Dubai on a dime

Going to Dubai was at the top of my bucket list, but the pretty penny it costs to stay totally deterred me. I was afraid I could not do it within a reasonable budget. I was so wrong and let me share some tips I learned to save money vacationing in Dubai with my family.

Madinat Souk entrance

I followed numerous sites that offered discounts on Dubai through facebook. This was everything from hotels to bus tours. I signed up for a free Emirates card which also helped save 15-20% on food. We were going for sites, but the biggest thing we wanted to do was water parks. These are high ticket items in Dubai so being thrifty was key. 

While it was unplanned at first, going during Ramadan was the best decision we made. During Easter some Dubai hotels offered BOGO nights and flash sales for a few nights stay. One of the offers was on Atlantis which included unlimited waterpark access daily and unlimited Lost Adventures aquarium for everyone in the family. Jumping on this offer saved us nearly 50% because we no longer had to pay for waterpark access. The thing about Ramadan is during the day the city is quiet. I mean this was an introverts paradise and my husband who does not like crowds was in his element. My friend Hannah who lives there swears by the Entertainer app as you can get discounts on waterparks and meals all over the city. In which she cashed in on the Dubai Aquarium while we were there. 

Dubai Aquarium in Mall of Dubai

Due to our flights arriving late we decided to stay closer to the Mall of Emirates. The Akas Inn Apartments fit the bill at about $100 for two nights stay which fit 4-5 people. This was self catering with a roof top pool. Which is perfect during Ramadan as unless you are at a resort or food court you will not find many places open during the day.  

Now that I have shared some tips to save. Here was how we planned our 5 days in Dubai. The first full day we headed over to the Madinat Souk, which most shops were closed during Ramadan there were a few open just after lunch. We headed down to the Jumeriah beach area as one of the hotels had a large place where sea turtles are kept during recovery from injuries. 

Sea Turtle Rehab

There was surprisely a Costa open so we stepped inside to grab a quick lunch and headed over to the Mall of Dubai. Taxis are cheap in Dubai and you can also use the Metro for about a $1 a ride.  The Mall of Dubai houses the Dubai Aquarium and anything for sale you could imagine. To my shock there was a Texas Road House in the mall. 

Texas Roadhouse

As it was Ramadan and food was not served until 7:15pm the lines start to form around 6pm. We went to a restaurant that had inside and outside seating near the famous fountains. While they had fans it was still 100 degrees out while we waited for them to break the fast. Be Social did not disappoint with service, food or the view. It was perfect as the fountains started at 7:30pm so we were in place for the first show. They continue to play every 30 minutes. After a exhausting day we headed back to hotel to get a good nights rest. 

View from Be Social

We got up early to catch the first Hop On Hop Off bus leaving from the Mall of Emirates. We went with Big Bus Tours as they offered free water and we were able to eat on board. Seats were free all over the buses for each time we got on. The ticket included three water cruises as part of the ticket. This was great as the Abra in the Madiant was 100 AED a person and this was free now with your ticket. It also included the Marina cruise which has a great view of the Palm Jumeriah. The last cruise is the river cruise in the old town which we were unable to see due to timing. We rode the Blue and Green lines most of the day as it was the best way to stay in the AC and see most of the sites.

We could check in at 3pm into Atlantis this day so it was perfect that on the last round of stops we went and grabbed our luggage from the hotel to finish the scenic tour right into the Palm. This was genious was it drops you off right at the hotel entrance. Saving us again money on transport. Upon check in we were told that due to Ramadan upgrading to a full food package was the best bet. We jumped on the offer for the Imperial Club which included breakfast, afternoon tea, and happy hour cocktails and snacks.

Go to the club in the West Wing as its larger and food for afternoon tea and happy hour was enough to not grab a full lunch or dinner. We had breakfast in the Kaleidoscope and it was the largest buffet I have ever seen. This options saves us nearly $200 a day in meals alone. So if its offered jump on it because it also gave us jump the line at Aquarium and Aqua Adventure waterpark. At the waterpark towels were included as well due to the upgrade which renting them each was 40 AED. Remember the Emirates card I talked about early? That will save you all over Atlantis so put it with your room key for safe keeping. 

Atlantis from Beach

The waterpark was great and as it does not open till 10am you can spend the morning in the many pools or explore the property. You will get a new color armband daily to enter the park. We did this on floor 12 each morning as it saved us lining up at the park. The waterpark was empty!! I mean we rode every ride a dozen times, pop over for afternoon tea and came back till it closed. 

Empty corridor midday

There are so many places to eat on site and I highly recommend booking on arrival if you truly want to get a seat. We found it quiet this time of year, but I am sure it is not always this way.   

Hope this helps enjoy your time in Dubai on a time crunch and budget.  

Happy Traveling,  

Katrina

Egypt - Cairo and Giza with On the Go Tours

Egypt with On the Go

Egypt was one of the biggest highlights in my traveling. Many say do it on your own, but as two women traveling alone we decided to entrust On the Go Tours. There have a large array of things to do and see. We chose the 5 day package which included Pyramids, Giza, River boat cruise and museums. It was the best bet for our short trip.  

On arrival we were met with a transport van and transferred to our hotel. We stayed at the Mena House Oberoi which was classified as 5 star deluxe, but for us the view of the pyramids was the true seller. As it was a late night flight we got some rest to be ready for the next days adventure. 

On Day 2 we set out for Cairo to visit the famous pyramids and lion-headed Sphinx at Giza Plateau. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek listed seven wonders of the world. Whilst here, you we could have opted to enter the inside of one of the pyramids, but chose to observe from outside due to the narrow passages. The guide offered to set up camel rides for us if we would like. From Giza we traveled to the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, to explore the many tombs and temples and see Zhoser’s step pyramid. After the sites we washed up and headed to the river cruise for our dinner and entertainment. This was great until I realized I had melted ice in my drink. Things went down hill from here for my night. 

