Despite the hot climate that envelopes Dubai most of the time, one of the best tourist activities in the golden emirate undoubtedly constitute a visit to any of the many beaches that line it.

The coastal beaches are not the only ones to enjoy though, as tourists can enjoy the various resorts that line the Dubai Creek as well. The best way to experience the latter is via a special Dubai/UAE dhow cruise that takes tourists around the Creek.

Some Creek-side resorts and sightseeing spots that are especially notable are the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, counted among some of the more exclusive ones and the Al-Maktoum Bridge.

A typical dhow cruise package in Dubai includes visits to sights like the Gold Souk, the Grand Mosque and the Al Fahidi Fort. These are must-see spots while on a Dubai boat tour.

The beaches along the extended coastline of Dubai include the Jumeirah Beach and the Jebel Ali Beach among the more notable ones. These strips are home to many eating joints, lounges and private clubs and are a favorite with tourists for their clean waters and warm sands.

Beachwear is allowed on the beach and in the private pools, but tourists are advised to slip into regular clothing once out of the beach areas.

A dinner on dhow cruise in Dubai is not usually included among the beachside water activities as these waters are more popular for their surfing, yachting, sailing and parasailing sports.

For a memorable Dubai dhow cruise, you can get in touch with your Dubai boat tour company.

The choice is yours but with the world getting smaller all the time, making holiday options overwhelming, think about a different type of holiday in the jewel of the Middle East, Dubai. Making headlines on a weekly basis with its huge tourist expansion programme and its fantastic new infrastructure and innovative architecture, Dubai has everything to offer visitors in this fantastic Emirate.

The climate, whilst hot and steamy in the height of the summer still doesn’t deter ‘Mad Dogs and English Men’ in July and August, and is absolutely gorgeous for the remainder of the year. It’s a safe bet for visitors at anytime without the aggressive weather patterns that can hit further eastern locations such as India, Thailand and Malaysia resulting in a diluted holiday season in these locations which could pose a threat to your holiday. The worst Dubai can throw at you is the odd sand storm which even holds some exotic attraction to the masochists among us!

Dubai excels and prides itself on its standard of accommodation and houses some of the most luxurious hotels, holiday apartments and vacations villas all situated either on or close to the fabulous Jumeirah Beach overlooking the azure blue seas of the Arabian Gulf.

Hotels in the U.A.E. and especially in Dubai are all designed to offer visitors a variety of fabulous experiences from Desert hotels, with camel safaris and falcon experts on site, to amazing beach locations all with their own unique style and all with fantastic customer service.

Whilst the hotels are stunning and well worth a visit, there is a shortage of hotel rooms with Dubai hosting so many events, such as the Dubai Gold Cup, Dubai Air show, Power Boat Racing, Dubai Shopping Festival, Exhibitions and many open air concerts. Dubai is also developing into THE major Business and Financial Arena in the Middle East boosting the economy but resulting in a shortage of hotel accommodation. Due to this, many investors in Dubai are offering their apartments and villas to the holiday villa and apartment rental market and maximizing on their investments. This bodes well for investors and visitors alike as the price-saving over hotel accommodation can be as much as 50% making this a really affordable place for families or large groups who want to have the full Dubai experience.

For families thinking of visiting Dubai, this is a fantastic location offering not only fabulous beach facilities with all the water sports you can imagine, but probably the best shopping in the world and plenty of activities to keep the kids amused and entertained. Try snow skiing in the Desert in the middle of summer or the famous Wild-Wadi Water Park overlooking the Burj Al Arab Hotel, or horse riding, Camel and Desert Safaris with Dune and Wadi-bashing in a 4 wheel drive, all with expert drivers who will give you the ride of a lifetime.

Whilst the hotels are truly amazing, the benefits of holiday apartment or villa rental are manifold. Dubai Planning Authorities have ensured that only the best locations are developed to make for a great lifestyle choice for investors in Dubai. Most accommodation has either a Lake, Marina or Sea view, most are equipped with swimming pools and gyms, are either on or within easy reach of beaches and without fail, all are within minutes of the best shopping malls in the world.

Holiday Rental companies in Dubai offer airport transfers, maid service and food parcels with some also offering a full Concierge Service taking the worry and the work out of visiting or staying in Self Catering Villas or Holiday Apartments in Dubai. Short term lets are now readily available and for far less than you would expect considering you could be located on the amazing Jumeirah Palm Island, the Arabian Ranches or fabulous Dubai Marina areas.

