Dubai

A to Z

Spring 2007 inspiremagazine.co.nz58 inspiremagazine.co.nz Spring 2007 59

Dubai is fast becoming one of the world’s most popular stopovers. But Inspire traveller Brett Atkinson recommends you get out of the airport, extend your stay for a few days, and use this handy guide to prepare yourself for a heady encounter with Arab hospitality

dubaial maha to za’abeel

al  mahaza’abeelto

AAl Maha Desert Resort and SpaOne of the best ways to break up your long-haul journey has

to be this unique haven. Part luxury spa, part eco-resort, its

lavish stand-alone tented suites are secreted amid caramel-

coloured dunes, and each luxury air-conditioned tent comes

with its own private temperature-controlled pool. And then

there are the sunset camel trips—fabulous in themselves

and an excellent opportunity to spot the rare Arabian oryx, Al

Maha, after which the resort is named

Photo: EmiratEs al maha DEEsrt rEsort & sPa

Dubai

A to Z

A to Z of Dubai

Spring 2007 inspiremagazine.co.nz60 inspireamagazine.co.nz Spring 2007 61

Burj Al ArabYou’ve seen the television ad with tennis aces

Roger Federer and Andre Agassi trading shots

on the helipad of the world’s most iconic hotel.

The (self-appointed) six star decor is pure

Arabian Nights kitsch, but to get through the

hotel’s imposing doors for a look you need to be

staying there or have a confirmed reservation at

one of Burj Al Arab’s eight bars and restaurants.

Camel racingGet up early and catch the first race at 7.30am

at the Nad Al Sheba racetrack. Races can be up

to ten kilometres long with fields of between

fifteen and 70 camels. The jockeys used to be

young children, but a minimum age of fifteen

years is now enforced. Remote-controlled ‘robot’

jockeys are also used. The annual racing season

runs from October to April.

Desert adventures Bumping and bouncing in a four-wheel-drive

through the desert dunes is a popular outing

for travellers to Dubai. Most safaris depart in

the afternoon, and include a spot of falconry

followed by a Bedouin dinner and traditional

dancing. The trips are fun, but staying in the

desert overnight will provide you with a more

authentic experience.

(Mall of the) EmiratesLondon may be another long flight away, but

don’t worry, because the Mall of the Emirates’

450-plus shops include Oxford St designer

clobber stalwarts like Next, River Island and

French Connection. The mall is the largest

shopping centre outside of North America. After

you’ve fully exercised your credit card, there’s

Ski Dubai—the Middle East’s largest indoor ski

slope. Dubai’s ski-field in the desert has two

slopes (expert and moderate), a chairlift running

through the centre you can hop off half-way up

and a snow park for children with an amazing

snow slide. Pack a warm hat and gloves if you’re

planning a trip to Ski Dubai as everything else

is included. But if you forget, you can buy these

items at the shop next to the ticket counter.

FalafelYou’re never far from shawarma stands for tasty

kebabs, delicious falafel, creamy dips and just

maybe the world’s best juices. To-die-for avocado

juice is a global craze in waiting. Look out for

good value Indian and Pakistani restaurants

serving Dubai’s huge expat population.

GinsengDrinking in Dubai can be expensive, but the

coolly cosmopolitan Ginseng bar has regular

two for one cocktail nights from 7pm to 10pm.

If you don’t fancy a cocktail, the Asian-inspired

tapas menu goes well with a solid wine list and

an impressive selection of Japanese, Thai and

Chinese beers.

JJumeirah Beach ParkDubai’s favourite park gets crowded at weekends (Friday and

Saturday in Dubai), but visit on a weekday and you’ll have

the palm trees, shady grassed areas and pristine beach all

to yourself. Nearer the city, Russian Beach on the Jumeirah

Corniche has less shade but equally good swimming. Just

watch out for burly types called Vladimir and Olga.

OOld DubaiIt’s easy to overlook Dubai’s fascinating

past, and the city’s trading roots are best

explored in the quiet Bastakia area. This tiny

neighbourhood on the edge of Dubai Creek

was built in the early 1900s. The narrow lanes

are punctuated with wind-towers (left) that

provide natural cooling breezes for heritage

buildings. Many of these architectural

treasures are now being reopened as art

galleries and boutique accommodation.

