Lonely Planet Dubai

We used this guide extensively during our recent trip to Dubai. We found the information to be accurate and comprehensive. We tried a few or the reviewed restaurants, shops, and excursions and were very pleased.

Not know much about Dubai when I was first asked to go, I learned a great deal from this book. I learn about different areas, where to go and what the culture was like. Specificly I found the section on "women traveling to Dubai" very helpful. It pointed out how to expect to be treated when going out to eat, what to wear, and where to stay. I highly recommand this book and even more so if you're a woman.

My '5 stars' are for Dubai. I'm one of the authors and lived in the UAE for almost 8 years. I guess we do believe the hype, because we've lived it. Dubai is an extraordinary city, the country offers one of the best lifestyles in the world, and the Emirati people - Dubai locals in particular - are incredibly dynamic, funny, laidback, hospitable and tolerant. Having travelled all over the world (to over 50 countries) and recently moved to Europe, Dubai remains one of my favorite cities. I'd rather not risk repeating what's in our books, but it's true that Dubai has glorious year-round weather (if you like it hot), access to some truly spectactular desert and mountain scenery, some of the world's best shopping (souqs, malls and a growing number of independent stores), restaurants, bars and hotels (and I'm not referring to Burj Al Arab), and a culture that is comprised of both the local and traditional, contemporary and multicultural, that is hybrid and mobile, fresh and alive. Unfortunately, however, we've been just as guilty as the next writers in focussing too much on the city's sun, sand and shopping. Fed up with people criticising the city as being souless (which we know it isn't) and without culture (which we know it has - many complex layers of local, regional and world cultures, in addition to a growing and buzzy arts scene) - in our update of this guide, we try to introduce people to the 'real Dubai' and 'backstreet Dubai' via boxed texts and walking tours that will take visitors off the beaten track. We're hoping these will guide travellers to get beyond the hype and experience more than the beach, desert safaris and malls, and taste a little of the real Dubai - the Dubai that keeps many expatriates in the city so long, and lures vistors back to the city time and time again.

This book saved my behind in Dubai and increased the value of my experience there. I had such a great time and it further solidifies my faith in Lonely Planet books. Too bad there's not an update to address the newest hotel in Dubai, the Burj-Al-Arab. This should be the first resource guide you should buy in addition to doing more homework to enjoy Dubai.

The Guide was accurate in every area we required.We arrived with a reasonable amount of knowledge about the country and its customs and were able to enjoy our holiday from day one, without worrying about upsetting the local people. They were curteous to us [especially once they found out we had bothered to learn some of the basic greetings in Arabic] and we responded as best we could. Somehow bargaining was easier from then on, and you could also get a much better deal if you had cash in dirhams! Best trip-30 mins on an abra to explore the creek. Negotiate a price. It was a wonderful experience, but a week in May/June was long enough because of the heat, as indicated by the guide. [40 degrees and hotter till August!] The hotels on Jumeirah Beach were all excellent from all accounts. We were at the Radisson, which was outstanding for their service and space for guests. We never felt overcrowded even on 2nd June which is a local holiday and all the "Radisson Club" members descended for the day!Their shuttle bus to town was reliable but didn't have a later evening pickup for guests in town so unless you were prepared to pay £10 for a one way trip by taxi on top of the cost of a meal in town [minus alcohol], the hotel had a captive audience for their evening meals, which were very good we must say. House wine=£20 per bottle at the hotel.The book shows you the contrasts of this amazing place but can't really prepare you for the culture shock of the place. It's the rich/poor, modern/traditional, high rise/low roofs, high tech/old fashioned, heat/cold [in areas with air conditioning], expensive designer gear/saris for £2, green soft grassy golf courses/arid desert areas beside each other, 4x4 vehicles/camels on the beach. It all just takes your breath away with the diversity of it all. Its like no other place we've been to. I felt that the book allowed us to enjoy our holiday as well prepared as we could have been. 10/10 for an excellent guide. When can we go back? P.S. There is an awful lot of building going on everywhere, but especially in the vicinity of the airport. Because of the desert/sand/lack of water, it does look like a building site generally, but there are huge projects underway all over the place. Even lake -building! In some places, "Health and Safety Issues," are, "Interesting."P.P.S All Dubaian drivers have been to the Parisian School of Motoring - be warned!