I like my money right where I can see it - hanging in my closet. (SITC)
In most women's lives, shopping is a hobby and for some it is a must.
Women and shopping have a very deep bond. Some of us shop for what we need, some of us don't need an excuse and can actually shop till we drop. We don't need a special time or reason to shop but travelling definitely increases that urge!
(*Disclaimer* : Photos used in this post are property of Food-Shop-Travel and may not be used, reprinted, or published without my consent.)
As you all know DUBAI is one of the biggest shopping hubs in the world. People from all around the world come to shop there. The shopping festivals, duty free & the malls are amazing. Brands available are numerous and the options are abundant.
My personal favourites are Dubai mall & Emirates mall. But I will be reviewing few more of the good malls in Dubai which I enjoy going to while Iam visiting.
Travel Tip: If you are going to a shoppers paradise like London, Paris, Dubai, NY etc. pack light. Because there are chances you will shop a lot and end up carrying extra baggage especially when travelling with kids.
To begin with; will start off with Dubai Mall. I call it the 'Queen of malls'.
It is one of my most favourite hangouts when Iam in Dubai. I just love love love it. I can spend the whole day there because its not just a mall. Whether you want to eat, chill with friends, relax, watch a movie, want your kids to have some good indoor fun, shop, watch the majestic dancing fountain or go on top of the world! (Burj Khalifa)
It has it all :)
The Dubai Mall is the world's largest shopping mall based on total area and sixth largest by gross leasable area. Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it is part of the 20-billion-dollar Burj Khalifa complex, and includes 1,200. Opened on 4 November 2008, with about 635 retailers, marking the world's largest-ever mall opening in retail history.
The Dubai Mall has recorded a visitor turn-out of more than 60,000 tickets sold for the Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre in the first five days, following its opening. The Dubai Mall hosted over 37 million visitors in 2009 and attracts more than 750,000 visitors every week. (Source: Wikipedia)
It offers more or less everything a family needs for a fun day out.
Dubai Aquarium and Under Water Zoo.
Dubai Underwater zoo has many species of fish, including sharks. This is one of the photos I clicked (the view inside the tunnel). Well, frankly my heart did skip a beat when I saw these sharks swimming right on top of my head.
Arabian Souk.
The Arabian Souk has a feel of Arabia. They have built an area which gives you the feel of a true traditional 'souk' with a modern kick to it. I especially enjoy the 'Gold Souk', if you're interested in gold shopping, this is a must visit.
Dubai Ice Rink
Ice Rink is inside Dubai Mall. With world-class multimedia system including a 20 m × 10 m LED screen. The Dubai Ice Rink hosts parties, Learn-to-Skate programmes, figure skating lessons etc. It is nice to watch young kids skate. You can send kids for lessons or take one yourself.
SEGA Republic:
A 76,000 sq ft (7,100 m2) indoor theme park. Visitors can enjoy over 150 amusement games. Includes KidZania, which is like a small theme park for children, as well as SEGA Republic, a spectacular games arcade.
Needless to say this is Bubba Rayyan's favourite part of the mall. He can spend hours in there and still leave crying! This indoor play area is beautifully made and has toys and games for all ages.
Another amazing must see is the world’s largest dancing fountain, on an artificial lake. Next to Burj Khalifa. Simply Beautiful. The fountain dances (literally) on western music, arabic etc sometimes slow & romantic and other times jazzy. After a long walk in the mall it is a very soothing sight.
Below is the view of the dancing fountain from top of the world! ( Top of Burj Khalifa)
Reel Cinemas:
On the second floor of Dubai Mall. Reel Cinema is a huge megaplex with more than 2,800 seats. It is the largest cinema in the region. It is mostly full on weekends especially for movies that are new and have good reviews you might have to reserve seats beforehand otherwise you will not get any availability. What we do is take tickets first, shop and eat and then watch a late night show.
Shopping:
Dubai Mall contains has Galeries Lafayette, Debenhams, my favourite Bloomingdale's and many, many more!
Mall of the Emirates:
This mall is also one of the largest malls in the world. Mall of the Emirates, the ultimate leisure, entertainment and shopping resort. Located in the heart of ‘New Dubai’, it offers a full range of shopping, leisure, and entertainment.
