DUBAI

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ yeah, Citymax is ok nga din location-wise. We used to live a few buildings away. Short walk to MOE (so me access ka na to the metro), me bus stop sa labas mismo (bus na papuntang Al Safa, Satwa, Bur Dubai bus station).

[cream_puff11]

Around how much kaya ang visa if 1 week stay lang? gusto sana namin dito mag mini honeymoon next year. Wala kami relatives dun so my option is sa travel agency na lang magpa ayos ng visa. are there better options for this?

[aranses]

^around 95USD bigay sa amin ng travel agency from dubai

[cream_puff11]

^thanks sis i think thats okay narin. Will wait for seat sale na haha

[traveltechie]

anyone here nakatravel na to Dubai via Cebu Pacific (MNL-DXB-MNL)? How was your experience specially with the immigration officers? We booked tickets for January 2014, and I came across a blog and some articles na madalas ma-offload pag UAE ang destination.

[entwife]

Ako rin sis, I have heard and read a lot of offload horror stories.

Pwede ba magdala ng rosary to UAE? Kaya bang itago yun sa baggage?

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ yup, nakakapagdala ako ng rosary sa handbag ko papuntang Dubai. Even nung galing kami Italy, medyo madami kami dalang rosary from Vatican, nasa check-in luggage naman. Pero binalot namin ng maayos to be sure..

[syana]

^around 95USD bigay sa amin ng travel agency from dubai

hi sis! may i know the contact details of the travel agency? thanks

[mrs. sweet]

Worth it ba mag lunch or dinner sa Burj Al Arab? May mga nakita kasi akong tours offering it. If yes, which is better (as to the view, sa picturan etc) lunch or dinner?

[Happy Mom]

Ako rin sis, I have heard and read a lot of offload horror stories.

Pwede ba magdala ng rosary to UAE? Kaya bang itago yun sa baggage?

sis walang problema dito ang rosary. open naman kasi ito. kahit hindi mo sya itago. maraming catholic church dito.

[mrs. sweet]

I haven't asked my travel agent yet, is it easy to secure a visa? May personal appearance pa or pwede na thru agent lang?

[glacy_rein]

^madali ma-issue ang visit visa pero yung support and guarantee dapat mag-kamag anak yung sponsor and yung aalis..

yes maraming UAE offload stories. nakakafrustrate sya kung talagang for tourist ka tapos iooffload ka. be sure to bring necessary docs and read this article.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/filipinos-seeking-uae-visitor-visas-urged-to-be-wary-of-agencies

[shegie_285]

mrs.sweet for the experience, worth it na. we went for brunch, good buffet naman pero namahalan kami. its not something that we would do normally if we live there. the only way you can go inside burj is to dine in their restaurant. chini-check ng guards ang reservation.

View - can't comment kung better lunch or dinner kase lunch lang kami but ask na sa skybar kayo, kase kami we were in the Asian buffet, sa baba lang. 2 days before lang kami nagbook. umakyat kami ng skybar, full daw hindi kami nakapasok so from the lift lang namin nakita ang view. parang ang liit naman ng 'the world' and 'the palm tree' from the lift so hindi namin nakita ng maayos. kahit from the khalifa maliit lang din itong dalawa.

Visa - I guess easy lang, ako I got it via emirates airline tapos inemail lang nila ang visa, ako pa nag-print.

[Myealexis21]

^Mas mura siguro Sis if you booked afternoon tea in their lounge, then book din sa skybar for drinks if you are after the view.

Mahal sa Burj Al Arab, I remember the Buffet cost us 400++AED/person and I wasn't that happy with the selections, I would choose Latitude's Buffet or even Beachcomber's at Jumeirah Beach Hotel over Junsui (Burj Al Arab's Buffet).  Good thing hubby got 50% off as he was working at Jumeirah that time.

[bagaholic_chewy]

Kami naman had Friday brunch at Al Muntaha restaurant, same level as Skybar and we had a table by the window. Ok na for me ang food selection. Hubby especially liked the foie gras and roast beef, while I liked most the appetizer and dessert spreads. We could see The World and Atlantis from our table, maliit pero recognizable pa din naman. And we dined the week of husband's birthday so me takehome kami one small round cake na masarap din. My friend had the afternoon tea naman and what she liked was me day view and konting night view sila. Pero sabi nya, for aed100 additional (if tama naalala ko) additional, mas sulit daw if nag-brunch na lang sila kasi mas busog, mas madami food selection.

IMO, better pag lunch kakain sa Burj Al Arab to see the interior in natural lighting. Then for dinner, ok sa Jumeirah Beach Hotel na kumain, ok din ang buffet ng Beachcombers. Or di kaya sa Al Qasr Hotel, ok din ang buffet and ang view of BAA. For me kasi, mas gusto ko view (or kita ko) ang Burj Al Arab pag gabi..

As for At The Top, di ako nasulitan. To think prebooked kami so mura lang ang ticket, hehe. I cannot imagine paying the walk-in/full rate for that, mas maiinis siguro ako. For me, ok lang umakyat just for the sake na masabing nakaakyat sa Burj Khalifa, basta prebooked para murang admission fee. Otherwise, just skip it, IMO.

[mrs. sweet]

I asked Atlantis, they will assisst me daw in securing visa as long as I am booked with them. Kaso lang, balak ko sana 2 nights lang dun and another 2 nights sa downtown area. Kaso, visas will be issued to us on the basis that we will stay in Atlantis for the duration of our stay in Dubai. That means, hindi covered if lipat kami ng hotel right?

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ ganyan talaga sis pag sa hotel. Kasi yung stay mo sa kanila yung parang guarantee din nila, kasi effectively, parang sila ang "sponsor" mo. First time namin pumunta, we stayed in Crowne Plaza in Sheikh Zayed Road for two weeks, sila nag-ayos ng tourist visa namin.

That's why most people prefer having an agency arrange for the visa..

[mrs. sweet]

^Sis, by agency you mean travel agent? Or agent assisting visas?

[bagaholic_chewy]

^ travel agency, sis.

[entwife]

na try niyo na ba bumili ng gadget sa mga ads sa dubizzle? okay lang ba yun, pano ba yun, may mga trusted sellers rin? may mga nakita kasi akong murang laptop dun, 2nd hand but really cheap compared to Philippine price.