Gulf Photo Plus 2009 – Another Reason to go Sightseeing in Dubai

Okay. Here is something interesting for all you photography enthusiasts out there:
The Dubai Knowledge Village Conference Center is to hold the only photography exclusive event in the Middle East, Gulf Photo Plus 2009. If you are planning on visiting the emirate for Dubai City tours, this is one event you can add to your itinerary.
The Dubai Knowledge Village Conference Center

Dubai Village Conference Center

There is a panel of 13 expert photographers on board for the 5-day event, which will commence from 30 March. To keep professionals and amateurs alike occupied, 50 workshops have been organized on topics ranging from wedding photography and Photoshop skills to creative portrait lighting techniques and documentary photography.

The prices could be a tad steep, but the talent pool slated to make an appearance at the event are more then worth the money. You could get in touch with our Abu Dhabi tour company for transport and accommodation arrangements in case you are planning to attend.Check the event schedule here.
The photographic talent from Dubai alone is brilliant, to say the least. Everyday as I open my inbox, I come across photos clicked by individuals with an eye for detail and a penchant for tongue-in-the-cheek humor.

 

Travelers interested in visiting the real Dubai for an Arabian adventure cannot afford to miss out on the honest specimens of Dubai life as captured through the lenses of some really talented individuals:
If you are lucky, you might even bump into some of them. Don’t forget to tell me all about it when you do!
Image Credit: Untitled blue

Unusual Hotel Rooms to Stay in: at the Dynamic Tower

The as yet location-unconfirmed, impossible, highly-unusual and very modern (in a Lego block way) Dynamic Tower project taken up byRotating Tower Dubai is undoubtedly the most ambitious building job to hit Dubai; not least because it is the first of its kind on the planet. 
Predicted to near completion by 2010, the Dynamic Tower is poised to add to the real estate portfolio as well as to the growing list of über luxury hotels in Dubai
For one, an innovative engineering trick will have the views change every three hours throughout the day, for each floor as well as each unit. Depending on where the tower will be finally constructed (their brochure simply states ‘in the heart of Dubai’), this aspect deems it a fantastic option for a hotel booking in UAE that is nothing short of unusual. 
However, the constantly changing views also make it a very high-price affair. In a city where people pay for views overlooking verdant gardens and vast spans of the ocean, a hotel suite commanding multi-views like the Dynamic Tower are definitely going to be on the pricey side
From the 80 floors that are to be constructed, floors 21 to 35 are proposed to be part of a luxury hotel plan. Unlike the floors with villas though, which also include dedicated parking space, the hotel spaces are as exclusive as they come. 
So if you are ready to visit the UAE for some sightseeing in Dubai, then you might think of adding the Dynamic Tower to the list of unusual hotels to live in. Get in touch with Dadabhai Travels to know about similar hotels and how you can go about making a Dubai hotel booking in them. 

Dubai Ranks Low in Worldwide Popularity Contest. Says Who?

The travel and tourism community is buzzing about the HSBC surveyon the ‘Friendliest Countries in the

HSBC Survey

HSBC Survey

World for Expats.’ I know many Dubai-ians are not pleased with the Emirate pegged lower on this list.

Commenting on a UAE Community blog post on the same issue Abu Dhabi blogger says:

 

“I love the social fabric of the UAE. It is a place where you walk into a hundred nationalities everyday. You see all kinds of people from those who stare at you as if you are from another planet to many who smile at you for no reason. I have never felt that I am not welcome here. YES there are instances of red tape in some government departments and some other issues, but to me the UAE has been a very friendly place. Every place has its issues, as does the UAE.”
Sentiments like these are, surprisingly echoed by many expatriates (many are avid commentators and bloggers on Dubai and UAE themselves!) and definitely make one think hard about the validity of the HSBC survey.
Our Abu Dhabi company keeps reiterating Dubai’s mass appeal and way of life, mainly because it is one of the best kinds you can come across in a region like the Middle East. Small wonder then that many tourists and visitors in transit to other places love sightseeing in Dubai or visiting for an Arabian adventure.
Dubai, if you make the effort to, can be a very friendly place and thanks to the government pushing many educational reforms, the language has far from become a barrier for interaction.
The next time you are looking for a hotel booking in UAE, remember all these points and consider Dubai.
Image Credit: Joe Shlabotnik

