dubai travelogue

Travel Tips

For the taxi fare, round off the figure to the nearest dirham.
If you get into trouble, dial 999.
In UAE, during the Muslim month of fasting called Ramadan, it is illegal to eat, drink or smoke in public from sunrise to sunset.
Light cottons are ideal as Dubai has a tropical climate most of the year.
Maps are available at all major bookstores at shopping malls.
Non-Muslims are permitted to visit mosques only on special guided tours.
The airport departure tax is included in the cost of the ticket at Dubai International Airport.
The best time of the year to visit Dubai is between November and April.
The Dubai Shopping Festival is held from Jan.15 to Feb.15 every year.
The Dubai Summer Surprises (June-Aug) held every year is a famous family entertainment and shopping event.
The main hotels and large shops generally accept credit cards like American Express, Diners Club, Visa and Mastercard.
The monetary unit is the dirham (Dh), also known as AED, which is equal to 100 fils.
The official exchange rate is US$ 1 = Dh 3.675.
The official language is Arabic but English is also widely spoken and understood.
The UAE is four hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
The voltage system in Dubai is 220 Volts and 3-pin sockets are available everywhere.
While in Dubai, do not drive in the extreme right lane. This is a fast lane.

Since 3000 BC, human beings have been living in this region.
Religious holidays are observed according to the Islamic Hejira calendar, which is based on lunar time.
Each of the Palm Islands will add 60kms. to Dubai beaches, increasing UAE shoreline by a whopping 166 percent.
From space, one can view the Palm Islands with naked eye.
The busiest airport in the Middle East is DXB – Dubai International Airport.
The region used to mark its weekend on Thursday and Friday. In 2006, the UAE government shifted the weekend to Friday and Saturday.
In Dubai, street addresses are not used! The main roads have names while the anonymous streets only have numbers assigned to them.