From gold souks to ski slopes, Jenny Southan discovers Dubai has plenty to keep you entertained
The ambitious emirate has plans to double the number of tourists it attracts annually to 20 million, by 2020.
Whether or not it achieves this, if you are one of the growing number of business travellers who are combining work with pleasure, here are some suggestions of places to visit and things to do in both old and new Dubai in your free time. Just don’t forget your suncream.
OLD DUBAI
Al Bastakiya On the banks of Dubai Creek, the sleepy, sand-coloured streets of this historic part of the city – complete with wind towers and a cushion-strewn open-air majlis – hark back to life in the emirate at the turn of the last century. Once a buzzing residential district, it fell into disrepair after oil was discovered in the 1960s. Facing demolition in the 1980s, along came British architect Rayner Otter, who, together with the backing of Prince Charles, pushed for it to be restored. Thankfully, it was, and visitors can now seek solace from the heat in the cool of its numerous charming establishments.
The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (cultures.ae) in al Bastakiya is well worth visiting if you have time. The non-profit organisation was set up in the mid-nineties to introduce foreigners to local Emiratis, help them learn Arabic, give them the opportunity to visit the Jumeirah Mosque, and even partake in traditional meals such as iftar (a nightly breaking of the fast during Ramadan). Cultural breakfasts (Dhs 60/£11) are hosted 10am on Monday and Wednesday, lunches (Dhs 70/£12) 1pm Sunday and Tuesday, brunch 10.30am on Saturday (Dhs 80/£14) and dinner 7pm on Tuesday (Dhs 95/£17).
Just down the road is XVA Art Hotel (xvahotel.com), a nine-room boutique property with an award-wining vegetarian café, a modern art gallery, an in-house tailor, a fairtrade gift shop and two central courtyards where you can sit with an ice-cold lemon mint beneath the shade of a tree. It’s all very boho-chic – rough-hewn pots stand against whitewashed walls, and old vines twist down to meet hand-woven rugs. It’s the perfect antidote to the artificiality of new Dubai.
A few minutes away from the hotel is the Dubai Museum, which is housed on Al Fahidi Street in the old coral-rock Al Fahidi Fort, and opened in 1971 with the intention of preserving the emirate’s past. Beyond its high walls you’ll find traditional dhow boats that were once used by pearl divers and fishermen, and recreations of simple Bedouin homes in the open air. Inside are displays of antique khanjar daggers and guns, heavy silver jewellery, and mock-ups of souks and desert camps. (Entry is Dhs 3/53p, open 8.30am-8.30pm Sat-Thurs.)
To get to Deira on the other side of the creek, take one of the awaiting abra boats. Tickets only cost Dhs 1 (17p) and, typically, the wooden vessels remain moored until the captain decides there are enough passengers, but if you can’t be bothered to wait, you can also charter one for about Dhs 20 (£3.50). Sitting on the deck of one of these water taxis as it speeds along, not only will you experience the local architecture from a different vantage point but also get a view of the salt-encrusted trading boats that chug back and forth from Port Saeed to South Africa, Iran, Turkey and India, transporting spices, dried fruit, textiles and ceramics.
Once back on dry land, make your way into Deira, where you’ll immediately come across a small souk selling everything from open sacks of dried rose buds, saffron and chilli, to neatly arranged pairs of Aladdin slippers, golden shisha pipes and boxes of tea. From here, you can then stroll up to the famous gold market on and around Sikkat Al-Khail Road. You might not be looking to buy, but the gaudy window displays of yellow metal bracelets and necklaces are quite dazzling – keep an eye out too for the world’s biggest gold ring at Kanz Jewels. Weighing 64kg, you wouldn’t even be able to get your arms around it.
NEW DUBAI
Located on the ground floor of the Mall of the Emirates, Ski Dubai (skidxb.com) might not be the most environmentally ethical place to visit – with its minus 2-degree temperatures, 6,000 tonnes of real snow and, yes, live penguins running around – but it certainly is an experience. You don’t need to bring any special clothing as you will be kitted out with a suit, gloves, boots and skis on arrival, and you can leave your belongings in a locker.
Once inside, shoppers watch from the windows as you take a chairlift up to the world’s first indoor “black run” (it’s not really that challenging), stretching 400 metres from top to bottom, with a drop of 60 metres. There’s also a couple of gentler slopes, as well as the Snow Park at the bottom where you can go zorbing, tobogganing and bobsleighing. Make sure you buy the right ticket though – the “Slope Session” option costs Dhs 200 (£36) and allows you two hours of skiing. If you want to hug a penguin, you need to pay an extra Dhs 145 (£26) for a 40-minute “encounter”.
Drive down the long trunk of the Palm Jumeirah and you’ll come to the Atlantis hotel (atlantisthepalm.com) – shaped like an Arabic gateway, it stands like a giant paper cutout against the sky.
In keeping with its theme, you can spend an afternoon at its Aquaventure Waterpark complete with shark lagoon (a new waterslide was to be finished this summer), go scuba diving or swim with its resident dolphins.
