Dubai is a Go!
After doing more research (and getting actual vendor quotes) and rearranging my previously scheduled flight back to the US, I have finally finalized my vacation plans in Dubai. These are the revised numbers for the trip (at an exchange rate of 1 USD for 3.673 AED and 1 KWD for 3.436 USD):
- $109.95 USD (32 KWD) – Round-trip ticket (including taxes/fees) from Kuwait (KWI) to Dubai (DXB) through Jazeera Airways
- $201.93 USD (800 AED + foreign transaction fee) – Three night stay at the hotel Arabian Courtyard (four stars) including airport pickup and taxes
- $50.37 USD (185 AED) – Evening desert safari with the company Desert Safari Dubai. This safari includes:
- Pickup from hotel
- Dune bashing
- Camel rides
- Belly dancing
- Henna painting
- Shisha
- Buffet Dinner
- $80.34 USD (285 AED + foreign transaction fee) – 48 hour ticket Big Bus Dubai Guided Tours. This tour includes:
- Two sightseeing bus tour routes (red and blue)
- One hour Dhow river cruise
- Entry to the Dubai museum
- Entry to Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum’s House
Thus, the total fixed expenses should be approximately $442.59 USD. I have already booked and paid for the flight, hotel, and big bus tour; the only thing left for me to book is the safari ride.
The hotel cost came way below what I had previously projected. Also, with the Big Bus Dubai Guided Tour buses, I won’t need to pay for cab rides because I am just going to hop on and off the bus to sightsee all the different places in Dubai (the bus runs every 20 minutes and hits all the main sights in Dubai). The airport pick up and drop off is already covered by the hotel price so no worries there. And the safari cost also includes it’s own pick up and drop off so no costs there.
Hence, the only additional costs in addition to the above fixed expenses should just be for food and shopping. I think a nice $550 USD should cover a three night stay (truthfully I don’t intend on spending that much unless the food is delectable and the malls have mind-boggling deals). So now my overall budget is $1,000 USD.
Here is my schedule for the trip to Dubai:
- 7/16/2010
- Leave Kuwait (KWI) in the morning and arrive in Dubai (DXB) at noon
- Airport Pickup from Dubai Airport to Arabian Courtyard hotel & check-in hotel
- Evening Desert Safari pickup in the afternoon and come back at night
- 7/17/2010 – 7/18/2010
- Ride on the two bus tour routes and go to the following places:
- Red Bus Tour: Dubai Museum, Wafi Shopping Mall, Dubai Old Souk, Gold Souk, Burjuman Shopping Mall, Karama Market, Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum’s House, Deira City Centre Shopping Mall
- Blue Bus Tour: Jumeirah Mosque, Mercato Mall, Jumeirah Beach, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Atlantis on the Palm, Mall of the Emirates, Ski Dubai, Dubai Mall
- Sail on the Dhow River Cruise for one hour
- Ride on the two bus tour routes and go to the following places:
- 7/19/2010
- Leave Dubai (DXB) at noon and arrive in Kuwait (KWI) in the afternoon
Whew! It’s going to be a busy couple of days, but I want to make sure to see all the sights because I know that I am never going to come back here again. And coming at just under $1,000 USD for the entire experience, I definitely think I am getting the most bang for my buck!
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