Popular as the vacation spot of
United Arab Emirates, Dubai is a scintillating city of high-rises and shopping
malls. Transformed from a desert destination to the city of dazzling lights,
people from all around the world visit Dubai for its sales, bargains, and fun
experience it offers to family.
A few friends have recently moved
to Dubai or travelled to the city to witness its famous glory. And yes, I do
have postcards from the place which my sister’s best friend got for me. (I LOVE
POSTCARDS!)
Famous for attractions such as
the Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building) and larger-than-life shopping
malls, Dubai has many cultural highlights and glamorous add-ons to offer. Take
a stroll around the city and you will realise that Dubai has more to offer than
what meets the eye.
Best time to visit Dubai: October – April (i.e. 2 months
away. Start planning!)
There are more than 400 flights available to Dubai on
Cleartrip, among which 30 are non-stop. There are frequent flights from India
for Dubai from Mum/Delhi. If you ask me which airline to pick from the many, I
would go with Etihad. Why? Because my friends
always refer it as the best! Its accolades go beyond the air.
Let’s dig in a little about the famous attractions which attract
tourists from all around the world:
Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa is Dubai's landmark building, which is 829.8 m high
and the tallest building in the world. The building provides a bird-eye view of
the city’s skyline and is simply stunning, imagine a 360-degree view out across
the skyscrapers with the desert on one side and the ocean on the other.
Fascinating? That it is.
Night-time visits are particularly popular with
photographers due to Dubai's famous city-lights panoramas.
Dubai Museum
Housed in the Al-Fahidi Fort, which was built in 1787 to
defend Dubai Creek, is the famous Dubai Museum. In its history, the fort served
as a residence for the ruling family, seat of government, garrison, and prison.
Restored in 1971 (and again extensively in 1995), it is now the city's premier
museum.
Bastakia (Old Dubai)
Built in the late 19th century to be the home of wealthy
Persian merchants, Bastakia is the home to Old Dubai.
Lined with distinct Arabian architecture,
narrow lanes speak the history of Dubai.
Dubai Aquarium
Dubai Aquarium houses 140 species of sea life and is one of
the city’s top tourist attractions. If you enter the Underwater Zoo, you can
walk through the aquarium tunnels.
To keep the entire family happy, the
Aquarium also offers Cage snorkelling and shark diving activities.
Dubai Mall
Dubai Mall is the city's premier mall that provides entry to
the Burj Khalifa as well as the Dubai Aquarium. Looking for more entertainment
options? The mall also has an ice-skating rink, gaming zone, and a cinema
complex.
It is famous for the annual Dubai Shopping Festival in January
and February and the Dubai Summer Surprises Festival in July and August.
Jumeirah Beach
Dubai is blessed with long stretches and golden sands. The
strip of sandy white beach is the most famous among all in Dubai – Jumeirah
Beach.
The beach has excellent facilities with plenty of sun loungers,
restaurants, beautiful hotels, and
water-sport operators offering jet skiing.
After reading this wanderlust-worthy list of attractions in
Dubai, I am sure you are planning to visit the city. Make sure you include the
following list of Dos’ and Don’ts in your list:
- Drinking: Drinking or being drunk in public is not tolerated in Dubai. The legal drinking age is 21.
- Public displays of affection: Holding hands, kissing or getting cosy with your partner can get you arrested or lead to imprisonment.
- Homosexuality: Homosexual acts are illegal and subjectable to severe punishment.
- Swimwear: Wearing bathers outside the beach is against Dubai's decent laws and swimsuits in general should be modest. Nudity at beaches is illegal.
- Clothing: Woman's clothing may be considered indecent if it is tight, transparent, above the knee or shows her stomach, shoulders or back. Men should wear T-shirts at all times and short shorts can attract the wrong kind of attention.
- Conversation: It is illegal to "harass" women - this includes unwanted conversation and prolonged stares or eye contact.
- Photos: Taking photographs of people, particularly women, without permission is illegal and can lead to arrest or fine.
- Drugs: The UAE laws on drugs are extremely strict and include death penalty or life imprisonment.
Have a safe and amazing trip! Don’t forget to send me some
postcards from your travels.
Disclaimer: All the pictures have been sourced from google.
