City Information           Boka lågprisflyg -   Queensway Travel
Airport
Dubai International Airport handles well over 13 million customers a year, with 95 airlines providing connections to 137 destinations worldwide. The national carrier, Emirates, flies daily services to Birmingham, Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. Passengers arrive at the Shaikh Rashid Terminal which opened in 2000 and is a role model for international terminals in the Middle East. Ultra modern, the terminal is well signposted and there are always friendly staff on hand to help. Moving walkways, escalators and lifts all help cut down on the trek from aircraft to immigration. Facilities include a duty free shopping area for arrivals, a transit hotel, business centre, banks, post office, shops, bars and restaurants. There are cash points throughout the airport and 24-hr currency exchanges in the shopping area. Left luggage facilities are available and all main car hire firms are represented in Arrivals. If you are being met, it should be easy to spot your contact in the large arrivals hall after you clear customs. Construction is now underway for further extensions at the airport which will be completed by 2006.
Airport to City Centre
Fleets of beige coloured taxis from Dubai Transport Corporation are based outside the terminal. The taxi system operates on a ‘first in the line, first served’ basis but, as there is no queue, this can be confusing to arriving passengers. The taxi drivers, however, will always help. Every taxi driver is friendly and they abide by their own code of hospitality ethics. Airport taxis clock up Dh20 the minute you settle in the back seat, and Dh1.25 per km, so getting to a city hotel will cost Dh30-35 and to a beach hotel Dh65-75. The return journey will be about Dh20 less. Alternatively, most hotels operate their own meet and greet service: book in advance. Some offer private cars or limousine service while others operate minibuses. If  you know the city already and want to save a bit of money, then a newly introduced luxury coach service operates from the airport into the city centre, currently via two routes, for Dh3. If you are travelling within the region and wish to avoid the hassles of road travel, then Emarat Link offers convenient air connections between the key cities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah. Operating luxurious 9 seater Cessna seaplanes, Emarat Link lands and takes off from downtown locations and includes a value added drop-off service by private car.
Orientation
Dubai is the second largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, located on the south-eastern shore of the Gulf. Dubai, a modern city of ever taller multi-storeyed buildings of steel and glass with a superb road infrastructure, is divided by a broad, salt-water inlet called the Creek (or Khor Dubai), which divides the city into two sections – Deira to the east, Bur Dubai to the west. Deira is considered the downtown, with its traditional souk district located around the mouth of the Creek, between Naif Rd and Al Mussalla Rd. This is a very busy crossing and generally crowded in the early evening. Other main streets are Beniyas Rd, which runs alongside the Creek, and Al Maktoum Rd – a name familiar to horse racing fans!  Beniyas Sq is the main hub, and is Dubai’s Trafalgar Sq.  There are four routes across the Creek. The Shindagha Tunnel runs under its mouth; Al Maktoum Bridge carries the bulk of central city road traffic; Al Garhoud Bridge is a city centre bypass with traffic constantly jammed due to volume and accidents; foot passengers can cross on an abra – Dubai’s handy water taxis – or brave the pavements on the bridges.
Getting Around                       - paket resor -     Queensway Travel
There is an extensive, efficient and cheap bus service in Dubai, but most visitors get around by taxi. Comfortable taxis with uniformed drivers are operated by four companies, all of which charge the same rate. Even if you have hired a car it often makes sense to use taxis for appointments in some of the busier parts of the city. Taxis charge Dh3 for a pick-up during daytime and Dh1.25 per km thereafter. You can hire a taxi for 12 hrs for just Dh500, or Dh1,000 for 24 hours, which is perfect if you want your own chauffeur at your beck and call to guide you to all your meetings and hang around if you plan a night on the tiles. Taxis can also be booked through the electronic booking machines dotted around town. It costs Dh1 to book a taxi , which, on receiving the electronic message, will immediately be despatched to the machine’s location. However,  pick-up charge is Dh4, as is the fare per km. Finally, if you want to travel between the Deira and Bur Dubai sides of the city, and really drink in the local flavours, take an abra, the small ferries which shuttle back and forth across the Creek. There are two abra stations on either bank and the ride costs just 50 fils – pay on board.
