My first night, I arrived from Sydney at 12am UAE time and, after a 14 hour flight, which was not only the longest single flight I have been on to date, I found myself awake for 36 hours straight and incredibly jetlagged. With every intention of just curling up into a corner of the Abu Dhabi airport and sleep off a few hours before I headed for my hotel that I booked for 2 nights in Deira, I found myself unable to find even the smallest of corners to sleep in. Abu Dhabi airport is tiny for the amount of traffic that goes through. Inside is very beautiful, and I already felt the glamor when I walked off of the ramp and into the terminal, yet there is not a single corner to curl up in. I would suggest that if you want to come to the UAE, be sure you plan ahead. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are not back packer friendly, and I had trouble finding a reasonably priced room. The cheapest you will probably spend is at least $70 on a room. A helpful hint to anyone who is in a tight place, booking.com is a great sources of last minute hotel rooms.

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Traveling to the UAE is not impossible. The most expensive part are the living accommodations, yet lavish hotels are an integral part of an authentic Emirati experience. You almost ALWAYS get a continental breakfast, so, if you play your cards right and you stalk up on a bit of the food, you will save yourself quite a bit of money later in the day, which makes up for the expensive room. Public transportation here is unbelievably cheap as well. My ticket from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, which is about a 1.5 hour trip, cost me 15 Dirhams which is a little more than $4.00. A taxi will only cost between 5 Dirhams (my 15 minute ride to the bus station) and 20 Dirhams (my ride from the Dubai bus stop to hotel).  My day subway pass cost me 16 Dirhams which is cheaper than a a round trip subway in Philadelphia.

 

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NOTE: $1.00= 3.68 Dirhams

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Food is also very reasonably priced here as well. It is easy to find a good Arabic meal for under $10.00. If you have a bit of flexibility with your budget there are cheap options, but in all honesty, it is better to come to Dubai with money bags in hand.  It was hard for me to even participate in the the national pass-time: shopping.

But then again, sometimes things just work out for the best. I was incredibly concerned after I first arrived whether or not I was actually going to be able to survive 10 days financially in the Middle East. I would normally have no issue spending 10 days shopping, but I didn't really have the budget for that.

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Nevertheless, there are a number of activities that don't require burning a hole in your pocket. The day I finally felt well rested enough to venture outside, I found my way to Emirates Mall and, in the middle of the desert, strapped on a snowboard. Yes, there is a ski hill in Dubai, and it is inside of a Mall. It was not a mountain resort, it was a hill, and the two hours I spent on the slope were enough. There was one ski lift, one run that, at one point, split into two mini runs. There was a small Swiss-inspired cafe in the middle where one could take a break and sip on a hot chocolate.  If that wasn't enough, the realize that I was able to snowboard in the desert, inside, while listening to Arabian music was enough to make that experince one for the books. It costs around $50.00 for two hours, so although it was not totally unreasonable, you have to consider if something like that is worth it.