Posted on Wednesday, 27 January 2016

After four years working in Dubai, my brother finally persuaded me to visit the Emirate. My wife and 12 year old son were delighted with the prospect of experiencing this futuristic city in the desert – but I had my reservations. To my mind it was just a big shopping mall in the sand. However, I soon found myself borne away on my family's enthusiasm for the place.

Arrival

After the grey chill of November in the UK, the first thing that impressed me about Dubai was the heat. It seems extraordinary that somewhere in the world the sun is always shining – and in Dubai it does nothing but shine!

We were all wide-eyed at the spacious, shiny airport, where my brother was waiting to welcome us. It was strange to see him in sunglasses and short sleeves – not his usual garb in the UK. He took us to our hotel in his preposterously large pick-up and said he'd return later and take us to dinner.

Dubai Airport, UAE (TEA/Bigstock.com)

Fairmont Hotel

The astonishing Fairmont Hotel was a temple of white marble, shimmering metal and glass. But what surprised us even more was the warmth of the staff – they couldn't do enough for us.

It all seemed very Western, but with little Arab twists. For example, when the bell-boy showed us to our excellent room and switched on the TV, a live camel-racing feed appeared! We truly were in a foreign country. Later we explored the amazing ninth floor pool with its incredible views over the city – and began to comprehend why so many ex-pats had chosen this place as their home.

Dubai, UAE (Mohamed Kasim Navfal/Bigstock.com)

In the evening we had dinner at my brother's apartment, which also commanded wonderful city views; Dubai is even more dramatic at night. It was incredible to think that twenty years ago most of this metropolis was simply wind-blown dessert.

Dubai, UAE (bloodua/Bigstock.com)

Shopping

As my wife can attest, I consider shopping as a serious chore, not a recreational activity. But in Dubai, shopping is a much less fraught affair than in the UK. For a start, there is much more space to do your shopping – at least in the vast Dubai Mall which we explored the next day. It offered a truly immersive experience, with fountains, entertainment, ice skating and a great choice of international restaurants. Here the staff were also extremely friendly and helpful – and we were never far from an ice cream parlour if we started to flag!

Dubai Mall, UAE (bloodua/Bigstock.com)

Souks

But Dubai doesn't only boast super-modern shopping malls. You can also go 'old school' with your shopping – in the souks. I found these vibrant bazaars even more appealing than the malls. My wife was less keen. When she found a teapot she liked she discovered she wasn't cut out for haggling; the seller seemed a little disappointed that she wouldn't bargain with him! Personally I found it to be a wonderfully chaotic and colourful place – and a great counterpoint to all the high-rise glass and steel of the emirate.

The Souk at Dubai Mall in Dubai, UAE (sainaniritu/Bigstock.com)

Aquarium

But after a day of shopping, we were all keen to try something else – my son in particular. And so my brother recommended the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, which meant a return visit to the Dubai Mall, on whose ground floor this attraction is found. It features a walk-through glass tunnel above which 33,000 astonishing sea creatures swim. My son was a little frightened at first – he's never been so close to such beasts as manta-rays, eels – even sharks. He was far more taken with the penguin colonies in the marine zoo, as was I.

Dubai Aquarium, UAE (bloodua/Bigstock.com)

Burj Khalifa

But if a few sharks behind Plexiglas were a little scary, they were nothing compared to the prospect of ascending the world's tallest structure – the Burj Khalifa. It just doesn't seem natural for humans to rise so high! I've worked in some of London's taller skyscrapers, but they seem rather modest compared to this mighty column of steel and glass. We were all terribly excited as we arrived to buy tickets for the top. Having queued for about half an hour before entering one of the futuristic lifts, we were soon rising through 115 floors. This took about a minute – amazing! It felt like we were in a science fiction film.

Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE (boggy/Bigstock.com)

The fact that the viewing platform is just 450m up the 800m tower did not diminish the experience. These were the kind of views one only gets from a plane. Way down below the shimmering city was laid out before us. The hazy desert stretched on and on, fading into the horizon. The sense of not only glimpsing the future but being part of it was palpable.

For me the Burj Khalifa was quite literally the high point of our trip. But there was so much else to see in Dubai. With only a week we were limited with what we could try without being completely exhausted; and succumbed to several periods of poolside lounging at the Fairmont – as well as enjoying the massage service in the hotel's own spa.

Dining in the Desert under the Stars

But on the weekend before our departure we were to have one more – typically Dubai – experience. My brother organised a Sundowner Dune Dinner Safari for us. A 4x4 took us deep into the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. We stopped at what the organisers call a traditional Bedouin camp. I'm not sure how authentic it was – but it was extremely well organised. As darkness fell and the stars appeared above us, we feasted on delicious grilled meats, fresh salads and exotic sweets.

Dubai, UAE (slava296/Bigstock.com)

It was a wonderful way to spend our last evening in Dubai. My only regret was that we didn't visit this fascinating land of contrasts a little sooner. It's a truly unique blend of old and new – where anything seems possible.

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