Staying away from home for a short period, usually, the weekend is my favourite way of unwinding after a busy or difficult week. As a resident of the UAE, there are several things I had to take note of while on a staycation in the UAE (don’t worry; they are just a few things to make the most of your time and avoid a few fines *smiles*).
If you plan to go on a budget-friendly staycation in the UAE, here are some essential tips.
- Book ahead of time, even if it is just for a day or two, i usually book via booking.com, making booking ahead of time convenient.
- Plan your stay. So you’ve booked the hotel, now it is time to know what you will be doing during your staycation. Firstly, Careem and Shail apps will make planning a journey easy. The Careem app is for taxis, while the latter is to plan your metro and bus trip. It is essential to know the places you’d visit; however, if your staycation is more of a ‘relaxcation’, it is absolutely fine, enjoy your relaxation.
- Stay in the heart of tourists attractions. If your reason for a stay is to tour the city, it will be ideal to stay close to communities with lots of tourist attractions for instance Bur Dubai has a few tourist attractions, other communities include Downtown Dubai, and Dubai Marina.
- Arrive at the hotel early. To make the most of your time, it is advisable to arrive early. Usually the check-in time is 2 pm but you could come early and leave your box in the hotel (informing the receptionist of course) and visit a few places before 2pm.
- Know the timings of the Dubai public transportation so you won’t get stranded. If you plan to enjoy the city of light at night it is crucial to know the Dubai public transportation timings. Remember, we are talking about a budget-friendly staycation in the UAE.
- Request a late checkout at the hotel. If you want to get an extra hour of sleep, most hotels will allow you to stay for an extra hour and check out at 1 pm.
- Are you going with your kids? Some hotels have kids play room at no extra cost or you could hire the nannies provided by the hotel if need be at an additional cost. Additionally, you can request a cot for your kid to play or sleep.
- Be sure you know the Ramadan rules if you want to eat in public during your short stay in the UAE.
- Take all you need for the staycation. You don’t want to buy the things you already have at home.
- Hotel food is usually pricy so either eat out or order from Zomato or Talabat.
- If you are a content creator, don’t forget to use the opportunity wisely
That’s it, guys, don’t forget to check out other related staycation & vacation articles.
If you love this blog, kindly share the posts with your friends and loved ones. It will mean a lot to me to know your thoughts in the comments. Love, Grace
