Episode 23: Know Before You Go: Dubai!
Travel, for me, is all about learning how others live.
When I moved to Dubai I honestly felt like I had stepped into a city I had dreamed of myself.
This is how I would love to live! Read on to find out why!
The view from my accommodations in DXB!
It is such a lovely place, and I had some trouble discovering what life here is really like before I came. Today, I am sharing this info for any of you who might be moving to Dubai or visiting very soon!
Watch the video until the end to see all the footage I captured of daily life here and to get a good picture of the lifestyle.
Here are 10 Things You Might Not Know About Dubai!
Dubai Is the Cleanest City I’ve Ever Seen
Dubai Is Safe for Everyone
The Beaches Are Accessible and Incredible
Navigating Dubai Is Confusing
The Desert Heat Is Actually Great
Got a VPN?
Oud Is Everything
Dubai Is Vibrant
Fresh Fruit, Juices, Smoothies, Bowls… You Name It
Dubai Has Style
Dubai is incredible for both a personal life and a successful career, for just about anyone!
Fact #1 - Dubai Is Spotless
If you’ve never been to Dubai, its cleanliness will amaze you.
In fact, it’s the first thing I noticed when I got off the plane, walked into the airport and was driven to my accommodations. The airport? Clean. The highway? Clean. The accommodations? Clean. Everything was clean! I was so shocked at how much attention there was to cleanliness.
After living in Dubai a few weeks, I think that this is actually due to the Islamic religion.
Because many of the UAE and Dubai’s residents are muslims, and the Islamic religion emphasizes purity, I think that cleanliness is emphasized in all aspects of Dubai’s society as well. That’s my theory. Personally I have never seen such a clean subway train, so I am not complaining!
No trash in sight!
Fact #2 - Dubai Is Safe
Overall, Dubai is a safe place to live.
One reason is that the police is well-equipped and intolerant of crime in Dubai.
There is surveillance in most public areas, and the police here are very capable of identifying the location of lost or stolen items, and returning any items to their rightful owners quickly. You can rest assured that if you leave your computer at a coffee shop, your bag at the mall, or your phone at the airport, it is safe and you will likely get it back the same day if anything happens.
I actually left my phone at the airport my first day and had it returned to me within 20 minutes!
Also, because of the police’s presence and how late businesses are open, you can walk home anytime and feel safe. I have walked home very late many times and felt just as safe as during the day due to the number of people at night and the overall safety.
As a woman, this is priceless! There’s even a cart in the subway (the last one on the train) that is only for women and children. Why don’t more cities do this? It’s great!
Walk home anytime, day or night!
Fact #3 - Beaching It Up in Dubai Is Easy!
Coming from Toronto, Canada I am not accustomed to having nice beaches around.
Forests? Sure. Lakes? Okay. A proper beach where you can swim, collect seashells and lay in the sun to your heart’s content? Sign me up!
Dubai has great beaches for every kind of beach lover.
Party beaches, relaxing beaches, beach clubs. It is such a blessing to walk along the boardwalk, watching the palms sway in the breeze with a nice cold drink! I am in love!
The best part? No matter what part of town you are in or how you are travelling there, the beach is never more than 15 to 30 minutes away. The beaches are accessible for everyone!
Kite Beach in the Jumeirah District is 100% my happy place.
Fact #4 - Navigating Dubai Is Tricky
Getting around Dubai is a learning curve. It certainly took me a couple of weeks to familiarize myself with every part of downtown before I learned where I could cross the street, where I could walk, the shortest path to my destination, and more.
Many streets are confusing for both pedestrians and drivers.
Although Google Maps exists, it frequently misguided me or did not update quickly enough to be useful. The best way I’ve found for learning Dubai’s quirks is simply by becoming familiar with the city over time or spending time with locals.
If you cross the street at the wrong point or miss your driving exit, you will be in for a lengthy detour. Consider this your warning!
Crossing the street easily or knowing your exit is an art in Dubai.
Fact #5 - Desert Heat Is Bearable
The desert heat was a concern of mine before coming to Dubai.
40 degrees Celcius? 50??? Is that even a liveable temperature???
As it turns out, desert heat is actually very bearable. Why? Because where I come from, humidity is higher due to the many surrounding freshwater lakes. However, given that Dubai is in the desert, the low air humidity generates a much lighter, drier heat. At higher temperatures it is less heavy!