What to see
Jumeirah Mosque: A spectacular example of Islamic Fatimid replica architecture and Dubai’s most-photographed edifice, best seen after dark when it is illuminated by hundreds of spotlights. Open daily 0800-2000, outside of prayer time. Visits should be arranged via one of the local tour companies, or through the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, located on the second floor of the nearby Beach Centre in Jumeirah. 
Mosques: Jumeirah is not the only attractive mosque in Dubai – keep your eyes open for some of the smaller ones hidden between buildings, many of which are quiet architectural gems. Take a side street from Jumeirah Mosque up to Al Wasl Rd to the Iranian mosque covered with turquoise tiles. Also worth seeing is the mosque on Airport Rd, just before Rashidiya, which, with its seven minarets, each topped with a new crescent moon, is quite spectacular. However, note that with the exception of the organised visits to Jumeirah Mosque, non-Muslims may not enter mosques in the UAE. 
Dubai Museum: Built in 1787 as a fort for sea defence overlooking the mouth of the Creek, this building is the former residence of the earliest ruler of Dubai. Also known as the Al Fahidi Fort it was restored in 1970 and turned into a museum, which today is one of the most advanced houses of history in the region. Though artefacts cover the last 4,000 yrs, it obviously emphasises on the 20c, when Dubai emerged as an important trading, fishing, and pearling country. Even if you’re not a museum goer, this offers a fascinating glimpse into the past which could well be a benefit to understanding the true background of your Emirati business contact – it’s even a good conversation opener, as the Emiratis are extremely proud of their past and will appreciate that you have at least an inkling of the way things were before their move into the oil era. 
Bastikiya: Adjacent to the Dubai Museum, this is a wonderfully recreated piece of the past. Its courtyard houses have been carefully restored and include wind towers, the earliest known form of air-conditioning. The towers form a chimney which sucks down cooling air into the room below, an amazing process which was introduced by Iranian immigrant merchants in the 19c. There’s also a wonderful art gallery, The Majlis Gallery. 
Palace of Sheikh Saeed: This coral palace was built at the end of the 19c on the banks of the Creek and was once the home of the ruling family, the Al Maktoums. Sheikh Saeed, grandfather of the present ruler, lived here until his death in 1958. It is an exemplary specimen of Dubai’s architectural style, with 30 rooms leading from a wonderful main entrance, central courtyard, and several wind towers. In 1986 the house was converted into a museum and restored, using traditional coral covered with lime and sand-coloured plaster. 
Heritage and Diving Village: Large-scale recreations of traditional life, including weaving, pottery, pearl-diving displays and cooking. There is a small souk selling local artefacts and occasional cultural displays. Doesn’t really get going till 1600. Adjacent to the Palace of Sheikh Saeed. 
Nad Al Sheba Golf and Racing Club: Situated at the head of The Creek, the race track is host to the Dubai World Cup every March, therichest horse race in the world. Racing takes place throughout the winter months, generally Nov to Apr on Sun and Thurs, and entrance to the public areas is free. An excellent evening’s entertainment for both racing enthusiasts and people-watchers alike, with competitions for prizes that include four-wheel drive vehicles. Also, you can book a round of golf on the spectacular golf course, which has been built around the race track and is the only fully floodlit 18-hole golf course in the region. 
The Godolphin Gallery: Housed within the Nad Al Sheba Golf and Racing Club complex, the gallery displays trophies which have been won over the past few years by the famous Godolphin horseracing stable, pride of the Al Maktoum family. The Godolphin stables, formed in 1994, are today recognised as one of the most successful stables in the world. Well worth a visit, but call Nad Al Sheba Club beforehand to arrange a visit. 
Wild Wadi Water Park: Situated adjacent to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Burj Al Arab, this is fantastic fun.
Camel Racing: Make an early start to take in the camel racing track which is situated along the road leading to Nad Al Sheba Golf and Racing Club. Camel racing takes place early on Friday mornings throughout the winter months and you can see the camels training every morning. Adjacent to the camel race track is a fascinating camel village where one can browse around the typically Arabic shops and purchase a variety of locally made handicrafts. This is open every day. 
