The opulent emirate of Dubai is a place where the Persian Gulf meets the Arabian Desert, where glamour meets glitz, and where unspoiled beaches and indigo seas meet designer shops and intoxicating nightlife. The perfect place for a hedonistic holiday, it’s also a seductive destination where you can swim with dolphins, camp in the desert and dine at world-class
restaurants under the sea or high up in the sky.

Hotels here are the height of luxury, dazzling with excess and brimming with opulent restaurants and extravagant spas. Stray from your resort and discover magnificent skyscrapers, including the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa, and the adjacent Dubai Mall, where you’ll find an array of designer shops, an indoor ice rink, a huge aquarium and even a Marks and Spencer if you’re feeling homesick. It’s also well worth taking in the Dubai Fountain Show, designed by the creators of the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas. Skydive out of a plane 4,000 metres above The Palm, camp Bedouin style under the stars, ride an abra along the Dubai Creek at sunset or enjoy a hot air balloon flight over red-gold desert sands.

Contrary to some popular misconceptions, it’s still perfectly possible to find flavours of old Arabia in Dubai: head to the old Bastakia Quarter’s labyrinth of winding streets dotted with 13th Century architecture, museums and galleries, or have fun bartering at the Deira Gold Souk. 

Dubai is a city which offers an impressive range of flavours, from local and ethnic dishes to international cuisine from around the world. Standards are high and the choice is diverse, especially in the top class restaurants offered by the city’s hotels. We recommend the modern seafood of Al Mahara at Burj Al Arab and Pierchic at Madinat Jumeirah. For Japanese fusion the seriously stylish Nobu at Atlantis, The Palm deserves special mention, and the Moroccan dishes of Tagine at One&Only Royal Mirage are simply divine.