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Travel on a Budget: Dubai

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By Guest Contributor: Tonya Rapley of MyFabFinance.com

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I recently had an opportunity to visit the exquisite city of Dubai! From the moment I disembarked from the plane, I knew I was in for a treat. I’ve always heard about the splendor of Dubai but to be honest, I wasn’t prepared for it. It was awe-inspiring, gorgeous and simply magical. And the best thing of all is that I was able to visit Dubai for two days for under $100 USD!

Yep. This excludes activities, dining, and shopping but does factor in hotel accommodations and flights. How did I do it you ask? I booked my flight through Emirates because I was fully aware that this airline has a superb stopover paid by carrier policy. If the first available flight of the day to your destination has a layover of eight hours or more, Emirates will provide you with a complimentary hotel room at one of their partner hotels, complimentary airport transfers and meal vouchers for those applicable. Our layover en route to Accra was in Dubai and was 24 hours, so we received breakfast, lunch, and dinner vouchers.

This was my first time flying the airline. We flew economy class which looked a little something like this:

Each seat came had headphones, a blanket, pillow, and an overnight kit that contained socks, an eye mask, and toothpaste and a toothbrush.

A very helpful piece of advice that I wish we would have known is that you will not get your luggage so pack your carry-on bag accordingly. We ended up spending 3 hours of our first layover attempting to get our luggage because we didn’t have any of our toiletries or a change of clothes.

The hotel is pretty much you pay for what get. We stayed at the Copthrone on our first layover. It’s not high-end, but it’s better than the lower-end chains we have here in the States. Showers are warm and amenities are decent (note: they do not provide face towels).

Since we only had 24 hours and arrived around noon, we booked the desert safari through our hotel. The safari comes with pick up from and to the hotel, an exhilarating dune bashing trip through the desert, scenic views and sunset picture opportunities, camel rides, hookah, a belly dancing show, dinner, and complimentary soft drinks. All of this for just $55 American dollars per person!

Dubai pic with elder

We returned to the hotel, got a few hours of rest and embarked on the Ghana leg of our trip. Our route home between Accra, Dubai, and NYC had a 20-hour layover in Dubai. Although 4 hours shorter than our other layover, this was plenty of time to go exploring.

Our transfer experience on the way back went slightly smoother. Since we opted for a flight that wasn’t the first flight out (but had an extended layover), we had to pay for the hotel. After much research we settled on the Premier Inn at the airport and I’m glad we did. This time we were prepared with our toiletries and a change of clothes on our back.

It was a very pleasant check-in experience, our front desk agent Ahmed might have been the happiest person I encountered on our journey and I dare say, life! The hotel only cost us $60 USD and had complimentary airport shuttles that ran every 30 minutes. They also offered complimentary shuttles to Dubai’s major attractions.

Burj Khalifa

We checked into the room, slept for 3 hours,  then showered and went downstairs to hop on the tourist attraction shuttle. After doing a fair amount of shopping here we took a taxi to the Gold Souk (approximately $12 USD) which was the perfect way to see the city. I caught great views of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Perhaps the next time I will be brave enough to climb it!

I went to Dubai in search of gold bangles but ended up leaving with tunics and abayas instead. The price of gold right now is at an all time high and while the gold in Dubai is among the most beautiful I have ever seen, the price points did not fit into my budget.

Dubai Camel pic

After lots of fun exploring the spice and perfume Souks, we decided to take a taxi back to the hotel and get some rest. We were pressed for time so we opted to eat dinner and watch the World Cup match at the hotel. I had the most delicious grilled chicken sandwich, perhaps the best I’ve ever experienced. We also skipped out on the public transportation system this time but I plan to take advantage of it the next time I’m there.

It’s worth noting that we did not plan our trip during the World Cup intentionally, however there is something magical about being in countries that are ecstatic about futbol during the tournament.

Truth be told, I’m kind of surprised by how much I loved Dubai. The city is a lovely blend between tradition and modernity and you can pack a lot of adventure into extended layovers. I know that Turkish, Ethiopian, and Malaysia Airlines provide STPC which means Stopover Paid By Carrier. Take this into consideration when booking your next getaway and you could see two destinations for the price of one!

Dubai, I look forward to returning and experiencing more of what you have to offer!

To learn more about Tonya Rapley visit www.myfabfinance.com or follow her on IG (@myfabfinance).

As a New York City storyteller, filmmaker, digital content creator, and PR strategist, Renae Bluitt created "In Her Shoes" to empower and enlighten women committed to realizing their dreams.

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