Things to do in Dubai Part 1 – Old Dubai

I have to say that doing the job that I do has some great perks, the latest one being a fantastic trip to Dubai. I won the trip as a top selling agent for Royal Caribbean and for a change the trip was actually land-based rather than on a ship. We stayed at the amazing Atlantis, The Palm which I will review in detail in a later blog. The Middle East is getting more popular for winter sun cruises and I would highly recommend staying a night or two in Dubai before or after your cruise. With Emirates Airlines flying direct daily from many airports in the UK it’s easy to do.

Many people think of Dubai as a hi-tech city with huge skyscrapers which is certainly true, however there is some history there too. Dubai’s real roots began back in 1833 when some members of the Bani Yas tribe from Abu Dhabi settled at the mouth of Dubai Creek (due to the fact that the tribe was getting too big). The creek was a natural harbour and Dubai soon became a center for the fishing, pearling and sea trade. Both the manufacture of artificial pearls and the depression of 1929 meant a collapse in the economy and therefore the ruler of Dubai invited traders from India & Iran to trade tax-free to help boost their economy. In 1966 black gold was discovered and the nation became very rich and therefore very quickly began to develop the city in to the modern metropolis we know today. Now that the oil reserves are running low Dubai is again looking for other means of boosting their economy, tourism being a huge part of that.

You can take a guided tour of old Dubai which is good to get a local’s knowledge and be taken to the highlights, however you can easily explore on your own. The Dubai Museum (which costs around 75p entry fee) shows the history of the city and is housed in an ancient fort. Showcasing Dubai’s history and its original heritage, you can get a glimpse of everyday life before the discovery of oil. The galleries recreate historic local houses, mosques, souks, date farms, desert and marine life.

We were taken to the palace of the current leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. You are allowed to wander up the driveway for photos. He’s a little more accessible than our very own Queen Elizabeth, often seen driving around Dubai in his favourite car (a G63 AMG Mercedes-Benz for you petrol-heads out there).

You can take the Abras (water taxi) across the creek from where the museum is over to the souks for a bargain 20p. Wander down the narrow shaded alleyways and easily get lost in the atmospheric markets which seemed to be separated in to different areas depending on what goods they sell. There’s the spice souk, the gold souk, Emerati clothing souk and even a pots, pans and domestic appliance souk! In my opinion you have to escape the modern city and see the traditional side of Dubai. For the adventurous folk you can even sample some camel milk ice cream (gluten free don’t ya know),or for some more substantial traditional cuisine you can try a traditional Arabic tea house.