Dubai Activities

Worth getting out of bed for

Viewpoint

Once completed, Burj Dubai (www.burjdubai.com) will be the world’s tallest man-made structure, standing at over 800m. Its observation deck on the 124th floor will doubtless offer Dubai’s best viewpoint. Until then, have champagne cocktails on the terrace of Uptown Bar, on the 24th floor of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, or at 360º, above the Marina restaurant, for great views of Burj al Arab and the coast; or at Vu’s, the 51st-floor design bar at the top of Emirates Towers' hotel tower.

Arts and culture

Dubai Museum (+971 (0)4 353 1862), set in 18th-century Al-Fahidi Fort, has displays on pearl diving and heritage. From there, it’s a short hop to contemporary-arts space XVA Gallery (www.xvagallery.com) in the Bastakiya; nearby Majlis Gallery (+971 (0)4 353 6233) also holds regular exhibitions. Near Sheikh Saeed al Maktoum’s House (+971 (0)4 393 7139), the former ruler of Dubai's Creek-side villa, the Heritage Village (+971 (0)4 393 7151) at Shindaga makes for a diverting early-evening stroll. Check listings magazines such as What’s On for events from camel racing to classical concerts.

Something for nothing

Not much in this town comes for free – in fact a lot of it is pretty expensive, including afternoon tea at Burj al Arab (from AED275; +971 (0)4 3017600). However, a stroll through the spice souk and Heritage Village won't cost a penny; or take a walk on Jumeirah's public beach.

Shopping

Ah, shopping – virtually a national pastime among Dubai’s moneyed expat community, and a modern extension of the city's trading heritage. Once you’ve scoured the old souks by the creek for gold, frankincense and myrrh, you could check out some of the planet’s biggest malls (Ibn Battuta in Jebel Ali and the humungous Mall of the Emirates), but we prefer our shopping centres on the petite side. Mercato on the Jumeirah Beach Road is an Italianate mini-mall with young European brands and boutiques including Topshop, Diesel and Fleurt; and BurJaman (www.burjuman.com) in Bur Dubai has an alphabet of glamorous grown-up labels from BCBG and D&G to DKNY, not to mention a branch of Saks Fifth Avenue. Deira City Centre, opposite the Creek Yacht and Golf Club, is where Emiratis catch a flick then get their Ikea fix.

Check out three-floor 'lifestyle store' Boutique 1 (+971 4 330 4555) at The Walk, JBR – Dubai's answer to Colette and X Corso Como – for fashion-forward lifestyle labels; and Sauce at XVA Gallery for kitsch-inspired fashion and accessories. Don’t tell anyone we told you, but you’ll find Prada-like purses at Al Karama shopping centre; hang around if you don’t see what you like and you might get invited into a secret Aladdin’s cave of fake Mulberry, Chloé and Hermès bags round the back. Haggle for all you are worth! If you want cheap electronics, go to Al Fahidi Street.

Daytripper

Go canoeing at Khor Kalba, a mangrove lagoon where you might spot rare white-collared kingfishers as you kayak along, then have lunch at the Fujairah Hilton – Desert Rangers can take you there and kit you out (+971 4 340 2408; www.desertrangers.com). Alternatives include trekking in the fossil-rich foothills of the Hajjar mountains, or a 4x4 safari to historic Hatta village, followed by swimming at Hatta pools; either way, have lunch at Café Gazebo (+971 4 852 3211) at the Hatta Fort hotel, where you can also do a spot of clay-pigeon shooting if you fancy. Desert Rangers can also arrange a day exploring the wadis (dry river beds) of Ras al Khaimah or Al Ain.

Best beach

In Deira, Al Mamzar Beach Park is quiet and family-friendly, with a wide ribbon of white sand (ladies only on Wednesdays). In Bur Dubai, most of lovely long Jumeirah beach has been appropriated by hotels (some offer day membership), but there are plenty of public stretches: at the north end, popular Moscow beach is open 24 hours a day; in the middle stretch, child-friendly Jumeirah Beach Park has lots of facilities and attracts tourists and expats alike at weekends (+971 4 349 2555; ladies and children only on Saturdays); next up, Kitesurfer beach backs on to a residential area and (surprise surprise) is where the adrenalin junkies congregate; after Sunset beach, the southernmost end starts at Burj al Arab and is resort-fronted almost all the way to Jebel Ali.

Perfect picnic

Pick up supplies along the Beach Road and sit on Jumeirah beach (see Best beaches, above) or head for Safa Park on Al Wasl Road (aka the Iranian Hospital road), a lovely patch of green popular with joggers and walkers.

Walks

One of the few places in Dubai with real ambience, the banks of the Creek are a great place for a stroll while you watch the trading dhows chugging up and down: walk from Shindaga towards Al Fahidi Street, nip through the old textile souk and then back along the creek until you hit the top entrance of the Bastakiya district.

Children

There are 1,001 ways to exhaust your kids here. Good clean fun's to be had at Wild Wadi (+971 (0)4 348 4444; www.wildwadi.com), a water park next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel with 20 rides, Flow Riders surf waves and water-powered rollercoasters. Swap sunglasses for snow shoes at crazy-but-it's-real Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates (+971 (0)4 409 4000; www.skidxb.com), where you can wow them with snowboarding lessons or toboggan among fir trees and Swiss chalets.

Activities

Try a touristy-but-fun desert safari, sand surfing or scuba diving with Arabian Adventures (+971 4 303 4888; www.arabian-adventures.com) or Beyond the Dunes (+971 50 686 2622; www.beyondthedunes.com). Arabian Adventures also offers sightseeing and cultural tours in Dubai and its neighbouring emirates of Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Watch serious-money thoroughbreds hoof it past the post at a night race at Nad Al Sheba racetrack (www.emiratesracing.com); no gambling, mind, although you can enter 'pick the winner'-type contests (tip: Frankie Dettori rides for Godolphin, owned by Sheikh Mohammed. He often rides the winners). There are guided tours of Jumeirah Mosque at 10am on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, just AED10 a head. Dubai also has some fantastic golf courses.

And...

Dubai's gold souk is one of the best places to buy gold, diamonds and Gulf pearls. You should be able to haggle the price down, depending on what the day’s gold rate is. Most jewellers will also take bespoke commissions for no or little extra cost; Damas is a reliable local chain with outlets across town.