Here's your essential guide to getting the best out of a holiday in Dubai.
Location nickname: City of Gold
Don't miss: Burj Khalifa
Best avoid: Mall fatigue
Don't miss: Friday lunches
Best avoid: Ramadan
Abra: Traditional wooden vessels ply routes across Dubai Creek, including the short trip from the souks of Deira to Bur Dubai. The fare is one Dirham and boats leave when they're full. An early evening crossing is a great value sightseeing cruise to soak up the glittering lights of today's city.
Beach Bar: Le Meridien's Barasti bar spills out onto Jumeira Beach and is a landmark nightspot for tourists and expats alike. Don't expect Arab heritage or affectations of Bedouin hospitality. Amongst DJ sessions and live music, the vibe owes much more to Sex on the Beach - just remember to confine it to a glass unless you have a good lawyer.
Burj Al Arab: The world's only 'seven star hotel' the Jumeirah Beach Hotel occupies 322m and 60 floors of the Burj Al Arab building, moored off shore on an artificial island. A late 90s' high water mark for Dubai's gilded excess, suites cost up to $24,000 per night. Afternoon Tea at the 27th floor Skyview Bar is a still pricey but a justifiable treat.
Burj Khalifa: Soaring 829.8m to its uppermost tip, the 124th floor observation deck of the world's tallest building calls itself 'At the Top' - in fact there are 30 higher floors... Originally the Burj Dubai the building was renamed to honour Abu Dhabi's ruler, Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, after he plugged a hole in the build's finances.
Desert 4x4: Despite millions spent on turbocharged air con and refrigerated swimming pools, Emiratis maintain a feeling for sand. Camels have been traded for overpowered 4x4s, but charging across the dunes is still a popular weekend break out for Dubai residents. Tours often include an 'Arabian Night' at a Bedouin-style camp accompanied by the gurgling of a shisha water pipe.
Dubai Autodrome: As well as a professional touring car and motorcycle series, Dubai Autodrome invites drivers to release the beast of their inner Jeremy Clarkson within the relatively safe confines of its 1.3km circuit. Red-line Audi V10 supercars to 100km in under four seconds, or don flameproof underpants and burn rubber in a light-weight single seat racer.
Dubai Museum: Gulf Arab tribes once subsisted by chasing goats around the desert and diving for pearls. Oil changed everything. In Nouveau Riche Dubai nomadic desert culture was swept away. The museum occupies the Al Fahidi Fort, dating from 1787 the Emirate's oldest building, and preserves a glimpse of a simpler time.
Seaplane Flights: Viewed from ground level Dubai's skyscrapers, highways and manmade islands are impressive. From the air the city is an even more dramatic testament to the power of imagination, single-minded intent and an unlimited line of credit. Scenic seaplane flights offer a dizzyingly exciting fresh perspective on modern Dubai.
Shopping: Dubai's modest origins as a bargain Duty Free stop on long-haul flights may have been eclipsed. However, the emirate's malls and souks continue to be a consumerist paradise. Dubai Mall is currently the world's largest shopping centre, with 1,200 shops, an aquarium and an ice rink, whilst the souks around Deira offer a more Arabian experience.
Ski: Bombing down a Black Run when outside temperatures are hitting 50º Centigrade must rank as one of life's most superlatively surreal experiences. Part of the Mall of the Emirates, Ski Dubai is an indoor resort with five ski runs and a snow park for sledging, snowballing and penguin encounters...
This article has been produced in association with www.talkholiday.com
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