Hey there! Pumped up for your trip to Dubai? It’s going to be an unforgettable adventure! Dubai is a unique blend of stunning modern buildings and deep-rooted traditions. Just picture yourself strolling through the vibrant streets and then chilling in the calm of the desert – that’s the essence of Dubai.

But before you dive into exploring, here’s a quick heads-up: For a safe trip, medical experts at Vesta Care recommend getting a PCR test before you travel. It’s all about ensuring your health and safety and those around you.

Turn your journey into a cherished adventure in this vibrant Gulf city! Let’s delve into some tips to help you do just that.

Respect the Local Ways

Dubai, rooted in Muslim heritage, holds conservative values close. It’s essential to show respect for these traditions. Opt for modest clothing and consider how you act in public spaces. Keep affectionate gestures private, and be incredibly considerate during Ramadan, a sacred time for the local community.

When to Go

When deciding when to visit Dubai, consider the cooler months from November to March. You’ll enjoy outdoor activities comfortably, explore markets, and experience the thrill of a desert trip. This period also brings the Dubai Shopping Festival to life, packed with activities and excitement. These months offer the perfect climate for you to take full advantage of Dubai’s outdoor adventures.

Finding a Place to Stay

When picking a hotel in Dubai, you have options for every budget. Save some cash by staying in Al Barsha, where the hotels are affordable and comfy. If you’re feeling fancy, the high-end hotels in Downtown Dubai might be more your style. No matter where you book, you’ll find public transport nearby to help you get around. Choose a place that fits your budget, and you’ll be all set for your Dubai adventure.

Getting Around

Moving around in Dubai is straightforward. Take the metro or a bus to reach most places, or grab a taxi if you’re in a hurry, though it’ll cost a bit more. Car rentals are available if you prefer to drive; just remember that traffic can get busy. Since Dubai is quite spread out, planning your daily travels can save you time. Choose the travel method that suits you and your budget, and you’ll be ready to explore Dubai’s many attractions.

Old Meets New

Dubai is where the old meets the new, creating something really special. You can visit the Al Fahidi neighborhood with its cool wind-tower buildings, like stepping back in time. Then, explore the busy markets selling spices and fabrics and look up at the super modern skyscrapers. Dubai blends old traditions with modern ideas, making it a unique place where the past and the future come together. It’s like a bridge connecting two different worlds, and it’s pretty awesome to experience.

Food Time!

Dubai’s food is as mixed as the people living there. You’ve got to try the local stuff like Shawarma. And the spice markets? They’re not just for shopping; they’re a whole experience. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you.

Shopping Adventures

Shopping in Dubai is more than just buying stuff. The Dubai Mall is like shopping heaven, but the Gold Souk gives you a taste of old Dubai. It’s all about what kind of shopping fun you’re looking for.

Pick Your Adventure

Whether you’re all about adrenaline or just want to chill, Dubai has something for you. Fancy a desert safari? Go for it! Or maybe relax on a beach or at a waterpark. It’s all about what makes you happy.

Chatting and Staying Connected

Most people in Dubai speak English, so asking for help or directions is no big deal. Plus, there’s free Wi-Fi in many places, so you can stay connected with friends or find your way around easily.

Stay Safe and Sound

Dubai’s super safe, and they’ve got great hospitals, too. It’s always a good idea to have travel insurance, just in case.

Wrapping Up

So, that’s pretty much it. Dubai’s this fantastic place with loads to see and do. It’s not just about the tall buildings or fancy malls; it’s about feeling the vibe of the city, its people, and their way of life and staying healthy while you exert yourself. Whether exploring the old markets or chilling in a cool café, you’re in for a treat. Have a fantastic trip, and soak in all that Dubai has to offer!

Make your fall camping trip about enjoyment, not endurance

For many people, camping is a pure summertime activity. Once the needles start to turn golden orange and the trails get strewn with leaves, camping equipment is carefully stowed away until the following summer. But the true outdoorsman knows that if you properly prepare yourself and your equipment, fall is the best time of year to hit the trail and get out in nature.

Fall camping calls for a little more preparation than a summer trip. You can’t just throw a sleeping bag on your back and head out into nature, knowing that it will be 70 degrees or more. But in return for this preparation, you get quieter campsites, picturesque sunsets, long nights sitting around the campfire, and best of all, no bugs. These camping ideas and tips will get you off the sofa and back outdoors this fall.

Find the right place to camp in the fall

If you were to open up your phone and search for “the best sites for fall camping near me” you would get hundreds of people’s opinions on what makes a great site for fall camping. But really, you need to decide what you want out of fall camping and then decide on the best camp spot. Do you want an open campground that you can stargaze from? Perhaps you want an enclosed woodland that you can shelter in and make yourself a survivalist retreat, or a raised area with views over forests and mountains.

