Dubai | June 2023
Dubai:
Weather:
High 90's, low 100's. The UV index was hovering at 13. For context, New York is around 4 and Bahamas is 7. Wear SPF 100 sunscreen, you don't want to get sun poisoning! We still got a nice tan without any burning.
Transportation:
We used Uber, no regrets. We also had a tour guide for 2 days with pickup and dropoff at our hotel.
You technically can go all out and rent a Lamborghini, but it's probably a hassle to figure out parking.
Accomodations:
Jumeirah Beach Hotel - The famous wave shaped hotel. Beautiful resort on the beach. Right across from the Burj Al Arab (the sail shaped hotel on its own island). Highly recommend staying here! The Wild Wadi waterpark on the resort was under maintenance so only a few rides were open. If you're a committed KosherAdventures follower, you'll know this already: #lifehack go to the gym - there are waterbottles there for free;)
Address Marina - We spent Shabbos at the The Address Hotel because Chabad hosts Shabbos there. It's located in the Business Bay. Make sure to get a low floor. The meals/minyanim were on the 2nd floor. We stayed on the 7th floor and it was very tolerable. Here is more information about Shabbos with Chabad. We had an incredible time, one of the best highlights of our trip.
Kosher Food:
You can check out Chabad's website here for the most up-to-date information.
Armani Kaf - Stunning meat restaurant located in the Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world). The food was amazing - get the gold wrapped sushi! Service was impeccable. If you spend $100 per person, you can get outdoor seating and watch the water-light show while you eat. I heard it's more expensive in the winter during high tourist season. It was so sticky outside, so we opted to eat inside and just walk out and watch the water-light show every half hour. The food isn't so expensive, we ordered to our hearts' content and didn't hit the $100 minimum per person. I guess if you order a few entrees, you'll reach it.
Armani Hotel guests can choose from take-out menus for Shabbos and enjoy them in the comfort of their rooms.
Armani Hotel guests can choose from take-out menus for Shabbos and enjoy them in the comfort of their rooms.
For reservations, call +971 4 888 3666 or email: reservations@armanihotels.com
Cafe Bibi - Cute dairy restaurant located in the local Mazaya shopping center. They're obsessed with Bibi Netanyahu, clearly. It's a good vibe there - awesome playlist on lol. Open until 11PM - great for a late, light dinner.
Elli's Cafe - Didn't try this one... An elegant Mediterranean-inspired Chalav Yisroel cafe on the Palm-Jumeirah, that offers dine-in and take away options. Perfect for beach days and summery afternoons, as well as early morning breakfast and late night walks.
The Kosher Place - Didn't try this one... Delicous, beautiful meat restaurant. They have two locations - Dubai and Abu Dhabi. They also cater for groups and Shabbos. For reservations, please WhatsApp +972 55 945 3118
Mulhayam - Didn't try this one... Enjoy a cuisine with a scenic view of the iconic Burj Al Arab at Dubai’s first Israeli Kosher restaurant located on a small fishing port in Umm Suqeim, Jumeirah 3.
Rimon Market - Kosher supermarket in the center of Dubai with hot meals, quality meat and chickent products, imported from Israel, Europe, and the US.
Attractions:
Desert Tour - Super fun (and hot) tour, this is a must!! We went ATV'ing in the sand dunes, camelback riding, sandboarding, pictures with falcons, and dune bashing. Call Abu Zafari +971 52 435 3353. He picks you up from the hotel, has a good English, very affordable rates. He takes American dollar. You can do a night tour as well, if the heat is too much for you. About the falcon pictures, the guy in the desert will try to rip you off. Don't pay more than 10 durhams per person. We gave him $10 for 3 people and we were totally scammed.
Wild Wadi Waterpark - Waterpark located on the grounds of Jumeirah Beach hotel. It was under maintenance with a handful of attractions open... The riptide rides, lazy river, and wave pool. We went for an hour or so.
Aquaventure Waterpark - World's largest waterpark with the longest, tallest, etc slides in the world. Part of the Atlantis. Much better than the Aquaventure in Bahamas! We went at 10:30am and the lines were really short. As the day went on, it got busier and busier. Tip from our friend, Hassan: First, go to the old tower, do all the slides, then go to the new tower and do all the slides. There are 3 towers of waterslides, finish each one before moving on. As you enter the park, they offer socks. It's free and you better take it because the floor is burning hot!
Dubai Mall - So much to do! Largest mall in the world. (You'll get used to it, everything in Dubai is the biggest in the world.) You can get hennas, souvenirs, makeovers at KIKO, 2-story aquarium, 4-story waterfall, chinatown, gold souq, dinosaur fossil display, and so, so many stores!!
Marina Mall - Mall is attached to the Address Hotel. We went on Motzai Shabbos. A lot of nice stores with modest clothing.
Dubai Tour - Book with Abu. He took us to the Palm-Jumeirah, old Dubai, took a boat to the gold and herb souqs (marketplaces). There was SO much gold, with minimal security. Literally, the biggest gold ring in the world was behind a regular glass store display. The herb souq was so fun - we cleaned our sinuses out with some of those stuff.
He also has a friend who sells good quality fake designer bags, perfumes, etc. That was sketch city, but we got some nice Prada, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton merch.
Museum of the Future - Super overrated. Not very interactive... cool building though! We went through the whole 5 story museum in approximately 45 minutes. I'm glad we went so I don't have FOMO, but that's about it.
Skydive Dubai - Highly recommended. I didn't do it in Dubai, but I heard the views are amazing. Skydiving, in general, is such a cool experience!
If you go in the winter ... make sure to check out:
Miracle Garden - The world's largest natural flower garden. Tickets for adults (12 years and above) cost 55AED (US$15). Children (3 – 12 years) cost 40AED (US$11). Infants (under 3 years) and disabled visitors are free. You can complete the entire visit in 3 to 4 hours. Open from November to March.
Global Village - A shopping, dining, and entertainment complex that combines the cultures of 90 countries. Open from October to April.