If you haven’t packed your swimwear, either nip to one of the on-site shops and buy some, or have a wander around the Lost Chambers Aquarium. Designed to look like the Lost City of Atlantis, the 65,000 sea creatures who live here – from piranhas and sharks to lobsters and jellyfish – contribute to this remarkably beautiful underwater theatre. You can also arrange a 45-minute behind-the-scenes tour of the fish hospital, and watch live feedings (daily 10am and 4pm, Dhs 175/£31). Aquaventure/Lost Chambers combo ticket Dhs 275 (£49); Lost Chambers ticket Dhs 100 (£18).
It’s impossible to ignore the fact that Dubai has the tallest tower in the world – standing at 828 metres (London’s new skyscraper, the Shard, is only 306 metres tall) and with more than 160 storeys, the Burj Khalifa also has the longest service lift and the highest outdoor observation deck. At the Top, as it is known, is on level 124, and is accessed via the ground floor of Dubai Mall. Travelling at ten metres per second, the elevator is remarkably smooth and fast and, inside, its walls come to life with flashing digital imagery as you shoot up.
Upon arrival, admire the panorama through floor-to-ceiling glass windows, before stepping out on to the observation deck (despite being described as outdoor, it is mostly enclosed by glass). The views are similar to those you get from a plane when flying over a city, and are particularly spectacular at night when everything is illuminated. Open daily 10am-1am (last entry 45 minutes before closing). Entry is Dhs 400 (£72) but timed tickets can be bought online for Dhs 125 (£22).
The Dubai International Financial Centre might not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about where to find modern art, but it does in fact have a number of stylish galleries in its attractive al fresco Art Boulevard in Gate Village. There is a branch of XVA (xvagallery.com), as well as Opera Gallery (operagallery.com), which features contemporary Iranian art, the Empty Quarter (theemptyquarter.com) for photography, Cuadro Gallery (cuadroart.com) for international exhibitions, and Ayyam Gallery (ayyamgallery.com), which is devoted to work from Syria. You might also like to pop your head into Andrew Martin’s interior design shop, which displays an eclectic mix of vintage film posters, trendy antique furniture, and pop art cushions. (andrewmartin.co.uk).
Eating and drinking
ATMOSPHERE
If you fancy a bird’s-eye view of the emirate while sipping an expensive cocktail, this is the place to come. Atmosphere Lounge is located on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa, but if you think you can easily combine it with visiting the observation deck on floor 124, think again. The lift to At the Top doesn’t stop on the way up or down, so you have to access Atmosphere through the separate ground-level entrance to the Armani hotel. The interiors are dark and sultry, with mellow table lights, polished mahogany and velvet chairs. Imbibe a bit of bling and order a “21 Karats” cocktail with Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label champagne, crème de cassis and gold leaf (Dhs 180/£32), and marvel at the city far below. There is also a restaurant for lunch and dinner. Open daily 12pm-2am. Tel +971 4888 3444; atmosphereburjkhalifa.com
JETTY LOUNGE
Possibly the most glamorous outdoor beach bar in Dubai, Jetty Lounge at the luxurious One and Only Royal Mirage hotel has broad cushioned sofas on an outdoor deck and cabanas on the sand, as well as an air conditioned indoor venue with turquoise lighting and jellyfish hanging from the ceiling. Sit among the palm trees and order a sundowner (the Clipper is made with gin, sweet vermouth and grapefruit). After, you can hop on the hotel’s speedboat and zoom across the bay to the One and Only’s sister resort on the Palm, for dinner. Open daily 2pm until late. Tel +971 4399 9999; royalmirage.oneandonlyresorts.com
STAY
Located at the One and Only the Palm resort, this Yannick Alléno restaurant offers inventively delicious international fare in a slick black and white dining room with orchids and chandeliers. Try chilled green pea velouté with crispy onion, curry and fresh mint, followed by slow-cooked John Dory with avocado wedges, coriander and citrus dressing, or pan-fried milk-fed veal chop with macaroni gratin, black truffles and veal jus. But leave space for the real highlight, which is choosing a dessert and having it made in front of you from the Willy Wonka-style Pastry Library. Dinner 7pm-11pm. Tel +971 4440 1030; thepalm.oneandonlyresorts.com
BAKER AND SPICE
This friendly eatery is located in Souk al Bahar, and has a perfectly positioned outdoor terrace in front of the dancing Dubai Fountain beneath the Burj Khalifa (shows are 1pm, 1.30pm, and every 30 minutes from 6pm-11pm Sun-Wed, until 11.30pm Thurs-Sat). The food is fresh, organic and homemade, and although there are plenty of hearty pasta dishes, steaks, burgers and pies, the salad bar is particularly good if you feel like something light. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tel +971 4425 2240; bakerandspiceme.com
FOOD COURTS AT MALL OF THE EMIRATES
If you have worked up an appetite at Ski Dubai (also located in the mall) or after a couple of hours’ shopping, stop for a bite at the fast-food courts on the ground and first floors. There is a vast amount of choice – from Shake Shack, Fat Burger, New York Fries and the International House of Pancakes, to Just Falafel, London Fish and Chips, Magic Wok and Pastamania. Open 10am-10pm Sun-Wed, until 12am Thurs-Sat. malloftheemirates.com
