₦airaland Forum

cescky:
Nice one..

Never been to Dubai but you took me there for a few mins..

Hopefully I'll do the physical part sometime this year.

It's hard for a gold fish to hide..kudos, your evidently God fearing. And from your profile pic cute ...in other words you reek of wonderful wife material .

Did you ever find out why you were always looked at akwardly in your hotel..that part really irked me.. racist are just plain dumb beings..but also I think any black man, that is unnecessarily bothered about racism is a man who doesn't know his God, especially if he/ she is a Christian, cos all humanity is cut from the same cloth..but we wear diff skin cloths that's all...

For the headache after the ice cream( sugar)..not to alarm you...pls check your sugar/ cholesterol levels..

Kudos fine one

Sapphire86:
My research was borne out of the fact that I really would love to live there someday so i had been doing my homework.

You need to hold dollars, pounds or Euro, naira is not tenable there. But I think dey sell dirhams at Nigerian airport but its Better to go with the aforementioned currencies.

You can use your Nigerian debit card but clear with your bank ahead of time to avoid disappointment in case they say you need dollar card

No tourist map or app...

boyjo:
Hahaha but you asked for a traveling partner, not fair! And to think I took you seriously

BLAQUEWELSH:
yeah i'm serious but he's going first week but mine end of second week
travelling partner is not to be misconstrued please, i'm not bearing any cost for the said partner - you should have had your own plans
thank you

Sapphire86:
pele

It happened this evening; i was at a changing room in Max Al Ghurair Centre and a lady was looking for something she misplaced; she couldn't find it ooo Na God do my own.

boyjo:
But he didn`t mention or ask you to pay for him.
You didn`t bother either to explain the difference in timing to him, you just dismissed him like your rude self who thinks though he can pay his own fare, every other person out there can`t pay theirs because i don`t see why you assumed he wanted to beg you for his fare. Na wa o.

wristbangle:
Happy birthday m'am.

francisbarrack:
Hapi born day dear...

peacengine:
In America they give tips too. Maybe not to such officers but to waitress and waiters. Here, they may sack people for doing it, if it's against company policy. The immigration man wrong to insist on it but if we write and send complaints maybe it can be handled properly. Sometimes I dash police money because they ask but i didn't bribe, just gave him lunch for helping me.

Sapphire86:
..... (cont'd)

I thought to myself ‘how will their profit look like?’ but why should I take Panadol where clearly there was no headache? And so it was in all stores some with ‘buy 1 get 1 free’ or ‘30% off’, ’30% - 90% off’, ‘buy 2 get 2 free’ and even ‘50% off’ everything. I got carried with the deals that I forgot my bag at the section

samhay:
I work in the Sales field here in Dubai and I must tell you they still make profit despite the discount.

Here is how it works, I will use spoon as an example.

A set of spoon is imported from the factory that produces it in the USA.

It costs 4aed/dozen from USA.
After clearing from port and every every, the spent 5aed/dozen.

Wgen it gets inside the store its price tag is 10aed

When the want to do promo, they tell u

25% offer

ORIGINAL PRICE : 10aed
NOW : 7aed

To customers, they've saved 3aed
To the store, They gained 2aed.

Mariangeles:
You only have negative things to say about your country in your diary... As if Nigeria is the worst place on earth, the only place that bad things happen... Smh

seedic:
Insha Allah...I will go on dis journey on reality...dis dope writer took me on d journey with goosebumps all over..
thanks for d write up

Sapphire86:
Interesting.... thnx for the analysis

BLAQUEWELSH:
PLEASE do we have anyone going to dubai second week in July for summer?
I would appreciate a companion Male or Female
Thank you
@Sapphire86
@OP please how did you make your research on dubai?

Do i have to change to dollars in Nigeria
It's Better


Can i use my Naira debit card there?
Don't know, cos na everyday Naija banks dey get policy

Please help me with several pieces of advice needed to have quality while in dubai
No come during Summer or Ramadan

is there a tourist map or tourist app you used?
You can get this booklet or some others in some stores
thank you

samhay:
Wish I saw this thread while you were around.

I stay very close to where you lodge.

Come and tell us about your discussion over the intercom with that dude

DisGuy:
Most cities have top ten must see/visit places or even restaurants/activities....so these are the types of reviews i was talking
But as she said she went partially for business so I understand it's not entirely possible

Just got back from 5 days in Barcelona but I doubt i can write extensively but loads of pics of main tourist sites

Sapphire86:
So sad... could have used your employee discount..
Nna too like gist oooo

samhay:
Wish I saw this thread while you were around.

