Best Travel Guide to Dubai: A Futuristic and Fun City

Best Travel Guide to Dubai: A Futuristic and Fun City

If I had to describe Dubai, I would say that it is a futuristic, artificial and fun city at the same time, where there are no limits. It is like a huge amusement park. I love its skyline and all the lighting at night. I was delighted with how clean it is and how good it smells. It is also very safe. Dubai with children is a perfect plan as it offers a wide range of activities to enjoy with family but also as a couple or with friends.

One thing that surprised me is that it is more liberal than I thought (although obviously not like Europe or the USA), as there is an interesting mix of East and West. My husband was there on a business trip years ago and noticed that the issue of alcohol seems to be more liberal now than before. When he went, alcohol was only allowed in hotels and now also in some restaurants.

The City of Dubai and The History of The Country

Dubai is located in the Persian Gulf and is one of the seven United Arab Emirates. The capital is Dubai.

The Story

It has a rather short history. It was not until the 18th century that it began to develop into a settlement and a fishing port was formed around Dubai Creek. By the end of the century, it was already an important trading port and a commercial area began to develop.

In 1892, a treaty was signed with the British and since then Dubai has been a protectorate of Great Britain. This dependence lasted until 2 December 1971 when the United Arab Emirates were formed. Abu Dhabi is from then on, the capital and the rest of the emirates are Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Qaywayn, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujeirah.

In 2009, the financial crisis had a major impact on the emirate. Many urban developments were halted, slowing down the development of the local economy, which was able to sustain itself thanks to the support of Abu Dhabi. Since then, the city has grown enormously and construction continues non-stop (it is full of cranes).

Dubai has a lot of freedom within the Emirates and is taking a much more liberal approach in order to attract businesses, companies and tourists. Today it has almost 2,700,000 inhabitants. Contrary to what I thought, oil contributes only 4% of the GDP. Its main sources of income are trade, business and tourism.

Accommodation In Dubai

Finding a hotel in Dubai or a charming luxury villa is no problem. The emirate relies heavily on tourism and this is reflected in the effort put into the design and variety of accommodation on offer. There is a large selection of luxury hotels and the most famous is the sail-shaped 7-star Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel. If you are looking for something cheaper you can go to lower cost hotels like the Rove Downtown Dubai hotel

Grosvenor House Dubai

We stayed at the Grosvenor House Hotel, a stylish hotel spread across two modern towers, each 45 stories high, in Dubai’s Marina area, about 30 minutes from the airport. The hotel is part of the Luxury Collection and has 739 rooms and sophisticated 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments. We stayed in a 2-bedroom apartment on the 39th floor with stunning views over the Marina. These are spacious and stylish apartments with 3 bathrooms and a large living room with kitchenette.

We had breakfast included and it was worth it. You can have breakfast in 2 restaurants: Rhodes W1 which is a cute restaurant with an outdoor terrace and a very cheerful and elegant design or in Leaves.

The hotel has 14 restaurants such as Toro Toro, Indego by Vineet, Sloane’s, Ruya and Leaves, some of which are among the most recommended in Dubai. It also offers nightlife with its bars such as the Siddharta Lounge, the Buddha-Bar and Bar 44. If you are looking for relaxation, you can visit its swimming pool or the Retreat Health Spa and the Attitude Spa.

Other Accommodations in Dubai

Here are some recommendations for accommodation in villas and apartments in Dubai.

• Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai: Nikki Beach is a chain of beach clubs and hotels, among others in Marbella, St Tropez and Miami, always located on the best beaches. In Dubai they are located on the artificial island Pearl Jumeira. Apart from the rooms, it has 15 ultra-deluxe villas and 63 lifestyle residence units. The houses face directly onto the sea with a modern and beachy style at the same time. The complex has a beach, swimming pool, a spa and you can practice various water sports. They often organize parties in the club.

