Jaunted

Tourists

Dubai Tourist Arrested For Wearing Nude Posh Spice Tee

June 29, 2009 at 9:32 AM | 1 Comment

He's literally a fashion victim! Haha but really, it's official: we can't ever go to Dubai because we fear that the second we touch down, we'll be arrested. That was pretty much the case this last week for a Lebanese tourist in the Emirate, who made the mistake of wearing one of Marc Jacobs' celebrity nude T-shirts, and was promptly hauled in and sentenced to one month in jail for sporting the offending garment.

His T-shirt, part of a series ironically benefitting NYU's melanoma research—the perfect thing to wear to a beach resort, natch—featured Victoria Beckham almost nude, with text covering her rude bits. The man was originally confronted by a local at a bakery, and when he returned after changing clothes, the police were waiting.

Considering that we totally own one of the shirts from the same series, although ours sports a naked man (Marc humself), we should probably steer clear of using it as a beach cover-up outside of the Burj Al-Arab. But considering how money and label-focused Dubai, you think maybe we could get out of any trouble by explaining that Marc Jacobs is the designer for Louis Vuitton? Yea, we didn't think so either. Keep it clean out there folks; only plain American Apparel T-shirts allowed and leave the racy ads at home.

Related Stories:
· Man Jailed In Dubai For Wearing Marc Jacobs T-Shirt [StyleList]
· In Dubai, Sex On The Beach Could Lead To Prison [Jaunted]
· Dubai Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: elvis_payne; T-shirt photo: ebay]

Celeb Travel

Do Some (Legal) Skiing With Paris Hilton In Dubai

June 25, 2009 at 9:43 AM | 1 Comment

Paris Hilton is back to work on her BFF show in Dubai after taking a break to dump her boyfriend and dance on tables. She’s already raised controversy after reports surfaced that she had gotten in a rift with local authorities for wearing a bikini, but Paris was quick to take to Twitter saying, “One of my friends just called me from back home and asked if I got in trouble for wearing a bikini at the beach here and once again – FALSE”.

Even though she hasn’t gotten arrested yet, she has been keeping herself busy while filming abroad. So far she's met a huge guy, rode a “cute” camel, gone skiing, and tonight she’s hosting a party at Club Neo.

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FlyDubai

FlyDubai Takes Off, Wants to Reach Out to Africa and Eastern Europe Next

June 3, 2009 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments

While we're not really so sure that fading Dubai needs another airline flying in, LCC FlyDubai has gone ahead and launched itself anyway. A few months back the new government-owned airline was promising a June 1 start, and they've surprisingly delivered right on time with flights to Beirut and Amman.

Special offers on the FlyDubai website at the moment include Dubai to Alexandria flights for 350 AED ($95) and Dubai to Damascus for a bit less than that even. And while the website is pleasant enough, we're not sure about the company slogan we found there: "How will you flydubai?" Yes, how will we? Isn't the answer to that an anticlimactic "on flydubai?"

FlyDubai is just two planes-strong at the moment, but they've got grand plans. With 52 more planes on order, it'll be interesting to see which additional destinations they pick up along the way—assuming they actually create a market for themselves. They're talking about "India and beyond", which apparently includes eastern Europe and northern Africa, and boy, what we'd give to see these materialize. Our next trip around Eastern Europe could include a weekend in Dubai; what a nice dream.

Related Stories:
· FlyDubai [Official Site]
· Dubai's First Low Cost Carrier Lands in Amman [Zawya]
· FlyDubai Is Finally Ready To Go Starting June 1 [Jaunted]

[Photo: Drewski2112]

Middle East Travel

Emirates' Air Pass Gets Us Thinking About Arabian Nights

May 19, 2009 at 8:46 AM | 0 Comments

There's something enticing about the Arabian Air Pass that Emirates has just launched. We've always considered Dubai little more than a convenient hub for long-haul flights, but the exotic-sounding Arabian Air Pass is giving us some new ideas.

Obviously not pleased with Dubai's stepping-stone status, Emirates wants everyone to vacation in the Middle East and not continue on to Europe or Asia. The air pass deal means you can get cheap flights from Dubai to a dozen different cities in the region, including Cairo, Doha, Muscat and Damascus. Some flights are just $50 one-way (Doha or Muscat, for example) and longer flights are $150 each way (think Cairo or Damascus).