Dubai is a place not to be missed so if you are looking for a flexible and lower cost way of experiencing Dubai and are looking for a high quality Dubai Vacation Rental, Serviced Apartment, Beach Apartment or Villa Rental, all in the best locations and close to all the fabulous attractions that are part of this unique and stylish holiday experience, think again about the flexibility of a self-catering holiday but with all the associated hassles taken away. Dubai has the best Service Industry around and you would be hard pushed to lift a finger while you are here if you want to take advantage of the services on offer. So what’s it to be, hotels or holiday rentals? You can’t make a wrong decision but you can make a wise one!

The Palm Jumeirah Island is one of the emerging landmarks in Dubai these days. The sheer cost, elegance and the size of this new development is unprecedented and mind-boggling. However, there were fears in the minds of the city planners earlier that the proposed township would prove out to be a fragmented assembly of living sites unlike what it should ideally have been as a model development. There were hardly any means for the people to move around from one living block to another and the whole plan stood divided into several localized developments.

The revised Palm Jumeirah master plan takes care of this concern however, and looks forward at developing the trunk into a uniting feature. The proposal speaks of a 7.8-hectare park along the trunk for accomplishing this requirement, which will have a large water element with pools and other recreational facilities around. This will provide an improvised architectural and scenic balance to the waterfront leisure facilities, and let the masses have a valuable community space for their daily use. The fragmented living blocks will get to have an easy access to each other through this latest green area.

The Palm Jumeirah Island is one of the world’s three largest man-made islands currently being developed along Dubai’s coast; the other two being Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira across the same sea front. Each of these are being built in the shape of a date palm tree, consisting of a trunk, a crown with several fronds and the surrounding crescent for the role of a breakwater. The Palm Jumeirah development will house at least 25 world-renowned hotel brands, and a significant number of residential facilities. It will have themed boutique hotels, consumer friendly retail outlets, three types of villas, beach apartments, marinas, cafes and restaurants.

Nakheel, a leading construction giant from the UAE, is developing palm islands, including the one in Jumeirah. They will increase Dubai’s shoreline by an impressive margin of 520 km and cost billions in amount. The land reclamation for the Palm Jumeirah island itself cost around $12.3 billion, and required making use of 94 million cubic meters of sand and 7 million tons of natural rock, enough to create a two and half meters high wall circling the earth three times around. The island was gradually constructed upon a 10.5-meter deep seabed and stretched 3 meters above the sea level. Up to 40,000 workers, mostly hailing from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, have been pressed into constructing this landmark. A monorail is also being planned at the island, which will ferry up to 3,000 people each hour once fully commissioned.

Keeping in mind Dubai’s rising tourism stakes, the Palm Islands are bound to generate tremendous interest and economic growth. Unlike the other commercial ventures across this tiny emirate, the Palms are solely aimed at providing their clientele with world-class leisure amenities. With the trunk of Palm Jumeirah now being developed into a themed park, the outside world is bound to look at this tourist attraction with more vigor. Like any other successful urban development across the globe, the Palm Jumeirah Beach is also set now to win many laurels.

Over recent years, Dubai has drawn much attention to itself. The city is glamorous and attractive to the eye. With its endless opulence Dubai is creating a larger than life oasis that appeals to all types of travelers. All the top localities are within a short distance of each other and are easily accessible by bus or taxi. Most of the large hotels offer shuttle buses for their guests to the various popular destinations. Dubai Marina and Jumeirah beach are at one end and Deira is at the other end. The area of Dubai Marina and the Palm are considered as New Dubai for any traveler arriving in Dubai for a conference, the main exhibition centre is strategically located between old and new Dubai. Sheikh Zayed Road is the main arterial road running through Dubai, passing through the middle of everything. In off-peak hours it only takes about 20 minutes between Dubai Marina and Deira. All the main restaurants are located in the main hotels. Other than nightclubs it is the only place, as a visitor, that one can drink freely. For a better idea of the location of hotels within Dubai you can view the exact location on our site with google maps. All the major malls are located in the main areas listed below. Deira Deira is known as the old city and is the commercial and business centre of Dubai. It is where some of the best shopping can be done and where the gold souks are located. These famous souks overflowing with jewellery shops are how Dubai has been labelled the ‘city of gold’. The Deira City Centre is a superb shopping mall that offers 280 outlets, if shopping is not your idea of fun then the mall also provides an entertainment centre, restaurants and everything down to home furnishings and a textile court, all this under one roof. One can’t miss the ‘Abras’ which are small wooden boats that can transport you across the Creek, letting you discover the old historical routes and giving you a full view of the city whilst making your way to Bur Dubai. Deira is certainly the place to visit if you are looking for a little activity and change in atmosphere. Bur Dubai Bur Dubai is situated to the south of Dubai. It is a historic location that is full of tourist attractions, markets, restaurants and shopping centres. It is also popular among expatriates who reside there. Jumeirah Beach Jumeirah is a long stretch of road following the coastline of Dubai. Jumeirah beach, the most popular beach in Dubai, is found along Jumeirah and holds some of the most spectacular hotels in the world. Being a few kilometers long it is never over-crowded and with its soft, white, never ending sands, it is a safe place for children. The majority of the beach is taken up by the luxury hotels however some hotels allow non-guests to use their facilities if they are buying lunch or pay a nominal fee. Sheik zayed road This is a relatively new area that serves as the new business area of Dubai, thus there are business hotels aplenty. The road itself stretches across 55 km with 5 lanes on each side of it. The Mall of the Emirates is located on Sheik Zayed Road, it is one of the largest shopping centres in Dubai, it even offers visitors a chance to try their hand at skiing with its indoor ski slope. Dubai marina Dubai Marina is man-made, and upon its completion will be one of the world’s largest marinas in the world. Located near sheikh zayed road, it is a city within and city and a great place to spend a day out. Overflowing with cafes, restaurants and kiosks your dining choices are endless. Once completed it will be home to over 80,000 people as well as hundreds of berths for boat owners.

