More To Dubai Than Just Posh Hotels

More To Dubai Than Just Posh Hotels - On my maiden visit to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, I noticed two things first – everybody speaks English, and a glance in any direction showed new buildings being built.

Dubai, a popular stopover city for many long-haul flights, is worth visiting as there is always something new to experience. Coincidentally, the city is also set to host the coveted Expo 2020; the build-up to the six-month-long expo will see at least 10 new tourist attractions coming up.

Locals in Dubai are known for their hospitality. When you are a guest at an Emirati home, the host will ensure that your cup of coffee (called “gahwa”) is always full and that you are served sweet dates too.

A trip to Dubai is incomplete without visiting the iconic Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest single structure building that stands at 828m.

The lift only takes a minute to go from the first floor to the 124th floor, which is an interesting experience in itself.

Once you get to the top of the Burj Khalifa, you’ll get a 360° view of Dubai. On the ground floor is the Dubai Fountain, a beautiful feature with sprays of water and lights choreographed to music.

Inside the Burj Khalifa is the Armani Hotel Dubai, a luxury property developed and designed by Giorgio Armani. A deluxe room at the hotel goes for around AED2,000 (RM2,282) a night.

I was told that some Emiratis would book a room at the hotel for a weekend just to go on a shopping spree at the Dubai Mall, which is conveniently connected to the Burj Khalifa.

The mall boasts 1,400 shops and houses the Dubai Aquarium, one of the biggest aquariums in the world, in which you can go shark diving.

Travelling on foot in the city of Dubai is not recommended. Instead, take public transportation or use ride hailing apps like Uber and Careem.

Old Dubai And The Desert

Take a trip to the artificial islands of The Palm Jumeirah, which resembles a palm tree and is fitted with residential areas, shops and luxury hotels.

Jumeirah Beach, the only place in Dubai where you are allowed to wear your swimming attire in public, is worth a visit. This is where you can take nice pictures of the iconic Burj Al-Arab Jumeirah, the most expensive hotel in the world. The sail-shaped silhouette of the hotel, which offers 24-carat gold iPads for its in-house guests, can be seen against the backdrop of the beach.

Spend some time at the gold and spice souk (market) located in the Old Dubai. Buy your souvenirs here; haggle for a discount on things you want as traders can usually knock down the retail price by 70%. We did exactly this using our “Malaysian-know-how” and managed to get good prices on abayas, souvenirs and even gold bracelets.

The market is where you can see what Dubai was like before modernisation. There are old, sun-weathered, low-lying buildings around, a big contrast to the ultra modern buildings with which we usually associate the city. The market is located near the riviera, where boats bringing goods such as spices and textiles, dock

The highlight of the trip was the Dubai desert safari tour, which included dune bashing, dinner in a Bedouin-style camp, camel rides, henna hand painting and Arab cultural shows.

During the dune bashing, I got to explore the desert for half an hour in a four-wheel drive (4WD). As the 4WD went over the sand dunes, I was taken on a thrilling, dizzying roller coaster ride while the sun set. The rides are timed just before sunset so that passengers could get a more memorable experience. However, it is unsuitable for pregnant women, young children and those with major health problems.

After the ride, we were taken to a desert camp where we watched entertaining performances such as the whirling dervish Sufi dance of remembrance, belly dances and a fire show. You can also get free henna hand painting at the camp after filling your bellies with local delicacies including kebab shish tawook, um ali and hummus.

In the cooler months (November to January), Emiratis would set up tents in the desert, where they smoke shishas and have barbecues to pass the time.

Amazing Architecture And Art

Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE, is just 150km away or a two-hour drive from Dubai. There you can visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a jewel-studded dream of a structure. The mosque, which opened in 2007 after 11 years of construction, is a beautiful example of modern Islamic architecture.

It is the largest mosque in the country and is made up of mostly natural materials such as marble, stone, gold and crystals. All 96 columns in the main prayer hall are decked in marble and inlaid with mother of pearl and precious stones.

The beautiful carpet in the main prayer hall is the world’s largest single piece of hand-knotted carpet. What struck me the most were the seven chandeliers, each decorated with millions of Swarovski crystals.

There are 82 domes of various sizes at this mosque and it can accommodate more than 45,000 worshippers.

The mosque requires a strict dress code for everyone, including visitors or tourists. Women must be completely covered, including long sleeves to the wrist, loose trousers or a long skirt to the ankle, and a scarf or wrap to cover your head.

If you are travelling on a bigger budget, the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi (FWAD) might strike the right chord with you. Located at Yas Island, it is the first indoor theme park built by Ferrari in the world. Here, you can ride the world’s fastest roller coaster, the Formula Rossa.

While the ride takes less than two minutes to be completed, the coaster train accelerates to 240km/h in just five seconds. Ferrari car fans could also take pictures with some of the iconic Italian-made cars placed at its Ferrari Galleria.