Facinating Dubai

As a Dubai Xpert, I was recently hosted by Dubai Tourism on a whirlwind trip to Dubai. Having only transited through the city before, I really appreciated this opportunity. Dubai surprised me at every turn. Considering its monumental growth to a modern, vibrant city in the last 60 years, it is remarkable to see it today. Our base was the 4 Star Majestic Towers Hotel in Bur Dubai, the historical district of Dubai, where everything is very easily accessible. The trip began by visiting the Dubai Museum in Bur Dubai. It is situated in the al-Fahidi Fort where traditional reed houses and wind towers are on display. Beneath the surface, you travel through time seeing the speed of development from fishing villages, to Dubai as we see it today. It was then on to the historic souks – the textile, spice and gold souk; fascinating markets in the Creek area, where your bargaining skills are certainly put to the test. We reached the spice and gold souk by crossing the Dubai creek on a traditional Abra, a really great way to travel very cheaply. After experiencing the older, historic Dubai, we headed to the modern part of the city in downtown Dubai and the Dubai Mall. This mega structure is the largest mall in the world and offers spectacular entertainment facilities. With the Burj Khalifa towering beside it, it boasts 1200 shops and the musical fountain provides an amazing show. Housed within the mall is the Dubai Aquarium having the largest suspended tank in the world! Another fantastic attraction for children is Kidzania – a village run by kids where they can be any profession they wish. The fun then continues on to Sega World, an indoor fun fair and games attraction. The following day we headed to The Top of Burj Khalifa, made famous in Mission Impossible III Ghost Protocol and the highest building in the world. At the 124th floor, the viewing deck is the highest in the world and offers phenomenal views of the city. The Sheikh Mohammad Centre of Cultural Understanding was our next stop where we enjoyed a tasty lunch while hearing of the local culture. This is a very popular stop for tourists and business traveller’s alike promoting cultural harmony in this diverse city. More family fun waits at Wild Wadi Water Park in Jumeirah. With the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and famous Burj Al Arab alongside, this water park is a welcome relief from the very hot weather. During the summer months, they offer extended opening hours so you do not have to be outside in the extreme heat of the day. Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates was next and that certainly is a cooling experience, with the indoor temperature set to -2C. For skiers/snowboarders, it is an amazing opportunity to brush up on some techniques on the slope with real snow! If skiing or snowboarding is not your game, then head to the snow park and have a laugh in the zorbing balls or go on an inflatable tube down something similar to a toboggan run. If you need to warm up, head up the chair lift to the restaurant for a traditional hot chocolate! A trip to Dubai would not be complete without a visit to the desert and there is no better way to experience it than to go on a Desert Safari. About an hour out of the city, you make your way through the desert in 4WD vehicles. The tour includes a falconry display and an adrenalin pumping drive over the dunes until you reach the desert oasis. Here you experience some traditional Bedouin culture followed by a delicious meal. Travelling around Dubai is easy and inexpensive. Taxis are readily available and moderately priced, except for peak periods. Buses also operate a good network and even the bus stands are air-conditioned! Probably the easiest way to travel through modern Dubai is on the Metro – the longest automated metro in the world (no driver!). Fares are very reasonable and you can pay a little extra for a Gold pass, allowing you into the front carriage where you get an uninterrupted view as you travel through Dubai on the raised monorail. We saw and experienced much of what Dubai has to offer in our short 3 day trip. However, there is so much more. Dubai has something to offer everyone, is a great stopover destination on your way to another country, but is also a destination in itself.