• Airbnb Dubai: On the Airbnb website there is a long list of holiday rental houses in Dubai on the famous Palm tree (Palm Jumeirah). We did not stay on the Palm tree but we did walk around this artificial island and it seems to me to be an ideal place to look for your house with Arabic charm as it is surrounded by beaches and sea, many have their own pool and everything is designed with local style and elegance.

What To See in Dubai, Sightseeing

✅ Burj Khalifa: One of the most famous attractions is the Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world with 160 floors and a height of 828 meters. I recommend buying tickets in advance so as not to waste time. You will still have to wait in line. You go up to floors 124 and 125 from where there are spectacular views of the city and the desert.

✅ Amusement parks in Dubai:

• Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi: We initially planned to go to this theme park. But it is in Abu Dhabi, an hour from Dubai, so you have to go on an organized tour, take a taxi or rent a car. In the end, it seemed more practical to stay in Dubai, but we decided to go and take advantage of the opportunity to see the mosque, which, although it is very modern, is said to be spectacular.

• IMG Worlds of Adventure: We decided to visit IMG, the largest indoor amusement park in the world. It is divided into 4 areas; Marvel, Lost Valley, Cartoon Network and IMG Network. We were amazed that an indoor park could fit roller coasters, and they weren’t small… I loved the 4D and 5D rides, they are very well done. The Haunted Hotel ride is also great for adults (for ages 15 and up) although I was a bit scared. We spent almost the whole day in the park and had a great time because there are rides for all ages and tastes. We were lucky that the day that suited us was a weekday right after a local festival and we never had to queue. A luxury!!

• Legoland Dubai: We haven’t been but it seems like a good option if you have small children.

✅ Dubai Creek:  This is the most authentic area of ​​Dubai and where the current city began to take shape. It is a nice area to walk around, take a boat ride or visit the Heritage Village. The Village was built in 1997 with the aim of teaching people what traditional life was like in Dubai (its buildings, trades, etc.). There are also three souks in the area that are worth visiting: The Gold Souk with more than 300 jewelers, the Spice Souk and the Bur Dubai Souk, which was initially used to sell fabrics but today sells everything.

✅ Visit the Palm Jumeirah:   it is part of three artificial islands (Palm Islands) and this is the smallest. The trunk is a boulevard with hotels that connects the 17 leaves where the villas and houses in Arabic style are located. If you want to see the shape of the palm tree well, I recommend taking the ‘ Palm Monorail ‘ train, which runs from one side of the palm tree to the other. If you do it by car, you are not high enough to see it well. At the end of the palm tree is the famous Atlantis Dubai Hotel, and it is also the end point of the train. Inside the hotel there is a shopping center and an aquarium.

✅ Visit the Dubai Mall area

• Shopping: The Dubai Mall is the world’s largest shopping centre with 1,200 stores ranging from brands such as Chanel and Dior to Zara and Gocco. It is located next to the Burj Khalifa.
• Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo – This is located inside the Dubai Mall. My kids had a great time in this underwater world.
• Eating: The Dubai Mall area has a wide range of restaurants, but we were looking for a quieter place. We ended up eating lying on the lounge beds by the pool at the elegant Palace Downtown.
• The Dubai Fountain: several times a day you can enjoy the impressive water show (275 meters long), light (6,600 spotlights and 50 video projectors) and music of the Dubai Fountain. It is located on the terraces of the Dubai Mall. The schedule is in the morning at 13:00 and 13:30 and in the afternoon between 18:00 and 23:00 every 30 minutes. I recommend going in the evening when it is already dark.

✅ Visit Abu Dhabi: This is the main Emirate and is an hour away by motorway. You can combine a visit to Ferrari World with the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world (knees and heads are required for women), and a lunch or dinner at the Emirates Palace Hotel.

✅ Go to the Beach: Dubai has many beaches. We were at the public beach next to the Burj al Arab hotel. The water has a beautiful transparent turquoise color and you don’t need a burkini to swim like you might in other countries in this region. You can also visit a club with a pool and private beach like Nikki Beach.

✅ A desert tour: A fun plan is a 4×4 tour through the sand, riding some camels and ending the day with an Arabian-style dinner. Arabian Adventures is an agency that can organize many special experiences for you. How about a ski safari?

