Dubai recommendations

[Jo]

Hello, I am looking for any recommendations for sights/experiences/things to do in Dubai. Not somewhere I particularly wanted to visit so I don’t know a great deal about what it offers but have a conference in October and will extend the stay (Grand Hyatt) for a few days to explore. Anything I shouldn’t miss off the itinerary? Thanks

[Aston100]

Put it this way, when I was last in the Dubai Museum, it had even less history than Manchester City FC.

I don’t think there’s anything much to do there other than enjoy the weather and lounge around in expensive hotels.
I suppose you could go look at very tall buildings, or go Dune Bashing and/or Camel Riding in a fake bit of desert.

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

I am afraid I feel the same. When I first went there I was stunned at how devoid of culture it is and how everything is car-centric. Even buildings near one another can be effectively off-limits on foot. However once I got over that I realised it’s a perfect place for going to a luxury hotel to be pampered with good food, service and sun. I’ve also done the few days after a work thing there by myself and it perfectly do-able as a place when you’re there alone.

[TGLoyalty]

There’s plenty of culture just not perhaps in your face

Go have a look around Al Bastakiya
Ride an Abra across the creek at sunset
Visit the spice and gold souks
Visit Al Seef in the evening
Walk through / Have a meal in bur or diera(street vendors) or Karama

All Grand Hyatt side

Visit the art galleries at Alserkal Avenue
Visit the Jumierah mosque or grand mosque in Bur
If you have lots of time go out to Hatta (part of Dubai but over an hour away)

Less cultural but perhaps still worth seeing / visiting depending on your interests.

Nice public beach/cafes/restaurants at Le Mer
Dubai fountain followed by food at Time out market
Check out City walk for an evening stroll / dinner / movie
Then there’s plenty of the other modern stuff which makes up the fabric of what Dubai is today dinner with a show, drone shows over JBR, Aura pool for great views of the Palm, the frame etc

[meta]

Jameel Arts Centre for contemporary Middle Eastern/North African art. Dubai Opera for theatre/concerts (and not just Western ones!). Plenty of art galleries Tashkeel, The Foundry, The Third Line.

Abu Dhabi is also worth it as a day trip with Qasr Al Hosn, Qasar Al Watan, contemporary art museum in Cultural Foundation and arabic coffee ceremony experience.

There is also the desert experience with falconry and village, but that’s a bit touristy for me, although the ride through the desert is nice. It’s better to do a private tour and if you use company such as Platinum Heritage they’ll take you to proper parts. You could also go hiking and swimming in wadis.

So yes, there is culture both traditional and contemporary and there is beautiful nature when you go out of the city to off beat places.

[Colin MacKinnon]

You could explore the mystery over whether or not the Burj Khalifa and other skyscrapers are actually connected to the sewage network!

[TGLoyalty]

Qasr Al Hosn A place I didn’t expect to enjoy but really did. Shame they built architecturally poor high rises all around it .. perhaps one day they’ll redevelop the area.

[Jo]

Thank you all, great insight as expected!

[meta]

TGLoyalty wrote:

Qasr Al Hosn A place I didn’t expect to enjoy but really did. Shame they built architecturally poor high rises all around it .. perhaps one day they’ll redevelop the area.

Yes, I loved it. You can get a few pics inside without the high rises in the background if you stand at the right angle. 🙂

[Navara]

Le Mer is looking a bit rundown

[TGLoyalty]

Navara wrote:

Le Mer is looking a bit rundown

Ah I did hear part of it is being redeveloped as J1 beach to open in 2024

[BuildBackBetter]

Blair Waldorf Salad wrote:

Even buildings near one another can be effectively off-limits on foot.

Are there any good chain hotels directly connected to one of the big malls? Looks like Holiday Inn express Festival city is one.

[bungalow]

I can highly recommend the Hero Boats Tour (OdySea), they have a base at Dubai Harbour just across the Marina causeway entrance, opposite Skydive.

The boats are a self drive dingy-like craft, with a steering wheel instead of jet ski handlebars, and are so easy to drive/steer. They seat one or two people one behind the other astride a bench seat (like a motorbike), and feel very safe and secure in the water – and they can travel!
They do tours all day every day (much cheaper early morning), and a guide will lead you and a string of other boats (sometimes only one or two) on a tour of the gulf. You get fantastic views of the Palm, Burl al Arab, Atlantis, the Marina, and JBR, its an exhilarating experience and I would highly recommended it.

I have done it twice myself, great fun!