I’m no expert on Dubai or the Middle East, but I found the research we conducted to prepare us for our week-long journey was somewhat misleading and deserves a little clarity.  My recommended travel tips are below:

• When flying to Dubai, I highly recommend bringing a few Tylenol PMs to help you sleep on at least one of the legs of your journey. Our 18 hour flight time from Portland was much easier when we used one of the legs to sleep (depending on when we left and what time we were arriving at our destination).
• Don’t confuse Muslim dress codes with restaurants.  When packing for the trip, I all but left out any t-shirts, shorts or flip-flops, as the travel guides indicated they wouldn’t be acceptable attire.  Further clarification from natives indicated t-shirts and flip-flops are fine for walking around, but that some high-end restaurants would not allow it.  From a cultural perspective, men shouldn’t wear shorts in public and women should keep their shoulders covered.  My wife did not cover her head with a burka, but it was not a problem.
• Dubai may be a tax-free city, but it’s also one of the most expensive in the world.  Anyone going to a mall can expect to pay a premium.  Even in the downtown souks, a novice tourist can be taken for much more than they should if they don’t know how to negotiate.
• Unlike other countries, the taxis in Dubai are reliable and affordable means of transportation, as they’re all strictly regulated.  Watch out for any car without taxi signage or a meter.  I was taken for a ride (as it were) by a private citizen, in that he took me where I needed to go, but charged me roughly double what a metered cab would have cost me.
• Do not eat with your left hand, as it is used traditionally in association with personal hygiene.  As a native lefty, I had great difficulty adjusting to the Middle Eastern cultural taboo that’s been around since long before the advent of toilet paper.  Unfortunately, the rule is still in effect, much like the lack of pork in the diet, even though bacon is so yummy.

And a few fun facts you may not have read about Dubai elsewhere:

• Contrary to popular belief, Dubai’s economy is based on tourism, not oil, which makes up only 5% of Dubai’s GDP
• Dubai is sunny 360 days a year.
• During our stay, The Burj Dubai tower, currently under construction, surpassed the CNN Tower in Toronto to become the world’s tallest free-standing structure.  The scary part is that at just over 600 meters in height, the building is arguable less than 80% complete (the final height is a closely guarded secret, but public estimates are 750 meters or higher)

[tags]Dubai, UAE, travel tips, facts, information[/tags]