Tuesday 15 October 2013

The 'Cheap' Side of Dubai

This post would be very applicable to all those who find Dubai an expensive place to enjoy.

I went for a birthday party at Safa Park last weekend, even though I used to work in that area I had never been there before. It is a Dhs 3 ticket to a Green Oasis in the middle of the Concrete desert of Dubai. It was full of activity with families lounging on sheets spread in different corners of the park, some setting up a BBQ, kids playing to their heart’s content- you get the picture.

It is pretty big in area, in that there are 5 gates to enter and if you are joining someone inside, there is a small chance that you won’t find them at all if you don’t know which gate they are close to. In from Gate no. 5, there is also a lovely Library cum cafe called The Archive, a local to the designer types in Dubai, I am told. I had a great time meeting some very interesting people there.

Not far from Safa park is also the Jumeirah Beach Park which is a paid public beach. The entry is Dhs 5 per person. Again you would find a lot of families around hovering over BBQ stations. The further in you go towards the beach the quieter it gets. You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas for a nominal charge of Dhs 5-10 too. There are basic changing and toilet facilities available. I went on a Friday and it was full of people. It is quite nice if you want to have the convenience of washroom facilities nearby when you want to spend the day at the beach.

The only negative to these lovely and (almost) zero cost ways to enjoy is that they are heavily dependent on the weather. I can imagine that not many people including myself would consider the options during the summer months. Still, they are options well worth remembering :D


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