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Dubai is an ultramodern city. In appearance
it is clean, safe, and ultimately dynamic; a shrine to the ebb
and flow of capitalism at its best. Very little which is
obsolete remains and markets here tend to sell gold and
electronics rather then more traditional goods.
Al
Fahidi Street
Al Fahidi Street lies at the heart of the
Bur Dubai souk. Its many shops are packed with the latest in
electronics, video, audio, TV systems, home appliances and
photographic equipment, which are all sold at very competitive
prices.
Al Nasr Leisureland
Located in Bur
Dubai, off Zabeel Road, is this modern leisure park offering a
variety of sports facilities including an ice rink, a bowling
alley and swimming pools, as well as a children's amusement
park. Open daily from 0900 hrs to 2200 hrs.
 Bait Al
Wakeel
Built in 1934 by the late Sheikh Rashid, Bait Al
Wakeel was Dubai's first office building. At the edge if the
Creek near the abra landing, the building has been restored
and now houses a museum devoted to Dubai's fishing and
maritime traditions.
Bani Yas
Square
Dominating Bani Yas Square in the heart of Deira
is Deira Tower with its distinctive circular cap. Here you
will discover bargains on electronics, textile products and
consumer products.
Bastakiya
Stroll down the
Bastakiya district next to the Dubai Museum and catch the
glimpses of old Dubai with wind towers, a cultural centre and
an art gallery.
Camel Race Track
There is a
wildly eccentric flavor to a desert camel race that makes it
irresistibly entertaining to watch. However, camel races are
not staged for the tourist, they are both a passion and a
serious business in Dubai conducted nearly every weekend in
the cooler months.
Dubai Camel Racecourse
The
racecourse at the fringe of the city plays a winter host to
the popular local sport of camel racing held on Thursdays and
Fridays. Races held on the National Day and the Eid are
particularly popular events.
Dubai Zoo
On the
Jumeirah Beach Road is a small but interesting zoo that is
home to a variety of birds, reptiles and exotic
animals.
Open 10am to 6:30pm, Wednesday to
Monday.
Golf Courses
Even for the non-golfer,
Dubai's golf clubs are worth a visit, both for the spectacular
architecture of their clubhouses and as examples of the
successful greening and landscaping of the desert.
More than one visitor has mistaken the lush greens and
freshwater lakes of the Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek
Golf Club for a desert mirage. Man-made oasis of rolling green
fairways, bunkers and lakes materialize miraculously from a
desert haze with superbly designed clubhouses at their
epicenters.
A nine-hole 'country' course is also
available at the Hatta Fort Hotel where golfers have a unique
fun experience of playing in craggy mountain
scenery.
Horse Racing
Having firm roots in
Arab culture, it is only natural that Dubai, already
recognized as a sports and business centre should develop its
potential for international horse-racing. A full racing
calendar and the already renowned $4 million Dubai Cup
attracts participants and observers from all over the world to
the spectacular Nad Al Sheba course.
Hot Air Balloon
Flights
See the countryside in a Hot Air Balloon as you
have never seen it before. A flight in a Hot Air Balloon gives
you the power of the winds. You can fly high above the haze or
skim the sand dunes, float on a gentle breeze or ride with a
cloud.
The cost is Dhs. 780 per person and includes a
pre-flight safety briefing, approximately a 1 hour flight,
post flight sparkling grape juice celebration, breakfast, full
passenger insurance and a return transport to the launch site.
Parks and
Gardens
Situated around Dubai are numerous public parks
and gardens offering a peaceful respite from urban life.
Particularly popular with families, they offer attractive
picnic spots and children's play areas with a variety of
entertainment facilities. The largest of the city's parks are
Jumeirah Beach Park, Dubai Creekside Park, Mushrif Park, Al
Mamzar Park and Safa Park, while many smaller ones throughout
the city provide pleasant green oases.
Sheikh Zayed
Road
Dubai's version of downtown Manhattan. This is a
bustling commercial district lined with high rise skyscrapers.
The World Trade Centre and the Emirates Tower Hotel shadow
some of the other tall buildings on the highway.
The
Creek (Scenic)
The Waterfront, Dubai
The Creek, a
natural sea-water inlet which cuts through the centre of the
city, is the historic focal point of life in Dubai. A stroll
along its banks evokes the city's centuries-old trading
traditions.
Visitors will be captivated by the color
and bustle of the loading and unloading of dhows which still
ply ancient trade routes to places as distant as India and
East Africa.
An attractive way to view the Creek and
the dhows is from an abra, one of the small water taxis which
criss-cross the Creek from the souks of Deira to those on the
Bur Dubai side. Abra's cost Dhs 1.50 (US$.40) per person, per
trip and leave every few minutes. They are available opposite
the Inter.Continental hotel in Deira and the old souk in Bur
Dubai.
Boatmen will also take visitors on a fascinating
hour-long trip from the abra embarkation points to the mouth
of the Creek and inland to the Maktoum Bridge, passing on the
way many of the city's historic and modern
landmarks.
Redevelopment work has transformed parts of
the Creek's banks. On the Deira side, a broad and well-lit,
paved promenade extends from the Corniche, which faces on the
Arabian Gulf, all the way to the attractive purpose-built dhow
terminal constructed beside Maktoum Bridge.
On the Bur
Dubai side between Maktoum and Garhoud bridges, Creekside Park
provides pleasant paved walks and extensive landscaped public
gardens.
At the inland end of the Creek is a large,
shallow lagoon, now a wildlife sanctuary which has become a
haven for migrating shore birds. Some 27,000 birds have been
counted here at one time during the autumn migration. The most
spectacular are the many Greater Flamingos which have made the
Creek their permanent home.
For a tour along the creek,
contact, Coastline Leisure, One hour
tours star from Dhs 35 per
person.
Wonderland
Located just off the
Garhoud bridge, Wonderland is a family fun park that caters to
all ages. Attractions include numerous water rides and slides,
roller coasters, a log flume, bumper boats, games of skill and
a nightly water mist show.
Wild
Wadi
Located next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Wild
Wadi offers thrill-seekers and families hours of fun at one of
the world's most advanced water theme parks. Featuring the
tallest and fastest water speed rides outside North America,
other attractions include Log River, Ring Ride, Flood River,
Wave Pool, Flow Rides, Lazy River and much
more.
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