Dubai is a destination I’ve had conflicting feelings about
for years. I was curious to see what the desert city that boasts the world’s
tallest building and massive shopping malls was really like, not really sure
there would be enough to love in Dubai. On our way home, we had a quick
three-day stop in Dubai to explore and see for ourselves whether it really is
just a gleaming metropolis, or whether there’s more to be seen when you scratch
the surface.
With the fast-paced development of Dubai, it is easy to
forget that there was a city here before the influx of tourism and oil money.
The old town offers a cultural insight into Dubai. The best way to get to know
Dubai is by understanding its history, by heading to the Old Town, which is
probably the opposite of what you expect from this modern metropolis. Low, brick
buildings line the creek and it’s here that you’ll find vibrant markets,
temples rubbing shoulders with mosques, and the museum inside Dubai’s oldest
building.
We decided to take time to explore the old town’s sites
starting at the Al Fahidi Fort, the oldest building in Dubai, built in 1787 as
a residence for the monarch and for defence of the city. It now houses the
Dubai Museum.
From there, we roamed the streets, in searing heat, of the
old town to the Old Souq Marine Transport Station and jumped on an abra water
taxi across the creek, to the spice souks of Deira while checking out the
traditional wooden Dhow boats.
On this side of Dubai Creek, we walked to the aromatic Spice Souk, where barrels of spices and frankincense provide as much colour as they do heady smells.
From here, we walked a little further to reach the Gold
Souk, with window after window dripping with gold. It’s an unbelievable sight –
pure gold takes centre stage in the pedestrian walkway.
In complete contrast, the Dubai Mall provides just opulence that
can only be imagined, except for some of the Hong Kong malls - but in an entirely
different setting. Inside the expansive mall casual brands rubbing shoulders
with some of the world’s most luxurious names. Adjacent to the Burj Khalifa, we
wander through the mall see the tallest building in the world (not organised enough
to take in the view at the 124th floor and certainly not paying the
$100-odd each walk up price!) and watch the half hourly water show, similar to
the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
One of the things that struck both of us with Dubai is that
it’s quite unique and once you leave the fringe of the city skyscrapers, you
realise pretty fast that you’re in the desert landscapes of the UAE. We organised
a desert safari because...we wanted to get out of the city and into the desert.
Our safari explored the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and took in dune
bashing, which was such a thrill to drive through the desert, drifting over the
tall sand dunes and lurching after a steep drop over the top of a dune, as well
the sunset over the desert dunes, belly dancing performances and an abundance
of food.
