DEIRA
:
Along with Bur Dubai, Deira is the heart of old Dubai.
Trading has been going on here for centuries and, riding an
abra
across to Deira from Bur Dubai, you can feel the old,
represented by dhows juxtaposed against the breathtaking
modern skyline. Here you can stroll down the Creek to
the Dhow Wharfage area, with its amazing array of goods
waiting to be loaded onto the ancient dhows or - for avid
shoppers - head into the souqs, where the smell of the Spice and
Perfume Souqs await
and the scales and calculators of the gold merchants are ready
for bargaining. Close to the Gold Souq is Dubai's first school, Al-Ahmadiya School,
and Heritage House. All of these attractions are located in a
small radius and while the Deira Fish Markets should be visited
in the morning, the rest are best done in the late afternoon,
especially in the hotter months. It's a great idea to either
hire an abra or do a cruise to see the sunset.
Alternatively, time your walk along the Dhow Wharfage for
sunset.
Deira is home to a wide range of the typical types of cuisine
found in this colourful city. On top of this , a couple of
Dubai's best eateries - Verre and the Blue Elephant - are
located here. If you're travelling to Deira for dinner from one
of the beach resorts remember to leave plenty of time to get to
the restaurant, as the busy early evening traffic can really
test your patience.
BUR DUBAI :
If you
do only one touristy thing in Dubai, make it a visit to the creek.
Dubai's waterfront epitomises the city's personality, and the
best way to see any great trading port is from the water.
Instead of booking a cruise , you can hire an abra for an hour
or so from any of the abra stations on the Creek. For
around Dh40 (for the whole boat) the captain should lake you to
Al-Maktoum Bridge and back. For Dh60he ought to extend that route to include a trip
to the mouth of the Creek and back. These prices take a bit of
bargaining to achieve. If he tries to charge DhlOO, walk away.
The shorter trip takes just over half an hour, the longer
one takes 45 to 60 minutes. The heritage and Bastakia areas
provide a slice of life from the days when wealthy merchants
resided in Bur Dubai. The area is steadily being redeveloped and
restored, and it's alsoa wonderful place for an afternoon stroll - stop for
sheesha at Fatafeet for a real Dubai experience. Further
back from the Creek, past what is called Golden Sands, is Karamahome to run-down apartment blocks housing expat workers.
There's a real community feel to the place, plus great shopping
and cheap eats here.
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Bur Dubai Highlights
• A visit to Dubai Museum should be hight on the list of any
Dubai visitor: it's not only an interesting museum, it makes
visiting the rest of Dubai's sights more impressive when you see
what it looked like circa 1956.
• The Sheikh Saeed al-Maktoum House has been wonderfully restored
and holds a unique collection of early photographs of Dubai.
• The recreation of traditional Bedouin and coastal villages at
the Heritage & Diving Villages are wonderful - especially in the
cooler months.
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An eclectic mix of fine dining and workers
cafes is just one of the wonderful contradiction of this area of
Dubai. The great thing is that you can grab a local bite for
lunch in Karama for next to nothing and indulge yourself for
dinner at some great restaurants.
JUMEIRAH :
This stretch of coast is
home to Dubai's busy beach resorts.
it's a residential area
too, and turning in either direction off jumeirah Rd will allow you
to have a snoop around some of
the villas in the area.
Many of the residents earn big money
and there's usually a
Mercedes and an expensive 4WD in
the double driveways of
these villas. The wives of these well-rewarded gentlemen have
earned themselves a nickname - the jumeirah Janes, similar
to 'ladies who lunch'. To service the local residents there is
an increasing number of cafes and shopping centres in the area
and many residents believe this area is now the 'new Dubai
centre'.This stretch is home to
some of the most remarkable construction projects on earth. The
artificial islands of The Palm can be seen from space and the
image of the Burj Al Arab is associated with Dubai in the same
way the Opera House is in Sydney. This being Dubai, there is
more to come - but it's hard to imagine what could overtake the Burj's iconic
status.
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Jumeirah Highlights
• The Burj Al Arab is Dubai's
iconic landmark that doubles as a hotel.
• Wild Wadi Waterpark is one that doesn't look like a Lego set.
• Jumeirah Beach Park is the best place for an ocean dip outside
the beach hotels.
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The ever-increasing number of resorts along
Jumeirah Beach makes for countless dining possibilities. Nearly
every hotel along the strip has at least one exceptional
restaurant in breathtaking surroundings, and for most of the
restaurants here , you need to make a reservation at least a day
in advance . There are also some popular cafes here where you
can catch local residents enjoying their downtime. For those not
staying at one of the resorts, a trip down the beach is a
must -combine it with some pre - and post - dinner drinks and
you'll have a brilliant night out.