Visiting Dubai

by The Flamingo

The right word to describe Dubai is “muchness”.  You can’t feel it ’till you’re there, it’s really overwhelming. You feel the world bigger…the spaces, the buildings, the beach, even the sky seems higher and rounder somehow. Of course that’s what Dubai is renowned for, the biggest, the largest and tallest everything.

Here is a list of things to do if you ever decide to visit:

• Have dinner at the top of the tallest building in the world, The Burj Khalifa, admiring the sun setting over the Persian Gulf.

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• Go shopping in the largest mall in the world, The Dubai Mall, not forgetting to visit the wonderful aquarium inside or the singing fountains outside.

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• Have brunch in the beautiful 7 stars hotel, Burj al Arab, or cocktails in the evening in the Jumeirah Beach Hotel so that you have a splendid view of the Burj highlighted at night. 

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• Go to one of the golden beaches of Dubai, at least once, either The Beach in JBR, or Kite Beach. You will be amazed by the softness of the sand and by the warmth and translucency of the light blue waters of the gulf. 

• Do a water sport if you have the courage and time, paddling or kayaking, the waters are very still.

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• Take a ride with the abra (their traditional boat) in the Arabian Lagoon, The Madinat Jumeirah, with beautiful views of the Burj al Arab. 

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• Visit the old part of the city, with the Dubai Museum, wonder the Al Fahidi pedestrian zone and drink some Arabian coffee in one of the art galleries there, or grab a bite to eat in the traditional restaurants where they serve delicious Arabic dishes like hummus, shawarma, al machboos or stuffed camel. 

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• Go shopping in their souks (markets) in Deira, where you can find traditional perfumes, cashmere and silks, dates and all kinds of spices, cheaper gold and traditional tableware. 

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• Take two strolls through their most famous neighborhood, The Dubai Marina, one during the day and one in the evening. This area is a reminder of what man can do, it’s simply amazing. It’s better to stay at a hotel here, so you can get the whole experience.

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• Admire the Miracle Garden, the biggest flower garden in the world. 

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• Go to the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, where during the winter season you can see the flamingos, who stop here during their migration. 

• Take a boat ride from the Marina and sail all the way to the Burj al Arab and then further to the Dubai water canal, which must be on your list after the sun sets. Also you can cruise on the Dubai creek and see the old part of the city. 

• The Jumeirah Mosque is also not to be ignored, watch out for the timetable, you can visit just in the morning, also if you have small children under five, they are not allowed.

• One of the most famous sights in the world is the artificial island called The Palm (because of its unique shape), especially the pink Atlantis Hotel, situated at the top of it as a crown. You can just walk the boardwalk by the gulf and see it from outside, or you can just go in and enjoy the amazing waterpark, dolphin encounter and aquarium. Also the inside of the Atlantis hotel should be visited for the glass sculptures of the renowned Dale Chihuly and the beautiful designs on the walls. 

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• If you have kids or if you are a kid at heart yourself you can enjoy numerous adventure parks in Dubai, like Legoland, water parks, like Atlantis or Wild Wadi, The Dinosaur Park full of animatronics in real life size, The Glow Garden which is to be visited at night and Green Planet, with tropical trees and birds. Global Village is also a cool sort of adventure/shopping park where a lot of Emirate like to spend their weekends.

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• There is of course the mandatory trip in the desert, camel riding and henna painting. Here you can admire different types of colours in the sand, from light gold to deep rich orange with red hues.

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• The biggest Ferris wheel in the world, which has been under construction during my year there, is also ready. It’s said to have the best views over the gulf and JBR neighborhood, especially at night. 

• If you have a short stay here, then take the Big Bus, and it will show you amazing sights in the old and new parts of the city, my personal favorite being the Jumeirah neighborhood full of mosques and grand traditional villas, which you can’t see otherwise. 

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• You can even ski in Dubai, there is a big slope with artificial snow in Mall of the Emirates.

You can see by the length of things to do here, it’s not a boring place. It’s particular, it’s another type of vacation than you may be used to in an European city, or anywhere else for that matter. If you’re into “muchness” then Dubai is the place to be. 

Photos from Flamingo‘s archive.