Best Nightlife

• Best Bar to Watch the Sunset: The Terrace. The sun sets over the Dubai Creek and city skyline, which stretch out majestically before the Terrace deck, an excellent place to unwind after a day of seeing the sights. • Best Bar with a View: Vu’s. Appropriately named, Vu’s offers a stunning panorama of the city from the 51st floor of the Emirates... 

Best Cultural Experiences

• Bastakiya. This restored historic neighborhood of meandering lanes, traditional Gulf houses, and ornate wind towers characteristic of early Dubai also has a number of restaurants, shops, and galleries. • Dubai Museum. The Al Fahidi Fortturned- museum represents Dubai life in its pre-oil days with re-creations of a souk, early Arabian homes, mosques,... 

Best Shopping in Dubai

• Best Boutique Mall: Emirates Towers Boulevard. The elegant Boulevard features two floors of stylish shops, restaurants, and bars. It’s smaller and more exclusive than Dubai’s other shopping centers. • Best Shopping Center: Mall of the Emirates. The largest shopping center outside North America offers world-class department stores and retail... 

The Most Unforgettable Dining Experiences

• Al Nafoorah, Emirates Towers Dubai’s top Lebanese restaurant offers an opulent dining room leading to a lovely outdoor terrace facing the Dubai skyline. Service is as inspired as the cooking, focused on seafood and authentic Lebanese cuisine. (Phone 4/ 319-8088) • The Beach Bar & Grill One&Only Royal Mirage A personal favorite, this... 

Best Moderate Hotels

• Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa Al Fahidi Street in Deira. This distinctly Arabian-style hotel sits across from the Dubai museum and is an excellent base for exploring the city’s old quarter. (Phone: 4/351-9111; www.arabiancourtyard.com) • Orient Guest House Bastakiya. Situated in a restored Arabian villa in the historic Bastakiya neighborhood,... 

Best Beach Resorts

• Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Jumeirah Beach. An excellent choice for families, the stylish Hilton features one of Dubai’s most enticing beach clubs, spas, and selections of kids’ activities. The city’s trendiest restaurant, Bice, is located here. (Phone: 4/399- 1111; www.hilton.com) • Jumeirah Beach Hotel Jumeirah Beach. Once you check in you’ll... 

Best Splurge Hotels

• Al Qasr Madinat Jumeirah. This extravagant resort in Madinat Jumeirah resembles an ornate Arabian palace. It sits on its own island surrounded by waterways, lush gardens, and the re-creation of ancient Gulf architecture. (Phone: 4/366-8888; www.madinatjumeirah.com) • Bab Al Shams Is a serene desert resort located 45 minutes outside Dubai, ideal... 

Best Way to Spend a Day Outside Dubai

• Desert Safari Sign up with a tour operator offering desert safaris close to Dubai. Options include half-day, full-day, and overnight excursions, and the most popular are evening dinner safaris. • In Sharjah Explore the traditional souks and Arabian homes in Heritage Area, view the personal art collection of Sharjah’s ruler at the Sharjah Art... 

Best Things to Do for Free in Dubai

• Take an Abra Ride on the Creek The traditional way to cross the creek is by water taxi, known as an abra. These little motorized boats connect Deira and Bur Dubai and have been ferrying passengers back and forth for decades. The price is negligible. • Go to the Beach Dubai has a number of excellent public beaches. They are clean, safe for swimming,... 

Best Dubai Structures

• Best Hotel Tower: Burj Al Arab. Designed to resemble the billowing sail of an Arabian dhow, the iconic Burj Al Arab extends 321m (1,053 ft.) to the sky. • Best Skyscraper: Burj Dubai. The world’s tallest building, Burj Dubai dominates the skyline with its thin silver steel structure and can be seen for miles. • Best Man-Made Islands: The... 

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