witsandnuts

It is ‘Dubai Miracle Garden weather’ once again. This means that we are enjoying winter at the moment, with caveat on what a UAE winter is really like. If you are planning to visit or revisit Dubai Miracle Garden, this post is for you. This is a combination of ‘how to get the most out of your visit’ and ‘frequently thought of but never been clearly been said out loud and responded at the moment’ type of post, shared from a point of view of someone who have consecutively visited this garden in the past 3 years.

1. Is Dubai Miracle Garden worth the visit or return visit?

In general, yes.

For first time visitors, it would be an enjoyable experience and realization of how Dubai was able to build this beautiful garden despite the brutal weather condition in the lower Gulf. Of course, there is a big chunk of investment, so to speak. For tourists who came from places where there is  an abundance of flowers and nature-related attractions, this might be considered skippable. The other way to look at it though is to think of visiting an architectural exhibit, with replicas of Burj Khalifa (tallest tower in the world), Eiffel Tower, and more, which are made up of flowers/ plants.

For returning visitors, there is always something new. I almost wanted to skip a visit to this garden this year, if not for a family member who is visiting. I am so glad we went because it definitely outperformed the showcases the past years. I will not spoil it for you, but the giant size replica of Emirates Airlines plane and new architectural replicas are among the additions. Not to forget that Dubai Miracle Garden’s total area had significantly increased since phase 2 of the garden (used to be referred as Butterfly Garden) has been joined with phase 1 area. The entire garden has been restructured with a more logical and appealing (new) layout. There are some artworks and pieces that will look quite familiar, but you would get a ‘first time visitor experience’ feel, in general.

2. Is the entrance fee expensive/ more expensive than previous years?

It is reasonably priced.

In 2017, the entrance fee skyrocketed to AED 40 per adult visitor. That is in comparison to almost AED 15 ticket 3 years ago. However, this fee is reasonable enough for what is in store this year. Overall, it is value for money when all factors are considered, e.g. enhanced visitor experience, parking conditions, cleanliness, safety, security, dining options, customer service, etc.

3. When is the best time to visit Dubai Miracle Garden?

Between December to February while it is still ‘winter’ in UAE.

If you would like to avoid the crowd and are in the mood to take several photos with less intruders, do visit as early as the opening hour (i.e. 10:00 AM).

If you would like to see the two personalities of the garden, do visit an hour before the sunset. You will get to experience the day and night personas then. However, it would be quite crowded, manageable though. We visited on a Friday (weekend) of this month of January pre-sunset and there was sea of people. It was worth it because the sunset made the photos and ambiance more beautiful; we have always visited early in the morning the past years. Some visitors like the crowd though, it satisfies their competitiveness.

4. What should you wear?

Some UAE residents look forward to the winter season to be able to utilize their winter clothes in full blast or look at it as an opportunity for fashion show off. Although the weather is quite bearable with light clothing. It depends on your stamina and what you are accustomed of. Take note that the temperature is (just) between 17 to 21 degrees C. You would be surprised to see a party of visitors wearing shorts, winter clothes, maxi dress, beach wear, and the unimaginable. That may sound like contradictory of the strict dress code in UAE. The point is the ‘code’ is to be decent enough depending on which place of interest one will visit. I personally would suggest to be on the safe side when you are in a Muslim country. But more than that, it is out of respect and to demonstrate cultural awareness.

5. Are pets allowed?

No. But guess what? I saw a white (relatively) small cat carried by a lady. She was not asked to exit the garden. I guess they are less or not tolerant of dogs being in public places.

6. What are the dining options? Do they allow food from outside?

There are several dining options in the form of pizza, shawarma, rice meals, corn, nuts, doughnuts, etc. The service providers and dining chairs and tables (of different types like on the photo above) are almost everywhere. They do not allow food from outside, in general. However, you may try bringing a bottle of water, crackers and small packs of not so smelly and messy edibles. They would not mind if those are of reasonable amount.

7. How do you get to Dubai Miracle Garden?

We always get there by private car from Abu Dhabi. It is out of city proper in Dubai. It would be costly to hire a cab. There are shuttles and buses from some destinations in Dubai though. Here is a helpful post about cheap ways to get there.

8. Why is it called Dubai Miracle Garden?

It is impossible to have this glorious and beautiful garden in Dubai. It is indeed a miracle. Made possible by financial, more than the human intervention.

9. What should not be missed when visiting Dubai Miracle Garden?

Take the golf cars style ride, very reasonable at AED 20 per ride regardless of how many you are. Being on this ride will provide you with a macro view of what is in store. This will allow you to strategize better, prioritize the areas/ paths you would like to visit in detail, identify better spots to take photos, and more. Of course, be at the balcony by pre-sunset until sunset. It will provide the best views, even if you are visiting in the morning. I have always liked the architectural replicas. This year, it is the replica of (newest addition) Emirates Airlines plane which is the superstar.

10. What did you not like about Dubai Miracle Garden?

They need kickass soundtracks. I am willing to share my playlists.