GYG Tours United Arab Emirates

Dubai Dhow Cruise: For Dinner? No Dhowt!

Dubai Dhow Cruise:
For Dinner? No Dhowt!

Old Town Dubai
Evening falls on Dubai Creek.

You’ve got your flights to Dubai booked. You even reserved a hotel right in Old Dubai, right on the Creek, for those beautiful sunset views you’ve heard so much about. Aside from shopping at one of the teeming malls, though, what do you DO in Dubai?

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Dubai Dhow Dinner Cruise

One thought: take a Dhow Dinner Cruise. I know, I know. It’s super touristy and kind of cheesy and there are ‘belly’ dancers and a spinning guy and a cheesy magician and for some reason the whole thing is Egyptian-themed except with henna, none of which really makes any sense in the cultural context of the UAE.

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‘Traditional’ Spin Dancer.
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Don’t worry, it all passes muster.

(Note: Boat is called ‘Cleopatra’; owner confirmed as Egyptian.)

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Henna-hiko!
Henna in Dubai on an Egypt-themed Dinner Cruise? What is happening here?!

You know what, though? The food was good and I met nice people (including a Nigerian couple I would end up running into three times that week… weird) and, most importantly, I got to cruise for two hours through an attractive skyline in the prettiest section of an interesting city.

Would I have done it if I hadn’t been there to take photographs for somebody else? Probably not. Would I recommend it to friends who were going to Dubai looking for touristy yet fun stuff to fill up their evening hours, though? Absolutely. In fact, I can think of few better places to be in Dubai as the sun goes down than right in the heart of the Creek area.

Creekside Sunset
Dubai Creek at sunset.

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Picture are from working as a photographer with GetYourGuide on their Dhow Dinner Cruise. Food was better than I expected and the ride was nice. If the cost seem worthwhile to you, I’d actually recommend this one.

3 Comments

  1. williamewan01

    The food quality of dhow cruise Dubai is amazing as it gives you the chance to taste different foods and multiple cuisines cooked by world best chefs.

  2. Ahsan Iqbal Butt

    Hi there stephen , i wonder why haven’t you visited Pakistan ? It would be a heavenly tour for you. The beautiful Landscape of Himalaya Mountain Ranges and from deserted sea shore of Gwadar towards the Gilgit-Chitral Area to China Border. Concordia Pass, Vibrant Metro Life of Karachi and energetic life of Lahore full of vibrant colours and various traditional punjabi flavours lurking around. You must visit Pakistan in between October to February. You’ll fall in Love with places like Skardu, Chillas, Kalam Valley, Neelum Valley, Siri Paye, Lalazaar etc.

    It would be an honor for me to be your host and guide.

    Regards,
    Ahsan Iqbal Butt
    +92 3344777430

    • Hi Ahsan,

      I would be delighted to visit Pakistan, it’s actually the only one of the -Stans I’ve never made it to! The problem, of course, is time. I’m considering a trip over the Karakorum from Kashgar next year, though, so keep an eye out here for updates on that!

      Best,

      Stephen

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