Dubai is the capital of one of the seven emirates of the UAE, the one that bears its name. The city is known for its wealth, its sumptuous and innovative development and architecture, as well as its boutiques. But it’s not all about 5-star luxury, although it is an integral part of any stay in Dubai .
It is easy to discover the local and cultural aspects of what we call the Cité d’Or. In one day, you can contemplate vast landscapes of dunes, traditional villages and remarkable skyscrapers.
Visitors to Dubai especially enjoy taking an excursion to the Arabian Desert. Many tour operators offer 4×4 raids, with impressive rodeo on the dunes, or camel rides to explore the desert at a more leisurely pace.
You can also opt for a night in the desert in a private camp, where you will be entitled to a barbecue accompanied by music and belly dancing. But for the best start to a magical day in Dubai, nothing beats a morning desert safari. So you will have the rest of the day free to explore the city itself.
The Grand Mosque of Bur Dubai boasts the tallest minaret in the city, with a dizzying height of 70 meters. The building has nine large domes and 45 smaller ones. Each dome houses magnificent stained glass windows that glow in the sun.
The Great Mosque is one of the city’s most emblematic monuments. To go around it, the morning or the beginning of the evening are to be preferred, to avoid the scorching heat of the midday sun.
A food tour of Dubai will allow you to taste the typical dishes of the region. Middle Eastern cuisine may not yet have the international reputation it deserves, but this cuisine cannot be overlooked when visiting the city.
Sisters Arva and Farida Ahmed set up the Frying Pan Adventures Walking Tour , a four-hour culinary and cultural discovery of the city. Five circuits offer to explore different flavors. With a nighttime option, everyone will have the opportunity to feast on Arabian delicacies. Savoring a mezze platter is another must for foodies visiting Dubai: the assortment of food on offer gives an excellent overview of local specialties.
The Atlantis Center brings together three exhilarating water theme parks for the whole family. Totaling 17 hectares and a host of water activities including ziplines and slides that cross shark pools, Aquaventure is the best water park in the Middle East and Europe,
while the Lost Chambers aquarium has no less than 65,000 specimens. The Dolphin Bay will give you the opportunity to interact one-on-one with these beautiful creatures that are dolphins.