, Dubai was not a place we fell in love with, but it is a place we are really glad we saw. It is very impressive, a little strange, but certainly unlike anywhere else we have been.

Now before it gets too cold we are flying to Beijing. Ni hao China!