V-Flyer

http://dubai.isnuts.googlepages.com.nyud.net:8080/

I've never been to Dubai but looks pretty impressive! May have to go one day me thinks...

And as horrible as it sounds, that new tallest building. Does anyone else's first though think...."my thats a big target" [:#]

EDIT - WHOOPS sorry about the duff link. Corrected now

It works better like this:

http://dubai.isnuts.googlepages.com.nyud.net:8080/

Best wishes

David

James might recall our limo driver telling us about that 'World Tower', he did say that it was going to be the biggest tower, but i kind of glossed over it as every country strives to have the biggest tower and the record seldom lasts.

The percentage of cranes thing is true though, if not higher, you see one heck of a lot of development and cranes on the way to Jumeirah beach and it does really look like that photo. I've seen the underwater hotel plan before, though i thought that was somewhere else and not Dubai, i guess its a borrowed idea?

All i'm thinking is 'Get to Dubai now and see it - before it (and its originality) changes completely'.

Thanks,
Sarah

We've just got back and thought it was crap tbh! It might be better when they've finished everything but we didn't find enough to do to hold our attention for 6 days.
It's horses for courses and all that though, we know an equal amount of people who've been and loved it as have been and hated it, I'd definitely recommend people wait until at least 2008 before going (if they've never been before) to ensure they experience as much as they can.

Totally agree with daywalker. We've been there in November, contacted the desert tourist company that advertised on the in-flight magazine that VS provides.

They turned up on time, but they want 9 people (8 adults and one child) sit in an old Toyota 7-seat 4X4 for a 40 minutes ride to the desert, without air-conditioning in the car!

I started to feel sick in the back of the 4X4 (especially the sun came from the back was so strong) and finally stopped half way and turned back to our hotel with my wife. She was so glad that we don't have to stay in that 4X4 and continue the journey.

The driver told us, this happens every week. Quite a few foreign tourists can't continue their journey to the desert. In fact, the day before we been there, a British couple got so sick, can't even make their way back to their hotel!

For those who are very healthy, and love to discover some different stuff, go ahead to Dubai, you may love it.

For the rest of people (like us), really want a relaxed holiday, I suggest you stay in the hotel and beach. They are lovely, especially Shangri-La! Don't go anywhere else, you won't like it.

By the way, don't book any hotel in the old city centre, you will never get a taxi in the morning!

I am glad that some people like Dubai ... as for me it holds no allure whatsoever. If I want to ski, Corcheval is closer and has a damn site more snow and some 'real' mountains, if I want to swim and dive, the Red Sea is IMHO better (and there's more real better), if I want fab hotels and good service (and no worries about having a cocktail outside)I can choose American or India or good ole Europe ... etc. And as for the blistering heat, I had to walk 20 yards from a coach to a plane at DXB in July and nearly wilted (and yes, even at the best airport in the world you still have to hit the tarmac sometimes.

Please, take a hanky for your head and a sense of reality when you go .

I guess I'm simply not wowed by the 'biggest and tallest' in the world.

Thanks for that and thank god i'm not the only one that kind of scratches his head over Dubai, sorry folks but I just don't get the big deal over it.

I was lucky enough to live in Dubai in the late 90's for a few years when it was a great expat secret. I daren't take my wife back now as I'd spend the whole time saying "they've ruined that, it used to like this..." until she slapped me.

Maybe I'll go back when it's finished and beyond all recognition (although I'm sure it already is) but I must admit, it does sound like they've just turned it into a new Las Vegas but with extra cheese. Shame really [V]

If you want a decent middle east experience with a bit of luxury thrown in, my tip is to head to Oman instead.

Originally posted by Virgin Sheep
I was lucky enough to live in Dubai in the late 90's for a few years when it was a great expat secret. I daren't take my wife back now as I'd spend the whole time saying "they've ruined that, it used to like this..." until she slapped me.

We had a similar discussion (without the slapping) with my brother in law over Christmas. They'd had a great holiday there a few years back (though with exactly the same desert trip "experience" that Snow mentioned) but on returning for business in recent years his opinion of it as a holiday destination has sunk.

Paul

Upmarket Blackpool - that all I can say about Dubai - 5 yrs ago a great place but now - just too much

Wasn't a huge fan of Dubai, reminds me of Spain about 30 years ago.

I loved Dubai when I was there in the summer and thought the 45*+ heat was great. As for being able to do ... better in another place, there's only one place you can do it all in one day;)
For me, it's up there on my list of top destinations with NY, SoCal and Mauritius/Reunion:D

VS.

Originally posted by VS045
.... there's only one place you can do it all in one day;)
...

VS.

Well, I have Water-skied and Snow-skied on the same day in Scotland.

Mind you, the Loch was *&%!%$£ cold and those parts of me not in the dry suit nearly fell off.

I hear many people rave about Dubai, and I'm sure I will visit there in the next couple of years whilst working in that part of the world. But I'm sure after 8 weeks of working in the desert heat, i'd rather be heading for somewhere cold and wet.
I think it has definately become "the thing" much as spain was 30 years ago. Just with more money.

BTW, there is an article on Dubai in this month's National Geographic

VS.