Gold and Diamond Museum: Located within the recently opened Gold and Diamond Park on the Shaikh Zayed Rd, towards Jebel Ali, this is a visitors’ centre and museum, housing a permanent exhibition and the Med Café. It showcases traditional Arabic jewellery along with an explanation of the history behind the exhibits. Guided tours take visitors around the jewellery manufacturing plant and there is the opportunity to buy, and to commission your own design and watch it being made on the spot. 
Union House: Not only sporting the largest flag pole in Dubai, this is the historic site where ruling Sheikhs got together in 1971 to form the United Arab Emirates as we know it today.
The Big Bus Company: London style hop on-hop off tourist buses give a good idea of the city if you’re pushed for time.
Shopping                                        - paketresa -  Queensway Travel
Dubai is a shopper’s heaven and has three annual shopping festivals – around Easter, in high summer, and during Ramadan. The souks are the old traditional markets of the East found in the narrow alleys of Deira. The Deira Souk, behind the Shatt Al-Arab Hotel, sells silks as well as Persian and Afghan rugs and other Eastern textiles. The Spice Souk is a wonderful olfactory experience. Deira’s Gold Souk is the city’s gold trading post, with all manner of gold objects and jewellery for sale. Al Fahidi St in Bur Dubai is the place for rock-bottom prices on electronics and textiles. Be prepared to barter – it is expected and adds to the atmosphere. If all that’s a little too authentic then retreat to the air-conditioned haven of Dubai’s 30-plus shopping malls, as good for window-shopping and people-watching as for emptying the wallet. The largest is Deira City Centre, with the enormous French hypermarket, Continent, plus outlets of Ikea, Woolworths, and some 200 other shops, hotels, apartments and a cinema complex. Equally good but less frenzied is the newly extended Wafi centre, with its exciting new Pyramid spa and restaurant complex behind a massive stained-glass window. Bur Juman, Lamcy Plaza and Al Ghurair are the other three top malls, but the last will be undergoing redevelopment for the next few years.
Where to walk
Deira’s covered Gold Souk is a good place to start wandering, and when you’ve pottered round the multiple gold stalls, nearby is the Spice Souk and numerous other forms of retail. Vivid colours and exotic aromas hijack the senses amidst a cacophony of bartering and chatter, while futuristic shopping plazas with elevators, piped music and expensive fashion shops contrast with the neighbouring alleys harbouring a chaotic assembly of spice-sellers, jewellers, textile merchants and carpetbaggers. At Al Has St the road sweeps close to the mouth of the Creek, where you can pause to watch the water traffic chugging up and down. Stop in at the St George’s Hotel for a drink and a snack. Walk inland from the dhow quays and abra stops near the Carlton Tower Hotel, along Beniyas Road, past the Inter-Continental Hotel, the Twin Towers mall, Sheraton and stunning new buildings like the National Bank of Dubai and Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. There are benches at the atmospheric, purpose-built dhow port next to Maktoum Bridge. For the less energetic, a trip along the Creek in an abra is recommended. For about Dh40-50 you can hire a boat and captain for the hour-long tour. Most trips go to the mouth of the Creek and back to the dock. Note the splendid waterside palaces of the ruling Al Maktoum family on the banks. Back on dry land, spend a while wandering around the docks. The scene is animated and noisy, with all manner of precious cargo being handled, alongside fresh vegetables and fish. The Creekside Park, next to Wonderland, offers a contrasting taste of greenery, while Riqqa Rd, Diyafah St and, most recently, Al Muteena St have been refurbished. They each boast wide pavements choc-a-bloc with interesting boutiques and cafés. The Jumeirah public beach is another option.
Weather and Climate
The best weather is between Oct and Apr, when coastal temperatures hover around 24ºC-25ºC. It will be slightly warmer inland, but still comfortable. Nights can get cold, but rain is rare. Temperatures in May-Sept are invariably hot, well in excess of 40ºC and occasionally peaking around 50ºC at midday. Humidity can also top 90%, making it unpleasant outdoors for most of the day and night. Bottled drinking water is the accessory of necessity at this time of year, and can be bought almost everywhere.