Dubai, United Arab Emirates

I have decided to start spending some time in the beautiful city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. I have always been so attracted by this spectacular Las Vegas of the Middle East. The winter in Italy is so cold I had to come up with a plan! I would love to spend some time in the famous 7 (seven) star hotel Burj Al Arab. Also, there are so many restaurants and nightclubs I'm dying to try. The Monarch on Shaikh Zayed Road is first on my list. 

• Dubai Pubs and Bars

• Dubai has an energetic and eclectic night scene with various bars abounding throughout the city. The Irish Village located within Dubai Tennis Stadium at the Aviation Club situated on Al Garhoud Road, is one of the most popular drinking spots in the city. The Village features a great outdoor seating area in the stadium's green surroundings. The funky open-air QD's, located at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club on Al Garhoud Road, is also very popular, offering great drinks and the opportunity to dance under the stars. There are also a number of great bars located within the exclusive Wafi City on Oud Metha Road in Umm Hurair, such as Carter's, and Ginseng, an Asian cocktail lounge.
  
  The prestigious Sheikh Zayed Road is also the location of numerous amounts of luxury bars such as, Vu's Bar located within the famous Emirates Tower Hotel on the 51st floor, offering fantastic views over the city, and Long's Bar located within the Towers Rotana Hotel, featuring the longest bar in the UAE, and several massive plasma screens. The Agency is also located in the Emirates Towers Hotel, and is a chic wine bar featuring a dark wood and crimson décor. Trader Vic's, located within the Crowne Plaza Dubai Hotel on the same road is a Mai Tai lounge bar featuring a fantastic Polynesian band and the strongest cocktails in the UAE!
  
  On the coast side of Dubai, there are also many great bars in the luxury hotels, such as Sho Cho's located within the Dubai Marine Resort and Spa located on Jumeira Road, which also features a chic Japanese bar; and the immensely popular 360° located within the Jumeirah Beach Hotel on Jumeira Road, which has the added luxury of golf buggies transporting you to the roof-top bar above the hotel marina, which gives magnificent views of the famous Burj Al Arab and the Dubai night skyline.
  
  Located within the luxurious world-class Burj Al Arab on Jumeira Road are, as you would expect, the most exclusive bars you are ever likely to encounter, such as the Sky View Bar, which also offers amazing views over the city. As you would expect you need to reserve to attend this prestigious bar, but the experience is definitely worth it! Equally fabulous are the bars in the magnificent Madinat Jumeirah resort on Al Sufouh Road, many of which have wonderful waterfront views. These include the Bahri Bar at the Mina A'Salam hotel in the complex, with a beautiful balcony, and the Koubba cocktail bar in the Al Qasr hotel.
  
  Other hotels with feature fabulous bars include, Le Méridien Mina Seyahi, located on the Al Sufouh Road which has a spectacular open-air bar, Barasti Bar next to the beach; the Grosvenor House Hotel located in the Dubai Marina on Sheikh Zayed Road, is the location of the fashionable Buddha bar and Bar 44 which gives magnificent views over the construction of The Palm, Jumeirah. The famous brand name Waxy O'Conner's features in Dubai in the Ascot Hotel Dubai on Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road (Bank Street) although surprisingly they are in no way related. This Irish themed bar's biggest feature is the thin trombone-like glasses of beer which you'll have to balance on the bar just to be able to drink!

• Dubai Landmarks

• Dubai is known throughout the world as a sophisticated, contemporary metropolis, that's thriving with energy. The bustling, bright and cosmopolitan city has a firm status as one of the world's richest cities, something that is only added to by its tax-free status which makes shopping here fantastic. Plus its 365 days of sunshine a year all combine to make it an enormously popular holiday destination, and the fastest growing resort in the world. The most famous of all Dubai's landmarks is the iconic symbol of Dubai, the Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs) hotel. The world's only seven-star hotel, this sail-shaped emblem is a world-renowned luxury hotel, whose opulence is unparalleled anywhere else on the planet. The hotel is not merely a hotel, it is a bastion of all that is Dubai; standing 321m tall, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world, and even features its own helipad. The hotel is furnished throughout in sumptuous Arabic style, with an astounding 8600 pieces of 22 carat gold having been used in its construction. The opulence continues with its location on an island that can only be reached down a private driveway, which explodes with the fireworks lining it every time a guest arrives. The hotel also boasts a breathtakingly unique underwater restaurant that can only be reached by a submarine, as well as a spectacular fire and water show every evening.
  
