By Chris Leadbeater
Everyone knows about the luxury hotels, the gorgeous beaches and the huge malls. But if you fancy a smidgeon of culture, a side-step into history or a hearty dollop of adventure on a trip to Dubai, there is a surprising amount to keep you busy.
Go shopping… and haggling
Those who flock to Dubai to flex the plastic are largely lured by the big-is-beautiful emirate’s mega shopping palaces. And with good reason. The likes of Mercato and the Mall Of The Emirates add up to shopaholic paradise. But there is much to be said for a detour to the traditional markets. The Gold Souk and Spice Souk sit near the creek. Both can be pricey (and stifling on hot mornings), but both exude an ambience that harks back to the days when Dubai was a sleepy trading post in a far corner of the Arab world. The former is a veritable Aladdin’s Cave, stuffed with all that glitters. The latter is alive with the aroma of jasmine and cardamom. Just remember to haggle.
Stay: The plush Hilton Dubai Creek lurks close to Dubai’s main waterway – which means a short journey home when you leave the Gold Souk weighed down with bling.
Seek out Dubai’s historic corners
If you really want to slip back to a time before oil cash moved the goalposts in Dubai, the old quarter is a must-see. Much of it is laid out around the creek, where wooden dhows still sail. Cruises on these chunky vessels are easily booked, but there is also definite fun to be had in riding an abra – the busy local ferries that cross from Bur Dubai (on the south bank) to Deira in authentically rickety fashion. Elsewhere, the narrow alleys, courtyard houses and cafes of the Bastakiya area conjure up faint ghosts of the past, while the 18th century Al Fahidi Fort (and the attached Dubai Museum) recalls an era when visitors to Dubai did not necessarily arrive with friendly intentions.
Stay: The super-swanky Park Hyatt Dubai overlooks the creek (views a speciality) and is a good base for those who want to track down the Dubai of yesteryear.
Enjoy a spot of sun, sand and… more sand
With its ultra-modern hotels grasping at the sky, it is easy to convince yourself that Dubai is but one section of some great sprawling metropolis. But stray just a short distance from town and you realise that the United Arab Emirates’ greatest success story hovers on the edge of unforgiving desert. All right, not that unforgiving – the Arabian Desert is oddly welcoming. Most hotels sell excursions that give access to the enormous waves of sand that rear and fall east of the city, and ‘dune bashing’ – where you tackle the larger piles at speed in a 4x4 – is a particularly exhilarating way of exploring. Even further east, the Hajar Mountains offer desolate but beautiful terrain.
Stay: Tucked away some 30 miles south-east of the city, the top-of-the-range Al Maha Desert Resort does what it says on the tin, nestling among golden sand dunes.
Dive in on the east coast
Dubai has some lovely stretches of coast – Jumeirah Beach does the potent mix that is seafront and skyscrapers with aplomb. If you want to go beyond snorkelling, though, those who are happiest below the surface will find suitable scuba zones that are well within reach – some 80 miles east, on the right-hand edge of the UAE, in fact. Neighbouring Sharjah (the only Emirate with shoreline on both sides of the country) boasts fine diving at Khor Fakkan, while Fujairah has coral reefs and warm waters on the Gulf Of Oman.
Stay: Pitched on the waterfront in Fujairah, the first-rate Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort is perfect for scuba aficionados who also want to unwind on a sun-lounger.
Go clubbing. Golf clubbing…
As Las Vegas has long proved, being based in a desert is no barrier when it comes to the noble sport of golf. So it proves in Dubai, where the number of courses has passed the double-figure mark – the latest (and arguably the most prestigious) complex being the Tiger Woods Dubai, which is scheduled to open in the autumn as the home of a 72-par beast designed by… oh, you can guess. Other options include the Emirates Golf Course and the Montgomerie, both near Jumeirah Beach and ideal for a few hours of sweet-swinging pleasure/teeth-grinding frustration (delete as appropriate). Either way, unlike the recent US Open, there’s minimal chance of rain stopping play.
Stay: The luxury Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort perches near the Emirates and Montgomerie courses, and has eight restaurants for post-round relaxation.
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Chris Leadbeater is a freelance travel journalist. He writes regularly for the Daily Mail. His favourite destinations are Cuba, the USA and Paris.