I stay very close to where you lodge.

Come and tell us about your discussion over the intercom with that dude

NONNYG:
Oga so u dey around deira u come disappear like Spirit, Oluwa is watching you ooo, even the UAE thread u no dey show face again, no wahala shaa, how things? Hope you’re doing fine. I had a very big surprise package for the OP, but she no show interest, anyway I really enjoyed her stories

samhay:
Employee discount?

Just now now, u don think am

As regards settling down here? Why here?

Jarus:
Dubai is very fun.

Can't get tired of holidaying there.

Was there for 2 weeks in March with my family, our 4th holiday there in 5 years.

Stay in Bur Dubai (except the last time where we used Oud Metha).

I enjoy Dubai but my family have gotten tired of it.

PMB007:
Your family have gotten tired of it... Maa shaa Allaah, Allaahu Akbar.

[s] Erm, sponsor a sister just once, I promise not to get tired[/s]

Sapphire86:
.......

It’s Saturday morning and I do my last-minute packing – Emirates flight to Lagos at 10:15am is calling. The first time I came here, I was in a hurry to leave because of the alarming rate at which I was swiping my card but this time feels different. I was sad to leave; it feels like home to me. I didn’t want to go back to face the kiosk in Nigeria. I love the ease of Dubai – they are grinding here but the standard of living is great. I said my prayers with care – ‘oh Lord, let no officer in Nigeria tamper with my bags; oh Lord, let no immigration officer disturb me’. I had 21 Dirhams left which I had saved up in case of any emergency at the airport and grudgingly reserved $50 to change at the airport in Nigeria.
I got to the airport around a few minutes to eight and check-in was easy breezy (you know these folks here know what they are doing and are timely and efficient at their jobs). As I was making my way to passport control, I was beckoned by a lady who happened to be a Nigerian and was travelling back to Nigeria as well. She had 2 and the half bags as hand luggage! Nigerians, just because they are doing sales does not mean we should abuse our baggage allowance na. Of course, she was turned back because her hand luggage had passed hand level. She asked me to help her check in one of her bags as mine and in my mind I was like ‘akoba, adaba, Olorun ma ja ri’ (may we not be implicated oo). She tried to unpack the little she could to show me that there was nothing hidden but that didn’t pacify me. For one, passing off someone’s bag as mine AT THE AIRPORT is very risky; what if something happens? Secondly, it is an integrity issue; I can’t say something is mine when it ain’t. So, what I did was tell her to follow me and HOLD HER BAGS HERSELF but when we got to where to weigh it, I asked the officer if my hand luggage was ‘transferrable’ to her and he said ‘NO; what if something happens’ and I turned to her and said ‘sorry’, carried myself and left. I can’t not carry someone else’s load on my head and drag my own on the floor na.


I went to stamp out at immigration and a cutie stamped me out. He kept looking at me and my passport maybe my pic in the passport was much baby-ish but I choose to interpret it as Mc Galaxy’s song ‘na who born this fine girl’ (lol) . Finally, it’s time to locate my gate C39 and I had to take a big ass lift to the next floor (oh, when will MMIA look like this?’ and then I was at duty free shortly. Dubai Duty Free is NOT for the faint hearted (I learnt that in my previous trip) so this time I said to myself (Mobola, don’t be unfortunate; just keep moving). But as I was about to enter my gate I saw this store ‘with love from Dubai’ (I think) and something possessed me to enter it. Remember, I said I had only 21 AED and $50 left; I knew that a demonic spirit would have to be in play for me to spend that $50 because I needed instant cash on arrival and ATM wouldn’t cut it for me because I left my card at home. But I was curious to see what I could buy for 20 AED; I saw my favorite chocolate selling for 97 AED and I wasn’t even bothered because I had taken care of that at the supermarket. Lo and behold, shortly I found a beautiful bracelet for 20 AED and I said ‘mission completed; Dirhams finished’. I made my purchase and proceed to my boarding gate.


