| December 27, 2007 | |
It’s the world’s fastest-growing city with gleaming skyscrapers and ultra-modern shopping malls - but it’s still fun to get back to basics in Dubai.
Drive 45 minutes beyond the heart of the city and you feel as though you’re transported back in time as the mirrored glass skyline recedes to make way for an enormous expanse of desert.
The Margham Desert Conservation Reserve is truly awesome. Spanning 235sq km, it is protected as the natural habitat of gazelles and the Arabian onyx and is worth a trip just for the photo opportunities alone.
We fancied a bit more of an adrenaline rush, however, and signed up for a morning desert jeep safari with excursion company Arabian Adventures.
After hearing that Robbie Williams took the same trip on his recent tour stop in Dubai, we knew we’d made a good move. If it’s good enough for the prince of pop…
Our guide, Roshan, had been Robbie’s driver and while I secretly hoped that Mr Williams had screamed like a girl while riding the dunes, the man at the wheel informed us his superstar passenger had been the very image of composed calm.
Never mind, I did enough screaming for both of us.
The peaks and troughs of the dunes stretched out like a sandy roller-coaster ride but expert driver Roshan’s instincts were as sharp as a desert rat.
He took us on an exhilarating hourlong ride with a few hairy moments thrown in for good measure as the jeep slipped and slid its way down the sandy slopes.
For the complete Bedouin experience, you can also have a bash at camel riding or enjoy dinner and belly dancing in a desert camp but our stay was too short for an extended trip. We’ll leave that for our return.
At just over seven hours’ flight time from Scotland and with daily direct Emirates flights from Glasgow, it’s no wonder Dubai is a hotspot with Scots.
There’s year-round sunshine, it’s a shoppers’ paradise and the hotel accommodation is first class without costing the earth.
We stayed at the Residence and Spa, one of three properties which make up the fabulous One & Only Royal Mirage.
Situated on Jumeirah Beach, the resort has 1km of private coastline for sunbathing and eight restaurants where you’ll be spoiled for choice without getting a knockout blow to the wallet.
The food is surprisingly reasonable for a five-star joint and you can easily fit in three courses for 30 quid.
We loved Nina, an Asian restaurant with a contemporary twist, and Celebrities, a fine dining eaterie with dishes from a young Kiwi chef that could get Gordon Ramsay hot under the collar.
If total relaxation is what you’re after, there’s a Givenchy spa in the hotel, a Turkish steam room and a fab French pedicure studio.
But it would be a shame not to venture a little further afield and indulge in a spot of retail therapy.
If you’re planning a trip between January 24 and February 24, then you’re in luck. You’ll be in town for the annual shopping festival when prices are slashed by up to 50 per cent in most shops.
Don’t worry if your dates don’t tie in though, there are bargains all year round, especially if bling is your thing.
Jewellery - gold and diamonds, in particular - can be less than half the UK price so a trip to either the city’s Gold Souk or Gold and Diamond Park is a must.
For clothes, the nearby Mall of the Emirates, with more than 400 stores, is a shopper’s paradise. And just to prove Dubai really is a city of contrasts, the shopping centre is also home to Ski Dubai, a 22,500square metre indoor ski resort. So, if the fancy takes you, you can bake yourself on the beach all day, then swap your suntan oil for winter woollies and enjoy an evening on the slopes. Bizarre.
With the city growing faster than the Beckhams’ bank balance, no two trips need to be the same. You could try out something new every day for a fortnight and still have plenty of things left on a “to do” list for your next trip. We never had time for a day at the races Dubaistyle, or a night cruise on a traditional dhow boat but we’ll be back to give both a try.
The city will be massive when it’s complete. Dubailand is the most eagerly awaited tourist attraction, a huge theme park split into six sections, due for completion by 2010.
As well as rollercoaster rides, massive new shopping malls, science centres and wellness spas, there will be world-class sporting facilities with a Tiger Woods golf academy and Manchester United soccer school.
It’s easy to see why the city has been dubbed the superstar of the Middle East and the superstar treatment is not to be missed.
Reference: Here
News Published Under: Dubai, United Arab Emirates |