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DUBAI TOURISM & TRAVEL GUIDE

Dubai Sights

One the seven sisters of the United Arab Emirates (and the second largest), the Sheikdom of Dubai combines the resort ambience of world-class beaches with modern, big-city bustle and technologically innovative architecture. The friendly desert paradise, located on the Gulf of Oman, has fast become a tourism favourite.

Traditionally called the "City of Merchants", Dubai has welcomed travellers into its heart for centuries. Today, the standards in hospitality live on, with a wide selection of luxurious, modern hotels offering superb accommodation, sporting facilities, international-standard dining and entertainment.

Year-round sunshine and deserted beaches, combined with state-of-the-art facilities, make this a world-class destination. There is a wide selection of top-quality luxury hotels, featuring superb health clubs, an extensive restaurant range and sporting facilities.

Multi-lingual guides and well-qualified drivers are available for city tours, shopping trips, sightseeing, heritage visits, desert safaris, dune-driving, camel racing, belly-dancing, boat trips and helicopter rides! There is also a full calendar of top-class international sporting events to attend - golf, tennis, horse racing, motor rallying, powerboat racing, football, rugby and sailing.
Tours of the City

Walking Tours
Dubai is a sprawling city that can be difficult to walk around and there are no official signposted tours. However, a self-guided stroll around the older central parts of Deira and Bur Dubai is a great way of discovering the delights of the city, exploring its traditional souks or stumbling across hidden mosques or wind towers.

‘A Walk through the City of Contrasts’, covering Bastakiya and including an abra ride from Shindagha across the Creek and a walk through the gold and spice souks, is offered by Arabian Adventures (tel: (04) 303 4888; website: www.arabian-adventures.com) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, October to April.

Bus Tours
A number of companies offer half-day city tours, including Arabian Adventures (tel: (04) 303 4888; website: www.arabian-adventures.com) and Net Tours Dubai (tel: (04) 226 6655; website: www.nettoursdubai.com). Tours vary depending on the operator but most go to the old and new Dubai souks, Jumeirah Mosque, the thriving commercial area and include a creek crossing by abra (local water taxi). Prices start at Dh120. Another option is to see Dubai by night. Post-tour dinner in one of Dubai’s many restaurants is usually a feature of the night-time tours, which also incorporate the mosques, palaces and souks. The tours operate a very organised system, with pick-up at all main hotels.

Boat Tours
Arabian Adventures (tel: (04) 303 4888; website: www.arabian-adventures.com) offers a variety of cruises on Dubai Creek, with prices starting at Dh150 for a half-day adventure aboard a 20m (65ft) schooner, which sets off onto the Arabian Gulf. Alpha Tours (tel: (04) 294 9888; website: www.alphatoursdubai.com) operates evening dhow dinner cruises, which take 2 hours and cost Dh240. Alternatively, tourists should go down to Dubai Creek and charter a traditional abra (water taxi), which costs Dh40-60 for a short river tour lasting 60-90 minutes. The length of the tour and the price should be agreed in advance. Otherwise, visitors can just ride one across the creek to the other side (journey time – 5 minutes) for Dh0.50.

Key Attractions

Bastakiya
In the days before electricity and air conditioning, Dubai Creek used to be lined by a mass of wind towers that kept the local houses cool. The Bastakiya district is a step back in time, laden as it is with traditional courtyard houses, bedecked with these wind towers. The Bastakiya area is currently undergoing renovation, with improved visitor facilities planned for its transformation into a 'tourist village'.

East of Dubai Souk on Al-Fahidi Street
Transport: Bus 19 or abra to Bur Dubai.

Palm Islands
These three islands, said to be visible from the moon, form the largest manmade islands in the world. The Palm Jumeirah will feature a number of hotels as well as private residences when it opens in 2006. The Palm Jebel Ali is slated to have more leisure facilities, including an aquatic theme park, when it opens in 2008. The third of the islands, Palm Deira, will be more geared towards residential use with over 7,000 villas, and will be the largest of the trio when it opens in 2009. New bridges will connect the islands to the mainland in one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken by man. The three islands are going to be accompanied by ‘The World’, all very Dubai, an ambitious attempt to recreate the shape of the world on 300 offshore islands, slated to open in 2008. Watching these outlandish projects take shape has become one of Dubai’s main attractions, with the view perhaps best from the Burj al Arab hotel.

Tel: (04) 390 3333. Fax: (04) 390 3314.
Website: www.thepalm.co.ae

Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum’s House
Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum’s House is one of the oldest houses in the city, as well as one of the best examples of traditional architecture. Built from sandstone, in 1896, the house offers sweeping views out towards the sea – although the view has been slightly obscured by more modern development. The one-time ruler of Dubai used the house to monitor trade in and out of the country. The house was reopened as a museum in 1986; it also contains an exhibition illuminating Dubai’s development from the 1940s to the late 1960s.

