I booked through Hostelworld and assumed I could pay by card on arrival - mistake. The hostel in Deira insisted on cash only, even though their listin...

Living in Abu Dhabi for 2 months and tested my Amex across cafes, coworking spots, and shops - acceptance is inconsistent. Big malls and luxury restau...

Always get a little bit of AED at the airport - like 100-200 dirhams - then wait until you’re in the city to do the rest. I used an Emirates NBD ATM i...

This happened to me last month at a FAB ATM in Abu Dhabi. The card just never came out. I called the number on the machine and they said I had to go t...

Every ATM I used in Dubai - from Emirates NBD to ADCB - asked me that same question. It's Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), and it's always worse tha...

I spent a month bouncing between Dubai and Abu Dhabi this spring. My daily budget was around $75-$80 including decent Airbnb stays, daily metro/bus ri...

I messaged my hostel in Entebbe before arriving and they said they accepted card - turns out it was “cash preferred,” and the machine failed when I tr...

I’m based in Kampala short-term, and Amex is not commonly accepted here. Even most major supermarkets like Carrefour only take Visa and Mastercard. I ...

My Wise card got eaten by an ATM in Kampala, outside a DTB branch. No message, just didn’t come back. I went into the bank immediately with my passpor...