We had the fantastic experience of flying over a beautiful desert expanse during our recent journey. While I had the chance to fly over the Arabian desert a couple of times many years ago, those flights were in the evening, so I missed out on the chance to witness the stunning view of the desert from above during the day.
Let’s take a stroll a few weeks back.
Step 1: Book your flights. Aya-chan and I attended a Travel Expo in Pasay City with our good friend, Hani. Our main goal was to secure the best deals for flights to Dubai, and after a lot of effort, we successfully managed to book our tickets at the Emirates booth.
Step 2: Secure a visa. We booked ours through the Emirates website and got a 30-day tourist visa for AED 349. You’ll be directed through a few pages of demographics, including information on your education, profession, financial capability, and work history. There will also be a page for uploading supporting documents as well. In our case, we uploaded our roundtrip tickets, hotel accommodations, and employment/professional certificates. After less than two days, we received our visitor visa through email.
Step 3: Book an accommodation. Booking accommodations have become highly convenient in today’s age, thanks to the plethora of travel apps and websites available.

Getting Around
Dubai Metro
Dubai has a metro, which mainly services establishments along Dubai’s main thoroughfare, Sheikh Zayed Road, which is just a tiny part of UAE’s E11 highway, spanning across the Emirates from Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah. The metro is an efficient way to go around since it has stations to popular Dubai destinations like the World Trade Center, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, and Palm Jumeirah (via monorail). However, unfortunately, our hotel was located some 15-20 minutes away from the metro station and walking around the streets of Dubai in August. It’s like being baked inside a brick oven. So we took cabs instead.

Cabs and Taxi Apps
Navigating the city with this mode of transportation works best for us. It’s incredibly convenient and easily accessible. However, you should be prepared to spend some money because it’s neither cheap nor expensive. The base fare for rides is AED 5, with an additional charge of AED 1.97 per kilometer. Regardless of the distance, the minimum fare is AED 12. For example, we pay around AED 20-25 for a 7-kilometer ride from our hotel to Burj Khalifa.
Tourist Buses
In Dubai, like in London and other major cities worldwide, you can explore the city on a hop-on-hop-off double-decker tourist bus. These buses traverse the main thoroughfares of Dubai, allowing you to visit popular attractions and landmarks at your own pace conveniently. To secure your tickets for this sightseeing experience, you can make reservations through the official Big Bus website.
Hotel Coaches and Buses
Make sure to inquire with your hotel’s concierge about the complimentary transfer services available to various popular destinations within Dubai. They will be able to provide you with information about the schedules, as well as the specific drop-off points for each location.
Organized Tours
There is a wide array of organized tours offered on Klook. We used this service for our memorable Desert Camp adventure and our day excursion to Abu Dhabi. Most tours provide roundtrip transportation to and from your hotel, meals, and a knowledgeable guided tour.


Final Thoughts
Initially, I was skeptical about Dubai after seeing mixed reviews from other Reddit travelers. However, after delving into various travel blogs and spending hours browsing through Dubai-related activities on Klook, I came across positive reviews that piqued my interest. After reading these reviews, I thought, “This could be a lot of fun.”
We have prepared individual blog posts about what we experienced in Dubai. Make sure to check them out soon!
– RA