  Another Dubai landmark is the magnificent eight-lane Sheikh Zayed Road, which is home to some of the tallest buildings in the world, including the magnificent 355m-high Emirates Towers, the tallest building in the whole of the Middle East and Europe, which also features the Emirates Tower Hotel, the second-tallest hotel in the world, after the Burj Al Arab. These spectacular triangular-shaped towers dominate the skyline with their silver aluminium and copper colours. From the top of these towers, and from the glass lifts that take you there, there are magnificent views over the Jumeria coast. This road is also the location of the Dubai World Trade Centre which stands at 149m high and 39 stories, and was once the tallest building in the Middle East. The road is also the location of the immensely popular Hard Rock Café and the Dubai Internet City.
  
  One of the most popular activities for visitors to Dubai is to go for a ride in a water taxi (abra) on Dubai Creek, which divides old and new Dubai. The other water-based attraction is the spectacular Dubai Marina located on Al Sofouh Road, which has 700 berths for luxury yachts. The wonderful area of Bastakia, located by the creek next to Emiri Dirwan (Ruler's Palace), allows an insight into Old Dubai, giving visitors an idea of what the area looked like before all the modern infrastructure emerged. The features that make the area distinctive are the tall wind-towers, some of which are up to 15m high, as well as the wonderful narrow sikka (alleyways) which give the area a rustic, Arabian feel, with the brown plaster-covered buildings rising up between them. One of the greatest sights of the city is the grand Jumeira Mosque positioned on Jumeira Road. This ornate stone mosque was built between 1975 and 1978 in Medieval Fatmid-style; it is the only mosque in Dubai that non-Muslims are allowed to enter. The building is one of the most photographed locations in the city, and its magnificent intricately carved towers and domes make it a spectacular view to behold.
  
  Although Dubai has a reputation as a city of beaches and high-rise buildings, it does actually have a fair number of beautiful green oases in the heart of the city. One such park is the Creekside Park in Umm Hurair, which stretches along Dubai Creek for one and a half miles. The park contains over 280 botanical species, as well as a mass of green areas, leafy paths for roller-skating and jogging, three jetties for fishing, a mini-golf course and a 30m high cable car which was the first in the UAE when it was installed in 2000. The paths of the park are also often seen filled with four-wheeled buggies that can be rented by the gate. The park is also home to an interactive learning zone centre, Children's City and the Wonderland Theme and Water Park, which has 40 different rides, as well as go-karting and paintballing, of which Splashland with its many different waterslides, is a part. Other great parks are the Al Safa Park located on Sheikh Zayed Road. Further out near the Nad Al Sheba area, is the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest in the UAE, situated in the tidal lagoon at the top of Dubai Creek. The sanctuary is home to an estimated 15 000 birds, including 1000 migrant greater flamingos, which have been a protected species in Dubai since 1985.
  
  The Clocktower Roundabout on Al Maktoum Road is one of the only sights of Dubai that has remained in place throughout its five decades of rapid expansion. Built in 1962, the magnificent structure of white stone dominates the busy highway on which it stands above an impressive fountain. The Dubai Zoo, located on Jumeira Road has more than 1200 animals, including lions, tigers, giraffes, monkeys and bears. The zoo was once a private collection, and a sanctuary for those animals illegally smuggled in to the country. Madinat Jumeirah (Jumeriah City) resort is a wonderful replica of an Old Arabian village with souks and canals, as well as more modern additions of nightclubs and cafés.
  
  Another popular pastime in the city is to take a look at the many phenomenal new developments being built in the Dubai, which are expanding the city out in to the sea. The Palm, Jumeirah is a phenomenal construction project, which features a mass resort located on land reclaimed from the sea, in the shape of a palm tree. It is so big it can be seen from space, and is just one of three enormous palm-shaped reclamation projects, the others being The Palm, Jebel Ali (both of which are estimated for completion at the end of 2007), and The Palm, Deira, proposed to be completed by 2010. These are just some of the ambitious ongoing projects that can be seen in Dubai, other include; the world-famous The World, which is made up of individual man-made islands each shaped like a county of the world, situated in the Arabian Gulf just off the Jumeirah Beach coast, and estimated for completion in 2008; and Dubailand, a leisure and entertainment park divided into six different worlds, set to be the largest tourist attraction in the world. The complex will include, the magnificent Arabian Legends theme park, sporting facilities at the Dubai Sports City, such as world class stadiums, a Manchester United football academy and a golf course, museums, galleries, one of the biggest shopping malls in the world, Mall of Arabia, and recreation venues. The complex is due for its first stage completion in 2008 and its final stage in 2018.

