Dubai has long been an enticing destination for holidaymakers from across the globe who flock here to explore its astonishing cultural heritage, impressive natural beauty and unmatchable glitz and glamour. City’s intriguing wealth of historical monuments and tantalizing traditional souks are

more than capable of transporting one back in time, while the world-class hotels and resorts here ooze out unrivalled opulence and grandeur. Having paradisiacal beauty, beaches in Dubai also captivate the soul and hence are among some of the strong reasons why cheap deals for flights bound for the destination are revered by one and all. Then, there is the fascinating shopping scene that simply spoils one for choices and ensures having a once-in-lifetime experience.

Quite naturally, many believe that this proud emirate of the UAE offers an unforgettable treat to those who buy air tickets aboard flights to soak up sea, sun, sand and shopping in Dubai.

Scintillating Beaches

Beaches in Dubai enjoy international reputation for their pristine charm and frolicky nature. A long stretch of golden sand with riveting skyline views and a diverse assortment of water activities to immerse in, the famous Jumeirah Beach remains a port of call for every beach bum buying air tickets aboard international flights bound for Dubai. Jebel Ali is another popular place to soak up sea, sun and surf in Dubai; it is renowned for offering wonderful opportunities for water adventures. Mamzar Beach is the longest in the city and serves as a natural playground for people of all ages. Gorgeous restaurants, resorts and spa centres along its shores cater to the needs of all visitors; be it a sybarite or shoestring holidaymakers. Many of Dubai’s iconic buildings including the Burj-Al-Arab are built on or around its coastline. Exploring a few of them is well worth the time and money spent on flights and accommodation at the destination.

Shopping Like Never-before

After skyscrapers and scintillating shore, shopping is something that lends this emirate an iconic status. The gargantuan Mall of Emirates in the heart of the city is a dream expanse for shopaholics seeking one-stop-shop for all international brands. Traditional souks also spoil one for choices and offer the visitors a never-before experience, well worth the cost of buying air tickets and holiday packages for Dubai.

With its superb feats of architecture and riveting anecdotes of rich Bedouin history, Dubai makes for the perfect base for storytelling! Quite expectedly, the glittering emirate has caught the fancy of some of the biggest names in Hollywood and has cemented its position as an up-and-coming filming ground for several big ticket Hollywood projects. Here are three popular movies that have been filmed in the emirate and have successfully tempted many film buffs to hop aboard international flights and relive the memorable moments from their favourite movies.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Billed as 2011’s biggest Hollywood action flick, the fourth instalment of Mission Impossible was shot in Dubai. The gritty action thriller caught the fancy of audiences with interesting scenes showing Hollywood hunk Tom Cruise scaling the heights of Burj Khalifa – world’s tallest building; running through a dusty sandstorm through Dubai’s lively souqs and zooming through the streets of Meydan on a luxury sedan, all to save the world. Keen cineastes and Tom Cruise fans planning to book flights and relive the action-packed moments of the movie can do so in Dubai.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

2010 American drama/thriller, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is yet another big ticket project shot in Dubai. The movie revolves around the 2008 financial slump. Starring Hollywood heartthrob Michael Douglas and the charismatic Shia LaBeouf, Wall Street was partly shot in Dubai. Fans of this intense drama reserving their seats on flights bound for Dubai may check out the place where this big ticket Hollywood project was shot.

Syriana

Syriana is George Clooney’s political thriller that shot to fame with its thought-provoking storyline and its larger than life star cast. This 2005 American movie was filmed in and around Dubai and went on become one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year. In addition, George Clooney won Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards for this film. This movie captured the true essence of Dubai and true blue cineastes hopping aboard flights to the emirate would surely like to check out the places where some of the memorable scenes of the movie were filmed.

I have been travelling to Dubai both for work and holiday for a few years in the past decade. During one of these flights en route to Dubai recently, I met a young woman who seemed quite apprehensive about her first-time holiday stay in the emirate. In fact, her main concern was whether she had made the right decision of planning a trip to the emirate alone. Though the emirate is dotted with numerous popular hotels that are safe for single travellers – men or women – arriving on flights to the city, it makes sense to heed a few useful tips to ensure hassle-free stays in the city.

Needless to say, solo women travellers must remain mindful of confirming their hotel bookings beforehand. If necessary, call the hotel directly to inquire about the booking confirmation before arriving in Dubai.