Near Al-Shindagha Tunnel, Al-Shindagha Road
Tel: (04) 393 7139.
Transport: Bus 8, 16, 19 or 20.
Opening hours: Sat-Thurs 0800-2030 and Fri 1530-2130.
Admission: Dh2.

Jumeirah Mosque
The Jumeirah Mosque is the most photographed building in the city and an impressive example of modern Islamic architecture. Built along medieval Fatimid lines, entirely of stone, the mosque and its two minarets are unmistakable. It is particularly attractive at night, when subtle lighting increases its dramatic effect. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter mosques in Dubai, although they can enter this one if on an organised tour. Visitors should call the tourist office to check if these are available.

Al-Jumeirah Road
Transport: Bus 8 or 20.
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours; access to non-Muslims through organised tours only.
Admission: Free.

Grand Mosque
The Grand Mosque was only rebuilt in 1998 and boasts the city’s tallest minaret, at 70m (231ft). Located on the Bur Dubai side of the creek, near the Ruler’s Court, the Grand Mosque consists of nine large domes and 45 smaller ones. This huge religious edifice can house up to 1,200 worshippers.

Ali ibin Ali Talib Street
Transport: Bus 19.
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours; entrance to non-Muslims is forbidden.
Admission: Free.

Souks (markets)
The souks, or traditional markets, are one of Dubai’s greatest attractions. They are located on both sides of the creek, with the most impressive on the Deira side. The highlight is the colourful Spice Market, which abounds with exotic aromas and bustles with locals seeking bargains. Wandering around the atmospheric souks is a good way for visitors to get in touch with how life was in Dubai, before oil was discovered.

Deira Covered Souk, Al-Sabkha Road
Deira Old Souk or Spice Souk, 67 Street
Deira Gold Souk, Sikkat al-Khali Street
Perfume Souk, Sikkat al-Khali Street
Electronics Souk, Al-Sabkha Road and Al-Maktoum Hospital Road
Dubai Souk, Bur Dubai
Transport: Bus 5, 16, 19 or 20 all drop off at souks in both Bur Dubai and Deira.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1200 and 1700-1900; Fri 1700-1900.
Admission: Free.

Children’s City
Opened in 2002, at Dubai Creekside Park, Children’s City is proving a big hit with both local and international youngsters. The 7,700 sq-m (82,882 sq-ft) development takes young minds on a journey through the human body, science and space, with the help of different ‘zones’. With plenty of hands-on action to keep even the most demanding children occupied, this is no dull old museum. All exhibits are in English as well as Arabic.

Creekside Park
Tel: (04) 334 0808.
Website: www.childrencity.ae
Transport: Bus 19.
Opening hours: Sat-Thurs 0900-2200, Fri 1600-2200.
Admission: Dh15; Dh10 (children under 16); family concessions available.

Dubai Museum
The building that houses the Dubai Museum, Al-Fahidi Fort, is an attraction in itself. The historic fort, dating back as far as 1799, was converted into a museum, in 1970. The exhibits range from old weapons and pearl-diving outfits to an impressive range of military artefacts. Some of the most fascinating exhibits are those recovered from the 3000 to 4000-year-old graves at Al-Ghusais.

Al-Fahidi Road
Tel: (04) 373 7151.
Transport: Bus 19.
Opening hours: Sat-Thurs 0800-2200, Fri 0800-1100 and 1600-2200.
Admission: Dh3.

Majlis Ghorfat Um-Al-Sheef
At the Majlis Ghorfat Um-Al-Sheef, it is possible to delve into the opulent world of the moneyed men of Dubai. The late ruler of Dubai, Ghorfat Um-Al-Sheef, used this building as his ‘home from home’ but it is now open to the public. The building dates back to 1955 and its most impressive feature are the majlis gardens, which include a reproduction of a traditional Arab irrigation system.

17 Street, off Al-Jumeirah Road
Tel: (04) 394 6343.
Transport: Bus 8.
Opening hours: Daily 0730-1430 and 1630-2100.
Admission: Dh1.

Heritage Village
The Heritage Village is an attempt to weave in some local colour among Dubai’s rapidly developing 21st-century skyline. The emphasis is on recreating the Bedouin way of life, with locals dressed in traditional garb, displays of traditional handicrafts, song and dance. Local handicrafts are also available for purchase. There is also a small section for children, with a smattering of things to keep young visitor's occupied.

Near Shindagha Tunnel, Al-Shindagha Road
Tel: (04) 393 7151.
Transport: Bus 8, 16, 19 or 20.
Opening hours: Sat-Thurs 0800-2200, Fri 0800-1100 and 1600-2200.
Admission: Free.

Source : Colombus guide