Dubai is a huge, modern city that is…fine. This might be a really unpopular thing to say but I really didn’t like it too much. However, let me offer some observations before I give you my personal thoughts on why I didn’t like Dubai as everyone else.
The city is massive and although it is connected by the metro system, the system itself isn’t as effective as you might think. For example, the metro does have a stop at the Dubai Mall as well as the Mall of Emirates. That said, the distance between the metro stops and the actual malls is extensive. Yes there are moving walkways, but it really is a substantial amount of walking.
If shopping isn’t your thing, you can always go to one of the myriad of restaurants owned by celebrity chefs. It really is simple to find a restaurant run by your favorite chef. Of course, that comes with a price, but you certainly won’t be disappointed.
There are also amusement parks for kids, art exhibits, and tons of non traditional shopping available. Depending on what you find exciting, you won’t have to look far to find it here in Dubai.
All that said, Dubai reminds me of Vegas. It has all the big name shops, celebrity chefs and modern buildings. Unfortunately, this isn’t what I consider to be an interesting vacation. Sure if you’re coming from a part of the world where high rises, designer brands, and an overabundance of food is not the norm, this would certainly seem like a major culture shock. I understand that not everyone has the same background and so if this sound like your type of playground, you will certainly never run out of things to do.
For me, I thought the city was fairly boring overall. The problem is that I enjoy visiting historic sites and ancient temples. This is the exact opposite of Dubai. This is all going to come down to personal preference. However, I really didn’t find the city all that exciting. I only spent 3 days here and I was done after the first. I did enjoy eating at some fantastic restaurants (albeit for a price) and I did wander around the souqs and malls. But I just didn’t find it all that exciting for me. You may have a vastly different experience.