• Dubai Nightclubs

• Dubai's nightlife is one of the most legendary in the world, with many top venues located within the prestigious hotels or sports facilities. There are also regular ladies' nights at all the top clubs, which attract throngs of people. One of the hottest clubs in Dubai is MIX, located within the Grand Hyatt Dubai Hotel on Sheikh Rashid Road, where top international DJs from Europe and the USA regularly appear. This is the biggest club in Dubai, containing the largest dancefloor in the Middle East, a massive establishment spread out over three floors. The central room plays mainly house, whilst the chic upstairs areas play R&B and commercial hip-hop, all creating a fabulous, energetic atmosphere.
  
  The Peppermint Lounge, located within the Fairmont Dubai Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road, is one of the most popular and exclusive of the city's clubs. The club holds regular house nights and has a strict dress code. The sumptuous interior features an exclusive VIP area and a large stage where the latest in electronic music tracks are pumped out. The club also stocks the legendary Skyy vodka guaranteed to give you a night of fun-filled frolics. Kasbar, located within the Mirage's Palace section of the opulent One&Only Royal Mirage Hotel on Al Sufouh Road, is a Moroccan-themed club spread over three levels featuring private booths, a huge dancefloor, and a pool table in the basement. Exclusivity is paramount in this sumptuous establishment, so don't expect a cheap drinks bill at the end of the night.
  
  Boudoir located within the Dubai Marine Beach Resort and Spa on Jumeira Road is one of the most elite clubs in the city. This club is a stylish, Parisian-themed venue which oozes sophistication and you will definitely need to dress to impress to get in here. The club hosts a variety of theme nights such as R&B on Wednesdays and Eastern dance fusion on Fridays; there is also free champagne all night long for the ladies on Tuesdays. M-Level, located within the Hilton Dubai Creek on Baniyas Road is another of the hip venues in the city, hosting regular events and theme nights. This club is as sumptuous as it gets, with mirrors coating the walls from floor to ceiling. This is the place to see and be seen in Dubai, and features a cool dancefloor complete with glitter ball, as well as an outdoor chill-out area.
  
  Oxygen located within the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel on Casablanca Road, in the Al Garhoud area near the airport, is the only dance club on the east side of the Dubai creek. Big Daddy-J is the resident DJ at this hip establishment churning out top grooves every night for the energetic crowd. Every Thursday the club hosts the Breathe O² night, where DJs Rone Jaxx, Mass Ramli and Shero blast out all the latest tunes in R&B, hip hop and house music with free drinks for the female clubbers from 10pm to midnight. Trilogy located within the Souk Madinat Jumeirah at the Madinat Jumeirah resort is one of the funkiest clubs in Dubai. Its three-floored madness jets off every night with the sounds of the resident DJs who get the crowd jumping with the three different types of music played over each floor.

• Dubai Restaurants

• There are over 450 restaurants in Dubai, many of them within the plethora of luxury hotels, meaning that you're certainly going to be spoilt for choice in dining options! To make your decision slightly easier, there are also a large number of fusion restaurants, which combine different styles of cuisine, such as Cajun, Japanese and Thai. However, there is a complete range of restaurants available in the city, offering gourmet delicacies in everything from Arabic to American options. A common appetiser in Dubai is a mezze, which is a spread of many different types of dishes, whilst Fattayer, hot bread stuffed with cheese, onions and spinach, is another popular dish.
  
  One of the most esteemed restaurants in Dubai is Verre, located within the Hilton Dubai Creek on Baniyas Road, British masterchef Gordon Ramsay's first restaurant outside the UK. This is a truly prestigious restaurant located within stylish surroundings and offering sumptuous French gourmet cuisine. This restaurant has firmly put Dubai on the world gastronomic scene.
  
  Al Mahara located within the world-famous Burj Al Arab on Jumeira Road, is unsurprisingly, an absolute den of luxury and culinary delight. The restaurant is also rumoured to be the most expensive in the city, and this is in keeping with the opulent surroundings which centres on an enormous fish tank. The menu is primarily seafood orientated and you can be sure that whatever you eat, this will definitely be a dining experience you won't forget! Reservations are essential, and visitors will not even be allowed on to the private island the hotel is situated on without one.
  
  The Madinat Jumeirah has several fabulous eateries, one of which is the stylish Pierchic, situated within the Al Qasr hotel, a delicious seafood restaurant in a picturesque location at the end of a wooden pier. The views of the resort and the Burj Al Arab are absolutely stunning, as is the food. Another wonderful restaurant at the resort is Zheng He's, situated within the Mina A'Salam hotel, which is a sumptuous Chinese restaurant with first-rate dim sum, and a fantastic view from its outdoor dining area over the canals of the resort.
  