There are few strings attached, of course: you have to return to Dubai after your Middle Eastern jaunt and you can only get your air pass fares this cheap if you've paid more than $500 for a return ticket to Dubai from wherever you're starting. You need to buy all your tickets at once and there's a limit of six one-ways per person.

Related Stories:
· Arabian Air Pass [Official Site]
· Emirates Offers Low-Cost Air Pass [NY Times]
· Emirates Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: cgsheldon]

Fashion Travel

Dubai Doesn't Skimp on the Opulence with Cavalli Club

May 12, 2009 at 11:51 AM | 0 Comments

If it were up to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, the economy would bounce back this week in order for the world to embrace his love affair with animal prints, gold, and opulent environments through the opening of his new club in Dubai.

Alas, we awoke this morning to another day of the recession despite his attempts to re-invigorate the economy with pricey alcohol and a return to partying for partying's sake. Following the success of his first Florence club, Cavalli opened his second shindig space attached to The Fairmont Hotel at a cost of $30 million. Here's what you'll find behind its gilded gates:

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FlyDubai

FlyDubai Is Finally Ready To Go Starting June 1

April 8, 2009 at 9:26 AM | 4 Comments

Even though things are no longer on the up and up in Dubai, officials are finally moving forward with the low cost carrier FlyDubai. Apparently, they feel there’s still a little bit of interest in visiting the Middle Eastern hot spot. After what seems like forever, the airline is set to debut its brand new Boeing 737-800s starting this June from Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport. Just remember to keep your hands to yourself during the boarding process.

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Know the Law

Dubai Is Not For Lovers or Hand-Holders

March 18, 2009 at 10:56 AM | 2 Comments

Choose your wardrobe carefully when packing for your next vacation in Dubai: things are getting a bit stricter.

We've accepted now that sex on the beach obviously offends local sensibilities and plan to refrain, but the stricter rules just announced for places like Dubai's mega shopping malls might not be so easy to follow. For a start, all fashion statements have to go out the window, and:

pants and skirts are to be of an appropriate length and clothing cannot be tight or transparent.

Kind of ironic for a shopping mall. On top of that, there is to be no kissing between men and women, and unless you're married, no holding hands either. Inappropriate behavior could lead to a prison sentences, authorities say. Having your vacation short just for holding hands with your boyfriend would make for a pretty sad travel story.

Related Stories:
· Dubai Bans Nudity, Dancing and Holding Hands [The Age]
· In Dubai, Sex on the Beach Could Lead to Prison [Jaunted]

[Photo: Sklathill]

Pollution

Dubai Beaches Improve 'One Million Percent'; Still Have a Ways To Go

February 26, 2009 at 9:56 AM | 0 Comments

We've already sworn never to swim at a beach in Dubai as long as we live (mostly because we figure if we swim through all that sewage, we might not live much longer). But we still applaud the efforts of the UAE's Wildlife Society to try to clean up the beaches.

Their strategy involves encouraging beaches near Dubai and Abu Dhabi to apply for Blue Flag status. Beaches that get awarded an official Blue Flag are certified to meet pretty strict environmental and safety conditions, and that definitely means no sewage.

If your vacation in Dubai is too soon to wait for Blue Flag status, then take heart from the words of local sailing club head Keith Mutch:

Although the water is one million percent better than it was one month ago, I estimate that this beach will take five to seven years to recover to how it was a year ago.

A million percent better? That's gotta be swimmable.

Related Stories:
· Whiff of Change for Stinking Dubai Beaches [The Age]
· Why We're Never Swimming At A Dubai Beach Again [Jaunted]
· Dubai Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: Martin O'Connell]

Recessionomics

Even Dubai Residents Don't Want To Be There Any More

February 12, 2009 at 4:36 PM | 0 Comments

Perhaps the global economic crisis was always going to hit Dubai harder than most cities: Its explosive growth and splashy, celebrity-studded new projects may have earned it a spot in the dictionary illustrating the word "hubris." But the exodus of foreigners who rushed to the emirate for plush jobs raises some unsettling questions about its future.

