Dubai Dolphinarium

Dubai Dolphinarium at Creek Park is one of the main attractions in Dubai. "Live Dolphin and Seal Show" is a 45min performance where bottlenose dolphins jump, play, sing, paint, juggle and dance. The funny gesture of seal with their performance brings smile to the audience.

You can have your photograph clicked with dolphin or seal. The price vary depanding on the pose and the mammal. Also you can have a swim with these friendly aquatic mammals, where you can have 20 mins of swim with dolphins and even get a dolphin ride.

The gift shop has a variety of fun and educational toys related to sea and ocean. Personalised T-shirts, Ball caps, towels are few which you can grab from here.

You can book your tickets online at http://www.dubaidolphinarium.ae/index.aspx 

PS: The show photographs were clicked from my handycam with zoom.

Happy Republic Day

India celebrates 65th Republic day today. Here is the pic of iconic structure, Gate Way of India, lite for Republic Day Celebration. The lighting started this year, will be extended to important days like Independence Day and Diwali every year.

This years celebration started off with the laser show on 24th January, followed  by grand parade(which for the first time will be along Marine drive) and conclude with fire works at Marine drive.

Happy Republic Day

Upvan Arts Festival, 2014

Organized by Upvan Arts Foundation, Upvan Arts Festival brought together art lovers from across Mumbai and Thane. The 3 day festival from 10th to 12th January 2014, had performing arts, visual arts, culinary arts, arts exhibition cum sale, workshops, concerts, communty carnival and much more.

The stalls and performance stages were spread around the beautifully lite Upvan Lake, at the foot hill of Yeoor Hills(Sanjay Gandhi National Park), Thane. Though I couldn't make it to any of their events, got to click few shots of the lighting. 

Hoping to be part of their events and workshops next year.

Vegetarian Food in Dubai

With long working hours in Dubai and me being a amateur cook then, we always preferred staying in Bur Dubai, just for the Vegetarian Restaurants it has in the vicinity. Me being hardcore veg, I prefer restaurants which serve just Veg food. Bur Dubai is mini India with lot of veg restaurants. Meena Bazaar and Al Karama have few best Indian Vegetarian joints.

Kamat, Bur Dubai

Saravana Bhavan, Kamat, Sangeetha and Vasantham serve you the South Indian Vegetarian(along with other Indian) food. Business meal at Vasantham is something which most of the south Indian bachelors rely on. A budget meal at a very nominal price, without compromising the quality. And Bhavana and Sadhana are for North India bachelors. 

South Indian Thali at Kamat, Bur Dubai

Puranmal, Shiv Sagar, Sukh Sagar, Veg World and Venus(Karama) are few other restaurants, where you can look for Indian veg food.

While Karani Vegetarian Restuarant in Al Fahidi street serves the tastiest A la carte north Indian and Rajasthani cuisines, Rajdhani serves excellant traditional Thali.

Haji Ali juice centre(Karama), Puranmal's chat center and Bikanerwala(Karama) offer mouth watering chats.

But all restaurants strictly adhere to their timings and are closed in the afternoon from 3PM to 5/6PM.

So if you are planning a trip to Dubai, worry not about the vegetarian food, and just enjoy your trip.

Dubai Travel Guide

Going on with the posts on Dubai Shopping Festival, here is a list of places you shouldn't miss when you are in Dubai.
Go for a heritage walk through the creek side at Bur Dubai, with a visit to Heritage building, Dubai Museum and Bastakiah. Book a dhow cruise which offers you cruising in traditional dhow through the glamorous Dubai lights along the creek, enjoying their arabic cuisines.      

Dubai Museum

Bastakiah Quarter

Reach "At the top" of Burj Khalifa, the tallest man-made structure in the World 

Burj Khalifa Building

A walk on Jumeirah beach, with a magnificant view of Burj Al Arab and offcourse a meal, if you have a higher budget,

Burj Al Arab Building

And a visit to the luxurious Arabian Resort Madinat Jumeirah, just next to Jumeirah beach

Madinat Jumeirah

And Atlantis Resort and Hotel, on the crescent of Palm Jumeirah, which offers dining, shopping, nightclub, pool, beach along with Marine and Water Park.

Atlantis

Lush green oasis in the desert, Zabeel Park, Dubai Miracle Garden and Creek Park. Book Dolphin show at Creek Park.

Creek Park

Have some adventurous and fun time at Desert Safari and Ski Dubai 

Desert Safari

Ski Dubai

"Vegetarian Food in Dubai", in following post. Meanwhile plan your trip soon to Dubai for Shopping Festival, if you haven't yet.