Dinner at the atmospheric Bastakia Nights

restaurant is a must.

Highest building in the worldApparently, a quarter of all the world’s

construction cranes are currently in use across

Dubai’s bursting skyline. The rising profile

of Burj Dubai is an integral part of the local

building boom. When it is finished in 2008

it will stretch more than 800 metres high.

To give you an idea of the scale of the thing,

we’re talking more than twice the height of

Auckland’s Sky Tower. Watch its world-beating

progress at burjdubai.com.

Irish VillageThey say an Irish bar opens every hour around

the world. Anywhere with as many Western

expats as Dubai needs a good Irish bar, and the

Irish Village does nicely. The place even hosts

occasional gigs from 1980s’ musical refugees

such as The Pretenders, ABC and Sir Bob

Geldof. Supping a Guinness beside the beer

garden’s tiny duck-festooned lake might make

you think you’re in Killarney. “Sláinte!”

Karama SouqFor unbridled kitsch overkill and the best of

the faux, go to the Karama Souq in the city’s

southwest. As well as mini-versions of the Burj

Al Arab hotel, it’s a good spot for loading up on

cheap leather goods and designer gear.

Lime Tree CafeRecreate your at-home ritual of a leisurely

brunch with the morning paper at the Kiwi-

owned Lime Tree Cafe in Jumeirah. Try the

Lime Tree Mint Cooler or some of Dubai’s best

coffee. The salads and wraps are exceptionally

good any day of the week. Look out for the new

branch now at the Ibn Battuta Mall.

Madinat JumeirahThe man-made canals of Madinat Jumeirah or

Jumeirah City conceal some of Dubai’s most

atmospheric bars and restaurants. The sublime

Bahri Bar has huge rattan lounges looking

directly onto the Burj Al Arab hotel. Think

Raffles-era Singapore meets Lawrence of Arabia

with a healthy twist of the 21st century.

New developmentsWhere do we begin? The visionary, ruling Al-

Maktoum family is fast forwarding Dubai into

becoming a great world city. World’s tallest

building? Tick. Manchester United Soccer

academy? Tick again. Tip in six new golf courses,

a Formula One motor racing complex and the

incredible World project with its dozens of man-

made islands, and you’re just scratching the

surface of Dubai’s ongoing extreme makeover.

Persian carpetsIran lies just across the Persian Gulf and Dubai

is an excellent place to buy carpets from all over

the Middle East. Don’t expect huge bargains,

but the quality and range available are generally

very high. National Iranian Carpets (niccarpets.

com) have shops in Dubai’s most popular malls.

Qasr Al HusnThere’s plenty to keep you occupied in Dubai,

but if the city’s modern appeal begins to fade

you might consider a day trip to nearby Abu

Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The two-hour drive to Abu Dhabi runs along a

beautiful coastline and is highly recommended.

Qasr Al Husn, or the White Fort, is the oldest

building in Abu Dhabi and dates from the late

19th century. Restore your inner cool in the

central courtyard.

Photos: brEtt atkinsonPhoto: Carol atkinson

Dubai

A to Z

B

Spring 2007 inspiremagazine.co.nz62 inspireamagazine.co.nz Spring 2007 63

A world away in just 5 hours

A tantalising world of luxury and leisure lies just 5 hours away in the most beautiful island chain on earth. Discover why so many people

have fallen in love with the unparalleled beauty that is Tahiti and her 117 islands.

Phone House of Travel on 0800 838 747 closer than you thinkTMA

1134

6

1 1 6 2 4 _ T T _ I n s p i r _ h l f . p d f P a g e 1 8 / 2 / 0 7 , 1 1 : 3 1 A M

NeeD to kNow

getting there: emirates fly to Dubai from Auckland and Christchurch daily. it is about a twenty-one hour flight depending on transit stops. You can potentially make stops in Australia or Asia. Kiwis don’t need to pay for a visa, it’s free and you can pick it up on arrival—all of which contribute to Dubai’s attractiveness as a stopover destination

Best times: You can visit Dubai any time of the year, but it can be extremely hot from July to october. if you are travelling during the month of september, the outside daytime temperature ranges from 40 to 50 degrees centigrade with humidity above 80 percent. You might want to book a hotel with a pool!