Dubai is an Islamic nation and hotels at the destination may have some unpredictable policies! Some hotels follow strict policies regarding certain food items, alcoholic beverages and smoking. Therefore, it is imperative to research the hotel thoroughly before you board your flights to Dubai.

Do not simply book a cheap hotel; you may regret it later due to low service standards and poor facilities. Also ensure, you are completely sure about your safety at the hotel. It is in fact better to save money on air tickets and other activities than the place you are about to spend couple of nights alone. So when booking hotels, safety, facilities and privacy at the property must be your priorities.

Though most leading hotels at the destination are safe and provide superb hospitality to all their guests including solo women travellers, it makes sense to choose the location carefully. Hotels around the centre of the city or around the beachfront remain the best bet for solo women travellers visiting Dubai.

Some hotels charge city taxes, credit card surcharges and reception fees as extras to the advertised hotel tariff. Enquire about such hidden charges in advance as it may surprise you at the time of arrival or departure.

A city of glitz and glamour, Dubai is where the yearnings of a modern reveller meet contentment. And vibrant souks in this most fascinating Emirate of UAE have been a port of call for every traveller buying travel tickets to wallow into its traditional way of trading and relishing a great retail therapy in the same breath. Amidst the unrivalled consumerist culture of Dubai, these traditional markets have taken shopping to new heights. From gleaming metals to fresh fruits and precious art objects to trendy garments, Dubai souks have it all and are justly called a shopper’s paradise! In addition, visitors can savour scrumptious local food and feel a touch of city’s rich traditions.

Here is sneak preview of 2 most popular souks that tourists booking air ticket to Dubai must pay a visit to.

Gold Souk

You would feel the glint of gold following you like a shadow at gold souk in Dubai. Whether or not one buys anything, a stroll through this bedazzling market is sure to leave visitors gloating over their decision of booking air tickets on flights arriving in this fascinating metropolis. The narrow alleys are lined with an array of stores, all offering varied items made of gold on display. Since the government acts as a watchdog over the trading here, you can rest assured of having a genuine purchase. The haggling may be irritating in some ways, but the overall experience would be memorable and well worth the money spent on cheap flight tickets for holidaying in Dubai.

Spice Souk

Exploring city’s rich traditions and buying colourful aromatic spices are a few of reasons why tourists who spend on cheap tickets for Dubai holiday love to visit this lively marketplace. Multiple choices of dried herbs/spices are authentic and available at very cheap prices. Haggling is omnipresent and is the sure fire way to get best deals on the purchase. Beside a memorable shopping experience, delicious Arabic foods at nearby restaurants also catch the fancy of heaps of epicureans who bag tickets for flights arriving in this UAE’ dazzling emirate.

City of Gold, Dubai catches the fancy of every traveller with its mind-boggling attractions and panoply of exciting activities. Unfortunately, some budget-minded travellers remain apprehensive about getting cheap flights to the Dubai. Read on for some great tips to save money on airfares, if you are worried that flying to the destination would squander your pocket.

Research Online

With a little careful research and pre-planning, you can find affordable airfare and save money to enjoy spectacular sights and sounds of this scenic Arab city. Start by browsing through the Internet to check out different online deals, comparison tools and discounted airfares.

Book Early

Air tickets to any destination come cheap if booked well in advance. Booking flights well in advance becomes all the more important if you are planning holidays to the emirate sees streams of travellers almost year-round. By booking your tickets well in advance of your travel dates, you’ll be able to score relatively lower prices on air tickets to this beautiful city.

Book with Destination Based Airlines

It is often seen that the airlines based out of the destination are able to offer relatively cheaper airfares as compared to other carriers. Emirates is the full-service carrier that is based out of Dubai and operates scheduled flights to the destination from key airports in the UK.

Be Flexible

Being flexible on certain factors such as departure and return travel dates and flight timing really pays when it comes to booking flights destined for premier and popular travel destination such as Dubai. Opting for off-peak hour service such as red-eye or first-light services is an easy trick to save big bucks.

Best time to book

Due to the huge influx of tourists during the winter months of November to April, it can be difficult to find cheap airfares to the destination. However, the summer months of May to October remain the best time to bag specially reduced rates on airfares. Tourists to the region during these months may enjoy numerous indoor attractions and indulge in amazing events such as Dubai Summer Surprises.