Zoutons, A Deal Site - A Review

Seems like 2014 is bringing more and more shopping on to my blog. I am going on with my posts on Dubai Shopping Festival and here come up with a review of an online coupon platform. Now you can book your tickets to Dubai for shopping festival or shop from any of your online stores with catogarized coupons at Zoutons.com

Online catalog stores often release Coupons, discount codes, bargain opportunities, promo codes, closing sale offers which can be helpful in deducing costs of merchandises. Zoutons.com, provides information on discount coupons, closing sales, promo codes etc from over 600 stores, 1000 brands and 25 banks, forming a relation with shopaholics. Browse for the coupons and avail discounts based on coupon code or by activating a code,

To activate a code,

Go to the normal checkout page for the merchant site.

No Coupon Code Required.

Just click on the View deal button & you'll reach the deals page.

Checkout normally

For coupons with coupon code,

Go to the normal checkout page for the merchant site.

Look for Discount/Coupon/voucher code box in payment options page.

Press ctrl+V to paste the code.

Checkout normally

Once you have availed the coupon just vote for the coupon code, which helps other buyers on the success rate of the coupon.

Its just not the coupons from consumer brands, Zoutons offers with, but also popular banks selected based on consumer perception and market share. Banks regularly release card offers and shopping vouchers to their customers, Zoutons provide exclusive bank coupon codes providing information of stores and brands running with that bank's discounts and deals. Here is an example, a coupon of Myntra.com running with Standard Chartered card,

You can also submit a new coupon on to their site, if you come across any. The information on the discount coupons can be submitted on a form placed at the right side of the portal.  The submitted coupon will be displayed after couple of hours after going through a screening process to ensure its validity.

Get connected with them on social media and subscribe to them to get the updates on new offers. Happy Shopping!!!

Dubai Shopping Festival 2014 and Shopping Guide

PS: Dubai Shopping Festival 2018 26th Dec 2017 to 28th Jan 2018

Its January and the most awaited time of the year in Dubai, yes, the Dubai Shopping Festival 2014. A month long event started on 2nd January 2014 and will last till 2nd Feb. Dubai so called shopper's paradise turns very much real during this season, every outlet offering you with DSF offers. If you are a shopaholic, a visit to Dubai during this season is a must.

Photo credit Dubai Shopping Festival Webpage

As part of DSF, are other events like Film Festival, fireworks, International Fashion Show, Street play, and most of all the Global Village, which offers you with shopping, food and entertainment from around the World.

Global Village - Part 1

Global Village - Part 2 

Here is a list of what and where to shop in Dubai. Shopping Malls in Dubai offer discounts on wide range of merchandise during shopping festival. Here are few selected picks from other retailers in Dubai.

Dubai Gold Souk: Since years I have been hearing about gold from Gulf as my dad was in Saudi Arabia, few years back. Your trip to Dubai would be incomplete without a visit to Dubai Gold Souk. Located in the heart of the business district of Dubai, Deira, gold souk consists of more than 300 retailers. Pick few gold jewellery or gold coins from any of the stores.

Photo credit Wikipedia

Dubai Spice Souk: Just adjacent to Gold Souk is Spice Souk. This traditional market has narrow lanes with shops selling a variety of fragrances, spices and herbs used in Arabic and South Asian food. Spices can also be picked as souvenirs from Dubai.

Photo Credit Wikipedia

Dubai Textile Souk: Textile Souk in Bur Dubai, is the place to buy the colourful silk and fabric Middle East is known for the rest of the World. Along with fabric, you can also find beaded footwear and belly dance costume here at the souk. Meena Bazaar and Al Karama are the places to pick ready made Indian garments.

Electronics, Camcoders and Watches: Electronics and Camcoders are available at quite good discounts during Dubai Shopping Festival. Electronic stores like Sharaf DG and Jumbo Electronics, and  stores at Meena Bazar are preferred places of shopping. Branded watches can be bought from shopping malls or retail outlets at Meena Bazaar.
Perfume: Dubai is known for the best perfume stores. While you get the branded perfumes at most of the Malls in Dubai, the traditional Arabic Perfume(Attar), can be bought from Perfume Souk in Deira or small retailers in Meena Bazaar.

Perfume stall at Festival City

Souvenirs: The best part of any travel is shopping souvenirs. Souvenirs can be bought from souvenir shops near Dubai Museum and Textile Souk. Madinat Jumeirah and IBN Battuta are also choice for souvenir shopping. Miniature models and key chains of Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa, wooden camel, coloured glass lanterns, Hookah or shisha pipe are few from the souvenir list. You can also shop chocolates, spices and dry fruits as gifts from stores near Bur Dubai Creek.

Hookah Store in Madinat Jumeirah

List of Shopping Malls in Dubai,

Dubai Mall

Mall of the Emirates

Deira City Center

Burjuman

Lamcy Plaza

Mercato Mall

IBN Battuta

Dragon Mart

Mirdif City Center

Madinat Jumeirah

Wafi City

More on "Dubai Travel Guide" in following post.

Updated on 19th November, 2014
Dubai Shopping Festival is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, and there are lot of events lined up for this DSF, check out the DSF site here.

Image Credit Dubai Calender