Dubai, what does this shining city have to offer the modern traveller

Dubai is fast becoming an extremely popular travel destination the world over. Its awesome city scape; complete with some of the tallest buildings in the world, seems almost to have pushed itself up and out of the ground a fully formed playground for the rich and famous – lubricated nicely, with a whole lot of oil!

A tax haven and a shoppers dream though, what else does this shining city have to offer the modern traveller?

We’re taking a look at the top 5 things to do in Dubai:

1. Burj Khalifa Observation Deck

Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa

The view from the Burj Khalifa

The view from the Burj Khalifa

What better place to check out the cities credentials than from high above it all? Head over to the Burj Khalifa observation deck and you can do just that – like Paris and New York before it Dubia has crowned itself with a show stopping skyscraper, from which 360 degrees views of the landscape can be seen.

As the tallest building in the world however, the Burj Khalifa rather shows up its western cousins. The city scape is truly a marvel and the sheer extent of luxury and gleaming metal on display is something rarely seen before.

2. Dubai Mall

Mall of The Emirates

Dubai Mall – Fashion Avenue 1

Dubai Mall – Fashion Avenue

Dubai Mall

Okay, okay so we said no shopping but if you go to Dubai and you don’t see this place you’re missing out on far more than a few fashion focused buys.

Alcohol is not a part of the culture in Dubai – which obviously means that pubs, bars and casual drinks with friends are not to be found, instead the social hub of Dubai is this epic shopping mall.

Take a trip here to see the locals in action socialising and shopping as well as enjoying the huge selection of restaurants, cafes and fast food purveyors. Dubai Mall is a massive part of the culture here and a real eye opener as to the wealth and riches prospering in the east.

3. Afternoon Tea at the Burj Al Arab

This suggestion may seem a little out of place on a list of the 5 top things to do in Dubai – afternoon tea being a well-known British tradition, but bear with us.

Not only is the Burj Al Arab one of the most architecturally adventurous buildings within Dubai – and that’s certainly saying something – it’s also a 7 star hotel and home to a top class restaurant. The Afternoon Tea is particularly indulgent and served overlooking the whole city! But even if you don’t grab afternoon tea, you should grab this chance to see how the other half live whilst you’re in the city.

4. See The World

Luxury Cars in Dubai

The World is a project created by Nakheel Properties, it may be a bit of a gimmick, but it remains something well worth taking a look at. The World is a group of artificial islands positioned in the ocean to roughly represent the real positioning of their much larger counter parts. If nothing else, this makes for a great photo – but it also provides a simple way of understanding how vast the world really is and how many millions of people spend their lives here.

5. Boat Trip round Palm Jumeira

Palm Jumeira is another such installation, around which you can take a boat trip – something we highly recommend doing. The World may seem whimsical but, in contrast, Palm Jumeira is a triumph of landscape design and symmetry.

Created once again by Nakheel, this project seems somehow more serious, and was built using reclaimed land. The beauty of this man made site is breath taking and the precision design, innovative thinking and clever use of materials which make up the Palm Jumeira deserve to be celebrated by all who see it.

Dubia may seem like another world, and with its vastly different customs and cultures it may well be just that, but it’s definitely a place of wonder and resilience. A country with a real heart, encompassing the modern drive to succeed – so what are you waiting for? Go and take a look!