Dubai Things to Do Tips by sue_stone

When Dubai is mentioned, many people think of the iconic Burj Al Arab - the hotel built out on a spit in the Gulf, that looks like a giant sail. The Burj claims to be "The Best Hotel in the World", and has given itself 7 stars. It is the world's tallest dedicated hotel, and all 202 of its suites and two-storey, with unbeatable views.

If you think the outside looks impressive, wait till you get inside - the "ostentatious opulence will leave you reeling" (to steal a quote from my Guide book). The lower lobby area has a dancing fountain, and two massive tropical fish-tank-walls. Ride up the escalator into the main lobby area, looking up as you do into the soaring atrium, with its over-the-top gold and blue décor. Then look down at the garish carpet that clashes terribly, but somehow works amongst the other gaudy appointments.

To get up close to the Burj Al Arab, you need to either be staying there, or have an advance reservation to dine in one of the restaurants, or to have a drink in one of the bars. As you can imagine, dining doesn't come cheap here, so one of the more economical options is to go for afternoon tea. Booking a few weeks in advance, the only afternoon tea slot available was at 5.30pm in the Sahn Eddar Atrium Bar, located off the hotel's lobby.

We arrived by taxi, and as we came to the hotel gates, on the mainland, the guard requested to see our booking confirmation. We were then waved through, drove along the spit, and were dropped off at the front door. We arrived early, which gave us plenty of time for taking photos outside, and then inside the lobby area. Photos are allowed in the lobby area, but not in any of the bars or restaurants to protect the privacy of the exclusive guests.

Although the afternoon tea was not at the standard one would imagine from a 7 star hotel, it was well worth it to gain admittance to this architectural marvel.

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Phone: +971 4 3017600
Address: Jumeirah Road, Umm Suqeim, Dubai
Website: http://www.burj-al-arab.com

During our visit to Dubai we were keen to get out into the nearby desert, so we pre-booked a half-day trip with a company called Arabian Adventures, who run a daily "Sundowner" tour. We were picked up from our hotel by a 4WD that seated 6 (plus the driver), stopping off at a nearby hotel to pickup the rest of the group. On the way to the desert, we swung by Sheik Mohammad’s Palace - well, drove down the entrance road towards the palace, where we could see loads of peacocks strutting their stuff.

Then it was off to the desert, about 30 minutes drive away. On the way we learned that our car was one of around 40 that Arabian Adventures had out that day, and that we would be driving in convoy once we hit the sand.

Arriving in the desert, we had to wait for most of the other cars to arrive, which gave us time to scramble up a small sand dune and take arty photos of sand, and some camels in the distance. Soon is was time to head off for some fun driving on the sand dunes - like being on a roller coaster but no corkscrews.

The duning was fun, and thankfully no one in our car got sick (I drugged up before hand), nor did we get stuck in the sand or have any other incidents to report. After a couple of stops along the way - for photos, camels, and sunset - we arrived at the desert camp where we dined in Bedouin tents (on surprisingly tasty food) and were entertained by belly dancers.

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Phone: +971 4 303 4888
Website: http://www.arabian-adventures.com/ToursSafaris/Dubai/Safaris/Sundowner/Sundowner.Asp?nav=2&sub=1
Other Contact: arabian.adventures@emirates.com

Although most people head to Dubai to shop in the modern malls, make sure you take the time to explore some of the souqs (markets) in the older parts of town. On the Deira side of the Creek we visited the Spice Souq and the Gold Souq. When then crossed the Creek and checked out the Bur Dubai Souq.

The Gold Souq is a must see. Dubai has one of the largest retail gold markets in the world, and the Gold Souq has more than 300 outlets. Even if you don't want to buy anything it is well worth a browse as the window displays need to be seen to be believed. Window after window of gaudy displays of bright yellow gold bracelets and amazing necklaces worn by brides in Bollywood movies. There are also some more tasteful shops with lots of diamond rings and more 'normal' stuff. One other cool thing about the Gold Souq was the drain covers with a diamond on them.

The Spice Souq consists of some very narrow lanes, lined with small shops with displays of things like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, incense, dried fruit and nuts. The spices are apparently imported from all over the Middle East, and are sold here straight out of large sacks. I must confess to have been disappointed in the Spice Souq, compared to the ones I had visited earlier in the year in Marrakech. The colours here were much more subdued and I was less inclined to chat to the shop keepers and learn about the spices.

The Bar Dubai Souq is located on the western side of Dubai Creek. Under beautifully restored wooden arches, you can browse in the numerous textile shops, and the occasional souvenir shop. Apparently the market is geared towards the large community of Pakistanis and Indians who live and work in Dubai. This market was very quiet when we visited and lacked that hectic 'market vibe'.

