Travel to Dubai and the United Arab Emirates
- travel with public transport : there are busses from Dubai to Muscat at 7.30 and 16.30, price 57 Dirham.
- visa : no visa is necessary and in the airport of Dubai you are given for free a stamp in the passport that entitles you to a 30 days stay in the United Arab Emirates.
- costs - budget -money : hotels, hostels and other accommodation in Dubai and the rest of the United Emirates is expensive, at least 120 Dirham per night (except IYHF). The food is cheap, streetfood (kebab etc) starts at around 2.5 Dirham and in the Iranian restaurants you can get a good meal for a small price of around 20 Dirham.
- internet links : on http://emiraten.pagina.nl you find a big collection of links with lots of travel information on all aspects of the Emirates and Dubai (UAE, VAE).
- money : the currency in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai is Dirham (Dh). The Dirham is since 20 years bound to the Dollar which means that the maximum exchange rate is 1 $ = 3.67 Dirham. Everywhere in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai you find cashmachines for VISA/Cirrus.
- Hotels, hostels, youth hostels and other accommodation : accommodation in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai is very expensive, at least 120 Dirham per night. Luckily there are 4 international youth hostels with reasonable prices in the following cities : Dubai, Fujairah, Kourfakkan, and Sharjah. Youth Hostel Dubai (45 en 65 Dirham per night), Sharjah (40 Dirham per night), Fujeirah (15 Dirham per night), Khor Fakkan (25 Dirham per night). The hostels are members of the International Youth Hostel Federation and the prices are for holders of the IYHF-membership card, non members pay 15 Dirham extra (the membership card can not be purchased in the youth hostels).
* travel by ferry boat from the United Arab Emirates and Dubai to Iran : there is a well kept (but by taxi drivers unknown) Passenger Ferry Terminal in Port Rashid. With the ferry company Naif Marine you can go to Bushehr. Contact phone number: 3456695, email address: info@naifmarine.com, email.pirouzan@mail.dci.co.ir. The ferry is a big passenger boat with a cosy open deck. The ferry leaves every two weeks and the trip takes 24 hours. Cost per person is 165 Dirham one way, 200 Dirham return.
Another ferry company organizes trips to Bandar Abbas/Lenja. Contact phone number: 2725026, 3450088 or 2232415. Their ferry is not operating anymore and their speed boat was temporary suspended when I called because of increased concurrence from cheap budget flights.
* travel by ferry boat from the United Arab Emirates, Dubai and Oman to India : the company Tylos Ferry, is planning to in the near future start operating their ferryboat again from Dubai and Oman to India, but you better check in advance. Contact phone number in Bahrein 291166, email address: sanadbah@batelco.com.bh. Contact phone number in Oman 705035-36/38/32, email address: rasmiatr@omantel.net.om.
* travel by ferry boat from Dubai to Irak : there are several popular ferries going from Dubai to Irak. From Dubai to Basra with ferry compay Naif Marine (see company details above), the trip takes 34 hours and a maximum of 100 kg luggage allowed per passenger.
From Dubai to Al Thuraya contact phone number: 3452230. The trip takes 32 hours and costs 650 Dirham.
* travel by ferry boat from Sharjah : rumours say that there should be a boat but I have not been able to find it. For details contact phone number: 3525000 or email address: ofadxb@emirates.net.ae.
