Dubai

Not silly to deplore regime in Dubai. Regarding this family - no problems. Happy to hear of alternative suggestions for them.

Son and DIL has just come back (before Christmas) from his 5th visit to Iceland. Rented a lodge in the middle of nowhere and spent the evenings in a hot tub watching the northern lights, the days were spent scrabbling around in the geology etc.

Ignore all the rather silliness, I think that they must all be suffering from some sort of shortage in the manners department.

Sorry maybee. It was just a knee jerk reaction to pages of discussion

Lucca

nanna8

Take a look at the government in the uk just now. Not exactly warm and fluffy.

I’m left with just one thought here. What privileged (spoilt?) teenagers with all their “been there done that” requiring such searching for a holiday!

They’re not spoilt. They’re amazing hard working kids who are going to do great things when they get older. As are their parents who contribute greatly to society. I can’t quite believe how judgemental some people are being about this. I just wanted to know if anyone had been there and what it was like and am being made to feel like a UKIP voting racist. Thank you to the people that have given me advice but I’m going to ask HQ to remove this thread. Feel pretty upset actually. Had no idea what a horrible family I have spawned.

Grannygravy I said nothing about only visiting countries with excellent human rights. No country is perfect but some countries, for various reasons. overstep the mark so far that anyone of principle must think very hard before visiting. The Gulf states are notorious for the way they oppress women and anyone who is not heterosexual.

In 2018 the ruler of Dubai, kidnapped his daughter to stop her leaving the country. She was the second daughter he had kidnapped and then held as a prisoner, until she bent to his rule. Saudi Arabia, recently enticed a dissident journalist to visit their embassy in Turkey - and then killed him.

It is worth remembering that these states hold their foreign tourists in contempt, and if it was not for the money they bring in, they would be treated the way their migrant workers are treated.

It is laughable to suggest because other countries are less than perfect, we should have no standards or levels of freedom, which we consider a bar below which we would not travel. It is like saying that because one country's police force is slack in pursuing and punishing petty crime it is no better than a country which sponsors murdering its citizens, at home and abroad, if they happen to offend the ruler.

DH worked in a number of countries in the middle east and he is quite unequivocal about the utter contempt the Gulf State rulers, and their subjects have for the European tourists who disport themselves in their counries. There are many other countries in that region that have far better, though not perfect human rights records and do not have the corrosive contempt for European visitors.

I have visited Jordan, and in happier and safer times, Egypt. DH also worked in Sudan, before its recent problems.

nanna8

Take a look at the government in the uk just now. Not exactly warm and fluffy.

Well they don’t execute people for a start! Gay people have equal rights and are not put into prison or executed. Women who commit adultery are not stoned to death. Marriages are not arranged/forced and ‘honour killings’ are not tolerated.
Yes there’s plenty wrong with the UK and plenty wrong with every other western country, but at least human rights are honoured.

Wrong quote. Nanna8 Sorry.

But. What has the moment about the UK got to do with anything ?

nanna8

Take a look at the government in the uk just now. Not exactly warm and fluffy.

I’m left with just one thought here. What privileged (spoilt?) teenagers with all their “been there done that” requiring such searching for a holiday!

nanna8

Take a look at the government in the uk just now. Not exactly warm and fluffy.

Oh no what’s it’s saying I’m here for few more weeks

Take a look at the government in the uk just now. Not exactly warm and fluffy.

I’m here now lived here previously and loved it would always sing it’s praises but not anymore…. Before anything else though it’s very expensive over £10 for g&t 🙈🙈 culture is still here but overshadowed by everything else …… so much traffic ….I’d look at Oman or Qatar

It’s not virtue signalling nor judgemental to say that your daughter and another young woman were leered at in a disgraceful manner in another country! Nor is it virtue signalling to say that some countries have appalling records on human rights. In both cases it’s a fact. But it is judgemental to say that some countries have appalling records on human rights. And I’ll carry on judging countries that execute people, who pay no regard to health and safety with the result that thousands of foreign workers die whilst constructing fancy hotels and fancy shopping centres for westerners to shop in and stay in. Yes, I’ll be very judgmental about countries where human rights are few and women’s rights are nil. People should take off their blinkers and have a good look at these countries and feel guilty about putting money in the pockets of countries with poor records on human rights.
It’s also pretty judgmental to call those who state the facts judgmental!

