We are planning on enjoying the World Expo from within the grounds for three days but then where would you suggest we lodge for the rest of the seven days we have in Dubai? We were thinking of staying in the Creek area, because it might be more authentic. There is, of course, the Canal, which is very upscale and international. Are there any other areas of the city you might suggest? and any specific hotels as well?
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience.
Tullia
I wouldn’t say that anywhere in Dubai is particularly “authentic”.
I stayed at Rove Downtown and had a room with a view of the Burj Khalifa. It was fine for our purposes as we were out most of the day and was close to The Dubai Mall for lots of dining options. It had a free bus shuttle to the main attractions. I would use it again. We didn’t have time to make use of the pool or the cinema.
I think it would be easier to find something authentic at Disneyland.
Dubai is still an interesting city to visit, the only real authentic part is a small port area that was the original port.
We took a fascinating tour called the 7 Emirates Tour that took us to all of the UAE's Emirates, the tour was about 15 hours long and amazing. I don't think that tour is available anymore, but I think there is a 6 Emirates Tour that doesn't include Abu Dhabi.
We took a boat trip across the creek. It was very noisy and not somewhere where I would want to stay.
We visited 2 years ago on the way to Sri Lanka. We have just seen a rerun of the BBC 1988 series Around the World in 80 Days where Michael Palin visited Dubai. Other than the creek, it was barely recognisable.
In Dubai, a building that is 50 years old is considered "historic". You should consider your non-Expo interests and transportation convenience in your hotel choice. Check October temperatures in Dubai. It can be so hot in summer that a few blocks are the farthest you can walk (outdoors) without exhaustion. We were disappointed at the lack of actually interesting places that aren't (I mean, like a skyscraper or a water park) ginned up as an "attraction". One interesting thing during our visit some years ago was vacant luxury real estate developments.
As a practical matter, some luxury hotels include airport limos with a long enough booking. Airlines like Emirates can offer the same with Business Class tickets.
