Dubai Bucket List
Five decades ago, it was just a fishing village. Now, there's an indoor ski slope in the middle of the desert and artificial islands visible from space. It shouldn't work. It's one layer of excess piled on top of another layer of excess, piled on top of another layer of excess. And yet, standing at the foot of the world's tallest building, watching the fountain shoot water 150 meters into the sky, you think, well, yes, all right, this makes sense.
Why Dubai belongs on your bucket list
The skyline is like a game. Every building trying to outdo the others to reach the highest, the weirdest, the most outrageous. It sounds silly, and it probably is, but there's more to it than just the towers. Old Dubai, along the Creek, smells like saffron and oud, and sounds like business conducted for centuries. Dhows unloading goods, merchants negotiating, cafes serving karak chai along the waterfront. The food scene is insane because everybody brought their own. Pakistani street food in Deira, Japanese omakase in DIFC, Filipino breakfast in Karama. And the desert is just 30 minutes away. Sand dunes, reminding you that all of this was built on, well, sand.
When to go
November to March. End of discussion. That's the time of year you can actually step outside without spontaneously combusting, at 25C, with blue skies, and not a drop of rain. There's the Dubai Shopping Festival in January, too, if you're into that sort of thing. And Ramadan is different every year, which means it's actually kind of cool, although the hours at the restaurant are different, and they close during the day. Summer? Forget it. 45C plus, and the humidity hits you like a brick wall the moment you step outside. Everything is indoors. Hotels are half price, so if you don't mind living in the air conditioning, you can save a bundle.
Must-visit places in Dubai
Burj Khalifa
828 meters. The tallest thing humans have ever built. That's a different statement of fact when you are standing on floor 124 and you have the desert on one side and the ocean on the other. The At the Top deck (floors 124-125) is the regular ticket. The SKY lounge on floor 148 is more expensive but has a fraction of the number of people and a better view from a bit higher. Either way, get a ticket for sunset. The whole city turning from golden to an electric grid of lights is a different experience from this height.
Dubai Mall & Aquarium
1,200 shops. An ice rink. One of the biggest aquariums in the world – 33,000 marine animals behind a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that you can see for free just by walking in the mall. It's ridiculous. The Dubai Fountain show outside shoots water 150 meters in the air and happens every 30 minutes after sunset, synchronized to music. You don't have to buy anything in the mall. The show is reason enough to come here. This is just Dubai doing its thing.
Palm Jumeirah
It's just an island from down here. It's nice, but you won't get that famous palm shape. It's just an island in the sea. From a helicopter or the monorail, you'll appreciate just how nuts the engineering is. The Pointe has some great restaurants on the waterfront with Atlantis in the background. The boardwalk along the crescent of the palm is nice in the evening. No hotel reservation? No problem. There are several beach clubs that will sell you a day pass and you can use their beach without paying five-star prices.
Burj Al Arab
Can't just walk in. Need to have a reservation for something – afternoon tea at the Skyview Bar, lunch at Al Mahara (their underwater restaurant) – to get in the door. The inside is very Dubai. Honesty time: the outside is way more impressive than the inside. Take your photo in front of the building from Jumeirah Beach or the Madinat Jumeirah souk nearby. The silhouette of the sail against the ocean is the photo op.
Dubai Creek & Abra Ride
One dirham. Twenty-five cents. That's what it takes for a wooden abra to take you across the Creek. The cheapest and most authentic thing to do in Dubai. The Deira side is the original trading vibe – loud, crowded, full of life and commerce that's been going on for centuries before the first skyscraper was ever imagined. Look out over the dock as the dhows unload the wares from Iran, India, East Africa. Same trade routes. Same boats. Centuries of tradition.
Gold Souk & Spice Souk
The amount of gold in the souk will blow your mind. Floor to ceiling, window after window after window. Prices are based on the daily rate for the gold plus a making fee. You're also expected to haggle – start at 50% and go from there. The Spice Souk around the corner assaults you with the scent of saffron, frankincense, dried herbs so strong they're recognizable from a block away. Both souks come alive in the late afternoons. Don't even think about coming at noon – half the shops are closed.
Ski Dubai
Skiing. Indoors. In a mall. In the desert. Because, Dubai. There are five slopes, including a legitimate 400-meter black run, a snow park, and – this is actual reality – actual penguins. The cognitive dissonance of skiing while knowing it's 40C outside is just weird. The Snow Cinema shows movies in -4C and gives you a blanket and a hot chocolate. Rental of equipment is included in the ticket. Just roll with it.
Atlantis Aquaventure
There are over 30 rides, and the Leap of Faith is exactly as terrifying as you've heard – a near-vertical drop through a clear tube that goes through a lagoon filled with sharks. Yes, sharks. The Lost Chambers Aquarium under this hotel has 65,000 marine animals in this over-the-top Atlantis-themed setting. Full-day tickets are a bit steep, but they include everything. Hit this place on a weekday instead of a weekend – the queues are agony.
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
After a few days of glass and steel, this area is a deep breath of fresh air. The old wind tower homes from the 1800s – essentially, old Dubai air conditioning – now have small museums, art galleries, and cafes in a courtyard setting with bougainvillea growing out of the walls. The Arabian Tea House has a traditional breakfast that's lovely in all ways. The Dubai Museum in the old Al Fahidi Fort gives you a look into just how this country went from pearl diving village to this. You need this background. It all makes more sense.
Dubai Marina
A man-made canal city with some of the world's tallest residential buildings lit up at sunset, and the promenade along the waterfront thronged with joggers, families, and those trying to choose between 50 different eateries. Marina Walk has all price ranges covered. Want a different perspective? Take a dinner cruise on a dhow through the lit-up canyon of tower buildings. JBR Beach is just around the corner, one of the best in Dubai and free to use.
Dubai insider tips
- Dress code: More laid back than people make it out to be, but do cover up when in shopping malls, souks, or around the general area. Beach wear is for the beach or pool only. Also, mosques require shoulders and knees to be covered.
- Metro: Nice and clean. Air-conditioned. Actually pretty useful. Red line covers pretty much everything from airport to Dubai Marina. Worth paying twice the price for the gold class. Has a women/children-only section.
- Brunch culture: Friday brunch is a thing here. Every hotel and restaurant offers a huge spread with eat-all-you-can-and-drink deals. Everyone comes out for it. So book ahead. Come starving. Prices vary from reasonable to 'are you kidding me?' but it's always worth it.
- Desert safari: Must-do. Half-day trip with dune bashing, camel ride, and a BBQ dinner under the stars. Worth paying a bit more for a good company – the difference is small but the difference in quality is huge.
- Taxis & Careem: Taxis are metered and super cheap. Careem (like Uber but regional) is even cheaper and more reliable. Walking is not really an option – distances here are huge and even in winter, the sun will get you.
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