route b 1 – bur Dubai
Station (Map p210) to al-Sab-
kha Station (Map p206)
route b 2 – Dubai old Souq
Station (Map p210) to baniyas
Station (Map p206)
route b 3 – al-Seef Station
(Map p206) to al-Sabkha via
baniyas
route b 4 – bur Dubai Station
to Creek park Water bus Station
(Map p214) via al-Seef StationA fifth route, the tourist-
geared B5, travels between
shindagha station (Map
p210) near Heritage village
and Creek Park Water Bus
Station every 30 minutes,
stopping at Bur Dubai Sta-
tion, Deira Old Souq Station
and Al-Seef Station� All-day
tickets cost Dh50 (Dh25
for children over six years)�
The entire journey lasts 45
minutes but you’re free to
get on and off throughout the
ticket’s validity (9am to mid-night)� You can also pay your
fare using a prepaid Nol Card�Tours
The following reputable
companies are all well es-
tablished and licensed by
the Department of Tourism
& Commerce Marketing
(DTCM)� They offer a wide
choice of tours, ranging from
city excursions of Dubai,
Al-Ain and Sharjah to moreactive trips, such as trekking
in the Hajar Mountains or
overnight safaris� Check the
websites for more details
and prices� Note that some
tours only depart with a mini-
mum number of passengers�
If you have a choice, Arabian
Adventures has a particularly
good reputation and repeat-
edly receives positive feed-
back from tourists�
alpha Tours (%04-294-
9888; http://www.alphatoursdubai
.com)
arabian adventures
(%04-303 4888; http://www.arabian
-adventures.com)
desert rangers (%04-357
2233; http://www.desertrangers.com)
hormuz Tourism (%04-
228 0668; http://www.hormuz
tourism.com)
Knight Tours (%04-343
7725; http://www.knighttours.co.ae)
lama Tours (%04-334
4330; http://www.lama.ae)
orient Tours (%04 282
8238; http://www.orienttours.ae)bus Tours
big bus company (%04-
340 7709; http://www.bigbustours
.com; 24hr tickets adult/
child Dh220/100, 48hr tickets
Dh295/130) These ‘hop on, hop
off’ city tours aboard open-
topped double-decker buses are
a good way for Dubai first-timers
to get their bearing. Tickets are
sold online, on the bus or at
hotels. pick up a flyer or check
the web for pick-up points.JusT say no! really�Drinking and driving are never a good idea but in Dubai
you’d be outright crazy to do so� Let’s make it abso-
lutely clear: if you’ve had as much as one sip, you’ve
had too much� Dubai has a zero-tolerance policy on
drink-driving, and if your vehicle is stopped and you’re
found to have been driving under the influence of alco-
hol, you’ll be a guest of Dubai police for up to 30 days�
If you are involved in a traffic accident, it’s a case of
being guilty until proven innocent, which means you
may be held by the police until an investigation deter-
mines whose fault the accident was�nol cardsBefore you can hop aboard a local bus or the metro, you
must purchase a rechargeable Nol Card (nol is Arabic
for fare) from ticket offices in any metro and some bus
stations� There are also ticket vending machines (with
English instructions) in all metro and bus stations, at
some bus stops and other places such as malls and the
airport�
There are four categories of Nol Card: red, silver, gold
and blue (aimed at residents)� If you’re only going to
use public transport a few times, get a Red Card, which
costs Dh2 and may be recharged for up to 10 journeys�
Fares depend on distance and are divided into five
zones� For Red Cards the cost ranges from Dh2� 50 to
Dh6� 50 �
Those travelling more frequently should get a Silver
Card for Dh20 (including Dh14 of credit)� These are
equipped with an ‘e-purse’, meaning that the correct
fare is deducted automatically every time you swipe the
card at the station turnstiles, up to a daily maximum of
Dh14� Fares start at just Dh1� 80 for one zone�
The Gold Card has the same features as the Silver
Card but gives you access to the Gold Class carriage
and is roughly double the price�
Day passes for unlimited travel in all zones are Dh14
(not available for Gold Class)� Children under five years
of age travel free�
For full details, see www�nol�ae�Trans
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