With accolades like having the tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa), the biggest mall in the world (Dubai Mall), Dubai has come a long way from being just a desert. Despite what it has grown into in such a short time, each time popular travel sites like Condé Nast Traveler posts on Facebook about Dubai, you’ll see plenty of critical comments that discourage you from visiting. If I hadn’t known better, it would have been easy to assume that many people actually hate Dubai (but wait, a good number of them have not even visited Dubai before).
To be honest, I haven’t quite worked out exactly whether I like or dislike Dubai as a travel destination, though it’s probably towards the I-Don’t-Exactly-Fancy-Dubai-But-It-Was-An-Interesting-City-to-Observe side. As a city, Dubai’s vibe isn’t my cup of tea. No big deal about this though cos many cities aren’t my cup of tea either – I’ve come to appreciate the mountains more.
Dubai is glitzy when night falls, lights twinkling from buildings and billboards. In the daytime, the city somehow feels quite sterile — skyscrapers, a dusty fog covering the air; you get the drift. The question is,
Is Dubai worth visiting?
A few things to know before you decide about Dubai
1. The weather can be very hot
Rain is rare. In fact, I felt weird hearing the rain hit my windows when I returned to Singapore from UAE, not kidding! In Dubai, the weather can get really warm hot. “There are 2 seasons: Hell and Spring“, so describes a Quora user (source). That ‘Hell’ lasts 9 months, while cooler weather for the remaining three. Be prepared for the heat if you’re not visiting during ‘Spring’. In fact, it’s so hot that even those small bus-stops (almost 1300 of them) in Dubai are air-conditioned.Â
2. Dubai is not a cheap city to visit
It’s true that Dubai is not cheap because, how else are they gonna survive from tourism. However, not everything is expensive. It depends on your planning and the experiences you want.
For example, to go up the Burj Khalifa (that pointy building in photo above), currently the tallest building in the world, if you choose General Entry for access to levels 124 & 125, an adult ticket will cost from AED 135 (S$50 / USD$37), as compared to “At The Top” access to levels 124, 125 & 148 during prime hours , which will set you back by AED 525 (S$195 / USD$143).
However, if you wanna take a professional picture for your visit, where they’ll digitally-manipulate your pose into a photo to make you look like you’re climbing up Burj Khalifa, that one photo souvenir will cost a whopping AED 290 (S$112 / USD$79). The good deal is you also get to download the digital copies of the different versions they did.
Update June 2018: Burj Khalifa recently changed their entry structure & also increased prices. When we went, they have an option of Immediate Entry which we didn’t take as there wasn’t a need.Â

Some experiences are free, such as visiting Jumeirah Beach, or being at The Palm island, or going to the souks. Other attractions like Dubai Museum and Dubai Miracle Garden (read my blogpost about Dubai Miracle Garden!) are considered cheap or reasonable.
For more unique experiences like skydiving above Palm Islands (AED 1999), high tea at Burj Al Arab hotel (from AED 400), or taking a helicopter ride (from AED 795 to AED 12,850) to tour Dubai, they’ll definitely cost a lot more.
Transport by Dubai’s metro is cheap (and the stations looked really modern). Taxis are everywhere. I have no transport experiences to share though because we drove our own car around.

Food is not very cheap. I ate an equal amount of fast food and at food courts.
3. It’s not a very walkable city
The metro system was built to connect areas. Other than that, I don’t feel you can walk from hotel to places, unless you’re staying right beside Dubai Mall and that’s all you wanna go. To get between tourist spots, you need to take the train or a cab.
4. Laws in Dubai are very strict
Despite how westernized Dubai looks, it retains conservative laws. Sharia law applies in UAE. In Dubai, as ladies, you’re advised to keep your shoulders, arms (wear sleeved tops) and knees covered, even if you’re going to Dubai Mall or any other mall. Of course, there are tourists that write about how they didn’t get into trouble despite not following the dress code. However, the fact is you’ll see many Emirati ladies covered from head to toe, leaving just their eyes, hands and feet exposed. No one’s expecting you as a tourist to cover up all the way, but as a form of respect to others’ cultures in others’ cities, you can do better in not making anyone feel uncomfortable by not wearing a skimpy outfit, don’t you agree?
