20 reasons to visit Dubai

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This was published 12 years ago

20 reasons to visit Dubai

By Angie Kelly
The Burj Al Arab hotel claims to be the world's most luxurious hotel ... it's also home to a $90 afternoon tea.

The Burj Al Arab hotel claims to be the world's most luxurious hotel ... it's also home to a $90 afternoon tea.Credit: Bloomberg

1 Dubai Museum

Catch a glimpse of what this town was like before the discovery of oil triggered its breathtaking expansion. A surprisingly cheap day out at less than $1 entry, videos, artifacts and dioramas depict everyday life as Dubai went from small pearl-trading port to mega-metropolis in only 50 years. A few minutes' walk from Bastakiya, the museum is housed in the Al Fahidi Fort, believed to be the city's oldest surviving building. dubaicity.com.

2 Jumeirah Beach Park

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Pay just over $1 to enjoy 12 hectares of beachfront parkland that has picnic tables, barbecues, children's play equipment, showers, cafes, rows of thatched umbrellas for shade and a team of lifeguards to watch over you while you take a dip in the gulf. Grab a cab to the Jumeirah Beach Road entrance next to the Hilton Beach Club. (Note that Monday is ladies-and-children-only day.)

3 Al Qasr, The Palace Hotel

Diamond shops, jaw-dropping floral arrangements, cloud-soft bedding and anything your heart desires 24/7. Feel like royalty in this vast and grandiose playground, which has a water park, an outdoor theatre and shopping bazaar, countless pools and a luxury tent-lined beach. Al Qasr is the fanciest of three linked resorts that make up the Jumeirah waterfront development, which boasts 30 restaurants. Stay in one; enjoy the fun at all three. jumeirah.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/dubai/al-qasr-hotel.

Dubai World Cup horse racing.

Dubai World Cup horse racing.

4 Burj Khalifa

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If just the words "level 124" can bring on a dizzy spell, best take someone who will hold your hand when you arrive at the world's highest outdoor observation deck near the top of this tower, which is officially the world's tallest. Enjoy a cockpit-esque panorama over the city, the sea and golden sands of the Arabian desert. Flying 452 metres in just 30 seconds, the lift entrance is in Dubai Mall. burjkhalifa.ae.

5 The dancing fountains

Dancing fountains in front of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

Dancing fountains in front of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

Catch this impressive, set-to-music light and fountain show after you come down from your trip to the top of the Burj Khalifa next door. Created by the whizzes behind the Las Vegas Bellagio fountain, the massive midlake structure flings water 150 metres into the sky in five circles and with more than 6600 incandescent superlights, it's said to be visible from space. dubaidancingfountains.com.

6 Souk Al Bahar

A popular restaurant strip in the attraction-heavy, happening part of town. Choose from Arabic, Asian, Indian and European eateries, many of which need to be booked as the ones with outdoor terraces are splashing distance from the Dancing Fountain show and offer great ringside views of the half-hourly extravaganza. soukalbahar.ae.

7 Friday brunch

The start of the weekend across the Middle East, the Friday set-price-buffet gathering is an institution among locals. Popular upscale venues include the restaurants in the Park Hyatt, Le Meridien and Madinat Jumeirah hotels and brunch sessions typically last about four hours. Cost is between $100 and $150 a head a person. Warning: prices usually include a bottomless glass of champagne, wine or beer.

8 Old Dubai

Amid the shiny newness of a town where the biggest, most luxurious and best of everything is king, it's easy to forget there is a historic section to see. The Bastakiya district has well-preserved examples of original courtyard homes with their distinctive Arabian archways and wind towers. Sample Persian-inspired Emirati fare at Basta Arts Cafe or XVA cafe in the Bastakiya Art Hotel.

9 Jumeirah Mosque

This twin-spired, much-photographed landmark is the biggest in town and the only one that non-Muslims are allowed to enter. Tours are conducted at 10am on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. English-speaking guides from the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding conduct talks explaining Islam and offer a brief question-and-answer session. They'll also lend you a scarf to cover you head to comply with local custom if you don't have one.

10 Big Bus Tour

With so much to see, doing a whip around the city's top sights by bus is a great way to get your bearings early in your stay. The open-topped double decker scoots through the city and around the beaches with commentary and 20 spots to hop on and off. Come back for more later when you see something that takes your fancy. Buy a 24- or 48-hour ticket. Bigbustours.com.

