Things To Do In Dubai Part 2 – Modern Dubai

Following on from my previous blog which covered the old part of the city, here is some info on what I got up to in ‘new’ Dubai and other things you can do when spending a few days there.

On my previous visit to Dubai I stayed at the far end of the Jumeira Beach Walk. This is a mile long strip with cafes. restaurants and shops which runs parallel to the sea front (think Blackpool promenade with rather a lot more class)! Great to stroll along day or night. You can also access the beach from this area if you want to chill for the day.

The malls in Dubai are very famous for selling lots of designer goods. I wouldn’t say they are a place to get a bargain compared to UK prices, but great for the ex-pats who want to shop with familiar brands such as M&S & Top Shop/Top Man alongside the high end stores such as Cartier, Chanel & Tiffany. To me Dubai Mall has a more opulent, high-end feel and also housed Dubai’s aquarium and underwater zoo. The Mall of the Emirates feels more modern and as well as the shops has lots of entertainment including bowling, a cinema and the amazing Ski Dubai. It is very bizarre to walk out of the 40 degree heat and in to a winter wonderland where you can ski, snowboard and even have a penguin encounter.

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Dubai always wants to have the biggest and best of everything and therefore (if you’ve got a head for heights) you have to take a trip up the world’s tallest building, The Burj Khalifa. You need to book to take trip to the top and the views over Dubai are amazing. You can visit day or night and we were lucky enough to have a private dining room at At.Mosphere which is a very nice restaurant on the 122nd floor. Our views were at night time and were amazing. They also put on a fantastic fountain show just outside.

For thrill-seekers there are theme parks and waterparks including the awesome Aquaventure at the Atlantis, Legoland and Warner Bros world. You can also get to Abu Dhabi within about an hour’s drive to look round another one of the Emirates and for sports car fans you can visit Ferrari World whilst you’re there.

Dubai is not famed for it’s nightlife and with alcohol mainly available in hotels you would think that the night scene would be non-existent. Not true if you do a little research. Many of the hotels have vibrant bars which welcome non-residents, so is very much like a bar in your local town or city. We visited a place called The Irish Village. It was a huge, very authentic Irish pub (complete with Irish bar staff) with a massive outdoor area surrounding a lake. It offers live music and stays open until around 2am.

One thing to note is that alcohol is expensive in Dubai. You can expect to pay anything from £6-£15 for a bottle of beer and at least £9 for a glass of wine or a G&T, although there are often happy hours available, so again, a little research can save you some money.

All in all there’s something for everyone in Dubai with the old city for culture vultures as well as all the modern attractions. Still to come in future blogs from my travels in Dubai is the lowdown the amazing Atlantis, The Palm hotel as well as an absolutely must-do trip in to the dessert.

TTFN!