Things that might Turn you off your Arabian Adventure but Should be Ignored

This is something really shocking and at Dadabhai Travels we wish that it were not true. But sadly, the Dubai Police are threatening to ‘commercially boycott’ employers in Dubai arbitrarily laying off nationals in the name of recession.
Dubai Police

Dubai Police headquarters

According to our Abu Dhabi travel company, there should not be any discrimination on part of anyone in hiring or sacking employees. Dubai and consequently even the tourism department is in equal need of expatriates as it needs nationals and it is only fair that both groups are given due consideration.

Additionally, doom-reporting tactics on how the recession is making many people leave everything- their properties, cars, credit cards, et al need to stop. In a nod to UAB, whatever happened to positive thinking everybody?
Yes, Dubai has been through upheavals, but currently the city-state boasts of an Emirati-Expat ratio of 2:8. A difference that should notbe taken lightly.
That being said, we would like to add that coming to the Emirate forsightseeing in Dubai could be a lovely experience. Yes, the going is tough for many people, but now is a good time to visit Dubai as theDubai tour packages and hotel booking in UAE are running at amazing discounts.
If you are an expatriate or foreign visitor, then unfamiliarity with the language or some traditional customs might be a hurdle when it comes to making a Dubai hotel booking. To make the best of thesightseeing in Dubai hire a consultant who can better understand your needs.
Contact Dadabhai Travels for more help.
Image by fdecomite

Sightseeing in Dubai sans Worry about Finances

One very adverse effect I noticed in the Blogger service for blogging is that the visitors count it calculates increases every time you indulge in mundane activities like refreshing the page and whenever you switch from the dashboard to the blog page. For someone who likes keeping a record of statistics, this can be a difficult affair and if anyone else faces this same problem and knows a solution to it please let me know.

 

Sightseeing

Coming back to the objective of this blog, has anyone noticed the brouhaha being made over our fair Emirate and its financial status or lack of it by the Western media?

It is deeply demoralizing for the people residing in Dubai. As an Abu Dhabi travel company, we shall have you know that there are a number of people still coming into Dubai to stay and to enjoy the myriad attractions it has on offer.
I feel the best thing about Dubai is its regenerative nature. Reinvention and progress are two things the city-state has taken into its stride. This is one of the main reasons why there are people visiting Dubai not only for Dubai City tours and shopping but also for residence.
If you are planning a MICE in Dubai or a vacation, then this a very good time to visit. The DSF may have ended, but there are still a lot of traditional attractions that make summer a memorable time to stay in Dubai.
You could book a stay in any of the luxury hotels in Dubai or simply rough it out on a safari tour in Dubai (within ac dwellings). Visit Dadabhai Travels to book the perfect summer Arabian adventure.
Photo Credit: Criss!

Go Yachting in Your Next Dubai City Tours

For corporate teams visiting Dubai this month, Dadabhai Travels presents a wonderful team-building activity- Dragon Boat racing. 

 

The Dragon Boat race is essentially a Chinese tradition and is to be held this year at Dubai Marina Canal on February 13. With more than 40 teams participating and most of them professional, this is the perfect

Dubai City Tours

Dubai City Tours

recreational Arabian adventure for your team to indulge in. 

The Dubai Marina Yacht Club is hardly the only water sports complex in the city though. To pursue high-adrenaline water activities like yachting, white water rafting, kayaking and sailing besides Dragon Boat racing, you could try out any of these places: 
v  Club Mina 
Leisure options like these are even better when enjoyed during the relatively mild months of February-March. Couples visiting for a honeymoon in Dubai can charter a private yacht or a sailboat for a couple of hours or even for a few nights and sail the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. 
The Dubai Marina Yacht Club even charters their yachts for conferences and corporate events. Completely equipped for such programs, organizations can arrange for a MICE in Dubai aboard one. 
Our Abu Dhabi travel company can organize Dubai tour packageslike these for companies in Dubai or even from abroad. To round off your Arabian adventure in the waters of the Gulf or the Creek, try out a dhow cruise in Dubai as well, for a uniquely Middle Eastern experience.
Photo Credit: David Paul Ohmer