Mall of the Emirates features international brands, including department, fashion, lifestyle, sports, electronics and home furnishing stores and the largest Carrefour in the city.For kids it include a Magic Planet family entertainment area, a 14-screen multiplex cinema, the world-renowned Ski Dubai, a five star Kempinski Hotel, The Pullman Dubai Hotel, coffee shops and restaurants. (Source: Wikipedia)
Mall of the Emirates is most famous for having a giant indoor ski slope with real snow. It is a must go when you're visiting for the first time . It is great to see snow in the desert!
The mall is only a short taxi or metro ride away from the Burj Al Arab.
Ibn Battuta Mall:
The Ibn Battuta Mall is quite a long way out of town, past the Mall of the Emirates & past Internet City. But it is worth a trip if only to marvel at the architecture.
The Ibn Battuta is also a big mall, with different themes (China, India, Persia, Egypt, Tunisia, Andalucia) based on the travels of a 14th Century explorer. Unlike other malls, the Ibn Battuta is all on one level, which makes it a long walk. The architecture is beautiful and worth appreciating.
Souks:
Gold, Spice and Perfume Souks. During the Shopping Festival, a Night Souk opens from 8pm-2am, selling everything from clothes to cosmetics. The souks are perfect to find souveneirs and other traditional stuff. There are many other souks in Dubai, if you are tired of malls you can ask the hotel reception for the closest souk and enjoy a day out in one of the traditional market place.
Mercato
Mercato is a small, Renaissance and Venetian-themed mall on Jumeirah Beach Road (JBR). It only has a limited variety of shops and restaurants. It is surely one of the most elegant Malls with its beautiful wall paintings of Venice and a complex facade. The look is Venetian and Tuscan. It has a very romantic, Eurpean look to it and the architecture would remind you of French, Italian and Spanish. Enjoy shopping or just have coffee and a long romantic walk.
Dubai Marina Mall
Right in the heart of Marina. Visited this mall while we stayed at The Address Dubai Marina. The hotel was attached to it and had a direct connection to Dubai Marina Mall. I enjoyed the whole day and beautiful scenic view. Like most big malls in Dubai its has lots of brands to offer including Bebe, Karen Millen, Juicy Couture, Guess, Bobbi Brown etc. It is a short walk from the nearby beach. Also has Waitrose Supermarket, a children’s play area called the Kids Zone, a six screen cinema.
Dubai Outlet Mall
I went to this mall aound 2 years ago. A friend of mine recommended it. It is also a big mall with baby sitting (play area) facilities. The mall is located in a portion of the Dubai Outlet City (DOC) located in Dubailand. It has shops to most major brands at very good prices. If you are looking for discounts and savings on brands this is the mall to go.
Dragon Mart
Dragon mart provides a gateway for the supply of Chinese products in the Middle Eastern and North African Markets, offering Chinese traders and manufacturers a unique platform from which to cater to the needs of this sizeable market. The 1.2 kilometre-long DragonMart is the largest trading centre for Chinese products outside mainland China.
The 150,000 square meter dragon-shaped structure has 3,950 shops engaged in the wholesale and retail trade of a variety of Chinese products including home appliances, stationery, office appliances, communication and acoustic equipment, lamps, household items, building materials, furniture, toys, machinery, garments, textiles, footwear and general merchandise.
With over 2,500 parking spaces, the shopping centre is divided into seven zones offering an array of high quality facilities for visitors and traders alike. They have everything from China including clothes, bags, household stuff, furniture, carpets, rugs, toys etc.
Having been to China numerous times, I never really shopped for anything from this mall but if you want good stuff at a good price: dragon mart is a must go atleast once!
No time for malli-ing? Dubai Duty Free offers an extensive range of quality products. From leather goods and clothing to gold and perfumes, Dubai Duty Free has it all. Last minute gifts, souvenir shopping, CD's, DVDs, Toys, Books etc. Who doesn't love Dubai Airport! :)
These are places where I shop when I am in Dubai. There are many more malls, souks, markets and places to shop from but these are where you can mainly go and focus on. Especially when you are short of time and have to 'choose'.
Happy Shopping!! :D
I like my money right where I can see it - hanging in my closet. (SITC)
In most women's lives, shopping is a hobby and for some it is a must.
