Deserts, Burj Al Khalifa, palms, and fashion! Read about all this and much more as Social Diary follows Amar through the streets and cathedrals of Dubai!
- Why did you select Dubai for your holiday destination?
I selected Dubai as my holiday destination because from Karachi to Dubai it is a quick trip, it has lesser fair rates as compared to traveling to other places, and at time I think there is a lot of diversity. There are beautiful dynamics of Dubai, which is offering you great food, great shopping outlets. Also it feels very homely as I have a lot of relatives there, so it is fun to hangout there.
- First impressions of the country while you toured?
The first impression of the Dubai would be that it is one of the favorite destinations for vacations preferred by Asians. It has a beautiful lifestyle and it has some great shopping centers to offer to you and it has some great clubs and amazing food. And at the same times it feels really homely as you get to see a lot of Asians there
- Which are the must-see places in Dubai?
I think the must see places in Dubai First and foremost has to be the massive Dubai shopping mall that is there in downtown. Then there is the La Mer beach also known as kite beach, I think it is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in Dubai. The Eating spots there, which gives a very Italian and French sort of feel. Then there is GBR which offers you some amazing restaurants. Then there’s City Walk, desert safari, and jet skiing if you are an adventurous soul!
- We know that it has lovely tall buildings and amazing shopping malls. But is there any differentiating feature of the place?
Other than the tall buildings in the great infrastructure, the differentiating feature of Dubai would be seeing the different people that you come across there. It is like a melting pot of cultures, right from Koreans to Filipinos to Arabs, Indians and other foreigners there. It does give you a domesticated feeling but at the same time when you see so many people of different cultures and background visiting that place gives it a whole lot new value and dynamics other than the buildings.
- Dubai is particularly famous for shopping. So did you indulge in some shopping?
I indulged in a lot of shopping, not some! I ended up emptying my pockets over there. All the money that I had converted to dirham was spent on shopping. So more than a vacation it was a shopping spree for me if you ask.
- Did you try the street food there? How was the taste in comparison to Pakistani food?
I did try the street food there. Honestly if you ask me, I don’t think there is any street food that can even compete with the street food that we get in Pakistan. The samosas and pakoray that you get on the side of the streets, the food at the numerous dhabas that is what makes street food special for me.
La Mer beach is the place to hang out!
- What did you enjoy most about the city?
What I enjoyed the most has to be the delicious desserts that I tried at the Cheese factory! Along with that, the desi clubs in the city were also something that I enjoyed a lot, as they offered an amazing time and night life.
- Any funny incident that took place on your trip?
For me a funny incident would be when I went out to Jet Ski for the first time, that too in the middle of the sea. So I while jet skiing there, I don’t know what happened but I think the boat that I was on got imbalanced and I ended up being smashed into the water and I was drowning. So that was an extremely funny yet horrific incident that happened on the trip
- Deciding on what to spend on more (food, hotel or travelling) is a decision we all take. Which of these do you prefer to empty your pockets on?
I guess when you are traveling you have your priorities set. But I don’t have those tantrums you can say or a list of priorities, I don’t really spend a lot on hotels, it’s not something that is on my hit list. I don’t spend on five star hotels or business class tickets. The only thing that I cannot compromise on or lower the standard for is the food. So I think I spend the most on what I eat and on shopping.
- Did you bring any souvenirs with you?
I’m not really fond of buying souvenirs or bringing them back with myself to my home country or city. So no I did not really buy any souvenirs. But I surely did have a very long and endless list of gifts that I had to buy and certain cosmetics that were demanded by friends and family, so yeah that is what I ended up buying.
- What are the three things that you always carry with you on your trips?
For me the things that are a must to carry whether I’m going out of my house, out of the city or out of the country would be my wallet which has all the credit and debit cards, a body splash and my eye wear.
- Pakistani currency is pretty weak atm. For those of us who haven’t been to Dubai. How much would you suggest we keep in our pockets in PKR to spend a quality vacation?
Yes, unfortunately Pakistani currency is really weak at the moment. But I think on a safe side the minimum amount of money would be between 150000-200000 Pakistan’s rupees. Specifically if you are a girl and you plan on to spend it on things to buy such as cosmetics and garments. Also, if you’re a foodie and want to have really nice food. So this is the minimum that you should be carrying.
- What do you think is the current tourism situation of Pakistan?
I think the current tourism situation is something very critical in Pakistan. But I have to tell you. Our country has some of the most beautiful places in the world. Whatever part of the world I go to, I always miss my land. Also, if you see places like the northern side of Pakistan, they have the most amazing, beautiful and exotic places that you can ever see. It is not just the northern belt that is beautiful, rather the entire country has wonderful places, take interior Punjab for instance, or even Karachi. Each place has its own charm and I think we should be proud of it, even if the tourism is not at its best. Just like other countries own and flaunt their culture, we should do the same.