It’s the best time of year to visit

Sunshine in Dubai

Dubai enjoys sunshine year round making it a great destination to visit, however, temperatures in summer reach an unbearable average of 104F.  In winter temperatures drop to an average of approximately 70F; Perfect for taking a pleasant stroll along the beach or dining on the patio.

It’s different

Odds are you know several people going off to Mexico, Hawaii or Thailand to get away from the winter weather.  How many people do you know going to Dubai?  You can do nearly anything in Dubai: world-class skiing, swimming, shopping or simply soak in the city’s heritage.

Enjoy world-class swimming

"The Leap of Faith"

In winter the ocean remains crystal clear but becomes too cold for most of us to swim in.  Fortunately Dubai is home to some of the greatest water parks and pools in the world.

Aquaventure at the Atlantis the Palm resort features everything you would want at an aquatic park: river rides, a water playground, pools, eight waterslides and more.

One of the main highlights is the “Leap of Faith”.  Standing 90 feet tall and 200 feet long this waterslide starts o the top of the Ziggurat and immediately goes into a steep drop down the side of the Ziggurat, through the shark tank (in a clear tube) and out the bottom.

If you would like to see the sharks at a more leisurely pace the “Shark Attack” also goes through the shark lagoon in a clear tunnel.

Indoor Alps

Dubai may be a desert so it may sound a bit odd to say that it’s also a great place to hit the slopes.  Conveniently located in the Mall of the Emirates, Ski Dubai is the world’s largest indoor ski facility.  Inside you will find a 200ft tall mountain that the size of three football fields, with five ski runs with different lengths and difficulty.

One of the five runs at Ski Dubai

There is also a 32, 000 square foot snow park with toboggan runs, icy body slide, climbing towers, a snow cavern and a snow ball shooting gallery.  When it comes time to take a break, there are also two cafés located within the facility.

Local Festivals

Global Village Festival

During winter, Dubai is host to many festivals. One of the largest festivals is the “Dubai Shopping Festival” (DSF).  Although it may sound strange, Dubai is best known for its gold, money and shopping, making it the perfect festival for the city.

From January 5^th to February 5^th 2012 over 6000 shops in 50 malls will participate in the festival providing discounts and tax free shopping.  There are also prize such as cars, cash, gold and various festivals and events such as Global Village.

Global Village is associated with the DSF but continues on after the DSF is over.  It is an outdoor cultural fair showcasing various cultures.  You can enjoy the authentic cuisine, shopping and performances.

Be sure to grab the mTrip Dubai Travel Guide for your trip to Dubai!

images by: edmundyeo, Kate Webster, LostBob, Ricky Brigante & Greg

Flights
Deals on travel to Dubai are few and far between, especially if you are coming from the US. Your best bet is to save a visit to Dubai for when you are already going to be in the Middle East, North Africa or Western Europe as a flight from there will cost much less than direct from the US – and your wallet will thank you for treating a stay in Dubai as a side trip of only a few days, rather than the main event of a two week trip. If you’re set on Dubai though, compare the cost of buying the whole trip on one airline vs. buying tickets to Europe and then on to Dubai. It may cost less to book piecemeal, and you can take a day or two in Europe to break up the long trip.

Hotels
If you don’t have the salary of an oil baron, don’t even think about staying at one of Dubai’s famously lavish hotels. But that doesn’t mean you’re left with a dingy hostel as your only affordable option. There are actually many mid-range hotels that are clean, basic, conveniently located and only cost $80-$100 per night.

Dining
Dining in Dubai is another activity that seems – based on the glossy images of tourists dining in elegant hotel restaurants – to be prohibitively expensive. But back away from the resorts and head to where the locals eat. At unpretentious, family-owned restaurants all over the city, you can find local foods like shwarma for under $2US. You’ll also find casual chains serving Lebanese, Middle Eastern and even Italian food that won’t break the bank.

Though many of Dubai’s attractions are pricey, it doesn’t cost a dime to hit the beach, do some window shopping, or simply wander the streets of this rapidly changing city.

By Katie Hammel of BootsnAll

Download mTrip’s Dubai Travel Guide

Image by: Sakena

The full event menu includes cooking classes with some of the most renowned chefs, wines paired with delicious dishes, champaign sipped in VIP lounges and presentations by culinary experts.

What could be more exciting for a foodie lover?!

Setting a new benchmark for food and drinks worldwide, many Taste Festivals are being held around the world this year. Cities include: Amsterdam, Auckland, Birmingham, Cape Town, Dubai, Dublin, Edinburgh, Jo’burg, London, Melbourne, Milan and Sydney. Taste Festivals bring together the host city’s most acclaimed restaurants and chefs in stunning venues to present signature offerings to foodie visitors.

Bon appétit!

Images: Taste of London, adriangonsalves, griffithchris, robertpaulyoung

Each city has something unique to offer the world of technology. Whether it’s a vital tool or just a simple gadget, we’re impressed and have listed them below. So without further ado, here are the top five destinations for the tech tourist.

Beijing

We had to put Beijing at the top of this list for their approach to traffic jams. They’re currently experimenting with what they call the 3D Express Coach, also known as the ‘straddling bus’. It is effectively a bus on legs, whose body spans two lanes of a road but which lets cars travel beneath it. Supplementary power will come from solar panels on the roof, and it’ll be 90% cheaper to build than a comparable length of subway. Trials have yet to start, but they’re supposed to begin towards the end of 2011.

Tokyo

The government of Tokyo is extremely keen on near-field communications technology – the kind of gadgets that let you and your smartphone ‘check in’ when you arrive somewhere significant. They’ve taken it further in Tokyo though. The aim is to create a Minority Report style city where everything is referenced using NFC, accessible to locals and allowing tourists to ‘see the sites’.

Technology has already played a part in overcoming Tokyo’s navigation problems. The city has many unnamed streets, so in the eighties maps were sent by fax to prospective visitors. Tokyo was responsible (in part) for the proliferation of fax machines, and then later GPS for the same reason.

Dubai

While Dubai appears to be the epitome of sleek modernity, there have been some stumbling blocks. The internet is highly regulated and very expensive, with the average broadband package costing around $40 a month. What’s more, the government is anxious not to let companies use VPN connections to bypass their own cumbersome internet structure.

On the other hand, Dubai has built some incredible things. The Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building at 828 metres, built using the world’s tallest ever concrete pumping and serviced by the world’s fastest elevators (40mph).

Vienna

Vienna University is at the forefront of 3d printing technology. While the technology isn’t new, Vienna University has produced a small, cheap one – their version weighs about 1.5kg and will probably cost around €1200 ($1,700), making it a viable addition to the manufacturing and healthcare industries.

 

London

 

A simple app called Tube Status is a must if you’re going to be in London for any length of time. The ancient and idiosyncratic London Underground (aka the Tube) is prone to failure – this app will warn you before you descend the escalators.

Claire Tucker writes on behalf of Tripbase. When she isn’t travelling, she’s usually planning her next trip.

Images: Erman Akdogan, chusico

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