Women and shopping have a very deep bond. Some of us shop for what we need, some of us don't need an excuse and can actually shop till we drop. We don't need a special time or reason to shop but travelling definitely increases that urge!
(*Disclaimer* : Photos used in this post are property of Food-Shop-Travel and may not be used, reprinted, or published without my consent.)
As you all know DUBAI is one of the biggest shopping hubs in the world. People from all around the world come to shop there. The shopping festivals, duty free & the malls are amazing. Brands available are numerous and the options are abundant.
My personal favourites are Dubai mall & Emirates mall. But I will be reviewing few more of the good malls in Dubai which I enjoy going to while Iam visiting.
Travel Tip: If you are going to a shoppers paradise like London, Paris, Dubai, NY etc. pack light. Because there are chances you will shop a lot and end up carrying extra baggage especially when travelling with kids.
To begin with; will start off with Dubai Mall. I call it the 'Queen of malls'.
It is one of my most favourite hangouts when Iam in Dubai. I just love love love it. I can spend the whole day there because its not just a mall. Whether you want to eat, chill with friends, relax, watch a movie, want your kids to have some good indoor fun, shop, watch the majestic dancing fountain or go on top of the world! (Burj Khalifa)
It has it all :)
The Dubai Mall is the world's largest shopping mall based on total area and sixth largest by gross leasable area. Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it is part of the 20-billion-dollar Burj Khalifa complex, and includes 1,200. Opened on 4 November 2008, with about 635 retailers, marking the world's largest-ever mall opening in retail history.
The Dubai Mall has recorded a visitor turn-out of more than 60,000 tickets sold for the Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre in the first five days, following its opening. The Dubai Mall hosted over 37 million visitors in 2009 and attracts more than 750,000 visitors every week. (Source: Wikipedia)
It offers more or less everything a family needs for a fun day out.
Dubai Aquarium and Under Water Zoo.
Dubai Underwater zoo has many species of fish, including sharks. This is one of the photos I clicked (the view inside the tunnel). Well, frankly my heart did skip a beat when I saw these sharks swimming right on top of my head.
Arabian Souk.
The Arabian Souk has a feel of Arabia. They have built an area which gives you the feel of a true traditional 'souk' with a modern kick to it. I especially enjoy the 'Gold Souk', if you're interested in gold shopping, this is a must visit.
Dubai Ice Rink
Ice Rink is inside Dubai Mall. With world-class multimedia system including a 20 m × 10 m LED screen. The Dubai Ice Rink hosts parties, Learn-to-Skate programmes, figure skating lessons etc. It is nice to watch young kids skate. You can send kids for lessons or take one yourself.
SEGA Republic:
A 76,000 sq ft (7,100 m2) indoor theme park. Visitors can enjoy over 150 amusement games. Includes KidZania, which is like a small theme park for children, as well as SEGA Republic, a spectacular games arcade.
Needless to say this is Bubba Rayyan's favourite part of the mall. He can spend hours in there and still leave crying! This indoor play area is beautifully made and has toys and games for all ages.
Another amazing must see is the world’s largest dancing fountain, on an artificial lake. Next to Burj Khalifa. Simply Beautiful. The fountain dances (literally) on western music, arabic etc sometimes slow & romantic and other times jazzy. After a long walk in the mall it is a very soothing sight.
Below is the view of the dancing fountain from top of the world! ( Top of Burj Khalifa)
Reel Cinemas:
On the second floor of Dubai Mall. Reel Cinema is a huge megaplex with more than 2,800 seats. It is the largest cinema in the region. It is mostly full on weekends especially for movies that are new and have good reviews you might have to reserve seats beforehand otherwise you will not get any availability. What we do is take tickets first, shop and eat and then watch a late night show.
Shopping:
Dubai Mall contains has Galeries Lafayette, Debenhams, my favourite Bloomingdale's and many, many more!
Mall of the Emirates:
This mall is also one of the largest malls in the world. Mall of the Emirates, the ultimate leisure, entertainment and shopping resort. Located in the heart of ‘New Dubai’, it offers a full range of shopping, leisure, and entertainment.
