You may heard talking everyone that Dubai is an expensive city and only riches can enjoy all the luxuries Dubai is offering to travelers. Well good news for you is that most of these people may have never been to Dubai or they may have never got any guidance on how to have cheap holidays in Dubai. Believe me you can still have fun in Dubai without spending too much.

Here we are going to give you some very useful tips that can even cut your holiday budget in half.

Shopping in Dubai

Dubai is famous for its shopping malls with all the big brands. Besides worlds largest shopping mall Dubai has many traditional markets known as “Souks” (read all about souks in Dubai) where you can find almost everything from daily use groceries to hi tech electronics products. Dubai Gold Souk is the most popular souks among all. Good thing about these traditional souks is that you can bargain with shopkeepers as they usually don’t like to turn away customers.

Food in Dubai

With more than 50% Indian and almost 20% Pakistani working population in Dubai, Pakistani and Indian restaurants are very popular among locals and also their prices are not bad as well. You can have full meal in less than $5 – $10 according to your choice. Ravi Restaurant near Satwa Road in Satwa is the most popular one. They are known for tasty food and quality of services they offer.

And if you are not big fan of Pakistani and Indian food then you can avail hotel meal deals. Almost every hotel offer these deals, Just go and ask them and they will provide you all details. Also look for Friday Brunch offers or Open Buffet Special offers starting as low as $10/person. Some Friday brunch offers also include swimming pool for the day.

Partying in Dubai

Partying in Dubai is something that goes all around the year. People working in Dubai will agree that Dubai is a Party Town where you can chill out on almost every night of the week. To keep the budget down look for Ladies Nights and Happy Hours offers. Explore Time out Dubai website or buy “Time out Dubai” magazine to see all the events and happenings for the month.

Beaches in Dubai

Most popular traveling activity in Dubai is to spend a day at Jumeirah Beach. Good thing is that you can enjoy a full day at any of the exclusive hotel on beach with a “Day Voucher”. Almost all hotels offer day vouchers which let visitors to access to the Hotel Beach, Pools & Spa, Health Club, all the fun facilities hotel are offering. Like at Wild Wadi Waterpark pass you can have access to Jumeriah Hotel Beach and at Atlantis Hotel you can enjoy a day on Aquaventur Park, Dolphin Bay or even a scuba diving. Prices start from $10 and can go up to $80 depending on the hotel and facilities they are offering.

On public beaches you can spend the day with all the facilities like life guards, play area for kids, showers etc for just AED Dhs5. Like at Jumeirah Beach Park you can have full day with all the facilities for just $1.40/person.

Transportation in Dubai

Dubai Metro and Public transport Buses are best option to travel around as Taxis are expensive in Dubai for Tourists. However, waiting for bus can be an unpleasant experience as they usually are not good with schedules. Especially in summer time heat is unbearable and most bus stops don’t have covered area. So just be prepared before leaving hotel as traveling through bus can be 3 times cheaper than a taxi fare.

Rent a Car in Dubai

Other option could be rent a car but remember do not go for international rental car companies. Local companies rates are much less compare to international car rental companies. Just ask hotel management to give you list of local car rental companies or you can search by yourself online before traveling. If you are not comfortable with local companies then also you can search online for budget car rentals and compare their prices. My recommendation is to check Budget Car Rental in Dubai website. While selecting you package make sure they offer airport pick and drop service. You definitely will find a good deal. Don’t forget Fuel prices in Dubai are low.

Mobile Phone Services in Dubai

Best way to cut down mobile phone calling charges is to get a pre-paid calling card from any convenient store which you can use from any phone booth and can be use to call international. If you are going to live for longer time period then get a pre-paid GSM card. Like WASEL card can be available for $45. Despite pre-paid cards you need to get WASEL GSM card from an Etisalat office. Do not forget to bring passport copy with you and also don’t forget to ask for any deals.

Dubai Festivals, Event and Entertainment

Best time to travel to Dubai is from September to March when temperature is not as high and many events held during this time of the year. You can enjoy hundreds of shows and events just in one month. I can bet you and your kids will not get bored. It feels like festivals in Dubai goes all around the year. Starting with Dubai Shopping Festival in January-February, Dubai Summer Surprises in June-September, Horse Racing held from October-March and so many festivals all year. Most importantly all these events are free for public access and can be enjoyed with whole family.