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Spectacular places to meet in Dubai on your trip

Estudio Patagon -

Glitzy Dubai is the United Arab Emirates' holiday hot spot. This city of high-rises and shopping malls has transformed itself from a desert outpost to a destination du-jour, where tourists flock for sales bargains, sunshine, and family fun.

Dubai is famous for sightseeing attractions such as the Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building) and shopping malls that come complete with mammoth aquariums and indoor ski slopes.

But this city has many cultural highlights and things to do as well as all the glamorous modern add-ons.

Take a wander around the Bastakia district, and you'll discover the Dubai of old, then cruise along Dubai Creek in a traditional dhow, and you'll soon realize there's more to this city than its flashy veneer.

Burj Khalifa

Dubai's landmark building is the Burj Khalifa, which at 829.8 meters is the tallest building in the world and the most famous of the city's points of interest.

For most visitors, a trip to the observation deck on the 124th floor here is a must-do while in the city. The views across the city skyline from this bird's-eye perspective are simply staggering.

The slick observation deck experience includes a multimedia presentation on both Dubai and the building of the Burj Khalifa (completed in 2010) before a high-speed elevator whizzes you up to the observation deck for those 360-degree views out across the skyscrapers to the desert on one side and the ocean on the other.

Nighttime visits are particularly popular with photographers due to Dubai's famous city-lights panoramas. Buy your Burj Khalifa "At the Top" Entrance Ticket in advance to avoid long line-ups, especially if you are planning to visit on a weekend.

Back on the ground, wrapping around the Burj Khalifa, are the building's beautifully designed gardens, with winding walkways. There are plenty of water features including the Dubai Fountain, the world's tallest performing fountain, modeled on the famous Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas.

  • Location: Entry from Dubai Mall, Sheikh Zayed Road, Downtown
  • Official site: www.burjkhalifa.ae 2 Dubai Mall

Deira

Deira lies on the northern bank of Dubai Creek, and the winding streets here unveil the melting pot of different nationalities that have come to call Dubai home.

On the shore, ancient dhows load and unload with modern banks, hotels, and office buildings as a backdrop. For travelers, Deira is most famous for its traditional souks (markets), which bustle with shoppers at all times of the day.

Deira Gold Souk is world-renowned as the largest gold bazaar in the world. The Deira Spice Souk sells every imaginable spice, with stalls overflowing with bags of frankincense, cumin, paprika, saffron, sumac, and thyme, as well as the fragrant oud wood, rose water, and incense.

The fish market provides a much less touristy experience. While in the district, culture lovers shouldn't miss two of Deira's finely restored architectural gems.

Heritage House was built in 1890 as the home of a wealthy Iranian merchant and later became the home of Sheik Ahmed bin Dalmouk (a famous pearl merchant in Dubai).

Today, it's a great chance to see the interior of a traditional family home. The Al-Ahmadiya School, constructed in 1912, is the oldest school in Dubai and is now a museum of public education.

  • Location: Dubai Creek

Dubai Aquarium

One of the city's top tourist attractions, the Dubai Aquarium houses 140 species of sea life in the huge suspended tank on the ground floor of the Dubai Mall.

As well as free viewing from the mall, if you enter the Underwater Zoo, you can walk through the aquarium tunnels.

Different activities help you get a closer look at the sea life. Glass bottom boat tours (on top of the tank) are particularly popular. Cage snorkeling and shark diving activities are also on offer.