Sarah Sarfaraz – Model
This week come join us as we follow the adorable Sarah Sarfaraz to Dubai on her vacation. She will give you an insight into all the essentials about vacationing in Dubai this winter!
1. Why did you select Dubai for your holiday destination?
Well, first off I was born in Abu Dhabi so it is my hometown. My family is here, my friends and squad live here. So I have a lot of people to have a fun time with. Secondly I do not like taking long flights, so it is pretty close to Pakistan. It is like two hours from Karachi and 3 hours from Lahore. This makes Dubai an ideal get away for me.
2. First impressions of the country while you toured?
It is my hometown and I have grown up here, so one thing I know for sure is that it has immensely developed over the course of years. It is no longer the same place that we used to see in our childhood. I think most of the time people see it as a grand and extravagant place. Also everything here is so on point that it leaves travelers amazed and speechless.
3. Which are the must-see places in Dubai?
There are a lot of places and they depend on the liking of the individual. For instance, if you are into partying there are a lot of bars, clubs, and restaurants; if you are into fine dining you can see a lot of restaurants where you can have a time of your food while enjoying amazing cuisine; if you are into activities, there are a lot of water parks, such as Aqua Venture, where you can spend the time with dolphins. You can even go to the top of Burj Al Khalifa, Sheikh Zaid mosque, Marina Walk, Palm Jumaira and many more!
4. We know that it has lovely tall buildings and amazing shopping malls. But is there any differentiating feature of the place?
I think the best thing about Dubai is that it is multicultural. You get to see all kind of people, and get to eat different sort of cuisine here. There is no language barrier so it makes everything even easier. It is different from other countries, as every place has something unique to offer.
5. Dubai is particularly famous for shopping. So did you indulge in some shopping?
Yes of course! Honestly speaking Dubai is the sort of place where you name it and they have it. They have everything from high end brands to local brands, trendy street styles, everything. You get to see everything that is trending all over the Dubai. So it is an amazing place to shop. Since I love shopping I have certain places which I need to visit, and I shop till I drop.
6. Did you try the street food there? How was the taste in comparison to Pakistani food?
Yes I did try the street food there and it is nice. I would not really compare it with Pakistani food, as we are used to having very spicy and aromatic food. As for the food in Dubai it is very mild and very healthy. I love hummus, so it is something I have all the time when I am on a diet and travelling. Apart from that, their grilled chicken, fattoush, and shawrma, are food that I enjoy the most, as they are mild, tasty and healthy.
7. What do you do to stay healthy when you travel?
It gets very difficult to stay on a diet when travelling, because travelling is all about exploring new places and with that, new cuisines. So what I usually do is stay on foot, and we end up walking a lot, which helps in burning the calories. Other than that I do not really look into what I am eating, it is when I get back home that I start getting back in shape.
8. What is the best place for hangout there?
Well I think that really depends on each person. I personally like to hangout at the beach, so it can be the beach club at Anantara or smoky beach by JBR.
9. Any funny incident that took place on your trip?
No not really.
10. 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 am a foodie, so yeah I spend a lot of food and traveling of course. Along with this I love various activities such as skydiving, scuba diving, and stuff like that. I don’t think before spending on such activities. I will always visit a new place that I have heard of, so a lot of is spent on food. As for hoteling I don’t really spend a lot on it, as I do not think we spend so much time there. We just go to our room to sleep, rest of the day is spent outside.
11. Is there anything one should be prepared for when visiting Dubai? (excluding common factors like language barrier)
Surprisingly there is no language barrier, even Arabs here speak Urdu, and English is spoken by all. One thing you should do before visiting is do your research and decide where you want to go and what to do, as when you come here and start doing that it will really waste your time.
12. Did you bring any souvenirs with you?
I am not the person to buy souvenirs, but I did shop a lot, so you can say that those are my souvenirs.
13. What are the three things that you always carry with you on your trips?
That would be so difficult to do; we carry so many things when travelling. But let’s see:
• Comfortable sneakers
• Phone charger
• And comfortable denim.
14. What is your favorite thing about traveling?
Travelling is my passion. I love everything about travelling from packing stuff to going to the airport, taking the flight, landing in the new place, exploring the place, taking pictures meeting new people, insta stories, being home sick and coming back home.
15. What is the one thing that you recommend others to try/experience in Dubai?
That would be skydiving and dolphin bay for me. Skydiving is one of the best things I have done in my life, it is very memorable. It is something one should experience. As for the dolphin bay you get to be in the water with them, play and have a wonderful time with the dolphins.
16. Which country is your favorite for travelling?
Well I think every country has something unique to offer, some are amazing with history, some have amazing architecture, and some have very delicious food. But if I have to name any one that would be Greece, it has my heart and I would love to visit it again.
17. Pakistani currency is pretty weak atm. How much would you suggest we keep in our pockets in PKR to spend a quality vacation?
Unfortunately this is true, and it does affect you traveling a lot as if makes everything very expensive. As for how much you should carry really depends on the activities you have in mind. Since Dubai is very expensive as compared to places like Thailand you would have to really plan your vacation and be willing to spend a lot if you want to have a lovely time.
18. What do you think is the current tourism situation of Pakistan?
Unfortunately Pakistan is not so good with tourism, and I read somewhere that Pakistan is planning on being lenient with its visa policy. If this happens it will be so beneficial for everyone, including our economy. Since we have very beautiful places it does not make sense to restrain our tourism industry, rather it should expand and be promoted.
