by Andre Sanchez

Many people who vacation in Dubai return home wondering why they had never thought of Dubai as being a holidaymaker’s paradise.  Because that’s what it is, with golf, water sports, sailing, marvellous restaurants and nightlife,  history and archaeology that a historian would die for and amusement parks and other attractions that will keep the children happy the entire vacation.

Dubai is the second largest of the United Arab Emirates and most Westerners who have never visited think of it as a desert state with camels and sand as the main features.  Few think of its five star hotels and beautiful beaches, though these are not as advertised as the populist view of Dubai as being yet another ‘Arab’ country.

Few people regard any of the United Arab Emirates as being anything other than oil states, with little else to offer the rest of the world.  However, Dubai is the fastest growing city in the world, with some of the most luxurious five star hotels on the planet.  Hilton and Trump are here, as is the Dubai World Cup, the richest horse race in the world at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse and the European PGA Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club, played by most of the world’s top golfers, including Tiger Woods.

No, Dubai is not just sand, camels and oil.  It is a fast growing cosmopolitan city, where the old mingles with the new and five star luxury sits amongst traditional markets and people eat food of all nationalities and ethnicity.  In fact, oil is becoming less important to Dubai’s economy, and the reserves are expected to run out in 20 years.

So, what would you do on a vacation in Dubai?  What is there to see, what is there to entertain you and your family?  A lot more than you could imagine.  Do not enter Dubai with preconceived ideas, because you will undoubtedly be wrong.  Keep your mind open and enter a world that mixes the ancient and the modern and wraps it up in gold braid.  Because gold is natural to Dubai. 

The gold souqs, or markets, have a wonderful variety of golden jewellery, rings and chains for sale, but not as they are sold in the west.  They are sold by weight – the weight of the gold, with a making charge on top.  If you buy a ring, the price is the price of the gold plus a price for making the ring.  You can even buy the gold, and have it made into a piece of your design. 

There are other souqs in Dubai, such as the wonderful smelling spice souq, and the equally beautiful perfume souq.  The fish souq does not have the same aroma, but nevertheless it is a market not to be missed.  If you decide to vacation in Dubai these are all places that you must visit.

The city of Dubai is split in two by the Dubai Creek.  It is the Creek that actually made Dubai what it is since without it, Dubai would likely not be here.  It provides a natural harbour, and also a navigable channel inland.  It is because of this that the creek area contains most of Dubai’s mainland hotels and shopping areas.  On one side of the Creek is Bur Dubai which houses the traditional pats of the city, such as the old Al Fahidi Fort that houses the Dubai Museum.  If you want not find out more about traditional Arab life then this is the place to go.

The other side is Diera, where all the new construction is going on.  They say that 50% of the tall cranes in the world are here. However, if you are on vacation in Dubai, your kids will not be too much interested in the construction.  For them there are the beaches with their pure white sand, the Wild Wadi Water Amusement Park, and the Dubai Zoo.

There is so much to do and so many things to see on a holiday in Dubai that you will have to draw up a plan or itinerary, otherwise you will be wandering about like a headless chicken and not visit even a fraction of what Dubai has to offer.  Here are a few of the attractions that should be on your list, assuming that you have a family vacation.

Jumeira Beach is a must if you like to soak up the sun, and fit in a bit of swimming. The climate is usually perfect, and the sea is warm.  The children will love the sand that is kept spotlessly clean and is cleared up every evening.  However, if you prefer something just as leisurely but without the water and sands that can get everywhere, try Creekside Park.  That is a fabulous park complex containing several attractions including Dubai Children’s City, a science and cultural center designed specifically to demonstrate to children the technology and civilizations of world about them.

It also has a cable car from which you can see a panorama of Dubai beneath you, an 18 whole mini golf course and you can hire bicycles to travel round the park.  Well worth a visit.

Dubai also has a good night life, and is not at all what you would expect of a city in this part of the world.  Dubai has taken the view that the way for a cosmopolitan city to grow and forge ahead is to provide visitors with what they want and need, and Dubai has done that in spades.  While pubs are not allowed in the city as such, bars are permitted in hotels.

What else does Dubai have to offer the holidaymaker?  Water sports, camel riding, dune buggying and dune surfing, sailing jet skis and just about any other water sport you could imagine.  Dubai is a modern city, designed to entertain and you will not be disappointed if you decide to vacation in Dubai.

Why Not Vacation in Dubai? was originally published at http://www.globallifenow.com