Dubai and the Persian Gulf

Hilary Estergaard visited Dubai when she hosted a Silversea cruise in the Persian Gulf. Pre and post cruise stays in Dubai gave her enough time to see the highlights of this modern oasis while the cruise took her to other countries and emirates in the Gulf. Here Hilary shares her experiences and offers tips and recommendations for those planning to visit the region.

Pre & Post Cruise Dubai

"Last October, I travelled to Dubai with Sandra Hagerman, my friend and business partner, to host a Persian Gulf cruise with Silversea. We flew to Dubai from Vancouver on KLM and were met by representatives from Arabian Adventures, an Ensemble On Location partner. They met us well before customs and immigration and whisked us through the formalities to an air conditioned private car for a comfortable ride to the hotel. The Arabian Courtyard is a four star hotel across from the Dubai Museum. It was only US$178, a bargain for Dubai, and included an excellent breakfast."

"These are some of the things we were able to see and do."

From the hotel we walked to the older part of town, the bazaar and the Creek where we took a ferry called an Abra across Dubai Creek.

We also discovered Little India where the Indian expat community lives. It was delightful and there were some family run department style stores with inexpensive clothing & shoes.

One evening we took the thrilling "Sundowner Dune Dinner Safari", arranged by our Ensemble On Location partner. We were picked up from the hotel in a six passenger SUV for a drive to the desert. Here we took a 4x4 ride through the rolling dunes, an experience not to be missed. We visited a camel farm, saw sunset over the dunes and visited a Bedouin encampment for an Arabian meal. We sat on carpets and cushions to eat while a belly dancer performed. It was an excellent tour for US$64 per person.

There are shopping malls and souk markets all over the city. Most shopping malls are upscale so expensive with designer stores. We did find the Mall of the Emirates had discount stores similar to Walmart. This is where the locals shop.

Ski Dubai was a surprise. Here, for around US$80 you can ski on snowy indoor slopes complete with chair lift and all your equipment supplied. It is located in the Mall of the Emirates.

On our post cruise stay we discovered the hop-on-hop off bus service which takes you to all points of interest and stopped right at the ship. The double decker buses are air conditioned with the exception of the open-air section at the back of the top deck. The commentary is available in eight languages on your headset. It is very easy to use. The service includes a dhow cruise, a walking tour and a visit to the beach. (Note that women are allowed on the tourist beaches but the local beaches have only certain days when women can swim.)

Ensemble Hosted Cruise - The Persian Gulf

"We embarked on Silver Whisper in Dubai for an 11-day cruise to other ports in the Persian Gulf including Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Iran."

"There were eight Ensemble Travellers on board and the private cocktail party was a good opportunity to meet them all. Our complimentary excursion was in Bahrain where we toured a mosque, saw the causeway between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and enjoyed a superb lunch at a local restaurant which was the best food on the entire journey."

"Other excursions during the cruise included a dhow cruise to see dolphins with a stop at a swimming area in Qatar and a visit to Qeshm Island in Iran which was very interesting. Minders, translators, guides and observers in unmarked cars accompanied us on our journey. This was the poorest place we visited but we found it the most interesting."

Tips and Recommendations

Cruising is an excellent way to see the region as it is difficult for women to travel in this part of the world. Throughout the cruise it was made clear to us what women were to wear ashore and excursions were escorted.

Visas were also taken care of by Silversea. In Qatar it was done on the day we arrived. Visas were billed to our on board account.

We were able to exchange money for local currency at the desk on board.

Temperatures were in the mid 30’s in October so I would not recommend visiting here in the summer. Also note that in Dubai the air is hazy due to the blowing sand dust. Cars are covered to protect them when they are parked.

Dubai is expensive except for gas which is only 25 cents a litre. There are many cars on the road and traffic jams in rush hours. Cabs are inexpensive but there are long waits for them especially at the malls.

I recommend a two day pass on the hop on & off bus service in Dubai, described above. This will let you see all the highlights and is an easy way to get around.

For a hotel, I recommend the Arabian Courtyard, a four star hotel conveniently situated across from the Dubai Museum, well priced for Dubai with an excellent breakfast.

The "Sundowner Dune Dinner Safari" is a must to get out of town and experience the desert and Bedouin culture. See the description above.

"This Silver Whisper cruise was an excellent way to see so much of this exotic region. I was very happy to host the sailing and have a chance to explore Dubai pre and post cruise."

By Susan Milne