SOUK MADINAT JUMEIRAH - DUBAI SERIES #1

On my most recent trip to Dubai, I really wanted to immerse myself into the Arabian culture with paying a visit to some of Dubai's most loved souks.
In terms of souks in Dubai, Madinat Jumeirah is extremely modern, with air conditioning blasting from all corners and even Western brands like Converse and Havaianas having their own little stores. But hey, we all need to take baby steps right? The souks in Old Dubai can be a bit daunting to say the least for a first timer, with men on practically every corner trying to sell you 'Chanel' bags and stallholders chasing you down the street when they realise you're a tourist. It's fair to say that it is not for the faint hearted.

Souk Madinat Jumeirah is definitely one of the most beautiful places I've been to in Dubai. with its camel toned buildings and greeny blue water surrounding the area it truly is a stunning place to spend the evening and should be on the top of your to-do list if you're a first time visitor to Dubai. It's also one of the places to get a view of the famous seven star hotel Burj Al Arab! 

As a bit of a shopoholic (and a major sucker for tacky touristy gifts) I was automatically pulled into the all the little stalls selling traditional Arabic oud, shisha pipes and all the 'I love Dubai'mugs and fridge magnets that you could possibly want.

Most of our time was spent in this stall in the picture above. The owner of the store Zabi, was a young Afghan who had emigrated to Dubai eight years ago and was the most ferocious haggler I have ever come across; he was even worse than me! After sitting us down in his cramped stall and making us all some chai, the real negotiations began! In the end, we walked away with too much stuff we didn't need and a few freebies that I managed to haggle from him with my charming persuasion skills. 

It's important to remember, that their job is to try and rip tourists off by offering them the highest prices so if you do happen to visit a souk in Dubai, all I can advise you to do is HAGGLE HARD and do not take NO for an answer. In most cases, you can get the price down by at least 70% and don't be afraid to ask for some freebies if you're buying quite a few things. I know this may sound daunting for us Brits who are oh so polite, but trust me, it will work if you are persistent!