top spots: staying on Jumeirah Beach is recommended if you’re in Dubai for three nights or longer. if you are staying for only two nights or less a city hotel is a better option. traders hotel is a good choice with packages from nZ$120 pp per night share twin. the majority of hotels on the beach are five star so you can’t go too far wrong. the Jumeirah Beach hotel (from nZ$268 pp per night share twin including breakfast) offers a fantastic view of the Burj Al Arab, floating majestically like a giant sail of an Arab dhow on the clear waters just off the beach. if you stay at the Jumeirah you also get unlimited access to the fantastic Wild Wadi Water park right next door—a great family choice

Feel liKe extenDing Your stAY? if you’re keen to add another country to your trip, take a one-hour flight to neighbouring oman. this diverse country boasts a huge desert, rugged mountains and a stunning coastline, and you need at least three nights to see what this great destination has to offer

For more, contact your house of travel consultant on 0800 838 747 or visit inspiremagazine.co.nz/03/dubai

Real EstateDubai is currently playing host to the world’s

most audacious real estate developments.

There are now three Palm projects underway,

with man-made islands in the shape of giant

palm fronds rising from the shallow waters

of The Gulf. If you’re keen to buy, Posh and

Becks could be your neighbours. Elsewhere on

Dubai’s golden coast, The World Development

is creating what will be privately owned islands

shaped like different countries of the world.

Theme ParkJust when you think there’s one area where

modern Dubai doesn’t lead the world, you learn

of the plans for Dubailand, the Middle East’s

answer to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, which aims

to attract fifteen million visitors annually by

2010. With 55 hotels and multiple theme parks,

Dubailand promises to be very big. How big?

The staggering answer is more than twice the

size of Florida’s Disney World.

UndergroundGetting around Dubai is best achieved using

a combination of reasonably priced taxis and

abras, the shuffling open-top boats which

shuttle to and fro across Dubai Creek. The

traffic is not too bad, except at rush hour, but in

2009 Dubai’s new underground railway system

will open. And, of course, it will be the longest

fully automated system in the world.

VerreMost of us know Gordon Ramsay only as the

foul-mouthed television celebrity chef, but his

Verre restaurant located at the Hilton Dubai

Creek is also consistently rated as one of the

city’s best eateries.

Wild WadiDubai can get mighty warm. You’ve got two

options. Head for the air-conditioned climatic

sanity of one of the city’s shopping malls, or

swim, dive and slide till you drop at Wild Wadi

Water Park. The Jumeirah Sceirah extreme slide

is actually pretty scary.

YachtingAnd you all thought Emirates’ support for

Team New Zealand was just another part of

their marketing and sponsorship strategy. Well,

yes and no. Yachting off the shores of Dubai

is rapidly growing in popularity. Dusail offers

everything from fun catamarans to larger

ketches and luxury yachts.

Za’abeel ParkIt’s no surprise that Dubai’s newest public park

(open since late 2005) is also one of its best. With

tracks for running and cycling, and a small lake

with dinky pleasure-craft for hire, it’s the perfect

spot to relax if the combination of a quarter of the

world’s construction cranes and a few too many

tasty shawarmas are beginning to overwhelm.

SSpice SouqAromatic frankincense resin from the Dhofar area

of Oman has been traded in this region since

Biblical times. The best parts of Dubai’s traditional

Deira Souq (market) are now limited to the Gold

Souq and a few lanes selling fresh spices, including

saffron and frankincense. But while more mundane

merchandise (including entire stores selling only

cigarette lighters) is steadily encroaching, there

are still several lanes offering a delicious sensory

overload of heady, natural aromas. All together

now, one ... two ... three ... breathe in.

XXVA GalleryThe XVA Gallery resides in a wonderfully restored

building tucked into the narrow lanes of Bastakia.

There are regular exhibitions, and the courtyard

cafe is good after a visit to the Dubai Museum in

the nearby Al Fahidi Fort. Try the eggplant burger

with a glass of fresh mint lemonade.

Photo: Carol atkinson Photo: XVa GallEry

Dubai

A to Z

“Learn to bargain—compare prices and don’t accept the first one. There are ATM machines and a Thomas Cook exchange bureau if you need more cash. The Souks are a male-dominated

area so women travellers should make sure their legs and shoulders are covered” shelley adkins, adventure travel specialist, house of travel