With its dizzying mega-architecture, man-made islands and incredible shopping, Dubai is a dream trip, a vision of jaw-dropping towers, lavish hotels and crazy novelties. It offers the same exotic sea views and camel-covered sand dunes as its neighbors in Oman and Saudi Arabia, but with state-of-the-art rides that no other Middle Eastern destination can. equal.
For starters, you're close to dishdasha-filled mosques and overturned ice cream cone fortresses, but also minutes from shopping malls and of record-breaking buildings. It's a city of superlatives - whether it's the biggest, the boldest, the fastest or the highest - and it's kid-friendly to the max, packed with fantastic theme parks and Disney-paid water parks. in Hollywood, Bollywood, Marvel and Lego. Add in day trips, dune treks and desert safaris and you'll be hard pressed to catch your breath. So don't forget the beach. Dubai's fine sand and turquoise sea are reminiscent of the Caribbean, though the skyscraper backdrop is reminiscent of Las Vegas.
What to do
UAE has better coastline. 'Umm Suqeim, next to Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach, or the palm-fringed JBR Beach, which stretches along Dubai Marina.
In Dubai's pantheon of global achievement, Es is nothing more ambitious than the Burj Khalifa. Watch out for the sunset you might see it twice - perfect for a date, from the mainland and then again from the 148th floor, after ascending a Floor of one of the fastest pusher elevators in the world. Next door, you can plan a shopping adventure amid the beehive madness of the Dubai Mall, home to a huge aquarium and the largest designer brand esplanade this side of China. local, head straight to Jumeirah and marvel at the honey-colored Jumeirah Mosque.The Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding runs morning tours.
Take half a day to browse the Spice Souk and haggle for slippers at the Textile Souk
Away from the crowded skyscrapers of Sheikh Zayed Road, l The Arabia of yesteryear comes to life on Dubai Creek, especially when I've been gliding past overcrowded boats returning from the Persian Gulf in an Abra water taxi recently. Take half a day to browse the Musk Spice Souk, haggle over curly-toed sneakers in the Textile Souk and marvel at the more than glittering Gold Souk: OTT Emporia appeals to the senses as much as it pleases the wallet. . About 300 shops and about 25 tons of gold are on display. Do you know how to haggle? You get a great deal.
Where to stay
Your base for an exciting story away from Dubai's rides, flops and all-inclusives is lush Dubai Creek. The courtyards, leaning wind towers and olive-hued mosques of Al Bastakiya, the heart of the city at the turn of the century, reflect the region's heritage better than anywhere else in the Middle East. The hotels are authentic, swathed in plump cushions, bejeweled textiles and latticework mashrabiya screens, offering a glimpse of the UAE as it once was. hear something? It's not a mall. It's a muezzin's call to prayer that sets the tone.
Across the city, the Palm Jumeirah is the place to stay if you want more I'm interested in the vibe of absurdly posh hotels with monorail stations (yes, that's how public transport in Dubai works). Atlantis' wedding attraction, The Palm, is the epitome of Dubai's hype, built on a man-made island with a water park and aquarium so outrageous the Royal Navy could ride in a submarine. Kim Kardashian spent over £20,000 on a room for one night here, so you know it's something different. And it contains 14k gold soap. For more privacy, settle into one of Dubai's stunning private villas.
Don’t miss
. It is so mythically opulent that even kings and heads of state call it overdone. You'll need to book dinner or a drink to get through security, but the sci-fi atrium, swaggering restaurants, and 27th-floor Skyview Bar with jaw-dropping Palm Jumeirah views are well worth a visit. at Dubai Creek.
Behind the towers, some of the tallest sand dunes in the Middle East loom on the horizon. You are here to see the fiery trading centers of Arabia and the Arctic. Dubai invented the desert safari and the Middle Eastern sunsets don't get any better than from the top of a sand dune after an exhilarating dune run. Insist on Big Red, near Al Badayer.