The New York Times reported today that former engineers, advertising executives and financiers are ditching their cars and their apartments as their work visas expire. The real estate and tourism industries are in such a crater that these people are willing to risk debtors' prison in order to get out. And with no bailout forthcoming from the other members of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai officials seem to have trouble even admitting that there is a crisis.

Will Dubai be able to bounce back despite its loads of debt and ailing industries? Or will it stand deserted in the desert, devolving into that city from "Wall*E"? Truth is, we may have knocked its ever more extravagant offerings, but we kind of always wanted to see what the fuss was about. Guess we should take a trip before it's too late.

Related Stories:
· Laid-Off Foreigners Flee as Dubai Spirals Down [New York Times]
· Three Weeks Ago: Bad Economy Gives Dubai A Good Kick in the Shins [Jaunted]
· Dubai Secretly Turned On By The Idea Of More Beach Liasons [Jaunted]
· Dubai Building Islands, Buying Up Celebrity Souls [Jaunted]

[Photo: ~Aphrodite]

Dubai Travel

Bad Economy Gives Dubai a Good Kick in the Shins

January 22, 2009 at 11:08 AM | 0 Comments

The blue skies of Dubai's tourism boom have darkened with the faltering economy, and now the proud Emirate is having to descend its high horse in order to keep visitor numbers and room rates up. Although we cannot expect Dubai to publicize any statistics regarding the drop, rest assured that the hotel specials and package deals are on the way as tremors of the worldwide economic crisis create cracks in Dubai's gilded foundation.

Since nearly 4/5 of Dubai's population are expats and the source of the Emirate's wealth has shifted from oil to tourism, every Dubai Dirham spent in the world's largest shopping mall or the on the world's tallest building makes a difference for the country's future as a global hotspot. No time is more crucial than right now, as Dubai hosts its annual shopping festival from January 15 to February 15, where over 6,000 retailers pull out all the stops to grab both the interest and cash of those who can still afford to freely spend on luxury items.

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Bars

Neos Serves Highest Drinks In Dubai (For Now)

January 7, 2009 at 9:05 AM | 0 Comments

If you're looking for a drink in Dubai--and by all accounts of how high the temperatures there climb, you probably should be--there's a new place to go that prides itself on really being, well, up there.

Neos is a sky-high lounge that's just opened up in a new hotel called The Address. Located on the 63rd floor, Neos is certainly one of the highest bars around, and for now it's apparently the highest one in Dubai--but we know how fast that can change.

While sipping your drink in Neos you can stare out at the monstrously-tall Burj Dubai through floor-to-ceiling windows, though with fancy crystal chandeliers, shiny black granite and optic light curtain features your attention might stray to the interior design instead. It seems to fit the Dubai theme of doing everything in excess, and we recommend grabbing a drink there before some other Dubai tower grabs the highest-bar crown.

Related Stories:
· Neos [Official Site]
· The Address Unveils Sky High Lounge [HD Magazine]
· Dubai Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Stephan Geyer]

Sex on the Beach

Dubai Secretly Turned On By The Idea Of More Beach Liaisons

December 23, 2008 at 2:00 PM | 3 Comments

What other explanation could there be? After an appeals court let lusty beach couple Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors off with a fine instead of jail time, Acors was detained trying to board his flight at Dubai International Monday night on what his lawyer says are unknown charges. It's actually the second time he's been unable to get out of the Emirate that supposedly doesn't want him there, after a procedural snag held him up Friday.

Back in July, Acors and his one-time fling Palmer met at a boozy brunch and ran afoul of the strict rules on PDA in Dubai. Though they say they didn't actually have sex, they did cop to being drunk, also a crime. They could've faced 90 days in prison but were fined instead and ordered deported.

But try as he may, Acors can't get back to London, this time because allegedly his flight confirmation was "not in order," his lawyer told the Times. Maybe the authorities are hoping to set him up on one last date?

Related Stories:
· Sex on the Beach Briton Back in Jail [UK Times]
· Lusty British Couple Freed By Dubai Court of Appeals [Jaunted]
· In Dubai, Sex on the Beach Could Lead to Prison [Jaunted]