On Day 3 we headed out to visit the famous Egyptian Museum, and enjoyed the guided tour and free time to browse and explore the famed treasures of King Tutankhamen. After a long morning at the museum seeing artifacts I had read about in school books we headed to the Citadel of Saladin and a highly rated perfumery market and Papyrus Museum. I bought some amazing paintings from here. This market was more touristy so the vendors were not as pushy as in the local markets. 

On Day 4 we spent the time relaxing by the pool and when perfume bottle shopping at some of the local markets. This was a day on our own and my feet were killing me from all the walking so it was quite enjoyable to put my feet up for a day. We took in an early dinner at the hotel and got ready for our early morning flight. Our guide Mena with On the Go was amazing and found us a nice jeweler to get our cartouches made. 

Good tips: 

Egypt could be done on your own, but I would recommend that a guide be used as the city is large. The traffic in the city can have you waiting around hours if you do not start early. On the Go was a best bet to maximize our stay. 

Happy Traveling

Katrina
 

Israel and Jordan - A New Year to remember

Road tripping through Israel

With the end of the year nearing it was hard to decide where I want to spend the upcoming New Years celebrations. I usually allow Ryan Air or Easy Jet's sales determine where the next adventure awaits and the place we chose surely surprised everyone we spoke to. Israel known for its conflict in the Middle East and Petra known for its Pink City was high on my bucket list, but I did not think it would be something I would do without a tour. 

We decided the most effective way to travel through the country was by car. So the hardest decision came we had to decide if we should rent a guide or do it on our own? Looking at costs and efficiency it looked as though the Budget rental car was going to be the way to go. So we boarded our flight from London to Tel Aviv and the adventure began. 

Eilat and Jordan

On arrival we collected the rental car, opened the Waze app and on we went for the 5 hour drive down to Eilat. We stayed at a local hotel called Motel Aviv as it was close to the bus station and just a short walk from downtown. Remember I talked about how Israel was portrayed in the news? Well on arrival to Eilat we found a thriving city right on the banks of the Rea Sea. Jokingly we did say its appearance was more Miami than what we thought Israel would look like. Bright city lights, night clubs and restaurants full of people. We caught a quick nights sleep before we made our onward journey to Jordan at 6am the next day. 

We arrived at the border for one of many checks before we were able to cross. We decided to go with Desert Eco Tours as they had high reviews and were efficient in responding to my many questions about Israel and Jordan. Petra was one of the highlights of our trip and we knew on arrival we made the right decision not to skip this easy day trip from Eilat. We left all the planning to the tour group and enjoyed the journey with not a fuss in the world. On the way back into Israel we came into issues crossing as we had asked for our passport to not be stamped leaving, but a form fixed the issue and we were on our way to celebrate New Years. 

As we came to Israel we did not pack our best clothes as we honestly didn't know what to expect. Threw on a maxi dress and a cardigan and headed out for the "Sylvestor" as they call it in Israel. We booked in advance through our hotel a South American restaurant called El Gaucho's. We were not disappointed. Welcomed with warm sangria shots to warm the pallet this place effectively kicked all my cravings for some southern cuisine.  After an eventful dinner we headed to popular hot spot called the "Three Monkeys". Be warned cocktails in Israel are expensive, I am talking $14-20 for a beer. So drink in moderation, or until your pocketbook empties. From here we got an amazing glimpse of the fireworks show and embraced the New Year with some lovely locals. 

Dead Sea and Jerusalem

The next day we made our way to the Dead Sea through the Arava valley area. We descended on the 'Snake Path' driving from there to Ein Gedi Nature Reserve near the Dead Sea.  By the looks from the pictures and information we have seen we figured it was a great day for a dip. Well a polar plunge is the best way to describe the experience, but it was done and I guess another bucket list item was ticked. I could not believe you could actually float. A quick shower and back on the road to Jerusalem for the night. We were pressed for time due to a late start (you know those cocktails I discussed earlier). We had to get to the city before Sabbath started and the car was to be parked as the city shut down. We arrived into the city about 5pm and set off to the Agripas Boutique Hotel for the night. After the eventful day we had we ordered in a Dominoes pizza and called it a night. 

After a bit of research we decided to take on the "Free City Tour" as it covered the majority of the highlights and we really wanted to take in a lot of the city on our own. The tour was great and our guide was very informative about all the history. Link to tour:  http://www.newjerusalemtours.com/daily-tours/new-jerusalem-free-tour.html

Here is what was covered: 

ON THIS 2 HOUR WALKING TOUR WE COVER:

All four Old City quarters: Jewish, Muslim, Christian & Armenian

View of the Western (Wailing) Wall

Visit the hidden rooftops of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Excavations of Ancient Jerusalem

Incredible rooftop views: Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Dome of the

Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Mount of Olives

Jaffa Gate

David’s Citadel

Roman Cardo Maximus

Hurva (Ruined) Synagogue

Suq - Covered markets

Leave in evening head to Tel Aviv for the evening.

 

Tel Aviv and Old Jaffa

After our tour we headed to Tel Aviv. We used this day as a relaxig day just covering areas of Old Jaffa and the coast. Old Jaffa offered some great shopping and boutiques within the walls. We visited the shop of the famous http://www.frank-meisler.com/ which you must stop in to see some of the masterpieces. 

All in all, the trip was a trip of a lifetime. A little courage and you could do this trip on your own too. This book was a lifesaver for everything we needed to know. http://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Sue-Bryant/Israel-Travel-Pack/16581764?gclid=CKDw4bCkkMoCFRcYGwodG7cFNQ

Happy Traveling, 

Katrina