Dubai Global Village is one of the known tourist spots in Dubai during the winter. This year is the 22nd season of the said event where two new pavilions were added and more cultural entertainment are showcased. It opened last November 1, 2017, and will be closing on April 7, 2018.

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It's our first time to go to Dubai Global Village by bus because we used to go there by car or taxi. Join us as we try the cheapest way to get there.

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GETTING THERE:


_{Noll Card}

We recharged an amount of $13.50 to our Nol Cards. Nol cards are used as ticket pass for RTA buses and metro transportation in Dubai. You can get these at Metro stations for $6.80 which has $5.17 balance already upon purchase. From Union Metro Station, we headed over to the UAE Exchange platform to go to Mall of Emirates Metro Station; it’s the 11th station from Union metro and it cost us $1.35 each. From the mall, there is a route 106 bus going directly to Global Village and it costs $2.7 per way. The normal travel time is 30 minutes from the pick-up point.

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_{GLOBAL VILLAGE MAP}

It’s a good idea to check the map of the village first and plan your destinations to save time and to know where the restaurants are located. It’s also fine since there are many staff stationed at almost every corner of the area that you can ask for directions and recommendations.

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In planning your trip to Global Village, don’t forget to consider what to wear and to check the weather forecast. As a respect to the middle eastern culture, don’t wear too revealing outfits; and if you’re not used to cold weather, wear thick clothes and bring a jacket with you, especially when you’re planning to go there at night time. It might be the reason why you will not enjoy your time there because you’re already shivering the whole night.

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LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN:

From the drop-off point of the bus, you will be welcomed with many people falling in line to buy their tickets, but it won’t take you long since there are many counters open to serve the flock of tourists every day. The ticket per person costs $4.05.

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You will be welcomed by these different world attractions. I can’t help myself from smiling the whole time. These tourist destinations are part of my bucket list and even though they're just replicas after the real deal, it felt like I already went there. I didn’t leave the place without enough pictures: from the statue of liberty to the London bus and the well-known London telephone booth.

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KUWAIT PAVILION

Our first stop is Kuwait’s Pavilion. It exhibits its traditional artifacts, perfumes, and stylish clothing. You can’t just miss it because the scent of oil perfumes and incense are very enticing and it really filled up the place. With all the people wearing Kuwait's local attire and the language they’re using adds to the aura that made you feel like you already in Kuwait.

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SOUTH ASIA PAVILION

The South Asia pavilion consists of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal along with their own cultures, culinary art and products. It’s like you’re transported from Dubai to different countries in just a click. The nationality of the staff working inside depends on which country they’re from, and it definitely adds to the flavor of the environment.

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IRAN PAVILION

We were both in awe as we visited the Iran Pavilion; with the detailed structure of the entrance of the pavilion to the intricate carvings of the walls. Tall Iranian statues will welcome you with different ways for you to learn their cultures. They exhibited different kinds of Persian carpets, jars, ceramics, and other Iranian products.

We were lucky that night because when we visited the place, they performed their traditional dance. It was so entertaining that I almost danced with them as they start to tap their feet and sway and move their bodies to the beat; that’s how festive the area was. Plenty of people gather around with smiles in their faces and swaying, tapping their feet and the others danced as they passed by the crowd.

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KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Pavilion design is so bright that it shouts richness of its culture. In this pavilion, it exhibits its different known resources and one of the famous places to visit is the honey stall where they sell more than 15 types of honey. Dates and abayas are also displayed.

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INDIAN PAVILION

Indian Pavilion can be spotted with its striking red and gold color combination. This is one of the top places to visit as it exhibits the most authentic Indian products.

As we enter their pavilion, I thought it’s really a real man guarding the area but it wasn’t. it was a fake one. I’m so fascinated that it really looked like a real person. And while we were looking for Indian food, especially Indian fish biryani, we excitedly checked the stall since there were people sitting at the tables near it. To our surprise, it’s not real again that made us laugh and at the same time amazed that we were deceived twice.

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THAILAND PAVILION

The Thailand pavilion is a miniature model of bustling Bangkok. Many people came in and out of the place. Just outside the pavilion are benches that you could relax; it’s just like sitting in a park watching the busy people and the glittering skyscrapers and enjoying the streetfoods the place offers. You can experience the feeling of the busy streets of Bangkok where vendors call out for new customers to buy their products.

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FAR EAST PAVILION

The Far East pavilion consists of Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Philippines. Like any other pavilion, you can find a cultural experience zone where you can learn about the culture of the different countries. Inside are different stalls exhibiting the country’s products. They are selling from styled clothes, foods, artifacts and even beauty products that a country is well known for. It’s a remarkable initiative by the Dubai government since not all expats can go home yearly or 2 years in their respective countries, I knew someone who worked here for 10 years already and hasn’t set foot in the Philippines yet since departure. In this place, you can be at home for hours roaming around from one country to another.

With all our k-drama addiction, we got excited as we arrived in the Far East pavilion. We’re looking for our oppa but what welcomed us were one-san and ni-san. Arigatou Gozaimasu for entertaining us even though it was a bit awkward especially when you pointed your sword at our neck.

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We’re so disappointed that we arrived late and it was already dark. Unfortunately, we were stuck in the heavy traffic for how many hours due to the Super Sale of the Mall Of Emirates. The 30 minutes normal travel time reached for almost 2 hours. So if you want to tour the whole global village in 1 day, make sure that you’re already there as the gate opens to the public because mind you, it will be a long walk and time consuming because you'll be taking pictures and checking what each country has to offer. You’re lucky if you’ll get the chance to witness the presentations of each country that they prepared for the public; more of their traditional dances and songs.

_{Karak Tea is a well-known chai shop here in UAE}

Feeding your growling stomach while roaming around is not a problem since there are different food restaurants, cafes in a designated area and other food stalls surrounding the pavilions.

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One of the featured attraction of the village is the Carnaval where everyone can enjoy and have fun. Fun and breathtaking rides and skill games can be found. You’ll know you’re already in the area when you hear loud shouts and screams from people enjoying the rides and scared people inside the horror house. Laughter from children riding the carousel is like a music to the ear and the smiles painted on the faces of people from different nationalities can be seen which can be contagious. For sure will be back there before the season closes to try the rides and maybe we'll be lucky to have the donut and banana stuff toy.

Let this be an inspiration to all of us that it is still possible to live in a peaceful place with different nationalities. Bye for now, and see you on my next travel blog.

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