Also, Dubai has very strict rules and regulations about consuming alcohol, drink-driving, drug-related offences, harassment, public displays of affection, sexual relationships before marriage, offensive behavior (don’t even think of pointing your middle finger at someone), homosexuality and more. Read up before going!
If you take necessary precautions and not behave like a self-entitled, rude, ignorant tourist, chances are, you’ll be fine (unless you’re really, really unlucky).
The Appealing Side of Dubai
Dubai is opulent and dramatic. Everything you see was created by humans.
You may call the city artificial and fake, but let’s not forget all the work that went into building each skyscraper. It was all built with effort and labour. Dubai, contrary to belief, is not staying the rich city due to oil. The bulk of Dubai’s current wealth comes from tourism – a result of a well-strategized infrastructure that boosted its economy.
Dubai’s Architectural Feats
Burj Khalifa
Currently the world’s tallest building and the most distinguished icon of Dubai, Burj Khalifa stands at 828m high. From above, even skyscrapers look short! Look at how minuscule those cars on the roads look!
Impressive-looking Buildings
Have you seen buildings that twirl like this?

Islands in the shape of a palm tree
There’s actually more than one palm-shaped island in Dubai, but the famous one has to be The Palm, where the grand Atlantis Hotel is at. We drove to The Palm, and honestly, you wouldn’t know you’re on a palm-shaped island, though it was still awesome tracking the location on my offline map app! This huge island meant there are plenty of beaches!

| Check rates & secure your booking for Atlantis Hotel: via Booking.com • Agoda |
Out-of-This-World Experiences
Skydiving above Palm Islands? No problem. Enjoying a helicopter ride and seeing Burj Al Arab hotel from above? Skiing inside an indoor ski park (at Mall of the Emirates)? or ice-skating rink (Dubai Mall) inside malls? Dive with sharks inside the huge aquarium at Dubai Mall? Plunge down that crazy ride at a water park (Aqua Venture) you saw on Facebook? Conquer obstacle courses and ramp at the largest inflatable water park that you saw on a FB video too? How about calling for an UberChopper (Uber but the vehicle is a helicopter, omg)? Dubai promises lots of fun for everyone.

Interesting Attractions in Dubai
Dubai Miracle Garden is a huge garden of impressive installations (blogpost here!). Dubai Fountains (right outside Dubai Mall) delivers spectacular fountain shows every evening.
The Way Dubai Managed to Retain Its Old Charm
Dubai developed into a very modern city in a very short amount of time. At Old Dubai, you can still experience the older, more heritage side of Dubai, with its bustling souks, and even take the traditional-looking boat (called an abra) to cross the creek. Dubai Museum is housed inside Al Fahidi Fort, the oldest existing building in Dubai. This part of Dubai managed to retain its old-world charm, which is kinda lovely (though for the sake of tourism, if you could see how many tourists were queueing to take the abra).
The Less Appealing Side of Dubai
The city does not seem real
With mega-everything, and being originally a desert, Dubai somehow just doesn’t seem to be a real place. You get this impression that everything is an illusion and the bubble will burst right under your feet and you’ll wake up with a jolt.
Fast cars, heavy road traffic, crowded malls
Cars whiz by on plenty of road lanes on highways. Drivers don’t always care that they’re obstructing your way or if you’re beeping your honk relentlessly. If I may thus say, drivers in Dubai display an air of disregard for others around, especially if your car is the bigger one.
I was at Dubai Mall one evening and sheesh, for a moment, I wondered if I was in Singapore. The mall was crowded, there was noise everywhere. People were walking fast (to perhaps to the fountains).
Hierarchy and classes
I felt just that bit of confusion in Dubai such that, different races display a sense of superiority over others. True there are plenty of expats in Dubai, but here’s the catch, they were hired by Emiratis to come work in Dubai 😉 I’m sorry if I can’t explain this better, but it’s like a funny game of Guess Who’s Richer? The answer is not the expats. Have you ever heard of anyone who has 18 domestic helpers in one house? Well, I have! (By an Emirati in Abu Dhabi though, a few hours by car from Dubai.)