Whatever your escape, there are plenty of ways to find out the best camping spots for fall, from internet searches, local outfitters, or guidebooks. But when you get to your fall camping site, there are some tips for picking your microsite, where you’ll hang out and pitch your tent. It’s even more important in fall to find higher and drier ground, as rivers swell quickly and pools fill with excess rainfall.

Try to find some natural shelter where possible, and remember that cool nights down low can hit freezing up higher. Camping at altitude in the fall is serious business, and it’s often best to hit the heights during the day and retreat to lower levels overnight.

Get your sleep system right

Nearly every fall camping tip revolves around staying warm, and at no time is that more important than when you’re trying to sleep. Your camping sleep system includes everything from your tent, to your sleeping pad and sleeping mat. With cooler fall nights, it’s not uncommon to fall asleep feeling warm, only to wake up in the early hours of the morning when the temperatures plummet, to find that your nose and back are uncomfortably cold.

Your summer sleeping bag with a temperature rating of 30°+ is unlikely to keep you warm in the fall. Even a three-season sleeping bag may not be enough if you sleep particularly cold, but the addition of an insulated sleeping bag liner can make all the difference. Despite popular belief, you are allowed to wear clothes in your sleeping bag too. A set of dry thermal merino wool underwear is the best option if you want a truly cozy night in camp. Don’t forget to put a hat on, too.

Layer up

That merino wool underwear has more uses than just for sleeping. Layers are an essential part of staying comfortable around camp in the fall. Temperatures can still be warm during the day, but often drop quickly at night. Having the right layers to add will help to keep you warm and stop you from having to perform a full costume change in the cold just to get warm.

Wicking layers that keep your body dry will prevent your sweat from sitting against your skin and cooling down as the temperature drops. It’s important to focus on keeping your core insulated, as this helps to keep the blood flowing around your body. But don’t forget to add warm gloves and a beanie, as well as a few pairs of merino socks for those extremities, too.

Eat well

Fall isn’t the time to skimp on food. Staying warm is a full-time job for your body and requires a lot of extra calories. The best thing you can do for yourself is eat proper camping meals as this will provide your body with the energy to stay warm and hot food will start to heat you from the inside. Even a cup of coffee goes a long way in the morning to keeping you warm.

With so much extra time in camp in the fall, you have plenty of opportunities to get creative with your camp cooking. Try out new techniques, or cook on an open fire rather than a gas stove. If you’re not sure, try making a chili con carne at home — to heat up in camp — and wrap up a few potatoes in tin foil to bake on the fire. Voila. A simple and effective chili and baked potato meal, warm, hearty, and just what you need at camp.

Prepare for rain

Even if you check the forecast and pick the driest-looking day, chances are you’re going to get rained on at some point, so be prepared for camping in the rain. Fall is a good time to re-waterproof your tent — better to re-waterproof early than find out you missed the prime time. It’s also a good idea to get yourself a tarp and get familiar with how to set up different tarp shelters. You can add extra reinforcement to your tent, create yourself a vestibule area, or just set up a tarp for a kitchen and cooking shelter.

When the rain starts to fall, you may find yourself retreating under your tarp, or into your tent. Have a few other activities to hand, like board games, books, or a few episodes of your favorite series downloaded onto your phone. And don’t forget to bring extra charging blocks, or an off-grid power block to keep your electronics powered up.

Light up your life

From campfires to fairy lights, you need a source of light when you’re camping in the fall. Sunset often catches people out as it gets earlier by the day, so it’s a good idea to carry a small flashlight or headlamp with you from early evening. Stringing fairy lights around your camp can give it a homely feeling, and also be used to guide the way to your tent or kitchen setup, or create a perimeter of sorts. Having a lantern in your cooking area gives you a more ambient light, rather than the spot beam of a headlamp or flashlight.

Ultimately, though, the campfire is the quintessential camping element. It keeps you warm and provides light, and most outdoorsmen can recount tales of many hours sitting around watching the embers rise into the dark night sky. There really is nothing better. If you’re going to light a campfire, consider taking a fire pit to prevent charring the ground, and make sure you check out local guidance for the area you’re going camping. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy the warmth.

Bring a survival kit

Things that could really ruin a camping trip are injuries, sickness, getting lost on hikes, and more, so packing a survival kit is a priority for your fall camping trip (or any camping trip). Here are some steps to take to put together a survival kit and the items to include.

Choose a container, such as a small backpack or duffel bag, and make sure it’s durable and waterproof. Next, add these essentials:

• Navigation tools (compass and map)
• Headlamp or flashlight
• Sun protection (sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen — fall still brings sunny days)
• First-aid kit
• Knife or multitool
• Toilet paper (can double as a trail marker)
• Fire starter
• Signaling devices (whistle or mirror)
• Bandana (can also work as a bandage or flag)
• Water purification tablets
• Duct tape
• Sewing kit
• Emergency blanket

After putting together your survival kit, label it with your name, contact information, and the date you created it. Store the kit in a safe place where you can easily access it, such as your car or home.