✅ Dubai Golf: Dubai has about 10 golf courses and the Jumeirah Golf Estates is the most popular and is said to be the best. We stopped for a moment at the Emirates Golf Club which has a beautiful skyline.

If you want to book a tour of Dubai, I recommend Al Shamsi Travels. If you have little time, this is the best way to see the city with a guide and driver.

WHERE TO EAT IN DUBAI

The gastronomic offer is varied with a range of restaurants to suit all budgets. There are Arabic restaurants that offer typical dishes from the area such as grilled meat and fish, tabbouleh, shawarma, hummus, falafal, mezze… but in general they offer a fairly international cuisine. They do not have their own Michelin chefs but they do import chains that already have a lot of prestige.

A curious fact is that there are several restaurants where children under 21 are not allowed to dine on their terraces. There is a law that stipulates that if there is a bar on the terrace of a restaurant, you must be at least 21 years old to sit there.

Here are some recommendations for elegant, cool and fun restaurants:

• On Elite traveler you have the list of ` The Best Restaurants in Dubai ‘, which includes restaurants such as Rhodes W1 (where we had breakfast at our hotel), Pierchic or Eauzone.

• Pier 7: This round tower is in Dubai Marina next to the Dubai Marina Mall, in the area where our hotel was located. Friends who live there recommended us to have dinner at the Asia restaurant on the top floor of the tower, but it is important to book (we didn’t book and we didn’t get a seat). We had dinner on the 4th floor on the terrace of the Cargo restaurant, a more informal, modern, industrial-style place with views over the canal and all the illuminated buildings. You can also go for a drink. It’s cool to combine it with a walk around the marina; we walked there and took the water taxi back.

• Budha Bar: This restaurant is very famous and has its location in our hotel, Grosvenor House. We were at Siddharta Lounge by Budha Bar, we loved this restaurant for its Mediterranean and Asian food, as well as for its cool urban design with views of the marina and the Palm Jumeirah. They didn’t let us sit on the terrace because of the age of the children because it has a bar, but the restaurant is open to the terrace so if you go with children, ask for a table right where it opens to the terrace.

• Jetty Lounge: This is a chic beachside bar and probably the most sophisticated in Dubai and is part of the One&Only Royal Mirrage Hotel. Here you can have a drink and some tapas such as Spanish ham and cheese and Asian dishes. In the meantime, you can enjoy the sunset, the sound of the waves breaking and the chill-out music of their resident DJ who plays from Monday to Saturday from 6pm. Be careful with your clothes because for dinner you cannot wear flip-flops or shorts.

• For eating: You can spend the day at the beach and pool at the Nikki Beach Club and eat there. Friends recommended this to us when they spent the day there with their children on holiday. Be careful, if you go with children, check the rules regarding children under 21 years of age because there are quite a few restrictions regarding the pool.  They also organize parties with different themes from Thursday to Sunday.

• Other different ideas are a Dubai Dessert Safari with dinner and a show or a dinner cruise in the Dubai Marina or Dubai Creek

How To Get to Dubai

You can fly to Dubai via Emirates Airways Airbus 380 and there are also direct flights to Dubai from all major airports of the world operated by various airlines. It will be a very pleasant flight knowing that you will be reaching the best city (Dubai). At each seat there would small screens with a wide selection of films, series, games… Time flies by.

It takes about 30 minutes from Dubai airport to the marina and a little less to get to the downtown area. We booked the transfer in advance, which is appreciated after a long flight. You can also take a taxi, as they are not particularly expensive. A curious fact is that there are taxis with pink roofs especially for women, driven by women.

When To Travel, Weather in Dubai

Dubai has 2 seasons, during one it is hot and during the other it is even hotter. November to March is the best time to travel. We were there at the beginning of December and it was about 28 degrees during the day and 26 degrees at night. It was perfect!!! From April to October the temperature can reach over 50 degrees and for me that is a NO-GO.