So i have 3 days in dubai, what do i do? There is so much one can do or do so little if one chooses to.
We stayed in Le Meridien Beach resort and spa on Jumeriah beach area so we did a bit of relaxation on the beach with a good book or two. We had a free shuttle bus from hotel, so went to mall of emirates to do a spot of shoppping (there are supposedly over 400 shops) and have some food but unfortunately not enough time to do the indoor skiing just for the sake of saying that i have skiied in europe as well as dubai!!!may be next time.
Also went to the souk madinat which is a new age souk but will have to visit the proper gold and spice souks next time.
Did the desert safari in a 4x4 which i defintely recommend and the dhow dinner cruise which was fine apart from the entertainment which left a little bit to be desired.
Dubai is the place where everything is happening from the constant building of bigger and better including the largest free standing building in the world and it is not even completed yet!
They are buidling what looks like a lake area in the middle of dubai, largest airport complex in the world which opens next year and the rail system which when opened will hopefuly ease the congestion on the roads a lot one would hope.
Overall definitely worth a place one should see to take in the fact that it has sea on one side and the desert on the other. Will have to take another trip just to see more of it next time.

Recently returned from my first trip to Dubai, one that I anticipated taking after seeing all the internet images and hearing so much about the city of late. I returned with a variety of impressions.
First off, if you can, take the Emirates Airlines direct flight from JFK in New York direct to Dubai. They are operating the new Airbuis A-380 Mega Jumbo, and regardless of the fact over 550 people will be with you on the plane, it was an exceptional experience. Assuming you don't spend over $5,000 to fly First Class where you can even take a shower, Economy class was among the best I have ever encountered - and I fly a lot! Ammenities include an entertainment system with almost 1000 channels, access to video cameras in the nose, underbelly and tail of the plane so you could watch take-offs etc... telephone and e-mail capabilities from your seat, lap-top charging, USB ports to connect a camera to the video screen, a menu with a selection of items for each meal, real plates and silverware and the most incredible light show I've yet to see on a plane which helps your body adjust to time changes by going from day to dusk to night (complete with a ceiling illuminated by thousands of fibre optic stars... very cool.)

As you land in Dubai, you'll be struck by the cavernous $4 billion airport - so modern and efficient and able to handle some 70 million people a year. As of September 2009, you'll be able to ride the new Dubai Metro from the airport to the city center, but for now taxis are the best option. Expect to pay about 75 Dirhams ($20 US) to go just about anywhere in the city. Tipping is not necessary as the drivers are salaried employees, but it is appreciated.

What will strike you almost immediately, is the sheer amount of active construction sites. Hundreds of buildings are in various stages of fabrication. Operating 24 hours a day, 6 days a week (Saturday off) there is no doubt a lot of noise and dust, but you will literally be seeing a city being built right before your eyes!!

Despite all the building, there are few neighborhoods within which to stroll or walk around, and in fact most of the locals prefer trips to either the Dubai Mall (largest in the world) or the Mall of the Emirates. The coolect feature, literally, is an indoor long ski hill. -5 degrees, real snow, chair-lift etc... You can rent ski cloths and skis or snowboardsI About $60 for 90 minutes. If you're a good skier, this will get boring after about 45 minutes as the runs are only about 300 feet long - but think of it - skiing in the desert! Enjoyed the Mall of the Emirates better due to the variety of stores, but you can still expect to see many of the familiar brands to North America and Western Europe.

Following is a short list of must sees:
Burj Dubai - now the tallest building in the world at 162 floors. Towers over the downtown area. Go at night to see their new dancing $20 million water fountains set to music - like the Bellagio in Las Vegas - only, you guessed it, bigger and better!

Burj Al Arab - the world's only "7 star" hotel! You can't just go into the hotel, you have to have either a reservation for a room or for one of the restaurants just to cross the access bridge. If you can't afford the minimum $3,000/night - yes I did say minimum... book a seat for their 7 course high tea service. Even at $100 US, well worth it. You will be surrounded by the ultra-rich. Arrive before 6 PM to tour the hotel and its facilities as they are off bounds in the evening.

Palm Island - What do you get after dumping more than 100,000 dump trucks of sand and rock into the ocean? - a palm tree shapped island that extends about 1.5 miles out to sea. Features homes, apartments and the Hotel Atlantis. Truly unbelieveable. Spend an afternoon at the Atlantis water park - great way to cool off in the 100 degree heat! Hotel is expensive for food so eat before or after.

Spice / Gold Souk (markets) not too impressive. Lots of offers to buy cheap, fake Rolex watches. I wouldn't go out of my way unless you just have to buy something gold! NEGOTIATE!!! If they say $100, counter with $40 and you'll end up paying $55! I did enjoy the varied smells of spices in the spice market though.

Dubai Creek. - Ride an Abra (20 pax boat) from one side to the other or pay the driver to take you up and down the creek alone on a 45 minute excursion. Expect to pay him about 50 Dirhams. Great way to see the city from the water as well as seeing the many Dhows (traditional Arab sailing vessels) being loaded for trips to Iran, India etc...

Jumeriah Mosque - If you're interested in understanding more about the Muslim religeon, plan on attending the service offered Sunday, Tuesday and Thurday at 10:00 AM SHARP. Come just one minute late, and the doors will be locked! They will not let you in. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions in English and see prayer services.