It feels soulless, somehow
You’ll see people everywhere, tall buildings, you sense a rush in the air like people are rushing to see this, cover that, but in essence, rushing to nowhere. The irony is that things in Dubai are impressive – the biggest or most expensive of everything. For myself, the more someone tries to impress, the more turned off I become. I get that same feeling about Dubai. Its wealth and opulence just don’t appeal to me.
Abu Dhabi, on the other hand, was wayyy quieter compared to Dubai, but I actually felt a sense of peace and connection upon returning back to Abu Dhabi after Dubai.
So, was Dubai worth visiting?
As a traveler that craves to visit different places and experience different cultures, the answer for me is yes. (But I need to let you know that I was in Dubai for only about 2.5 days, as part of the itinerary for being in UAE.) As a travel blogger, Dubai also gave me plenty of content to write about, for that, I appreciated having seen Dubai with my own eyes. Dubai sure was interesting to experience from the perspective of an outsider! However, Dubai will not be my top choice if I needed to get away from Singapore for a short trip, as both are modern cities and are melting pots of different cultures.
More importantly, there are always the positive and negative sides to every city. Wherever we may visit, always go with an open mind and respect for others’ cultures.
Have you been to Dubai? Did you like it?
Visiting Dubai? Check Dubai accommodation options on Booking.com today!
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More posts on Middle East!
• Visiting the impressive Dubai Miracle Garden!
• Sunset desert safari in Abu Dhabi
• Stepping into Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE’s most grand mosque
• How visiting Abu Dhabi was like
Visited: Nov 2016
Information sources: Dubai history (from here), Dubai laws tourists should know about (from here)
Photo credits: Cayan Tower is by Guilhem Vellut, obtained via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license, further editted by me. All other photos were taken by me.
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31 comments
This was a really interesting post! I visited Dubai briefly on my way to Abu Dhabi and found it slightly soulless, but I also took my innate prejudices along for the trip. Really good article about looking at this unique city from both sides! (love your blog design by the way, so chic!)
Sorry Lee, I don’t know why your comment went to the Spam folder so I didnt’ see it until I unchecked from the Spam! Thank you for your comment! Dubai was a short trip for me from Abu Dhabi too. Glad to hear you enjoyed reading this article =) Happy to hear about the blog design, though I’m considering changing it some time later hohoho =D
I completely agree with your sentiments. Everyone should probably see Dubai once but it’s one of the few places on the world that I really don’t wish to revisit. When we transit through now we stay at the airport hotel which is gateside.
Thanks Sandy! Yeah it’s a place to visit once just to see how different it is, but as for revisiting, I’ll think twice! I flew to UAE via Abu Dhabi though, but if I ever transit in Dubai next time, I’ll note your suggestion about the airport hotel 😉
My husband really wants to go, and I am iffy.
I love this article. Helps me kind of make my decision! Thanks for posting!!!
Thank you Meghan! I know that feeling about not knowing whether we’ll love a city or not. All the best about you guys’ decision!
Excellent post, Kristine! I love Dubai, having lived there for 5 years and visited countless times before and since. It’s not for everybody and I completely understand that but what irks me is bloggers who write posts having a go at Dubai when much of what they are saying is wildly inaccurate. Your post is a refreshing exception, thank you 🙂
Thanks so much Candice, your response really means a lot especially that you’ve lived in Dubai for so long! Yeah I know what you meant, I get mildly annoyed too when I chanced upon articles sharing dramatized, untrue articles about my own city! Like those articles were written for the sake of having something written only, zZz.
Dubai isn’t for everyone, visiting once is enough for me right now =)
Great article!! I have visited it 3 times as I was working in Qatar for 9 years! So pretty similar culture. 🙂 you remind me that I have to write for Qatar also! 🙂 Kisses!
Hi Penelopi! Thanks for coming by! Yes you should write about Qatar, it will definitely draw a lot of interest! I’ve only been to Doha airport as layovers, haha, but I really like the new airport! <3
Interesting post that explores both sides of the coin. I have been to Dubai, a long time ago…and personally would not choose to return, mainly because, as you highlighted, to me it seemed soulless.
Thanks for sharing this though, and showing us the full picture.
Great to hear, Rebecca! I guess it’ll be quite a few more years before I consider visiting Dubai again. Which makes me wonder if their tourism boards had considered this before — that they only needed to draw one-time visitors, hmm.