Here are some additional tips regarding your survival kit:

• Make sure all the items are in good condition and working properly.
• Replace any items that expire or get damaged.
• Test your kit regularly to make sure you know how to use all the items.
• Share your kit with your camping buddies, so everyone is prepared in case of an emergency.

For a lot of photographers, the act of traveling is a double-edged sword. We travel to be able to see the world and draw as much inspiration as we can from everything we see and experience. At the same time, the act of traveling often requires pushing out of our comfort zones and leaving behind a lot of the things that allow us to operate with fewer worries and limitations.

Traveling often involves the unpredictability of new surroundings, the randomness of photographic subjects, and the requirements (and limitations) of our gear. Travel is a huge equalizer that requires a lot of planning and a lot of energy to make sure that the experience is both productive and refreshing at the same time. Here are four things to keep in mind that might help you make the most out of your travel experiences no matter where you are going.

1. Don’t Let Unfavorable Weather Stop You

A lot of photographers get discouraged when the condition outdoors don’t seem to be optimal for photography. One reality that many of us have to accept is that the weather won’t always be pleasant, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be anything worth photographing. Of course, one should always prioritize safety when the natural environment becomes dangerous, but for days when clouds cover the sky and maybe even a bit of intermittent rain falls, it might just be advantageous for you to push yourself to go out and make the most out of the day. This is especially true for trips with very limited time because you probably want to make the most out of the time, effort, and money that you dedicated for such an experience.

When we travel for the sake of photography, we do so with a wide variety of photographic goals. Personally, I spend my time yearning to see and photograph beautiful places around the world, both natural and man-made. Other people like to travel to photograph scenes on the streets, faces of the people they meet, and unique objects that represent and tell stories of that particular place. One important thing to remember is that these stories never stop due to bad weather. People in a particular place continue their way of life amidst gloomy and cloudy skies. Landscapes have distinctly unique appearances even in rough weather, and city life goes on to glow even on a rainy night.

While the weather may change what you see and photograph, it doesn’t meant that there isn’t anything to capture at all. If you find ways to continue exploring a place even when the conditions are not what you expected, and you learn to adapt to what the place is offering to show you for that particular day, you will never run out of discoveries and stories to tell.

2. Give Yourself Some Wiggle Room

As travelers and even as photographers, we are told to always plan, plan, and plan. With limited time in a particular place, there is, of course, undeniable value in having a solid plan on when and where to go at a certain time in order to make the most out of your trip. However, we also have the tendency to be too fixated on following a schedule and simply getting from one place to another that we forget to actually experience the place and gather personal memories along the way.

We must always remember that there is so much value in allowing yourself to get lost (to an extent) in order to feed your curiosity and make memorable discoveries. It is, of course, not advisable to start a trip with absolutely no plans, but it’s great to know when you can take a few steps back and play things by ear.

In our recent trip to Hong Kong, we made a simple list of the things we wanted to see and the places we wanted to photograph. We put them in no particular order and assessed what was feasible on one particular day and basically chose where we felt like going. At the same time, we gave ourselves a couple of hours in the afternoon to see new and random places where we don’t even know what we will see. With just four days in the city, we can definitely say that we made the most of the experience because our craving to do photography in the city was satisfied equally by the shots that we planned to do and the scenes and stories that we stumbled upon along the way.

3. Don’t Forget To Be a Tourist

It’s important to take into consideration everything that you need to be able to survive being away from home for a few days. Of course, one of the most basic steps is arranging for transportation and lodging, and both of them have so much impact on your overall experience. Remember that being in a place where you don’t feel safe or comfortable will affect every other aspect of your trip, which is why it is definitely reasonable to pay for a little extra comfort if you can afford it.

You’re also inevitably going to have to eat, which is why it makes sense to also explore when it comes to food. This doesn’t really mean that you should splurge on the most expensive restaurants, but instead, make the search for good memorable food part of your exploration. Travel guides and articles will probably tell you all the popular places, but it’s also beneficial to ask locals where they like to eat around the area. If you’re into other things worth checking out such as coffee, tea, or even shopping, these give you opportunities to rest for a few minutes while still experiencing life in the place you’re visiting.

4. Connect With People

In most travel destinations, it is inevitable that you will meet people along the way. The world may be beautiful on its own, but a lot of the things we photograph when we travel are due to how people bring places to life. No matter where you go, you never lose anything by meeting people and making new friends.

Everywhere you go, you will meet people who embody the identity of the place that you’re visiting — people who work at hotels and restaurants, fellow travelers, or random strangers living their daily lives. If you’re looking for unique stories and if you want to learn about a place on a deeper level, it will be from the stories of the people around you.

