Imposition of excise tax from October 2017 to some of the products, had led to the increase of prices of the commodities and lay-offs of employees.

The country imposed 50 percent excise tax on carbonated and energy drinks and 100 percent on tobacco products. 

Even with the imposed tax to the country, UAE is one of the lowest tax rates in the world.

On January 1, 2018, the government of UAE has imposed a 5% VAT on goods and services, from previously 0%. 

For tourists, Tourists still pay VAT at the time of sale. Although limited exemptions may be granted.

UAE boasts its large construction projects, theme parks, natural resources, luxurious items and vehicles, and many more! 

Plenty of tourist attractions that everyone could experience, and what's more is that UAE has also has Grand sale! Every year, the sale is expected to fall on holidays, discounts ranges to 75% to 90% on selected products. Locals and expats are gathering for this limited time. 

Events in Dubai includes the DSF or the Dubai Shopping Festival wows shoppers on its amazing deals on fashion, gold jewellery, perfumes and more, enjoy awe-inspiring entertainment, from fashion shows to fireworks, and get the chance to win some life-changing prizes. 

Grand Sale Calendar:

1. DSF is scheduled December to January each year. During these months, enjoy the winter season on a desert country. More attractions opened for UAE also opened during only on these months like miracle garden, global village, etc.

2. Ramadan Sale. Ramadan would fall on months between May, and August depends on the moon sighting each year. Tourist should respect the Ramadan hours for our Muslim brothers. During this months the climate is still very hot. 

When in Dubai visit the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa located beside the Dubai Mall. Shopping and entertainment at one place. Watch how the tallest building entertain you around 4-7pm with its fountain dance synchronized to a song and light shows. It's a heartwarming experience as it plays.

Local passenger transports, like Bus, taxi and train transportation is exempted from VAT. Airline tickets and VISA charges are also exempted from VAT. 

Enjoy the cheap price for A/C Bus only 2 dirhams local transportation, taxi fare starting from 12 dirhams. Ride on the metro train station to avoid the heavy traffic during rush hours. From Dubai Mall, metro stations is just nearby and from there you could visit other tourists spots as stations are tourist friendly.

Make sure to download the mobile applications for each of the Malls you are going. Available on Android/Apple store.

List of Malls in UAE: 

I would prefer Dubai City if you want to go shopping, so from Dubai here is my top list.

1. Dubai Mall - with over 1,300 stores. Located beside the tallest building, Burj Khalifa,  it showcase the Dubai Fountain, Dubai Aquarium, Kidzania and many more.
2. Emirates Mall - If you want to experience Skiing other than shopping, Go to this mall and try out the Ski Dubai!
3. Dubai Outlet Mall - if you want the cheaper price, as my brother would say you have to visit this mall. Extra added value and discounts card await for tourist good for 1 day.

Personal Advice:

I had my mother travel every winter, from November to January, as this climate is easy for traveling and tourist attractions are likely to open.

She would take a 3 months or 90 days visa that would cost 900 dirhams. 

There are also other visa types and shorter validity that will cost you less. Here are examples that you would see online.

Important notes:

There are dress codes to follow for tourists in all UAE.

1. Clothing should not be transparent, indecently exposing parts of the body or displaying offensive pictures or slogans.

2. Both men and women might feel more comfortable wearing loose-fitting clothes that cover shoulders, arms and legs.

3. Women traveling in the UAE are not expected to cover their heads or wear the traditional Muslim attire.

4. When visiting a mosque, women will be asked to respect the Muslim tradition and wear an abaya and cover their heads. Often, these would be provided at the mosque.

5. Any form of nudity is strictly forbidden; including topless sunbathing. Swimwear should not be worn in any other area outside the beach, water parks or swimming pools.

Filling your Pocket

There are a lot of money exchange on the country. Better bring in dollars with you and your credit card. Exchange some of your money into dirham before travelling to UAE so you will save time on going to money exchange. 

Take your money to buy the items you love not to to fines. 

Never show offensive gestures to anyone.
This includes public display of affection. And using your foot to point on something.

Follow traffic rules and pedestrian crossing.
400 dirhams for jay walking

Do not litter.
Fines of 1000dh to 100,000 dirhams fine. 500 dirham for cigaretter ends.

Do not smoke on non-smoking area.
1000 dirhams fine.

Download mobile applications for better travel experience.
1. DARB - For Abu Dhabi Bus transportation
2. Abu Dhabi Taxi - 600 595959
3. Dubai Mall
4. Mall of the Emirates
5. Dubai Taxi
6. Offline UAE Map

What to Buy as Souvenirs:

Dates is a fruit that has been integral part of the country's heritage and culture. Almost of the trees you will see in UAE are palm dates. 

Do not forget you passports stamped and feel accomplished with the travel.

Getting around Al Ain, the fourth largest city in United Arab Emirates, is not something to worry about as there are plenty of available mode of transport to choose from.