Mall of the Emirates features international brands, including department, fashion, lifestyle, sports, electronics and home furnishing stores and the largest Carrefour in the city.For kids it include a Magic Planet family entertainment area, a 14-screen multiplex cinema, the world-renowned Ski Dubai, a five star Kempinski Hotel, The Pullman Dubai Hotel, coffee shops and restaurants. (Source: Wikipedia)
Mall of the Emirates is most famous for having a giant indoor ski slope with real snow. It is a must go when you're visiting for the first time . It is great to see snow in the desert!
The mall is only a short taxi or metro ride away from the Burj Al Arab.
Ibn Battuta Mall:
The Ibn Battuta Mall is quite a long way out of town, past the Mall of the Emirates & past Internet City. But it is worth a trip if only to marvel at the architecture.
The Ibn Battuta is also a big mall, with different themes (China, India, Persia, Egypt, Tunisia, Andalucia) based on the travels of a 14th Century explorer. Unlike other malls, the Ibn Battuta is all on one level, which makes it a long walk. The architecture is beautiful and worth appreciating.
Souks:
Gold, Spice and Perfume Souks. During the Shopping Festival, a Night Souk opens from 8pm-2am, selling everything from clothes to cosmetics. The souks are perfect to find souveneirs and other traditional stuff. There are many other souks in Dubai, if you are tired of malls you can ask the hotel reception for the closest souk and enjoy a day out in one of the traditional market place.
Mercato
Mercato is a small, Renaissance and Venetian-themed mall on Jumeirah Beach Road (JBR). It only has a limited variety of shops and restaurants. It is surely one of the most elegant Malls with its beautiful wall paintings of Venice and a complex facade. The look is Venetian and Tuscan. It has a very romantic, Eurpean look to it and the architecture would remind you of French, Italian and Spanish. Enjoy shopping or just have coffee and a long romantic walk.
Dubai Marina Mall
Right in the heart of Marina. Visited this mall while we stayed at The Address Dubai Marina. The hotel was attached to it and had a direct connection to Dubai Marina Mall. I enjoyed the whole day and beautiful scenic view. Like most big malls in Dubai its has lots of brands to offer including Bebe, Karen Millen, Juicy Couture, Guess, Bobbi Brown etc. It is a short walk from the nearby beach. Also has Waitrose Supermarket, a children’s play area called the Kids Zone, a six screen cinema.
Dubai Outlet Mall
I went to this mall aound 2 years ago. A friend of mine recommended it. It is also a big mall with baby sitting (play area) facilities. The mall is located in a portion of the Dubai Outlet City (DOC) located in Dubailand. It has shops to most major brands at very good prices. If you are looking for discounts and savings on brands this is the mall to go.
Dragon Mart
Dragon mart provides a gateway for the supply of Chinese products in the Middle Eastern and North African Markets, offering Chinese traders and manufacturers a unique platform from which to cater to the needs of this sizeable market. The 1.2 kilometre-long DragonMart is the largest trading centre for Chinese products outside mainland China.
The 150,000 square meter dragon-shaped structure has 3,950 shops engaged in the wholesale and retail trade of a variety of Chinese products including home appliances, stationery, office appliances, communication and acoustic equipment, lamps, household items, building materials, furniture, toys, machinery, garments, textiles, footwear and general merchandise.
With over 2,500 parking spaces, the shopping centre is divided into seven zones offering an array of high quality facilities for visitors and traders alike. They have everything from China including clothes, bags, household stuff, furniture, carpets, rugs, toys etc.
Having been to China numerous times, I never really shopped for anything from this mall but if you want good stuff at a good price: dragon mart is a must go atleast once!
No time for malli-ing? Dubai Duty Free offers an extensive range of quality products. From leather goods and clothing to gold and perfumes, Dubai Duty Free has it all. Last minute gifts, souvenir shopping, CD's, DVDs, Toys, Books etc. Who doesn't love Dubai Airport! :)
These are places where I shop when I am in Dubai. There are many more malls, souks, markets and places to shop from but these are where you can mainly go and focus on. Especially when you are short of time and have to 'choose'.
Happy Shopping!! :D
4 comments:
Awsome Stuff..keep it up girl..dis is actually tempting me 2 ggo 2 Dxb again!! :-D
excellent guide marium...ive been there many times but didnt pay so much attention to such minor details..
@Humaira Rashid Ahmed thanks a lot hon! x
@sonia sameer thank you for the feedback & appreciation x
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