How long should you stay in a place to get to know it?

UAE's influencers voice their opinions

First off, any kind of travel is better than no travel. That being said, not everyone can throw all their cares to the wind, grab their passport and take off on a three-week trip to a meditation retreat in Bali. Anne and I both work fulltime, 50-hours-a-week office jobs, so in order to travel, we have to plan our adventures outside of the UAE around long weekends, government holidays and normal vacation leave.
We've become known for our '48 Hours in...' travel guide videos and many people think we're just gluttons for punishment and love to exhaust ourselves on the weekends, which we totally understand. However, in reality, we do this because we simply don't want to miss being able to visit all the amazing cities, countries and cultures so close to the UAE while we're living here. With over 66 per cent of the world's population living within an 8-hour flight from Dubai, the opportunities are truly endless. On a normal weekend, without taking time off work, we can be in Europe, India or Africa - and usually for around the price of what a fancy brunch for the two of us would cost. Better use of time and money, right?
Short-term travel has given us such incredible opportunities to visit a huge variety of destinations close to Dubai such as Beirut, Zanzibar, Kathmandu, Tajikistan, Cairo, and Jaipur. Would we like to travel fulltime? Of course! But short-term travel allows us to get a taste of some amazingly different, vibrant and unique cultures around the world, which, in turn, allows us to plan longer trips to the ones we want to explore further in the future.
-Jeff Johns
handles the travel blog www.whatdoesntsuck.com with his wife Anne. You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram @whatdoesntsuck
Discovering new cultures, cuisines and making friends all over the world is what I live for.
When you're a Dubai resident, long weekends are just ideal. There is no shortage of nearby places to explore, and it also cuts down costs to book shorter flights. Whenever I get flexible leave at work, I break up the year with a few trips. I believe that a well-prepared one-week holiday can be just as enlightening as a month-long visit, so I try not to spend more than a week in a city. When I get annual leave, however, I use it to discover a region more thoroughly.
Remember, an hour preparing is worth many hours of frustration on vacation! In order to  maximise both my budget and the time spent in a place, I usually follow my own set of rules.
1) I begin months ahead by setting a budget and thinking of how much I'll need daily. This helps me decide how long to stay somewhere and affordable alternatives. I take monthly 'travel savings' from my salary and never use loans or credit cards to fund trips.  
2) I book flights in advance using comparison websites to get the best deals and Airbnb offers to stay in convenient locations. I always make sure necessities like visas and vaccinations are sorted out in advance.
3) Before travelling, I like to research and contact local bloggers. They are usually delighted to help pack my itinerary full of activities or take me on a personal tour! As a food lover, I make sure to research the best local eateries in advance. Although it's not as convenient and I often end up off the beaten track, it's much more rewarding and affordable!
On longer trips, I try to find a day to relax for every three-four days of adventuring. I also regularly keep up to date on things such as local scams and transport. Safe travels, all!
- Myla Laurel-Smith
is a digital marketing manager and blogger in Dubai. You can keep up with her travels on www.findmeabreak.me or follow her on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter @findmeabreak