Jamie Vergara

Dubai, a city that defies expectations and redefines opulence. The place where tradition collides with futurism. A wonderland where the desert meets skyscrapers taller than your wildest dreams. Dubai is like that super cool fusion of ancient vibes and next-level tech that’s basically a real-life Marvel movie.

What even made this trip more meaningful was seeing my cousins that I haven’t seen since 2016. Especially witnessing the marriage of my older cousin Camille and her husband Ashan. To be a part of the wedding party, share memories on the stage in English and Tagalog (you just had to be there!), visit the Abu Dhabi Mosque, the tallest tower in the world, and use the cleanest public transportation I’ve ever seen. I always say, while I am single, have no kids and I’m in decent shape, now is the time to travel. Time with family is something that can’t be bought, and I am so happy we had the chance to celebrate my cousin’s wedding. While walking down to the reception after party pictures, Camille shows my sister and I her bouquet: A charm including a photo of my late uncle that says, “Dad. Walk with me today and forever.” My passport isn’t the only thing that has a new mark, my heart does too.

I’ve had my fair share of traveling and continue to learn a few hacks here and there. Dubai is no different and I hope you consider visiting one day.

Your Pocket Guide – Dubai Decoded

1. Airfare and Plane Tickets – Our roundtrip from Miami to Dubai was ~$750 USD. That is unbeatable. Always look on Tuesday or Wednesday for flights and make sure your webpage is on incognito, so the travel sites can’t pick up your cookies and behavior. This is only half the equation. The other factor is airport and month. The busier the season, the more expensive the fare is but typically using a larger airport (Miami) will save you bigger bucks.
2. Packing Strategies – I typically shy from checking in a luggage, but we had a wedding and a long week, so my family and I checked in bags. My rule of thumb is to always have on your body: passport/IDs, credit cards & cash, and your phone. These are always in my pocket, fanny pack or in a quick access spot in my backpack. Everything else is replaceable. There are horror stories of thieves on planes, so I never chance leaving any of these in my bag especially if traveling solo. The second priority is hand sanitizer, a water bottle, and a change of clothes in your personal bag—you never know!
3. Luggage Reccs – I’ve had a Ricardo set since 2016, and finally let the hand carry go, and about to let go of my check in. I have a Delsey (thanks for the Xmas gift, Jenn!) and a Samsonite on the way. I’ve used the same Lululemon backpack since 2019. It’s truly an investment as a traveler. Best gear will stick with you for years.
4. Allowance – My mom, sister, and I each have a credit card that does not charge an international fee. I used my Apple card, my sister has AMEX, and my mom used her Citi. Food in Dubai is actually cheap so long as you’re not doing Michelin everyday, so we only exchanged money once. If you are there to shop, that is a different story – so this part is on preference.
5. Global Entry – My life will never be the same. As a frequent traveler that has access to TSA Pre Check for domestic trips and has a shorter customs/immigration experience after traveling international, it is worth to have. If you don’t travel internationally every two years, then Pre-Check is probably all you need. Apply for it now, you will be so grateful.
6. Transportation – We used the metro which I must say, is the cleanest public transit I have EVER rode on. There is also ride share like Careem and Uber, and Taxi’s charge by the meter. We never had any issues with any of these. Ride share will be a little more but is definitely a win in terms of convenience. The metro is going to be the most cost efficient but is going to require a lot more walking. Some hotels also offer pick up from the airport and drop off for departure.
7. Accommodations – To make our life easy, we stayed at the hotel my cousin got married at, Asiana Grand Hotel. It was a 10-12 minute drive away from the airport and 20 minutes away from the Burj Khalifa by car. It is also next to a subway station – the red line. We had a spacious room for an affordable price. There are many options and reccs out there, but this one was a convenient choice.  
8. Food and Dining – Dubai I felt like does not have traditional food, but a mix of many traditional cuisines. We tried Turkish tea, Indian, Lebanese and Pakistani foods. We even stayed close by to a Filipino market. If you are a selective eater, this is probably not for you. There are franchises we all heard of like McDonald’s, Burger King, Five Guys and Jollibee. For a view of the Dubai Fountain and the skyscrapers surrounding the Dubai Mall, we found a cute restaurant called Logma that will give you a fantastic view and a delicious meal. For authentic Arabic food, our family brought us to Al Rayyan.
9. Cultural Etiquette – The good news is most places especially in the tourist areas, English is the prevalent language used. There is no specific dress code based on my research and observations, but modesty is appreciated by the locals. I didn’t wear shorts (even athletic ones) or sleeveless tops. The Abu Dhabi Mosque had a very strict dress code and required women to wear a hijab. I promise, there are many ways to look cute but still modest. If you are a fan of drinking, you are going to be disappointed. Dubai is prominently dry
10. The fun stuff: sightseeing activities:
    • • The Burj Khalifa’s At the Top is where tourists can go up 125 floors to have insane views of the city. Book these tickets ahead of time. The only slot available on our free day was 8:00 AM and honestly, we loved it. It’s a sacrifice to make but worth it. We saw the sun rise, didn’t compete with crowds, there was NO line to hop in the elevator and we were out by 8:15 because they let us in early at 7:15.
    • • The Dubai Mall – If you decide to visit the Burj Khalifa, you will have to go to this mall regardless of if you want to or not as the tower is in the mall. This mall is in the top 10 largest malls in the world so be prepared to walk A TON. To put it into perspective, we wanted to take the metro connected to the mall to visit the Marina. Where we were standing and the time it took to get to the train took 30 minutes.
    • • Miracle Garden – A hundred million flowers are stored here. I called it the Epcot of flowers. It is only opened from Oct-March aka appropriate weather time. Absolutely stunning and a perfect photo op.
    • • Dessert Sand Dunes – You wouldn’t believe we got tickets for $15 per person to take a Land Cruiser through the dessert and a buffet dinner with live entertainment (nothing glamorous but the food is decent). It’s more expensive on travel sites because they automatically sit you in a “VIP Section” and provide transportation to the dunes. We had our cousins drive so that lessened the cost immensely. Quotations around VIP because all it brings you is seats at a table with chairs versus sitting on carpet for dinner — you still have to wait in line for the buffet!
    • • Dubai Gold Souk – This traditional market in Dubai has almost 400 stores. If you want to bring back spices, coffee/tea, Arabian attire, jewelry – this is the spot. The demand for gold is significantly high but with the Middle East mining a majority of the material it is a tad bit cheaper to buy there. Today, gold in Dubai is $93 USD/per gram.
    • • The Abu Dhabi Mosque – Abu Dhabi was about a 90 minute drive from Dubai. Ferrari World is out there and if you are a Fast & Furious fan, you can visit the area where they filmed Furious 7 in. I recommend coming here, but it is a trek.
    • World Village – This is truly an EPCOT for food. It has all countries cuisines and retailed goods like traditional wear and souvenirs. It was a little far from our hotel, but I did enjoy the scenery and the environment.