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Website: http://www.dubaigoldsouk.com/

We don't often visit museums on our travels, but I was keen to visit the Dubai Museum, mainly to learn about the more recent history of the city.
The museum is housed within the Al Fahidi Fort, which is possibly the oldest building in Dubai. Originally built in 1799 as a defence against foreign invasion, the Fort has since been used as a palace and prison. It was renovated in 1970 for use as a museum, with further restoration and additions added in 1995.

Outside the entrance to the museum you can have a close look at a traditional Arabic boat, a dhow. Inside, highlights for me included a grave, dug up from a nearby archaeological site, that dates back to the 6th century AD, and I also enjoyed reading about and watching a video about the way the city has grown in the last 50 or so years.

There was plenty to learn about ancient Dubai as well, and in turn you could get a feel from life in the city in the mid-20th century with a market recreation including life-size mannequins.

Opening Hours:
Saturday to Thursday: 08:30-20:30
Friday: 14:30-20:30

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Phone: +971 4 353 1862
Address: Al-Fahidi Street, Bur Dubai
Website: http://www.dubaitourism.ae/HistoricalSites/default.asp

Located just across the road from the Dubai Museum is the Grand Mosque. The original Grand Mosque, which dated back to 1900 is long gone, and the current version was only completed in 1998. It was however modelled on the original mosque, and blends well into this old bar of the city.

The Grand Mosque is home to the tallest minaret in Dubai, at 70 metres high. The mosque has 45 small domes, plus 9 large ones with stained glass panels. With a capacity of over 1000 worshippers, this is indeed a Grand Mosque.

Unfortunately we were unable to have a look inside, as non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the mosque.

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Address: Al-Fahidi Street, Bur Dubai

For a glimpse of old Dubai, take a wander through the atmospheric lanes of the Bastakia Quarter. This area was built in the late 19th century by Persian merchants, and these days the buildings have been beautifully restored and are now part of a conservation area.

The Bastakia Quarter is home to the largest concentration of traditional wind-tower houses. The wind-towers were not only decorative, but were an ingenious means of cooling houses in the days before electricity, as they funnel cool air down into the house. The typical homes are two stories, with a central courtyard that most of the rooms open onto. They are fairly plain on the outside, but look out for the carved wooden doors and decorative panels on the wealthier merchants homes.

The are a few interesting galleries in the area, and if you need a break and want to have a look inside the courtyard of one of the traditional homes, head to the Basta Art Café, where you can relax with a drink or a meal in the shady courtyard.

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Directions: By the river in Bur Dubai, just south of the Grand Mosque

One of the most popular things for tourists to do in Dubai is to shop. The city is home to some massive shopping malls that can keep you busy for a full day - with not only shopping, but things like dining, movies and even snow skiing!

We visited three of the large malls - The Mall of Emirates (with its indoor snow field), Wafi City (with its over-the-top Egyptian décor), and Deira City Centre (with its 1 hour+ taxi queue).

We found many of the clothing shops that we frequent in London, with much the same prices too, along with plenty of designer shops, and a lesser number with a more local flavour. One thing I did note about the clothes in shops that I regularly visit was that the styles on offer here were a noticeably 'fuller' cut, and the materials were more garish (to my taste anyway), hence not many purchases were made.

The large shopping malls are open 7 days from around 10am till 10pm or midnight, depending on the day. I can imagine they are very popular air conditioned havens in the hotter months summer.

I have written more about the malls we visited in my 'Shopping' tips.

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Website: http://www.dubaicityguide.com/shop/

Located in the Mall of Emirates is a most unusual attraction for a city located in the desert - an indoor ski slope! Ski Dubai, as it is known, is the first indoor ski field in the Middle East. It looks a bit like a movie set, and is a very popular tourist attraction for the city.

You can ski, snowboard and toboggan here. Besides the standard level ski slope, there is a beginners slope (with lessons mandatory for first timers), play areas for the kids, an area for snowboarders, and even the world's first indoor 'black' run for the serious skiers.

We didn't actually ski, but spent some time at a café overlooking the very real looking slope, watching beginners learning the basics, and thankful that the thick pane of glass separated us from the icy snow field conditions.

**Make sure you have a look at Photo 3 where you can see the outside of the snow slope in the distance**

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Phone: +971 4 409 4000
Address: Mall of Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Road, New Dubai
Website: http://www.skidxb.com

One interesting thing we did during our time in Dubai was to have a sneaky peak at the front of Sheikh Mohammad's Palace. We were on the way to our desert safari, and the driver said he would take us on a slight detour to drive past the residence on the way.

You can't actually go into the palace grounds, but can drive up the private road to the gates. The main draw card here is not the palace itself, but the large number of peacocks that line the private road. I have never seen so many peacocks in the one place, strutting their stuff.

This seemed to be a popular place for a drive by for all the tour companies - there was a constant flow of gawkers like us. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get any good photos as I was sitting on the wrong side of the car.

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