Top Five Dubai
A short list of Dubai offerings:
1. Burj Al Arab
This hotel is to Dubai what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. And just like the Eiffel Tower, you have to pay to get in it. Thankfully, you are not required to book a room to see the inside, though you will need to make reservations for tea, dinner or breakfast. We chose the cheapest option, and spent the afternoon sipping green tea overlooking the Gulf, doing our best to exude the air of successful shipping magnates.
Here's the thing: It wasn't really worth it. Yes, it's true that you'll hardly ever get a backpacker to admit that spending over $50 per person for tiny sandwiches and a few cookies is justified. But at the same time, if you expose two people who've been subsisting on peanut butter and jelly for a many weeks to a little luxury, they'll often be grateful no matter how much you hose them for the privilege. I guess we were just surprised at the quality of the pastries (disappointingly soggy) and the character of the interior decoration (rich yes, but in an almost indescribably gaudy way). Whereas the outside of the Burj is sleek, modern and compelling (particularly at night, watching it change color), the inside is overly gilded, multicolored and confusing, like the carpet of a movie palace designed to hide the stains. There is not the slightest hint of restraint and so the mood is almost kitsch with more than a hint of nouveau riche mixed in.
We're not sorry we did it; we would have always wondered what the inside looked like if we hadn't managed to traverse the bridge that separates the Burj's island of opulence from the traffic of the coast. (Hint: You will need to make reservations and be put on a list before the security guards will allow you across. There's no showing up for tea on a whim, even if you're nicely dressed. Regrettably, we found this out the embarrassing way.) Moreover, the service was pleasingly fawning and the décor certainly astounding. But given the price of admission, we're not in a hurry to go back.
2. Wild Wadi
While an Arabian folklore-themed water park may seem slightly tawdry beside the sophistication of the Burj Al Arab, it comes in quite handy when the temperatures spike.
The coolest thing is Wadi's ingenious traffic pattern that allows you to stay in your tube to experience nearly all of the slides, one after the other. This means there's only one line to stand in. After you splash down at the end of a particular slide, a lazy stream winds you towards the next. The park employs a legion of staff who stand waste deep in the water and help push you along when the current is moving fast enough. Many of the slides actually go uphill, using firehouse jets of water to propel you as out of a cannon. And you needn't take the same route each time you run the course. There are many forks in the stream where important decisions must be made: Should I go down the curly slide this time or the pitch black tube where all the screams are emanating?
The cross-section of sodden humanity at Wild Wadi is nearly as varied as the population of Dubai. So it's really interesting to observe interactions between the different cultural representatives in this unique environment: the white woman in a bikini standing in line next to a Muslim woman wearing a head scarf and leggings under her bathing suit, both anxious to get in the water but apprehensive at the same time; the splashing fights that broke out in the lulls between slides where the teams weren't so predictable; and the three local guys who joined us in our stand against cutters. The silliness of being soaking wet mixed with the fun of high velocity leads to a giddy feeling of comradery and chattiness among strangers. After all, the Jumeirah Sceirah slide inflicts a painful wedgie upon everyone, regardless of creed. There is nothing fun about hurtling downhill at 80 kph in the coffin position, except laughing it over with the people you met in line afterwards.
3. Ski Dubai
The shopping malls in Dubai make The Mall of America look like a Dollar General. Shopping is the national pastime and with temperatures soaring, much of the population spends their free time in these air-conditioned sanctuaries. Inside, Western haute couture coexists with more traditional Arabian boutiques that sell rugs, abayas and incense. Our favorite retail discovery was Bateel, which specializes in possibly the yummiest dates on earth. (They should be, considering the clerk told us they come from the personal farms of the prince of Saudi Arabia. Ask to sample the semi-dried variety kept in the fridge. They are heavenly).
Of all the Malls -- and there are many -- our favorite was the Mall of the Emirates. Why? An indoor ski slope, of course.
I actually arrived at the Mall in a skirt and heels. We were prepared for tea at a certain fancy hotel, but had a sudden change of plans. No matter, Ski Dubai provides everything you need. Not just boots, skis and poles, but jackets, pants and socks, as well. Meredith had never been skiing before, but this was also little to no hindrance. We just signed him up for a beginner's course. While I did plenty of refresher runs on the intermediate slope, Meredith perfected the fundamentals of the snowplow. He was doing really well, too, until that fence got in the way. The whole incident was captured on digital camera by my ski-lift friend Bernd. And when you consider the matter, it's only fair that we eventually post it, seeing as how my elf ears are out on the Web for the world to scoff at.
If you're just looking for an opportunity to cool off, lob a few snowballs and do some sledding, Ski Dubai can provide that experience, too. They even have long style jackets which fit neatly over abayas and dishdashes.
4. Desert Safari
Somewhere between the TGIFridays and the Carrefour, tourists may forget they're in the Gulf. Likewise, with all the construction and climate control, it's hard to remember that this is the dessert and the dunes aren't far off. Wherever there's a gap in the sprawling concrete, sand tends to bubble up and lap at the sides of civilization. But this often goes unnoticed as the eye is lead skyward to the tops of minarets and skyscrapers. Thankfully, there are numerous tour groups ready to acquaint you with the deep red, empty desert just outside the city lights.
Our tour included "dune bashing," a visit to a camel farm, henna tattoos, a belly dancing show, buffet dinner, drinks, a falcon to pet, camel rides and shisha.
The most memorable moment was feeling the softness of the falcon's breast feathers as he spread his wings and squawked from beneath his burqa (the leather hood covering his eyes). Hanging on for dear life as our camel set off was a close second. I don't know how most people mount a camel. When we got on our camel, he was in a sitting position, his front and back legs strangely folding in towards each other. When it came time for him to stand, he unfurled his long limbs and we were violently thrust forward and then back. My advice is to grip until your knuckles are white. It's great fun, but difficult to imagine a long journey on such a spiny animal.
5. The Future
The sheer amount of construction and planning going on is staggering. If this city builds half of what they are promising, we will be back in a few years to check it out. It is hard not to want to see the tallest building on earth, an amusement park filled with animatronic dinosaurs or man-made islands in the shapes of palms and the globe. Many of these are already marked on the tourist maps, but wanting to visit these marvels, sadly, won't cause them to be completed any faster.
By Meredith Bragg |
May 17, 2006; 10:57 AM ET
| Category:
Dubai
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Posted by: Anna | May 26, 2006 11:30 AM
I have been coming to Dubai for the past 10 years, and I find Dubai to be one of the safest and cleanest tourist place in the world. I have done all the activities listed, visited the Burj, done the desert safari and scuba diving, had dinner at a Dhow etc... Dubai still beat by far any other city in the region including Cairo , Amman, Damascus and TA.
But I still prefer Paris...
Posted by: J A Fakhreddine | May 29, 2006 03:37 AM
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On a recent visit to Dubai, I took a similar desert safari, without having any idea what I was getting myself into.
The desert safari was one of the most egregiously depressing activities I have come across in my four years engaged with the tourism sector. Totally devoid of any educational component (other than cursory and over-simplified explanations of "traditional" livelihoods), "dune-bashing" reinforces the incorrect idea that deserts are just vacant infertile areas.
In reality, deserts are complex and fragile ecosystems. If a plant is destroyed by the 4x4s used for dune-bashing, it will take years for another to root in its place. There _are_ animals living in the desert, and with such scarce resources, they can be easily harmed by disturbance.
Lastly, I was appalled at the amount of trash left behind by the multiple companies that take desert safaris out every evening: cans, bottles, wrappers. This debris will not melt away under the hot Dubai sun. It will remain as a reminder of this irresponsible activity for future tourists to see.