Dubai In July....What have I done?

To say it's been a tumultuous couple of months has been an understatement in my little world. Firstly, as a few of you know, I work for a train company, and yes it has been one of the ones in the news recently and so I have been in constant crisis management mode.

Then the sad news that my dad passed away last Saturday morning, so an unexpected trip was needed back to the North East, which as always does with these types of things has now culminated in family politics and arguments and so I am extremely glad to be back at work dealing with delays, cancellations and buses.

I started browsing for a trip away end of July, having cancelled a week of leave in June to help the crisis effort, but which will end up being attending a funeral so more than ever the need for the get away is required.

I've blown my miles for my trip to Boston, and I was eager to try another airline. Looking at American /Iberia combos to Miami, but I have been there before. Trying BA was tempting, but their J product doesn't appeal. EK was expensive for what I was looking for.

I had narrowed it down to DUB-LHR-MIA-MAD-DUB which was £1500 but I needed to sort positioning flights, and would get me to BA Bronze (sarcastic Whoop-Do-Whoop ) checking out the hard product on AA seemed exciting and their lounges in Miami and LHR looked good but I couldn't quite get the connection I wanted and only would have 2.5hrs from landing to taking off in LHR.

Other option was the weekend I was looking at VS were offering fares out in Upper and back in PE for £1300. WOW too good to be to true. Dubai is somewhere I've always fancied to go. Conrad Dubai was coming out quite cheap, and I ended up booking it on points so is a freebie.

Surely there must be a catch!?

I told a friend abut my plans, and he started laughing at me (hes a fellow forum member so I will let him come forward!) and then spoke to a friend who used to live in DXB and she too questioned my sanity.

So my fellow V-Flyers, can I get your take on this? I have nights there. I land 8.30am Friday. My plan for Friday-Sunday is nothing but chilling by the pool, listening to music and sipping cocktails.

My plan for the Monday is a quick shop in the Dubai mall, a trip up the Burj Khalifa and back to the hotel in time to abuse my last night in the Executive Lounge!

Am I crazy for going at this time of year?

Col,

Sorry to hear of your recent strife. I have only two days ago booked myself an August bank holiday trip to Dubai (taking advantage of some reasonably priced 'S' class PE fares) so I too am questioning what I'm playing at!!

I'd be curious to hear other's takes on this too... be gentle... Haha.

Col,

So sorry to hear of the turbulent few months that you’ve had - I imagine getting away for a few days is the light at the end of the tunnel for you.

My OH is working out in Dubai at the moment and has experienced the heat at all times of year. July and August are indeed ridiculously hot, but if you’re happy to adapt what you do to different times of the day you’ll be fine.

If you’re going out to the Burj Khaliffa or the mall then go early in the morning or after 5pm (you can pre book tickets to the Khaliffa online to avoid any waiting.
Don’t forget that literally everywhere in Dubai is air conditioned so stepping from the air con in the hotel to an air con taxi and into an air con building is fine. Even the metro stations are air conditioned.

All hotels have a lot of shaded areas by the pools and several that I’ve been to have fans and cooler units set up by some of the sun beds.

So to summarise - don’t worry about it, it’ll be hot - but you’ll be fine! Try and book a Friday ‘Brunch’ in one of the hotels too - some of them are just amazing!

Matt

I think that forum member you refer to is just jealous he isn’t going instead. Dubai is fine, just stick to the shade in July. It’s TOASTY!!

Dont worry not alone i am going on business for a week...think i shall be hiding in a fridge somewhere, about 50 degress C so I am told...120+ f.

Sure that is what beer was invented for...keep me cool and hydrated

My eldest has just got a teaching job in Qatar so it's Qatar airways for me for the next couple of trips....HOT HOT HOT!!!! at least they fly from Brum though.

I spent 3 days in Dubai in August a few years ago. The heat is intense but there's respite from it. Shops/hotels are very well air conditioned. The hotel I stayed in cooled the pool. The sea is like a hot bath. My advice is comfortable clothes!

Factor 50 if in the sun for more than 5 mins, plenty of cool drinks to stop you dehydrating & SHADE around the pool - you can also buy sun protection swim tops (well we could at Jumeriah Beach Hotels or Wild Wadi Water Park

Mrs F and I did Dubai in July and followed that with the Egyptian desert in Aug. Both were incredible and all the more enjoyable with the lack of crowds due to the heat. Admittedly we were living in Cyprus at the time so were climate adjusted!

Enjoy your trip, I'm jealous.