Crossing the Dubai Creek on an abra

The abra is fun to watch as it crosses from one side of the Dubai Creek to the other, from Bur Dubai to Deira.

The abra is a traditional boat made of wood that serves as a water taxi.

The crossing costs 1 dirham, and is paid on board to the ferry captain.

We had a great time on this short trip, and enjoyed the cool breeze as we travelled on this traditional boat. Our brief, 24-hour visit to the Dubai as a stop-over on a longer trip was exhausting, since we were jet-lagged and still trying to squeeze in as much as possible.

We’d been walking long distances in a hot desert city that is certainly not designed as a walking city, and this short abra voyage saved our exhausted legs quite a long trip as we were all ready to collapse into our beds.

You can take the more expensive version of the voyage at the so-called ‘Venice of Dubai’, Madinat Jumeirah, but we chose to simply take photos at this Disney-like structure but save the real trip for the Dubai Creek voyage.

Either way, enjoy your abra while in the Dubai.

For more Dubai tips, see my earlier post on visiting the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, exploring the gold and spice souks and shopping mall tourism.