onetruetweedle
Kennebunk
A question about this place:
This is kind of a silly question, but I feel like I have to ask it anyway.
Is Dubai really as kick-a as it is portrayed in American media?
Answers:
layyla
Redondo Beach
It depends on what you mean by kick-a. I loved Dubai. We shopped, dined on the gulf, and went dune-buggying over the dunes. We boated on the gulf and had a bedouin feast in the desert. It was fabulous. Dubai is very luxurious. The service is exquisite. You don’t have to worry about crime. There is not a lot of drinking and clubbing. You’re not going to see rock concerts there or fabulous museums.
layyla
Redondo Beach
Maybe I’m doing something wrong but I don’t see your edit. What is your definition of kick-a?
onetruetweedle
Kennebunk
...what the foo-fangle?
It didn’t edit. Grah. >.<
Basically, is it portrayed as a futuristic playground for the wealthy, with everything a soul could desire. Is it possible for there to be any culture mixed in with that? Has it been totally saturated with wealthy American culture?
layyla
Redondo Beach
I don’t think Dubai is infused with American culture. I do think it is infused with the culture of wealth. Dubai has styled itself as a playground for the Arab wealthy. After visiting there I joked that I swam with sheiks, and I did! As an American I felt in the minority. It seemed to me to be the world of the Arab sheik and all about their wealth and comfort.
The closest I got to “native” culture was visiting a ruined castle, the feast in the desert, and shopping in the souks. Of course you can’t visit the mosques even though they seem so beautiful from the outside.
We went around with a guide one day and I got the impression that Dubai had very few native people. It had been a poor country (they don’t have much oil compared to their neighbors). Tourism is their bread and butter now. That is why they serve alcohol in the hotels. Almost all the work is done by workers imported from India or other countries. There aren’t many natives and they keep to themselves mostly.
I think you’re equating wealth with “American” and they are not the same ideas at all. Dubai is all about wealth. I’m American, I live in California, and I know the difference between what is essentially American and wealth for its own sake.
onetruetweedle
Kennebunk
I was equating American wealth with Dubai, certainly. I am aware that they are different things. It seems like the Forbes-reading populace of America finds Dubai to be the new hot spot for their summer jaunts. How interesting to hear that very few of them are actually present in the country.
Thanks for the info! You definitely cleared up a few hazy points for me. :-)
mperalta
Tucson
I lived there for two years. There is a lot of cool stuff there, ie: the Burj al Arab Hotel, Wild Wadi water park, the indoor ski slope, etc. But to do this stuff, you need quite a bit of disposable cash. It’s not cheap to do the cool stuff in the city, their own little way of keeping out what they consider an undesirable element (guest workers, poor foreigners).
Basically to do the stuff you see in the media, you need money. For example, I had lunch at hotel adjacent to the Burj al Arab and spent 90 dirhams (about $28) just on iced tea (they kept offering refills and i gladly accepted without knowing i was being charged). That’s still one of my favorite stories actually.
mia76
Leiden
Wow, I’ll keep the ice tea thing in mind. Gosh, when they offer refills I’d assume they’d be complementary!
ChampagneSipper
3 places
I enjoyed my 3 weeks in Dubai several years ago, and I stayed with a British friend who was teaching there. It’s a good place to go with a friend or friends, to deal with the culture shock and deal with the country’s ways of doing things. The shock is what made it fun too, though. It is rather expensive, as previously mentioned, although like most things, one can get around it with effort. I loved the gold souks, outdoor markets, boat rides to downtown, and camel races. Swimming is easy and fun. I unexpectedly did abit of birdwatching too. Some of the extreme cultural practices/differences are offset by the multitude of nationalities present. I met many young professionals from all backgrounds. Transportation by taxi is commonplace and inexpensive. I have often thought of going back (although I prefer not travelling there as a solo woman). :)
mandys
London
I don’t think Dubai is in anyway styled along US influences – it is very much a middle-Eastern city. What differentiates it from other Muslim cities is that they tolerate a certain level of Western dress-sense and you can find restaurants selling alcohol.
The city is absolutely culture-rich – one of the most cultural cities I have visited. I’d recommend it to anyone as I loved it so much.
Make sure to ask your hotel about all of the excursions. They are awesome.
I hope this link works – my photoalbum is here: http://www.missus-emm.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=15
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