  Al Nafoorah located within the stunning Emirates Towers Boulevard on Sheikh Zayed Road is heralded as the best Lebanese restaurant in the city. As well as the typical delicious fare, there is also the chance to indulge in the local custom of smoking the shisha (hubbly-bubbly) at the end of your meal. Also in the Boulevard is the popular Asian fusion restaurant The Noodle House.
  
  In Bastakiya there is the chance to indulge in an authentic traditional dining experience in Bastakiah Nights, in the picturesque setting of a historic house next to the creek. Here you will find the best in Arabic and Iranian delicacies in a wonderful environment. For an exceptional unique Dubaian experience, head to Bateaux Dubai located on Al Seef Road, which is a restaurant located on a boat which sails around the creek. Here you can choose from an international à la carte menu as well as experiencing magical dining under the stars. Another dinner cruise on offer is on the Al Mansour which offers Arabic and international choices from the buffet. The restaurant is located on a traditional dhow which boards from the Deira creekside at the InterContinental Dubai.
  
  The Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, located on Casablanca Road in the Al Garhoud area, has a number of fantastic restaurants including the Japanese, Benihana which specialises in teppanyaki, and the renowned Blue Elephant, with its inside ‘garden' location, one of the best Thai restaurants in the city. The Boardwalk at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club is another of Dubai's ritual hangouts with its outside location and spectacular views.

• Dubai Shopping

• Dubai's Tax-free status and its annual Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) every January, makes it a haven for shopaholics! The best shopping streets in the city are Al Maktoum, and Al Faheidi Street, whilst there are also numerous world-class shopping malls each bursting with the world's most luxurious goods at fantastic prices, such as the Al Ghurair City on Al Rigga Road, and the Deira City Centre located on Al Garhoud Road. The Palm Strip, located on Jumeira Road, which is lined with chic boutiques, is the only open-air shopping centre in Dubai. The shops are spread out over two levels and you'll find common names such as Mango and Karen Millen here.
  
  The Gold Souk, a series of streets joined together by a high arcade located off Old Baladiya Street in the Deira district, is one of the most famous attractions in Dubai. The city has always been famed for its gold products, and this is a tradition that continues today, with the high-carat, orange-tinted offerings typical of the area, on display. The Gold Souk has over 700 shops and is believed to be the biggest market in the world, as well as featuring the lowest prices. Ornate necklaces, bangles, rings, earrings and brooches can all be bought here.
  
  Mall of the Emirates located on Sheikh Zayed Road is one of the most prestigious of all the shopping malls in Dubai. It cost $820 million to build, contains 400 shops and even a ski slope, which wraps itself around the outside of the building. Its opulence is added to by the huge glass dome atop the building. The Wafi Mall, part of the stylish Egyptian-themed Wafi City complex, located on Oud Metha Road in Umm Hurair has many restaurants and fabulous shops. One of the least luxurious shopping areas is Al Karama located off the Al Adhid Road, mainly on 18b Street. Despite its lack of opulence, this is one of the most popular shopping areas in the city, where famous labels can be bought for some of the lowest prices in the city.
  
  One of the best malls in the city is the BurJuman Centre, located on Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road, which has amongst its enormous amount of shops the prestigious latest edition of Saks Fifth Avenue. Another great shopping centre is the Ibn Battuta Mall on Sheikh Zayed Road, which is themed according to the six countries visited by renowned 14th century explorer Ibn Battuta. The mall includes design features ranging from the grand Persian dome, to the enormous Chinese hall, where the UAE's first IMAX cinema can be found. The Italian-style Mercato Mall located on Jumeira Road has become a Dubai landmark in its own right. The pseudo-Tuscan and Venetian architecture boasts a large central glass atrium which, with its old clock, resembles a 19th century railway station. The mall has many designer names on offer as well as a Virgin Megastore, a cinema, restaurants, and stores selling traditional carpets and crafts. The Emirates Towers Boulevard located on Sheikh Zayed Road, which links the twin towers of the Emirates Towers Hotel and office block together over two floors of fabulous shops, restaurants and cafés.
  
  The Gold Souk is the most famous and opulent of the markets, but the Deira Covered Souk situated on Sikkat Al Khail Road, in the Al Sabkha district, is a fantastic warren of atmospheric sights and smells, selling textiles, spices, and henna. The Spice Souk located on Baniyas Road, is another great market, and sells an abundance of trinkets, rugs and glassware, as well as housing the colourful sights and aromas of sacks of cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, rose petals and incense.

