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Dubai Attractions
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A glitzy 21st century city, Dubai is rich in experiences for today's travellers.
Set off on a four-wheel drive or camel safari across the sand dunes. Cruise the Gulf in a traditional wooden dhow or enjoy a Bedouin barbecue in the cool of the desert night. Explore the narrow alleys of the souks, the glitz of the goldsmiths and the glamour of the shopping malls.
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 | | Raffles Botanical Garden | Inspired by Singapore’s garden city landscape and designed by Singapore Garden City Pte Ltd (a wholly owned company of the National Parks Board Singapore), Raffles Botanical Garden is the one and only hanging botanical garden in Dubai. Over 14 meters off the ground, featuring 129,090 plants, it includes the Traveller’s Palm - a plant which has long been associated with the Raffles name. Residents can take in the beauty of more than 260 trees, 650 palms, 1,400 bamboo plants, 500 aquatic plants, over 100,000 shrubs and 1,000 climbers.
Raffles Botanical Garden comprises of four themed garden areas, based on the four essential elements of life: Earth, Wind, Fire and Water.
Flora in fiery crimson, vermillion and luscious reds make up the Fire garden; Bamboo, weeping willows and ferns that bend in the breeze feature in the Wind garden; and low-growing shrubs dominate in the Earth garden. The Water garden houses a stream that flows into a pond, where the vibrant display 'Water Hyacinth' takes centre stage.
Distance from Hotel: 2 minutes on foot | | | | | |  | | WonderLand | The 18-hectare WonderLand family fun park features a wide range of water attractions.
Capable of accommodating up to 8,000 visitors at any one time, WonderLand’s water rides include speed slides, surf hills, twister, wave runners and a Caribbean cruise.
It also houses a water mist show and water cinema - where videos are projected on a thin film of water - plus a full complement of on-land attractions.
Distance from Hotel: 8 kilometres by vehicle
How to get there: Taxi – Alongside the Dubai Creek Park, next to Al Garhoud Bridge.
Website: www.wonderlanduae.com | | | | | |  | | Desert Safari | A must-see for every visitor to United Arab Emirates.
The tour departs in the afternoon and takes you across the desert of Dubai. This exciting drive across the dunes yields several look-out points where photographers can take photographs of the dunes' magnificence.
Along the way, participants get to visit a camel farm where they can interact with and feed the camels. At dusk, a stop will also be made to allow visitors to admire the beautiful sunset. At the campsite, visitors have the opportunity to try their hand at camel riding, sand boarding and acquire a henna tattoo on their hands or feet.
In the evening, visitors can enjoy a delicious barbecue dinner and shisha (the famous Arabic water pipe). Before returning to Dubai/Sharjah watch our belly dancer perform around the campfire under the stars.
Distance from Hotel: 30 – 45 minute by vehicle
How to get there: By 4X4, provided by the company
Website: www.desertsafaridubai.com | | | | | |  | | Dubai Museum | Housed within the beautifully restored Al Fahidi Fort - erected around 1787 to defend the city against invasion - the museum's diverse collection of exhibits offers a fascinating insight into the rich history and cultural heritage of Dubai.
Distance from Hotel: 20 minute by vehicle
How to get there: Taxi or The Big Bus which departs from Wafi Mall | | | | | |  | | Dubai Zoo | The Dubai Zoo is the oldest zoo of its kind in the UAE and the Arabian Peninsula. Located in the lush green suburb of Jumeirah, it is the first Arabian zoo to breed the rare Chimpanzee and the Arabian wild cat.
The zoo houses nearly two hundred species of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. The Arabian species in the zoo include gazelle, caracal, foxes, wolves, hyaena, wild cat, flamingo, cormorant, herons, gulls, eagles, buzzards, vultures, snakes, skunks and lizards.
Endangered species like barbary sheep, water buck, Siberian and Bengal tigers, Arabian wolves, hyaena, wild cats, scimitar-horned oryx, gorilla and chimpanzee are some of the animals being looked after by the zoo authorities.
Distance from Hotel: 35 minute by vehicle
How to get there: Taxi | | | | | |  | | Bastakiya | Bastakiya is the bustling market and cultural center of Dubai. The original city of Dubai is just one per cent of the modern city we see today. This district is filled with traditional courtyard houses and classic wind towers, which offer a charming glimpse to visitors of how Dubai once looked.
The surrounding historic buildings are home to museums, galleries that feature local artists, restaurants and markets. The Dubai government is planning to renovate all the historic buildings of the Bastakiya area to open more museums, galleries, restaurants and traditional markets.
Distance from Hotel: 25 minutes by vehicle
How to get there: Taxi or the Big Bus which departs from Wafi Mall | | | | | |  | | Golf Courses | Dubai Golf (DG), a government organisation that promotes golf to the world’s golfing market, manages three of Dubai’s most unique and internationally renowned golf courses: Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club; Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis; and Wadi by Faldo courses. Golfers of all levels can enjoy the distinct and different challenges presented by each of the championship standard courses.
Distance from Hotel: 20 – 30 minutes by vehicle
How to get there: Taxi
Website: http://www.dubaigolf.com/ | | | | | |  | | The Souks (Gold and Spice) | The souks on both sides of the Creek do not just attract visitors due to their shopping bargains. Sightseers and photographers are also drawn by the charm of the place.
Along with the slightly larger lanes of the gold souk, each shop window is arrayed with gold necklaces, rings, bangles, earrings and brooches. In the evening this area is a hive of activity. Gold prices here are among the lowest in the world. On the Bur Dubai side of the Creek, lanes filled with textile shops, where blazes of colourful raw silks and cottons hang in shop windows.
Distance from Hotel: 35 minutes by vehicle
How to get there: Taxi or the Big Bus which departs from Wafi Mall | | | | | |  | | The Malls | The city of Dubai is an open port with low import duties and no taxation, offering unbeatable value to the bargain hunter. Often, brand name products, which are widely available in the city, are less expensive in Dubai than in the country of their origin.
Some of the prominent shopping malls in the city are the luxurious Wafi Mall, Deira City Center, Mall of Emirates, Bur Juman, and Ibn Battuta Mall.
Distance from Hotel: differs depending on the mall location
How to get there: Taxi or the Big Bus which departs from Wafi Mall | | | | | |  | | Dubai Creek | The Creek, a natural sea-water inlet which cuts through the centre of the city, is the historic focal point of life in Dubai. A stroll along its banks evokes the city’s centuries-old trading traditions.
An good way to view the Creek and the dhows is from an abra, one of the small water taxis which criss-cross the Creek from the souks of Deira to the souks on the Bur Dubai side.
Distance from Hotel: 25 minutes by vehicle
How to get there: Taxi or the Big Bus which departs from Wafi Mall | | | | | |
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