I had no trouble during the entire month of June, with temperatures of 35°C, 36°C, or 38°C!
Would you believe I was even wearing long sleeves and pants? The locals wear long, flowing robes and now I understand why. Flowy materials add extra ventilation and suit the weather perfectly.
Plus they look great!
Desert heat is lighter and more comfortable at higher temperatures.
Fact #6 - Get a VPN ASAP
A VPN or Virtual Private Network is basically an add-on you can get that hides your computer’s IP address or location. This makes it so others won’t be able to identify where your computer is.
Oftentimes, people use it to access TV shows from countries that aren’t theirs or for cyber safety when browsing sites in public places like your local Starbucks or the airport.
In Dubai though, you will definitely need one! Why? Well, because many video-calling apps and sites are banned. I’m not sure why, but What’s App and Facetime don’t work in Dubai. In the case of What’s App for example, it will seem to be connecting, but the app will drop the call eventually.
You can still call your loved ones or colleagues from a desktop computer, but that can get inconvenient pretty quickly, as you need to be home or by your computer to take a call.
The easy fix? Download a VPN and install it on your mobile and desktops for easy conversations anytime or keep up with your favourite shows!
Most have a relatively inexpensive monthly or annual subscription cost which is worth it if you plan to make Dubai your home.
Stay in touch easily with a VPN on your cell phone!
Fact #7 - Oud Is Everything
Have you ever been around someone who smells just amazing? Of course you have. We all have.
Now imagine an entire city like this. RIGHT?!
Okay I might be getting too excited about this, but only because I never realized how much it was missing from my life. It is such an amazing quality of the Dubai lifestyle that public spaces and local residents take pride in smelling incredible.
Oud oil is very popular in Dubai, and it is essentially a long-lasting perfume that is widely available in this part of the world. Take my word for it, or come to Dubai to experience it yourself!
Experiencing oud is a game-changer. Who knew life could smell so good?
Fact #8 - Dubai Doesn’t Sleep
New York may be known as the city that never sleeps, but I would argue that Dubai is not far behind.
People in the desert have a long history of being awake at night, as in old times they would travel as tribes during the cooler night temperatures, using the moonlight and stars as a guide.
In this day and age, many cities like Dubai are alive and well at night with thriving nightlife. I don’t mean just partying either, although of course many people love to go out to clubs and bars and such.
I mean people of all ages are out and about at night. Children swimming on the beach with their parents. Couples out for dinner well into the evening. Coffee shops open 24 hours.
It’s incredible to not have to go home early due to declining temperatures or because things are winding down. Dubai as a city is vibrant and alive at all hours, every day of the week!
There’s always something to do in Dubai, no matter the time.
Fact #9 - Fruit For Days
As a city where the laws and systems cater to Islam, alcohol is available to expats but many locals don’t drink. As a result, the abundance of fresh fruit juices, smoothies, smoothie bowls, mocktails and more available was an unexpected and welcome surprise!
I love fresh fruit but in Canada these things can get pricey. In Dubai you can also find expensive options, but freshly squeezed orange juice, watermelon juice, lemon and mint juice, açai bowls, etcetera are common everywhere and generally at lower prices.
It is a delicious and healthy way to take care of your health and stay refreshed in the desert!
Just Vegan Jumeirah in the Jumeirah District makes the best smoothie bowls in my opinion!!
Fact #10 - Dubai Has Style
As a man-made city in the desert, Dubai was created with intention.
The architecture, the streets, the public art, are all impressive works to be admired. It is a visually fascinating city, with a skyline that is truly unique.
Haven’t seen it? Get ready to step into a sleek vision of the future, complete with sharp skyscrapers, round domes, metallic surfaces, dark glass and mirror reflections. The newer parts of the city scream cool and cutting edge, whereas the older districts pay homage to its ancient history.
After living here for some time, I’ve found that living in a city which is clean, smells nice and looks visually incredible has made me appreciate my surroundings more overall in my day-to-day.
It is a wonderful side effect of living in Dubai!
Check out the images below for some more photos I’ve taken around town:
For more tips
Check out my blog post and first vlog episode in Dubai to learn even more!!
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I hope this post inspired you to go for what lights you up, and remember:
Dreams are supposed to come true, so I hope yours do too!