You must take a desert tour! I used an outfit called Hormuz Tours (www.hormuztourism.com). Picked me up in a Hummer and drove me and 5 others into the desert at full speed - bashing sand dunes for over an hour. Our driver Solly was literally crazy, but a fantastic driver!! You'll stop around dusk for Camel rides, a full Arabic BBQ, belly dancer, Henna tatoos and pictures in Arabic cloths. What impressed me the most, is that you got all this for HALF the price of Arabian Adventures (largest operator), and it was just as good. Figure on spending about $50 for 6 hours of entertainment. Well worth every penny.

By 2015, when Dubailand is operational, this will be the largest entertainment complex in the world covering some 3 BILLION square feet - that's Billion with a B!!! I can only just imagine what's in store - but they are determined to make Dubai a family destination and this is intended to spearhead that initiative.

Things to remember:
- Take pictures, but respect people. There are many people who wear traditional Arabic clothing including women covered head to toe in black Burkas. Don't think it's ok to snap their pictures without asking. Also, when signs say not to take pictures... don't!! The police have been known to confiscate cameras.
- No public drinking of alchol - except by tourists in authorized hotels and restarants. There is ZERO tolerance for drinking and driving. Blow just .01 and you could go to jail. Have an accident while driving drunk, and I could only just imagine the repercussions. Do yourself a favor, take a cab. Drink prices are about $10 US each. You could also smoke a Hookah pipe which most Muslims do when hanging out in clubs instead of drinking. Comes in many flavors - even Bubble Gum!
- Tipping is not necessary, but leaving the loose change is appreciated.
- Skype is also blocked in the UAE, forcing you to use their long distance service. So are all pornographic related websites. Big Brother is watching!!!!
- Drugs - you would have to be crazy, I mean really CRAZY to try and bring drugs in or use them. DO NOT DO IT. You will go to jail for a long... long time! Expect your bags to be searched for drugs, porn etc... when you arrive from your flight at the airport.
- Most people speak English so communicating is relatively easy. Expect about 75% of the population you see to be from somewhere else.

Looking for a good night club? There are many. Some of the most popular with the expatriate crowds are The Boudoir, The Boudha Bar and the Barasti. Cab drivers will know them all. If you can, try to get into Roberto Cavalli's new Cavalli Club. If you want to see the rich and famous and a parking lot filled with Rolls Royces and Bentleys, don't miss this completely off the scale club - gorgeous inside! Dress for success... women get right in, single guys - expect to wait.
- Best beach, just say "JBR".

The question remains, would I go back to Dubai? Its big and modern, but it lacks the soul of great cities like New York, London, Montreal etc... It's fascinating to see how they have literally built this testament to modern excess in just a few short years, but if you only have 2 weeks vacation a year - there are many other places I'd go first.

All in all, an entertaining and interesting experience you'll be happy you saw, but not necessarily somewhere you'd want to go back to after having seen it once.

Bon voyage!!

When I first when to the Gold and Diamond Park it was largely due to it being mentioned in the pages of Tripadvisor. I asked a friend who lived in Dubai to take us there and he gave me a blank look. I decided to check out some guide books just to make sure it was not a figment of my imagination. Only one guidebook mentioned the G&D Park. Eventually my friend who was still sceptical on its existence got me there, only after stopping 3 times to ask taxi drivers for directions.

Although its near the Mall of the Emirates, It is not well signposted or accurately sign posted meaning its easy to get lost trying to get there. You have to go past the G&D Park and then take a small supply road near the Dubai Garden centre to head back to the G&D Park.

Drawing on Dubai’s global standing as a gold and jewellery trading hub, Emaar’s Gold and Diamond Park was set up in 2001. It houses retail and manufacturing units offering gold, jewellery and diamond business. It’s an air conditioned indoor mall. Although its only 8 years old it has recently expanded with more shops although the sign posting has not improved.

In theory prices of jewellery in the G&D Park should be cheaper, or more scope to haggle as there is less rents to pay than the Gold Souk. Many big operators have outlets at the G&D Park. With the recent expansion they have attracted newer outlets offering more western and avant-garde jewellery style.

Where the Gold souk is all hustle and bustle in the heat of Dubai the G&D Park is more sedate, in fact rather deserted. Not surprisingly considering that many locals have still not heard of it. Most of the shops are deserted, with many of the workers forlornly standing outside their shops hoping to catch the eye of any passing visitors.

It does mean you can wander around in leisure doing window shopping and if business is slack then there is opportunity for deals. Its ironic that the one shop that will always cut a deal is the busiest, and will be rather crowded any time of the day.

Ultimately, it all depends if you can spot a nice piece of jewellery at a cracking price. Much may depend on the price of gold, which has rocketed in recent months and the purchasing power of your currency, the pound having declined in recent months.

We went there for a second time on our latest trip to Dubai. We saw someone there from our hotel and we had mentioned to them earlier on the day of the G&D Park and they too had not heard of it. They had been to the Gold Souk and not seen something they liked. We saw them trying on some gold rings and my wife offered her opinion about the rings they were choosing and gave some hints on haggling. My wife came over to me and remarked that that they were looking at some expensive items. The next day we saw the family at breakfast and asked how they got on. Oh we purchased a nice ring, it cost £2000 but it was a bargain. I gulped a bargain?

It turned out that the ring was similar to one at a branch of Tiffany’s in Dubai where it was on sale for £7000!

If you feel a bit hungry there is a café there for refreshment, there is ample parking and if you are confident of your bartering skills, you could bag yourself a nice bit of jewellery.

Dubai is just a fantastic place to visit. The weather is great and the people are very friendly. I would not recommend visiting between June - October, the temperatures reach well into the 40's everyday and the humidity could make you want to murder someone, it's that unbearable!
Do the tourist stuff, hop on one of the coach trips, they're great for sight seeing and getting loads of info.