If you want to sample the delights of the Middle East, with a healthy dose of grandeur and great shopping thrown in, Dubai won’t disappoint.
The glittering Gulf state of Dubai has positioned itself firmly on the cruising map, both as a port of call for world cruises and ships passing en route to Asia, and as a cruise hub in its own right.
Dubai is a kind of all-or-nothing, love-it-or-hate-it port of call. There’s nothing subtle here. Everything is bigger, taller, more dramatic. Glass towers rise up out of the barren desert and fantasy islands have been constructed in the Arabian Sea, shaped like palm trees or in one case, a map of the world. Million dollar homes are being snapped up by wealthy celebs looking for their slice of paradise in the sunshine, and a new ‘vintage’ attraction is the QE2, currently under renovation before opening in a couple of years as a luxury hotel.
For tourists, Dubai is about shopping, sport and sunshine. You can spend the day on the beach, go indoor skiing at the Ski Dubai centre (on real snow), play a round at one of several world-class golf courses, or surf the desert sand dunes. Or you can exercise that credit card at some of the flashiest malls in the world.
Docking
Cruise ships dock at the Cruise Terminal, a sleek facility located in Port Rashid which has free internet access, a tour office, restaurant and currency exchange. But you’ll need to take a taxi downtown – nobody walks in Dubai.
Climate
Hot, hot, hot, to the extent that swimming pools have to be chilled and someone is now even building a refrigerated beach, so holidaymakers do not burn their feet on the scalding sand. In winter, when cruise ships call, Dubai is perfect – dry and balmy, guaranteed beach weather.
Towards the end of the season, in April, temperatures can easily hit 40°C and it can be exhaustingly humid.
Desert of Dubai
Currency
The currency is the UAE Dirham (AED). Credit cards are accepted everywhere except some stalls in the souks (markets).
Shopping
Shopping is Dubai’s raison d’etre, as a former trading centre and now as a duty free port. There are giant shopping malls everywhere and you can take a free shuttle from the cruise terminal to two of them. Try Wafi City Mall, City Centre Mall, Mercato Mall and the upmarket Bur Jurman Mall, with wall-to-wall designer stores. For something more authentic, bargaining for gold in the gold souk is fun, or pottering around the spice souk. Both are in Bur Dubai, on one side of the creek that divides the city centre.
Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building
Finding the ‘real’ Dubai
Unearthing the ‘real’ Dubai amidst all the conspicuous consumerism can be tricky, but there are still elements of traditional Arab culture to be found. Spend some time down by the creek, soaking up the busy atmosphere and the scenes of trading dhows piled high with anything from fruit to fridge freezers. Go to the camel races (on Thursdays and Fridays in winter) or join a horse-riding trip in the desert. The Dubai Museum in Al Fahidi Fort gives an insight into life in the past; even in the 1950s, Dubai was little more than a fishing village. The museum’s galleries recreate traditional Arab houses, mosques, souks and date farms, as well as telling the history of pearl diving. Built in 1787, the fort is also believed to be the oldest building in Dubai.
Food
You can find anything you want in Dubai, from fast Middle Eastern food (shwarma, meat cooked on a spit and served in pitta) to high-end restaurants from Gordon Ramsay, Gary Rhodes, Nobu and Giorgio Locatelli. Many of the best restaurants are in the big, international hotels. Local food is influenced by dishes from all over Arabia, including Lebanon and Syria, so expect lots of dips and salads and plenty of lamb. There are some great seafood restaurants, too. Try Ossiano at the Atlantis resort for a three-Michelin-starred seafood splurge.
Need to know
Dubai is extremely safe – practically crime-free, in fact. Women can move about the city freely and don’t need to cover their heads, but as Dubai is a Muslim state they should avoid wearing skimpy clothes. Alcohol can be consumed in hotels, clubs and licensed restaurants.
Not to be missed
The best of Dubai:
Take a city tour
If you’ve never been to Dubai before, a city tour is a great way to soak up the amazing sights: the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, the world’s most expensive hotel; the old dhow boats sailing on the creek; the Burj Dubai, the tallest skyscraper in the world which opens in 2009; and the Mall of Arabia, currently being constructed as the world’s biggest shopping mall.Go on a desert safari
Desert Safari
If time permits, do a desert safari. The day trips include dune bashing in 4x4s; camel rides; lunch or dinner in a ‘traditional’ Bedouin tent and sand skiing or surfing. There are evening versions, too, with belly dancing
Go for a splash at Wild Wadi or Aquaventure
If you’re travelling with children, visit Wild Wadi Water Park, which is located next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. You can get in as a day visitor and play on 23 water slides and rides.
And there’s an even fancier park now at the new Atlantis, on Palm Island, called Aquaventure. Again, you can turn up and pay as a day visitor, and enjoy amazing thrill rides, including a slide that shoots you through a Perspex tunnel inside a shark-infested lagoon.
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