05 NIGHTS / 06 DAYS
Dubai is the second largest of the seven states of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its main port and commercial centre. With an area of 3,885 square kilometres, it is located on the two banks of the Dubai Creek, an inlet from the Arabian Gulf. It is one of the world’s few locations where modern city life, sandy beaches and the desert are all within easy reach.
The city has built its wealth mainly on its traditional role as an international trading centre, and it is less dependent on oil revenue than the other Emirate states. Dubai’s government is now heavily promoting the city for international investment, commercial and industrial development, and, more recently, tourism. Fifteen free trade zones are being developed, including the world’s first e-business free zone.
Dubai has a tradition of implementing vast development projects which have included building the tallest hotel in the world, as well as the latest Palm Islands development, a major reclamation project which will include numerous new hotels and residential properties of the highest standard, as well as shopping malls, entertainment facilities, a marine park and around 75 miles of new beaches.
You know about Dubai’s luxury dining, ginormous mall with indoor snow-skiing, and futuristic skyline soaring from the sands — a hyper-tall Vegas/Disney World magic city in the United Arab Emirates. But to gain a more complete understanding of this destination, even if you only have a couple of days, here are a few of my favorite activities, including trips to the highest tower, the most luxurious hotel, the original section of Dubai on the water, and an excursion to the desert dunes from where the skyscrapers sprung up only a few decades ago.