1. Private car/ car rental

The best and cheapest way to go around the city, of course, is by car. Especially if you have a driver’s license or a UAE accepted international license, renting a car is your best bet in navigating through the city perimeter. Not only will you save cost, you will also get the convenience of touring the city at your own pace and your own selection of places. If you don't have license, some car rental companies can arrange a driver for you. Prices starts at around $20 per day (excluding driver and fuel) depending on the car model and manufacturer. There are a lot of car rental shops in Al Ain, so don’t worry about not finding a rental service near you. A simple Google search will yield plenty of results. 

2. Taxi

There's an abundance of taxis in Al Ain available 24/7. If you can’t find a taxi nearby, you can book through the hotline 600-535353 or online using the Abu Dhabi Taxi app. Flagdown rate is about $1 and cost about half a dollar per kilometer. The minimum fare, though, is Dhs 12 (~$3.50) regardless of the distance traveled. Choose taxi if you have fewer destinations or places to visit. 

3. Bus

Taking a bus is an inexpensive way to get to certain destinations. Fare is Dhs 2 or Dhs 3 depending on the route but routes are limited and there is a 20-30 minutes interval. It’s not recommended to take a bus especially during summer, unless your destination is along the route and there’s a bus stop nearby. Otherwise you may need to walk a considerable distance, which is not a good idea to do during summer. But if you really need to take the bus, download Department of Transport’s Darb App. It will show you the locations of bus stops and more importantly the departure times of buses passing through that bus stop in real time. And if you plan to frequently use the bus, you might as well get a Hafilat card for convenient payment.  

Things to remember:

• Yield to pedestrians and respect right of way. Cross at designated pedestrian lanes. Familiarize and follow traffic rules and regulations as fines could be steep on some offences.
• Ladies are advised to ride in the back seat of the taxi, or in a public bus, on designated ladies seats which are located on the front rows. 

Hope this article helped you. Welcome to Al Ain and hoping you have a wonderful time!

Every year our group of Chemical Engineers and technicians are planning where to meet each other after separated from different jobs and companies. In 2016, after 2 years from passing the Board exams, we decided to seek an adventure. Adventure which involves hiking yet refreshing. The second location of our group reunion was in the Masungi Georeserve, Baras, Rizal, Philippines. 

In my recent trip to Kerala in India, this refreshing sweet drink has caught my attention. Concocted in the streets of Kochi, India's sugar cane juice is both healthy and delicious. Definitely, a must-try! Watch the video below!

What to do before traveling in a foreign country ?

1. Make your passport ready. Make sure your passport has at least 6 months validity prior travel.

2. Convert cash to US dollars. Converting your cash from your local currency to USD gives you a lot of advantages. You will not only find it easy to search for currency exchangers, you can also save money from the competitive exchange rates a USD can give.

3. Bring Visa/MasterCard credit or debit cards. If you want to minimize the cash you are carrying, you can bring internationally-recognized credit cards. Most shops at the airport accepts cards and it's helpful when you haven't converted yet your cash or could not just find a currency exchanger nearby. Even if you intend of not using them, credit cards can be a life-saver when traveling.

4. Download offline maps of the country you are traveling in Google maps or similar apps to save data.

5. Have your visa ready if coming from countries where visa is required.

6. Make your sim roaming-ready (as Google maps at times will not work properly without mobile data in certain locations even if you are connected to WiFi). That roaming sim need not have credit to use for google maps as long as you have previously downloaded the offline map of that area.


What to do after arriving at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport?

1. Go to the immigration area. Passport will be scanned, photo taken and fingerprint for both index fingers. Show your visa, if visa is required for your country of origin.

2. Claim your checked in baggage in the assigned.

3. Proceed to customs area for x-ray scan of baggage.

4. Convert your currency to Malaysian Ringgit.

5. Buy a sim and prepaid credit if you need to use data or call someone. If you are not in roaming. Download offline google maps.


How do I go from KLIA to Kuala Lumpur city proper?

There are three ways:

1. Taxi - 80 Malaysian Ringgit to KL Sentral. Good for groups or if your hotel and accommodation is far from KL Sentral or if you have many baggages that doing public transport is difficult. Go to Level 1 of KLIA. Follow the signs leading to Level 1 or ask the security guards in the vicinity. When you reach Level 1, go to the metered taxi counter. Tell which area you are going and pay for the amount. Take your receipt and go to the taxi area, pick a taxi and give your receipt to the taxi driver.

2. Bus - 12 Malaysian Ringgit to KL Sentral. (1 hour travel time). If you dont want to spend money on taxi but want to take a single ride to KL Sentral. Go to Level 1 of KLIA. Follow the signs leading to Level 1 or ask the security guards in the vicinity. When you reach Level 1, go to the bus ticketing counter. Tell which area you are going and pay for the amount. Your receipt will indicate which bus you are traveling with, the time of departure and the waiting area. Wait in the waiting area until your bus comes and give your receipt to the driver.

3. Train. The fastest way to KL Sentral but you need to take double rides.


Where should I stay in Kuala Lumpur?

Stay near KL Sentral area if you want to explore the city while being conveniently near to public transports. Which hotel/accomodation you want to stay depends entirely on how much money you are willing to spend. Use various booking sites to check for prices and compare amenities these hotels offer.
Air BNB
Booking.com
TripAdvisor