From skyscrapers to the desert, the souks… and indoor skiing! Discover the very best of Dubai in just ten snippets.
Glamorous, modern and a place you must visit at least once in your life. Dubai is created from human impulses, a vertical city that has flowered in the desert and one of the top destinations for 2017. Souks and traditional markets, shopping centres to lose the run of yourself, fun-packed theme parks, …
1. Burj Khalifa: The tallest building in the world, by far, with 124 floors and a roof height of 828m, climbing to the top here makes the trip to Dubai worthwhile in itself. The tour lasts one hour, giving you time to go up and down and grab as many photos as you can of the horizon. It’ll be difficult to put your feet back down on the ground! The best time to visit is at sunset when you can enjoy the aerial view of the city by day and by night.
2. Dubai Creek: The creek runs through one of Dubai’s oldest and most beautiful areas. There’s nothing that tops sailing through here on one of the traditional abras as the sun sets and you hear the call to afternoon prayer from the minarets of the mosques in the background.
3. Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding: A good place to grab a bite to eat and an even better spot to encourage intercultural understanding. Make sure to ask if you can go up on the roof and admire the views. Goosebumps guaranteed!
4. Ski Dubai – Mall of the Emirates: Snow on the dunes of the desert? It’s all possible in Dubai! And in one of the largest shopping centres in the world. Snowboard over 20,000m2 of indoor slopes, with chairlifts, and winter temperatures unheard of in this part of the world. Just one of the many crazy things you can do in this city.
5. Jumeirah Beach Residence Walk and Dubai Marina: The Marina and JBR make up a city within the city full of amazing examples of contemporary architecture, cafes and bars, luxury hotels and some of the city’s finest restaurants.
6. Desert Safari: This is a great way to discover what life was like for the Bedouins years ago. There are many companies offering safaris in the desert, so make sure to compare a few before booking anything.
7. Dubai Gold Souk: The Gold Souk is the largest traditional market trading exclusively in gold. A huge wooden door opens up to rows and rows of glittering jewellery displays that are more than worth a visit.
8. Dubai’s public parks: Maybe parks are not the first thing that springs to mind when someone mentions Dubai. However, remember Dubai loves superlatives, the tallest, the deepest, the most expensive, etc. So it’s only natural that it has the world’s quietest, cleanest, greenest and most beautiful parks.
9. Jumeirah Mosque: Built in traditional Fatimid style, the mosque is an excellent example of Islamic architecture and a “must” if you’re in the city. Together with the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, it promotes intercultural dialogue and a better understanding of Islam.
10. The Dubai Fountain: Spectacular, exciting and free! Maybe you’ve been to the Magic Fountain in Montjuïc in Barcelona, but trust us, the fountains here in Dubai will leave you speechless. The best time to visit is a night to enjoy the show with lights and projectors.
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