Flight EK 783 was boarding at 9: 15am and I said ‘chai, na Nigeria I dey go like this?’ but we made our way through the walkway and suddenly we were put in a bus to take us to where the plane was. I was surprised; what happened to the walk-way tunnel? It wasn’t until we endured a 5 minute plus bus ride to another remote location at the airport close to the road that I came to the conclusion that Nigeria was not respected. These nations see the ridiculousness that goes on in Nigeria but they won’t say don’t come to their country, after all we are coming to boost their economy but they won’t give Nigeria any 5-star treatment. How do you put Nigeria at the remote part of the airport but put Air Algeria at the tunnel walkway? Isn’t that an insult? I am in no way looking down at any country, but fact is fact; do we not boost their economy (even at the detriment of ours)? Our leaders and some Nigerians in the diaspora are not representing the image of this country well and all these world leaders see it even though they enable foolishness by giving the president of Nigeria audience and useless hand shake (yeah, I said it; it’s the truth and I am shaking the table vigorously).

Sapphire86:
I deserve some accolade

I’m happy we all went along on the journey; but trust me, Dubai has much more

jubianose:
Hi dear I couldn't believe I was curiously reading all your post like. You are good writer and your sense of describing the whole scenario gives one a good picture of holidaying in Dubai. I must commend you for this. keep it up... bravo

BLAQUEWELSH:
Oh i get your context now. You are briefing for the other guy
His itinerary and mine cant work so whats the point of further jaw jaw
I thought you is a girl and wanted to make banter of me needing an escort
More grace to all our hardwork and effort
No pun intended, no hurt felt
Hope you understand now?
Thank you

Sapphire86:
I woke up that certain Wednesday feeling ‘oh, the day has finally come’. I was still running up and down doing last minute packing, attending to a dozen issues while trying to remember a dozen more still undone. I am not one for last minute rush, but this time was different – delays here and there with the visa and ticket both finally coming through less than 48 hours before departure.

I called for an Uber (while silently praying for safe arrival to the airport because I have been hearing stories about Uber & Taxify drivers lately) and 30 minutes later (even though the app said 11 mins) I was on my way to the airport. Traffic was terrible; this was the first journey-to-the-airport traffic I have ever experienced, and it got to a point that I was like ‘ah, ah, have my village people followed me to the airport?’ Finally, we reach the airport though I was a bit pissed with the Uber driver because 1., he deliberately took a longer route with traffic when we started the journey (maybe he wanted my trip fare to be deliberately high) and 2., he didn’t know any shortcuts! We were just stuck in traffic; one thing about commercial bus drivers is that they would always find another way when they sight traffic ahead except if there is truly no way out. But this Uber driver just sat there because even if we got to the airport 3 hours later, it really wasn’t his concern!

Got to the airport an hour plus later and then it hit me that I was back at the Nigerian Airport! First, it was the policemen unnecessarily hailing me before I realized that they wanted me to part with money; then it was unknown personality who came, held my bag & ‘offered’ to help me carry it. I’m like ‘emm, no, thank you’ and in my mind, I’m like ‘my hands don’t look broken; I ain’t parting with no naira, dollar or even cent’. I thought ‘oh, the harassment has ended’ forgetting that I was STILL at the Nigerian airport.


I did my check-in and made my way to immigration and it was there I was reminded that I was still in Nigeria. First immigration officer was nice but wanted a tip and in my mind I’m like ‘why should I give you money because I am travelling; don’t you know how much dollar is?’ The second immigration officer was where the issue was. He checks my passport because it’s a new passport and sees no stamp, immediately starts harassing me (it was a new passport but not my first time travelling). Then he goes ‘let me just stamp for you because if I send you down there, they will harass you, but you MUST give me something’. Now, the difference between the first & second immigration officer was that the first asked nicely for a tip, this one flat out demanded a BRIBE. Is there a law that says new passport holders cannot travel? How will the passport stop being new if it is not used in travelling out? Well, since I didn’t ‘tip’ the first officer though he asked nicely, I refused to BRIBE him. True to his word, he sent me and my passport down to the association-of-immigration-officers corner thinking he has dealt with me. The lady he sent my passport to asked me for my visa, checked with my passport, asked for my travel allowance and when she saw I was legit, she gave me my passport and asked me to go and get stamped. As I left, my eyes and that of the second immigration officer met and he could see my victory stare and smile.

.... to be continued

Gavrelino123:
Beautiful analysis @sapphire....you are really doing a good job..
Dubai is a beautiful city...World class international airport/Hotels...
But personally,i can't spend my holidays in dubai or any muslim countries again... muslim counties naturally have a restricted way of life which is contrary to that of the Western world....i.e USA,Canada and even schengen countries!!!
If you are a man and you really want to enjoy your relaxation mode overseas,just remove dubai from your lists...
Ladies love dubai more for shopping,good relaxation,etc.
it's a beautiful commercial city,good for shopping and tour,but it's quite too boring for my liking....no no no no for me.