Traveling to United Arab Emirates

This is for sure an overdue post about my trip to the UAE a couple of weeks ago. I was there for a vacation course for 3 weeks. Here’s the stuff I did; and what I thought about the Emirates:

Weather
I came to Abu Dhabi in late August, it was very hot. But the heat is not as unbearable as the humidity. At 8 pm, my buddies and I tried to get a cab; 5 minutes of standing and we were drenched in sweat. It was very very damp. Didn’t like it.

People
The moment you step out from the airport; all you see is Pakistanis/ Indians. The country is filled with immigrants. There are also many Philippinos working there. I have been mistaken for a Pinoy many many times. When I go to a restaurant; the waitress would start talking to me in Tagalog (despite the fact that I wore a t-shirt that said “INDONESIA” – but then again it’s just a t-shirt). You hardly ever see the local Emirates people walking in malls or shopping centers; maybe just a few.

Transportation
Public transport is mostly taxis and rental cars. The incumbent taxi company has mostly (if not entirely) Pakistani drivers. So they speak either Urdu or Arabic. If you encounter a Philippino driver; usually they’re bound to speak good English. The taxis have meters; but sometimes the driver refuse to use the meter (especially if they know you have no option). It is very difficult to get a cab; sometimes they just don’t stop for you. Circa the praying times they will for sure drive right pass you.

Prices
Expensive.
1 USD = 3.67 AED (dirhams)

Telecommunication
For international calls, pre-paid cards are the most useful. 20 AED can last for 9 minute call to Indonesia. Local calls are free from landline phones. There are 2 GSM cellular providers; Etisalat and dU. If you are Indonesian; you can bring along your Telkomsel Simpati/ Halo; and you can use it (international roaming).

Things to do
Basically the UAE is a shopping place. All kinds of brands with the latest models are available here. So if you are into shopping you will like this place. Most of the things to do are in Dubai, which is around 60 minute drive from Abu Dhabi; but very much worth seeing.
I went skiing at the Mall of Emirates; it was a good experience (considering that it was a ski slope in the middle of the desert). Snowboarding also available there.
The Desert Safari is also something worth doing. It’s best to be done in a group of friends (3-4 people). The agent will provide a pickup (LandCruiser, very comfortable); which will take you to the desert; drive you off for some dune bashing; take you for a camel ride; some sandboarding; and ends the safari at a camp; where there’s plenty of food, drinks and sheesha. This was probably one of the best things I did in the UAE.
Visit the Burj-al-Arab. Take pictures :P

Overall, I had a good time; Probably will visit again soon, but I think the best time to go is at the end of the year. The country is developing very fast; now they have ski slopes in the desert; who knows what they will come up with in the future, but I’m eager to find out.