As with any trip I take, research is very important to me. Although the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a very progressive country in the Middle East, there are still customs that one must abide by to be respectful. Westerners like myself, aren’t used to being told how to act, behave in public, and dress but these are all things one must keep in mind while traveling there. Middle Eastern culture is different. I wanted to learn more about it. I bought The Lonely Planet Abu Dhabi/Dubai travel book. It was quite helpful and it came with a map. I also liked DK Eyewitness Travel Guide, their pictures are bright and colorful and it outlines the top things to do while in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Some of the other ways I prepared was reading blogs and watching Youtube. For some reason I still felt as if I didn’t know enough; How could you really know what to expect? I cut my self some slack after a while; I would never really know until I was actually there.
All the information that I collected I put in a Google Doc so it could be shared among my travel partners. We collected valuable travel information. I also created a spreadsheet with our costs/budgets. We decided to get nice hotels out there since we really didn’t pay much for the flight. It was definitely worth it.
TravelNoire set up a spreadsheet for all the people who were traveling to Dubai at the same time as we were. When our group connected it was instant chemistry. I soon learned that their concerns were my concerns. Luckily for me, a few members of our little group were on our flight to Abu Dhabi as well. It was amazing. They were so cool and we even hitched a ride with them to Dubai.
Ways to Prepare:
If flying with Etihad make sure you get your confirmation and seat number because some of the flights were overbooked (just to be on the safe side). Etihad contact details below:
1 888 8 ETIHAD or 1 (888) 838-4423
Does your flight need insurance? Insurance for Etihad/Orbitz booking flight below:
Allianz Global Assistance
1(877)-593-4989
Need a Free coach bus from Abu Dhabi to Dubai for Etihad Passengers click the below link:
https://www.etihad.com/en-us/plan-and-book/book-etihad-express/
http://travelnoire.com/free-ride-to-dubai/?hvid=55kEcf
Register with the consulate general of the U.S so they are aware of your travel to Dubai:
http://dubai.usconsulate.gov/mobile/travel_registration.html
Travel By Ky 