11 A cruise on the creek

One of the cheapest experiences in town, a traditional abra boat ride crossing the creek goes for just one dirham (25¢). Though fancy dinner-cruise options abound, these open-top taxis are a great way to get from the zinging Bur Dubai town centre to the less-developed Deira district, site of Dubai's first settlers and traditional souks.

12 The spice souk

On the Deira side of Dubai Creek, next door to the gold markets, don't miss a walk through this alluring festival for the senses. Bursting with colour and fragrance, these gritty laneways are crowded with merchants displaying their wares in tubs and jute sacks — see saffron, cinnamon, aniseed, frankincense, chillis and exotic hennas, oils and medicinal potions.

13 Hatta Pools

Best seen between October and April, these naturally occurring pools in the Hajar Mountains are a 90-minute drive from town via the Hatta-Oman highway. Take an organised tour or get a map if heading there under your own steam. Locals recommend leaving early and stopping for breakfast at the iconic Hatta Fort Hotel before taking a dip in the fresh mountain waters. definitelydubai.com.

14 Ski Dubai

Seeing this 22,500-square-metre indoor ski park officially qualifies as a head-shaking, stare-open-mouthed moment. Located at the Mall of the Emirates, chairlifts to five different runs is just the start (the longest is 400 metres). It has tobogganing hills, a bobsled ride, a snow cave with interactive experiences and a 300-metre play zone for building snowmen. Hire everything except hat and gloves.

15 Talise Spa

When you book a treatment here, you also get to chill for the day amid the lavish facilities of the Madinat Jumeirah. Relax by the women-only swimming pool, have lunch delivered, drift in the hot tub, join a yoga class or settle into a curtained-off and cushion-filled nook to read and have a cuppa. The Ritz Carlton spa is popular, as is the new, super-luxe, Turkish-themed Zabeel Saray spa, which specialises in Hamam bath experiences.

16 Afternoon tea

Expect to pay a whopping $90 if you take your tea and scones in the lobby of the Burj Al Arab, supposedly the world's most luxurious hotel. It's a popular pastime and locals also like At.mosphere cafe, which is said to be the highest of high-tea experiences in town as it is on level 122 of the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa. Bookings essential. Budget options include More Cafe, which does tea and cakes for less than $10, while the One and Only Royal Mirage hotel serves up in the Samovar Lounge for about $25.

17 Deira Gold Souk

Alive with sparkle, these jewellery-filled avenues are home to more than 250 traders waiting for you to swap your cash for golden adornments. See pieces uncommon in the West, including 18-carat wedding belts and headdresses. Knowing the price of gold per gram here is like checking the weather, so if you manage to shop with a local guide, bargains can be yours.

18 Pierchic

Out to sea off the shore of the Al Qasr, this overwater fine diner looks like an upmarket oil rig. Outdoor tables are the ones to go for at night to see a fairyland of twinkling lights and romantically lit trees back on the beach. The famous Burj Al Arab hotel on an adjacent island, 280 metres into the Gulf, seems so close you could hit it with an ice cube. The sublime, seafood-laden menu offers a blend of traditional local dishes and modern favourites. jumeirah.com/pierchic.

19 Dubai World Cup

Staging the Dubai Tennis Championship and Desert Classic Golf Championship in February, the World Cup horse racing carnival in March and the Dubai Rugby Sevens in December keeps sports fans and a galaxy of international celebrities heading for this emirate that loves a big event and the glamour social circuit that goes with it. dubaidutyfreetennischampionship.com; dubaidesertclassic.com; dubaiworldcup.com; dubairugby7s.com.

20 The Dubai Mall

With a mind-boggling 1200 shops, serious retail freaks will struggle to top this buzz while other, less-experienced mall dwellers might find navigating the gargantuan temple of consumerism overwhelming. The free maps help but this place can't be done in a day. More a destination than a shopping centre, it has an underwater zoo, a gold souk, an ice rink and an indoor theme park. thedubaimall.com.

The writer was a guest of Creative Holidays, creativeholidays.com, 1300 747 400; Arabian Adventures, arabian-adventures.com; and Dubai Tourism Sydney, 9956 6620, definitelydubai.com.

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