frolics. Ride shotgun with a professional driver for some adrenalin-
pumping “dune bashing” through the Lahbab desert, surf the dunes
on a sand board, or climb atop a camel — all before settling down for a
Bedouin camp experience that often includes henna hand painting, a full
buffet meal, and belly dance show.
Downtown Dubai
Credit: RobertBreitpaul/iStock
To get a more intimate view into Emirati culture and heritage, stop
into the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, which
opened in 1998 to reach out and educate expatriates and visitors in the
traditions and customs of the United Arab Emirates. Over the years,
that’s translated into a number of enlightening activities, including a
walking tour through the Al Fahidi Historic District, visit to the Jumeirah
Mosque, traditional Emerati meals, and even a meet-and-greet with
several birds of prey. The center itself is a remarkable example of a
“wind tower” house, a traditional architecture found throughout the
Arabian Gulf that naturally directs cooler winds into the home.
WHERE TO STAY
There’s no question that accommodation in Dubai largely embraces the
high end (and the high end of the high end), with a number of world
famous hotels and resorts, including the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, built to
look like a giant billowing sail over the Persian Gulf and considered by
some the most luxurious hotel in the world. Just to the south, along
the coast, is the Palm Jumeirah, an artificial, tree-shaped archipelago
home to yet more five-star accommodations, including the kid-favorite
Atlantis The Palm, which comes with its own water park, aquarium,
dolphin and sea lion photo ops, and multiple playgrounds and clubs.
A more affordable happy medium can be found at the Pullman Dubai
Creek City Centre, overlooking Dubai Creek and the fairways of Dubai
Golf and Yacht Club. In addition to the glossy, boutique rooms and
suites, nearly every amenity is at hand, including multiple restaurants
and bars (serving alcohol), a rooftop pool, fitness center, and full-service
spa, not to mention a pretty awesome dessert buffet.
Budget travelers can aim for the three-star Rove Downtown,
which nonetheless comes with a range of amenities outside the
contemporary design rooms, such as an outdoor pool and sundeck, a
24-hour gym, an industrial-styled café, and Reel Boutique, a 46-seat in-
house cinema. Pay a little extra for rooms with Burj Khalifa views.
WHERE TO EAT
As feeding guests is an important part of Middle Eastern culture, ample
international food options are always close at hand in Dubai, starting
with the hotels themselves, which host some of the top restaurants
in town, including revolving Al Dawaar atop the Hyatt Regency Dubai
Hotel, or Amal at the Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa. Make Dubai
Fountain your evening at Souk Al Bahar, where numerous restaurants
provide outdoor seating right on the water, with prime views of the light
show along with local and international food. For culinary adventurers,
Dubai’s Iraqi population cooks some of the
best — and least pretentious — meals in the city, including the coveted
Masgouf, a Mesopotamian dish of seasoned, grilled carp. Samad Al Iraqi
system, with buses, water buses, monorail, trams, and the Dubai metro.
However, taxis tend to be favored for air-conditioned door-to-door
service. Licensed taxis are tan with red or pink roofs, the latter driven by
women and intended for women and families only.
Sheikh Mohammed
Centre for Cultural
Understanding
serves it with a fine dining flavor at two branches in Dubai, while Kabab
Erbil Iraqi, also with multiple branches, brings it more down to earth.
GETTING THERE AND GETTING AROUND
From Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Emirates makes the
12-hr, 45-minute non-stop flight overnight to Dubai International Airport
(DBX). Once in Dubai, there’s a pretty sophisticated public transportation
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