How people who have never been to a place can virtue signal and judge beats me. I could criticise a lot about the UK ,too.

I’ve been to the airport in Dubai, and it’s as far as I want to go. When we were in Jordan for an overnight stay on our way to visit our son who was working in Sri Lanka at the time, my then 19 year old daughter, and my other son’s 21 year old girlfriend were leered at as we did a city tour of Amman as we waited for our connection. Both the girls were blonde and obviously not covered, but not in provocative clothing. The consequence of this is that I really would not wish to visit any of these very conservative states. Their appalling record on human rights is an off put too.
I’ve visited Turkey and love Istanbul but I wouldn’t go there without my husband. I also did a Nile cruise but wouldn’t revisit Egypt for similar reasons. We also briefly visited Morocco whilst on a cruise and found being part of a large group offered protection, except from begging children.

They’ve done Iceland. Found it amazing. Said it was impossible to top it.

MOnica of course I’m aware of how many Islamic countries there are and I’ve been fortunate to visit some of them. This thread however is about Dubai. I’m not an apologist for any human rights infringements. On the contrary I have made it clear that I’m fully aware of them and could never condone them. I made the point, which others have also made, that that there is poverty, deprivation, abuse and more in so many places we might choose to visit. Visiting a country does not mean that we condone these things or that we’re unaware of them.

Iceland is fantastic for family. Children love it.

Close, easy trip.

We were driven in an off-rode vehicle, the tires could be inflated/deflated to cross big bodies of water. Fascinating.

We crossed back and across tectonic plates, walked a glacier, swam in hot water pools, saw geysers and tiny horses.

I love how people who have never been to Dubai are criticising it

I'm not going to advise one way or another as I've never actually been out of the airport.. However, we did spend some time in the airport (it was a shopping mall 😀) and, from the windows it looked very flat.
That might suit me at the moment.

I love how people who have never been to Dubai are criticising it,very Gransnet.

I have been and loved it,plenty to see and do,I didn’t find it “soulless “at all.

I don’t drink alcohol,so it was a real treat to sit at a bar on the beach at 1am and drink amazing mock tails.I felt very safe,no drunks about,the only place I have ever been like that.

Don’t ask for advice on here,it’s not the best place for it.

Well, I mis-sent a PM. Sorry.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Casdon

Aveline

Dubai is an artificial, artificially constructed confection of expensive hotels and not much more. All that matters there is money. If that's fine by you then by all means go. If others think the worse of you then so be it.

Have you been Aveline?
www.visitdubai.com/en/articles/discover-dubais-old-town

Yep, there is more to Dubai than Malls

Aveline

Dubai is an artificial, artificially constructed confection of expensive hotels and not much more. All that matters there is money. If that's fine by you then by all means go. If others think the worse of you then so be it.

Have you been Aveline?
www.visitdubai.com/en/articles/discover-dubais-old-town

Aveline

Dubai is an artificial, artificially constructed confection of expensive hotels and not much more. All that matters there is money. If that's fine by you then by all means go. If others think the worse of you then so be it.

Have a look at other resorts, the majority are artificial.

The tourist industry caters to what the punters want.

We have travelled seen and experienced history, we have also enjoyed luxury resorts.

We really like the Maldives, it’s a juxtaposition of the country needing tourism and tourism destroying the natural environment.

Spain is neither example of using cheap labour (particularly from North Africa) for building and agriculture.

GrannyGravy13

M0nica if we limited our travels to places with excellent human rights, equality, safety and humanitarian issues we would never leave our homes.

Look at Florida and California the home of Disney and a favourite holiday destination to many from round the world. Two streets back from Hollywood Boulevard and see tent city.
Florida away from the tourist route abject poverty and trailer parks.

Egypt and Turkey cheap sun, appalling human rights, free speech etc.

Paris, the outskirts are not conducive to tourism (neither is London)

I could go on …

Indeed.

I have difficulty leaving the safety of our home and grounds as it stands. Out of interest - where is Nirvana?