• Dubai Sports

• The number of sporting venues and activities in Dubai is simply astounding, and you will definitely be spoilt for choice as to which exhilarating pastime to try out next. The Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, located on Al Garhoud Road, is a world renowned sporting venue with an 18-hole golf course, and a beautiful marina packed with luxury yachts. The club is renowned for its striking tent-like clubhouse which features a variety of restaurants and bars. The Emirates Golf Club situated on Sheikh Zayed Road, and the Montgomerie Golf Club located in Emirates Hills and designed by Colin Montgomerie are other top-class golfing venues. The Emirates Club is also the location of the yearly $2.4 million Dubai Desert Classic, a PGA European Tour event which takes place every February over four days in which the biggest names in golf, such as Woods, Els and Norman take part.
  
  Ski Dubai, situated within the spectacular Mall of the Emirates on Sheikh Zayed Road, is the first indoor ski venue in the Middle East. It features five runs on real snow, the tallest of which is 400m, and the largest indoor snowpark in the world featuring a bobsled run and snowball-throwing gallery. It also features the world's first indoor black run. The Wild Wadi Water Theme Park located on Jumeira Road, has 24 different rides, including the Jumeirah Sceirah, the highest free-fall slide outside the USA. The theme park also features a surf pool, the Wipeout Flow Rider, where surfers can ride a 3m continuously breaking wave. Other watersports can be tried out at Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) in Mina Seyahi. Offshore sailing is offered by Bluesail Dubai and Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, whereas most resort hotels will provide guests with catamarans, wind-surfing boards and kayaks. There are a number of PADI scuba diving courses offered by Al Boom Diving, located on Al Wasl Road and Pavilion Dive Centre at the prestigious Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Umm Suqeim.
  
  The Camel Racecourse, located in Nad Al Sheba on Muscat Street, is a great unique sport in Dubai, the ‘Sport of the Sheikhs'; in winter you can take in races every Thursday and Friday mornings, but throughout the year you can always see the camels in practise for races. Dubai is also a horse-racing Mecca, with the Dubai World Cup, the richest horse race in the world at $21.25 million, taking place at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, located on Muscat Street. This is also the location of the Nad Al Sheba Golf Course. Nearby is another equestrian sports venue, the Emirates Riding Centre, the location of the richest show-jumping event in the world, the three-day $1.25 million Al Maktoum Memorial Challenge Dubai International Horse Show every January. Further horse events can be seen at the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club, located in Arabian Ranches on Emirates Road, which is also the location of Dubai's sole desert golf course, the par-72, Desert Course.
  
  Also on Emirates Road is the Dubai Autodrome, a 3.3 mile Formula One motor-racing circuit. This track is used for the FIA GT Championships every November, as well as the A1 Grand Prix every December. The desert interior is also used for the UAE Desert Challenge every November, which takes in 1183 miles of off-road rally action. There is also an annual Dubai Marathon and the President's Cup Regatta. One of the most extreme sports you can undertake in Dubai is a 4x4 desert safari which takes in the Big Red, a huge sand dune, with companies such as Arabian Adventures, Desert Rangers, Net Tours and Orient Tours. Dune sports, such as sand-skiing and sand-boarding, are other very popular extreme pastimes, and these can be tried out on organised desert excursions. Quad biking over the dunes is also offered by a number of activity centres on Route 44. You can also take part in wildlife treks in the desert, or riding on Arabian steeds in to discover traditional Arabia. The Falcon and Heritage Sports Centre, located on Muscat Street in the Nad Al Sheba area, offers visitors the chance to experience the ancient, but still very popular, sport of falconry.
  
  The Al Mumzar Beach Park, located on the Deira side of the creek is the largest public park in Dubai. The park is a huge length of land, one kilometre in all, abounding in four beaches, two swimming pools, masses of green corners, barbecue and picnic areas, children's playgrounds and an amphitheatre. Other popular beaches are the Jumeria Open Beach and the Jumeirah Beach Park both located on Jumeria Road, where the latter also features fabulous green areas and food courts.
  
  The Dubai Tennis Stadium located within the Aviation Club situated on Al Garhoud Road, can seat up to 5000 spectators, and is a key venue for the WTA and ATP professional $2 million Dubai Tennis Championships, which take place in Dubai every February and March. Over the years this stadium has seen the likes of superstars such as Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Martini Navratilova and Monica Seles. Andre Agassi and Roger Federer also made history in 2006 for the highest tennis match ever played, when they took part in a game on the turfed over helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel to launch the Dubai Duty Free Men's Open in February 2006. There are also tennis courts at the Safa Park on Sheikh Zayed Road. Rugby is another popular sport, and the Dubai Rugby Sevens event, part of the IRB Sevens World Series held at the Dubai Exiles Ground at Nad Al Sheba is an incredibly popular event. The stadium can hold up to 22 000 supporters, and is often filled to bursting during the three-day tournament.