Playing in Dubai:
Dubai City Tour
You should perhaps consider starting your city of Dubai tour by driving through the Al Garhoud Bridge to Dubai creek to see Bur Dubai, Deira and traditional dhow wooden boats.
The Dubai Museum is nearby, which is home to the Al-Fahidi Fort, built in 1800 and possibly the oldest building in Dubai. This multi-purpose building was used not only to defend the town from warring tribes in the neighborhoods but also as the ruler’s residence, the seat of Government, a store for ammunition and even a jail.
Your next stop should be the Heritage and Diving village at the mouth of the creek. Here there are potters and weavers who display their craft. It is but a short drive to reach the Dubai Gold Souk - a feast to behold for the fashion conscious and famous for some great bargains. Be prepared to haggle!
The Dubai Spice Souk is but a short walk away and you will never find more spices, incenses and traditional medicines in one place. Traders and wholesalers come here for bulk purchases to sell in their own shops throughout the Emirate. Crossing the Maktoum Bridge and along the famous Sheikh Zayed Road brings us to Zaabeel Palace, a prime example of intricate, historic architecture.
Then on to Jumeirah for a great contrast to earlier on and the more fashionable area of Dubai. We cross the Mall of the Emirates, the world’s first to include an artificial ski resort and snow park (Ski Dubai).
And then a look at some of the newer projects in Dubai - the Dubai Marina and the Palm Jumeirah Dubai. Anyone looking to buy property in Dubai has probably considered the Dubai Marina as a potential investment. It’s aiming to become one of the largest man-made marinas in the world, eventually holding 200 high rise buildings and some ‘super tall skyscrapers’, 700 yacht berths and a promenade of shops, bars and restaurants. It’s located near Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City (both Govt sponsored zones to encourage business) and is due for completion in 2009.
This leads us to Souk Madinat Jumeirah, famous for Arabic artisans and crafts people. This is also a great vantage point for taking pictures of the Burj Al Arab, currently the only seven star hotel in the world.
