Dubai

Renowned for its luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture, and lively nightlife, Dubai is an excitingly extravagant and captivating city to visit. Its skyscraper-filled skyline is dominated by the 830m-tall Burj Khalifa tower, while off-shore lie the man-made islands of Atlantis and the Palm boasting exclusive luxury resorts with water and marine-animal parks, popular with families, couples and honeymooners...

Situated on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf, Dubai is one of the seven emirates making up the United Arab Emirates. The city of Dubai sits on the emirate’s northern coastline. The earliest recorded settlement in the region dates from 1799, and in 1833 the Sheikdom of Dubai was formally established by the Bani Yas tribe, who retained control even when the United Kingdom agreed to protect the Sheikdom in 1892. By the beginning of the 20th century, Dubai’s strategic geographic location made it an important trading hub. Today it has emerged as a global city; the cultural and business hub of the Middle East and Persian Gulf region. It must be noted, however, that whilst Dubai is very modern and cosmopolitan, there are strict prohibitions on ‘indecent clothing’; although the Islamic dress code is not compulsory.

One of Dubai’s biggest appeals for tourists is its unbelievable shopping: tax-free, and with the best prices in the Arab Gulf states for gold, electronics and perfumes, Dubai is considered to be the Shopping Capital of the Middle East. As well as shopping malls, shoppers can enjoy browsing through the Souks, which have a traditional Arabic charm. Dubai holds the Dubai Shopping Festival throughout the month of January every year, during which time the entire emirate becomes one massive shopping mall, with accompanying music shows, art exhibitions and folk dances.

For adrenaline junkies, Dubai ranges from indoor skiing, jet skiing, sand boarding, parasailing, sailing, water theme parks, motor racing, go karting or flying lessons. For those who prefer a little less adrenaline, there are fantastic golfing opportunities, or even a chance to watch the Dubai World Cup, the annual horse race.

Some of Dubai’s most famous attractions are the various zoological parks including the Dubai Dolphinarium, the Global Village and the Palm Islands. The Global Village is reputedly the world’s largest tourism, leisure and entertainment project, and features over 39 pavilions each representing their own country. The Palm Islands were created through reclaimed land, with the third’s development being put on hold since 2008. On the two current islands, there are over 100 luxury hotels, residential beach-side villas and apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities and health spas. The Palm Islands would be an ideal way to start or end a cruise holiday with a few extra days in the lap of luxury.

Once you’ve shopped ‘til you’ve dropped, you can find some of the other attractions Dubai has to offer from 4x4 desert safaris, sandboarding, traditional souks, to exploring the restored heritage area, formerly known as the Bastakia Quarter, containing craft shops, cultural exhibits, art galleries and courtyard cafes along narrow walking lanes. Madinat Jumeirah is a recent addition, and is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Arab village; at its heart lies Souk Madinat Jumeirah, palm-fringed waterways, gardens, desert-coloured hotels and villas, and enchantingly lit up at night.

Dubai Holidays