At the same time, in a world where communication happens very quickly no matter the distance, it is very likely that you have talked to or even worked with people from this new place that you are visiting. Taking a few hours to meet with them in person and learning about them and their place will literally open more doors for you.

Traveling for photography can be both relaxing and stressful at the same time. When your passion to take photos bring you around the world and push you to leave your comfort zone, making the most out of the trip should also mean giving yourself room to be comfortable enough to actually enjoy the experience.

Get some shuteye during your next red eye.

Traveling to a faraway place can be exciting, but it may require a long-haul flight. To arrive feeling refreshed and ready to explore, you’ll want to sleep on the plane. This can be tricky – even for seasoned travelers. Distractions like noisy neighbors, turbulence, and crying babies are simply out of your control, so focus on what you can do to make your flight more comfortable. As a frequent flier who takes her sleep schedule very seriously, I’ve acquired some tips and tricks that I use on every long-haul flight. Here are my top tips for how to sleep on a plane.

Splurge on first class (or premium economy).

The lie-flat seats in first class provide ample space and privacy for an optimal mid-flight snooze, although you can still have comfort without going over budget. Compromise with a premium economy seat. You’ll get extra legroom, more space to recline, and (depending on the airline) even wider seats – all for less than the price of a business or first-class ticket

Choose a seat in the main cabin wisely.

If you’d rather save money and stick to the main cabin, choose your seat strategically. Some fliers prefer window seats so they have something to lean against while catching some shut-eye, while other fliers prefer seats located further from the galley or restrooms to avoid the commotion of people passing by throughout the flight. Bulkhead seats mean that nobody can recline their seat into your personal space, but they’re sometimes close to the restrooms and galley, which can be distracting.

Consider the flight’s timing.

If you’re planning for a long-haul flight that crosses multiple time zones, you’ll need to keep a few things in mind. Dedicated travelers might try to adjust their sleep schedules days ahead of the flight to better accommodate their destination’s time zone, but you don’t need to upend your daily life to get some shut-eye on your journey. When choosing a flight, consider the times that best fit your typical sleep schedule. For example, if you’re flying to Europe from the U.S. and have options for overnight flights departing at 7 p.m. or 11 p.m., pick the time closest to when you would normally fall asleep.

Fly direct whenever possible.

To maximize your sleep time, choose a direct flight if you can. Two four-hour flights might allow you to sleep for a few hours total, but one eight-hour flight will let you settle in and get cozy for several hours, feeling far more refreshed when you reach your destination. Plus, you won’t have to stress over making any connecting flights when you go direct.

Skip the coffee.

Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages just before the flight, and ask your doctor for advice if you’re thinking about taking any sleeping aids or supplements to help you fall asleep. If certain foods or alcohol make it difficult for you to sleep normally, you’ll want to pass on those before and during your flight, too. And don’t forget to stay hydrated.

Don’t skimp on accessories.

Sure, neck pillows, headphones, and eye masks might take up a little extra room in your carry-on, but you’ll be happy you packed them once the lights go down and you have hours to go before you reach your destination. Invest in a comfortable sleep mask that will block out light and a neck pillow that will support your head. While horseshoe-shaped neck rings are most common, there are tons of innovative options that cater to different needs. And high-quality, noise-canceling headphones will block out loud neighbors and the plane’s white noise.

Dress for the occasion.

We all want to look like glamorous jet-setters upon arriving at our final destination, but this is one time when you might want to put comfort over style. A comfortable travel outfit is a must, and be sure to wear layers for better sleep. Plane temperatures can range from toasty to downright freezing, so wear a cardigan or sweater to stay warm and cozy during your flight.

Buckle up.

The last thing you need interrupting your sleep? Plane protocol. Whether you use the plane’s blanket or bring your own, be sure to fasten your seatbelt over it, so flight attendants know you’re buckled up and won’t have to disturb you in case of turbulence.

Stick to your sleep routine.

When it’s finally time to wind down, stick to your usual sleep routine. This could include meditation, stretching, or avoiding excess blue light from the in-flight entertainment system or your cell phone. Keep your toothbrush easily accessible, and make one last trip to the lavatory to wash your face and get ready.

Don’t cross your legs.

It’s more than natural to get restless on a long flight, but keeping your legs crossed for an extended period of time can keep your blood from flowing properly and will be more uncomfortable in the long run. Extend both legs straight out in front of you and keep a slight bend in your knees. If you’ve got long legs, avoid keeping a large personal item under the seat if it will limit how much space you have.

Relax.

Easier said than done, but you’ll need to relax if you hope to catch some Zs on your next flight. Don’t stress if you can’t fall asleep right away — just sit back and try to get as much rest as you can before you land.