This was a great summary of both the positives and negatives. I was in the UAE for six weeks for work and spent some time in Dubai. It does not seem real! To me, the sheer opulence is worth seeing, but it is definitely a different type of cultural experience!
Hi Cali! It must have been an interesting time to spend 6 weeks in UAE! Yeah, the opulence of Dubai definitely is interesting to see, but I feel this place may not necessarily fit everyone’s taste indeed. Once is enough for me for now.. for a long time, ha!
I’ve never been to Dubai so I found this post really helpful. So refreshing to read a balanced post to weigh up the different elements of the place – not just the good parts!
Thanks Katie! Honestly it was easier to write about the attractions in Dubai that I liked, but decided I should paint a bigger, clearer picture too. I’m so glad you enjoyed this!
Great post! I’ve done both a long layover as well as a week long tour around the Emirates. Dubai has its pros (weather, ease of getting around, and beaches), but also has its cons (expense and lack of authenticity). I think you did a great job highlighting them all. If you are able to getting outside of Dubai is totally worth it. Driving while crazy at times is totally doable. We produced a guide to the Emirates on our blog!
Thanks Albert! Glad you enjoyed the post from your aspect as someone who experienced Dubai before. We drove our own car around in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but I have to say, the traffic in Dubai makes one stressed, both from speed and the amount of traffic on the road =S
I really enjoyed this one Kristine! You summed up the good, the bad and the ugly of Dubai. I’ve been a surprising number of times as my best friend lives there and I do actually like visiting. But it’s a different type of holiday I’m going for when I’m there. I’m going for the hot weather and the clean city and just a break from life so I appreciate the surreal quality the city has to offer as well as the lack of crowds. Having said that, as a traveller looking for a new experience it wouldn’t be up there.
Thank you! Wow! You’re based in Singapore for now, correct? The hot weather there won’t be a reason to head back to Dubai next time, cos it’s always warm weather in SG now =D
Hi Kristine! I just discovered your blog from another blogging friend’s, and I’m loving it (love the design!). This article is SO spot on. I just returned from a 2-week trip to Dubai. While I had an incredible time, I agree with a lot of it. I stayed with an Indian family in this residential Indian neighborhood, so I’m glad I got to see a more local side of Dubai. And my neighborhood also had THE BEST Indian food, and for super cheap too! I could have been happy just eating there all day. And I had an expat friend who lived there, so it was fun to hang out with someone. I had a lot of fun there, but I agree that it’s not a particularly good destination if someone is looking for culture or history or scenery. Maybe if someone is looking for crazy experiences or a bit of luxury. 🙂
Hi Anna! Thanks for popping by and leaving a comment! 2 weeks of staying in Dubai, that’s a long stay! It’s awesome that you got to stay with a local and eat wonderful Indian food. I didn’t really have chances for Dubai’s local cuisine, though I tried shawarma at Abu Dhabi. Am so glad you agree with the article! I was trying to provide a more objective and balanced perspective instead of the usual over-emphasis on Dubai’s other famous side – the OTT / crazy / expensive side. All in all, it was still a different city for me to explore and learn about =)
Have a nice day!
Great post! I’ve done both a long layover as well as a week-long tour around the Emirates. Dubai has its pros (weather, ease of getting around, and beaches), but also has its cons (expense and lack of authenticity). I think you did a great job highlighting them all. If you are able to getting outside of Dubai is totally worth it. Driving while crazy at times is totally doable.
Thank you! The traffic in Dubai alone was enough to put me off driving there for sure, ha! I’ll leave it to the professionals… 😉
I really enjoyed your post. Thanks for posting such a wonderful information!
Your post is offering a fresh look on Dubai. It will surely make people think twice before visiting it., I too got the feeling about the city as an artificial. Everything seemed in there over the top. But since perception differs from person to person, visiting it at least once in a lifetime is must.
Great work Kristine 🙂 Summing up the pros and cons gives the readers a clear idea of how Dubai exactly is!
Great to hear you enjoyed the article, Mariam =)
I enjoyed your post! It is very interesting post!!!
Hi Kristine, first of all I must say your blog design is really awesome, specially the header part. After reading your blog, I get to know about the strict laws in the Dubai, so thanks for sharing your experience.
Very nice and wonderful overviews. Very excellent information. Thanks for sharing this.