The Grand Mosque - Dubai Attractions
The Grand Mosque in Dubai is one of the largest mosques in the UAE. It opened in 1900 as a kuttab, which is a Quranic school where children learn to recite the Quran from memory. It was rebuilt less than ten years ago in 1998, and now proudly displays the tallest minaret in Dubai. Non-Muslims aren’t allowed in, but can look at it from the outside.
Camel Racing - Attractions in Dubai
Yes – camel racing. You are likely to encounter a camel race on a Friday or public holiday. Expect lots of traditional dress, and young jockeys charging miles on specially bred beasts. There’s no betting on camel racing in Dubai, but there are big prizes for the winners. The jockeys used to be as young as six years old, but this practice has been stopped and budding camel jockeys have to wait until they’re 15 now. The races go for up to six miles, as many as 70 camels take part, and you don’t have to pay to watch them. Binoculars not to mention some kind of hat might be in order. Remember, you can buy your own camel at the camel souk in Dubai, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you;ll be allowed to take part in the races.
Desert Safaris Dubai Attractions
A trip to the desert in Dubai can mean many things. If it’s Bedouin tents, barbecues and belly dancing you want then you’ll be sorted. If it’s sand dune surfing, which is charging up and down sand dunes in a four wheel drive vehicle, or wadi bashing your way to the mountains (wadis are pools of water that your four wheel drive vehicle charges through gamely) then you’re also sorted! Either way, take an organised trip to the desert as it’s well worth it if not just for the sunsets alone, then certainly for the rewarding experience of seeing a four wheel drive off road vehicle in its natural habitat, and not coming out of the Chelsea Harbour Club gym car park. NB: Chelsea Harbour Club Gym, your nanny gets in free. How the other half live eh? Something to think about as you hurtle across the sand dunes.
Creek Tour Dubai Attractions
Take a traditional wooden dhow or abras tour of the creek and spend a relaxing few hours learning about life on both sides of the tracks. Well, both sides of the creek at least. There’s great food to be had on many of the boats, which range in size from about 15 feet long right up to 100 feet. Don’t forget that you’ll not be drinking alcohol on any of them though.
Shopping Dubai
It would be churlish to pretend that the only reason you want to visit Dubai is to go skiing or drive up a sand dune! Shopping brings people to Dubai from all over the world. Getting engaged? Surprise Madame (or surprise sir) with a romantic trip to Dubai, where you can shop for a gold engagement ring and save about 70 per cent on UK prices. Sir, don’t tell her and she’ll be none the wiser. Madame, DO tell him, but make sure you buy a ring that’s worth four times what you would have spent in the UK. That way everybody wins, sort of.
Water Parks - Attractions in Dubai
At Beat the Brochure we don’t think a holiday is complete without a trip to a water park. We’re even thinking of making it compulsory. The desert is as good a place for a water park as any, and Wild Wadi is 12 acres of desert filled with 30 million litres of water. The biggest slide is a 33 metre high steep one that will have you hurtling down the tubes at up to 50mph. It doesn’t sound safe to us. However, any water park you can see from space, via Google Earth at least, gets the Beat the Brochure stamp of approval. Slide of approval at least: