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2003 Dubai was voted the safest holiday destination in the world and it currently hosts more and more visitors and new residents year on year.
So whether you’re considering holidaying in this amazing city or moving to Dubai more permanently, you’ll find the Emirate offers both visitors and residents a wide and exciting range of attractions and entertainment opportunities.
In fact Dubai is a city of beautiful contrasts and breathtaking surprises.
It is surrounded by mysterious deserts, sand dunes and the stunning Hajar Mountains, it is divided by the Creek which is actually an inlet from the gulf splitting the commercial centre of Dubai in two, and within the city you’ll find amazing beach resorts, incredibly high tech buildings all side by side with old traditional houses and mosques…giving you a taster of just what variety you can expect from your time in Dubai.
If you’re a sport lover then you’ll find Dubai plays host to many first class events every year from the Desert Classic golf tournament to Rugby 7s to the Dubai World Cup. And if you prefer to participate in sporting activity there are plenty of opportunities for you to choose from.
From horse riding in the desert to jet skiing on the Creek, from swimming in the pools of any one of a myriad of first class beach resorts to joining in with expat football and rugby clubs for example. And then of course there are Dubai’s golf courses and clubs! Even if you’re not a golfer and have no intention of playing a round when in Dubai you have to visit a club. Firstly there are the amazing clubhouses and then of course the beautiful and immaculately tended greens – in the desert? Very impressive stuff!
If you prefer to get closer to nature than just admiring grass (!), you can visit the wildlife sanctuary near Garhoud Bridge where you’ll likely find thousands of migrating birds including Greater Flamingos, or you could consider walking in Creekside Park with its lovely landscaped gardens, or walking along the promenade on the Corniche towards Maktoum Bridge. Alternatively you could visit Dubai Zoo in Jumeirah where you’ll find many indigenous Arabian species, including the rare Arabian Wolf, which is sadly no longer found in the wild.
And when you want to sit down and relax there are a number of well tended lush public parks and gardens around Dubai where you can enjoy a stroll, a picnic or a play area.
Or if you want to venture a little further a field, the desert which provides the backdrop for the city also provides many fantastic opportunities for entertainment. From four wheel drive safaris to camel rides to romantic picnics in the desert under the stars
If you prefer not to travel so far you could consider hiring an abra in Dubai – this is a water taxi and it can afford you access to the Creek where dhows sail on their trading voyages to serve the coastal emirates. From your abra – or if you prefer, from a jet ski – you can sail the Creek, experience the excitement of the activity, watch waterside life, see the Creekside buildings and take in the amazing contrasts of the traditional water life and the amazing modern buildings in high tech ‘new’ Dubai. And if you hire your water transport from near Garhoud Bridge you can watch the beautiful desert sun sets near the Dubai Creek Golf and Yachting Club.
For those of you interested in Dubai’s trading history you can meander through the city’s souks or take pleasure in the annual Dubai Shopping Festival. This is an internationally recognised event, hugely popular with the locals and the visitors to Dubai. You’ll likely benefit from an incredible plethora of beautiful bargains and be blown away by the unbelievably low prices.
An entire area of Dubai City is given over to become the Global Village for the Shopping Festival. Stalls and stands are set up dedicated to different countries and here you’ll find handicrafts, fabrics, clothes, food and drink, pottery and jewellery from around the world.
To learn more about Dubai’s historical past there are many ancient sites and areas you can visit and Dubai Museum which is housed in Al Fahidi Fort is hugely popular as a starting point. The Museum is highly innovative and has been imaginatively arranged to depict Dubai’s past in as interactive a way as possible to bring history to life and to keep the interest and attention of even the youngest visitor.
If you want to see old Dubai then visit the Bastakiya district, here narrow lanes give way to the traditional courtyard houses and their windtowers. These are ancient forms of air conditioning if you like! They work by filtering air down and through the houses, and they look amazing as well!
Personally, i just luv the hilton hotel.