Before we take a look at some of the tourist attractions in Dubai, here are some facts and information about this Middle Eastern city.

Dubai is one of the seven emirates that made up the oil rich United Arab Emirates commonly referred to as UAE. This city sits snug in the eastern Arabian Peninsula and is also UAE’s main city.

The emirate of Dubai was created with the formation of the UAE in1971 although there are some documents to suggest that the city was already in existence a century or two before the formation of UAE. Dubai has a population of about 1.5 million people at the time of writing. It has the largest population in comparison to the other emirates and is the second largest emirate by land area, after Abu Dhabi.

However, according to the census done by the Statistics Center of Dubai, only about 17 percent its population is made up of UAE nationals and the rest are made up of expatriates, foreign workers and tourists.

Arabic is the official language of Dubai, but Persian, Malayalam, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, English, Hindi, and Tagalog are widely spoken because of the many foreigners living in Dubai.

Dubai City is not a tour destination that it is easily explored on foot because many of its tourist attractions such as Deira and Jumeirah Beach are located far apart from each other. Here are some tourist attractions you must visit if you are heading to Dubai for your vacation.

Bastakiya – Bastakiya district is located at East of Dubai Souk on Al-Fahidi Street.

Way back in the days before there was electricity for fans and air-conditioning, Dubai Creek used to have numerous wind towers that kept the homes cool from the blistering dessert heat. Touring the Bastakiya district is like taking a step back in time travel because of the many traditional courtyard houses still have the wind towers.

The Bastakiya district is now undergoing massive reconstruction for its transformation into a “tourist village”.

Palm Islands – The famous Palm Islands (so called because of its palm like shape), is actually a grouping of three islands and is said to be visible from the moon. The Palm Island is an incredible largest manmade island in the world. A large part of Palm Islands is still undergoing tremendous construction at the time of writing this article.

There are about 7,000 apartments and 1,800 villas and townhouses on The Palm, Jumeirah. Jumeirah will also offer an outstanding array of retail and lifestyle options for residents and tourists when construction is fully completed.

The Golden Mile when completed will offer the world’s most exclusive brands with an international array of boutiques, shops, restaurants and cafes.

As an exclusive tie up between The Trump Organization and Nakheel Group, The Palm Jumeirah will feature a number of Trump properties, including The Palm Trump International Hotel and Tower.

The Crescent Island will feature luxurious international hotels in Dubai and situated near The Crescent are a number of fascinating dive sites to thrill scuba divers.

Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum’s House – Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum’s House, near Al-Shindagha Tunnel, Al-Shindagha Road is one of the oldest homes in the city, as well as one of the best examples of traditional Arabic architecture. The house was built exclusivly with sandstone in 1896 and offers panoramic views of the sea. Sadly though, the fantastic view is now slightly obscured by the more modern developments.

The Sheikh who was a former ruler of Dubai used the house to monitor trading in and out of the country. This tourist attraction was reopened as a museum in 1986 contains an exhibition showcasing the development of Dubai from 1940s to1960s.

Children’s City – Tourists with children will be delighted to take the kids the Children’s City, located at Creekside Park. The Children’s City was opened in 2002 and is a smashing hit with children and their delighted parents.

This 7,700 sq-m (83,000 sq ft) wonderland takes young minds on a journey through the human body, science and space, with the help of different ‘zones’. There are also plenty of hands-on activities to keep even the most playful children occupied. All exhibits in this city are in English and Arabic.

Jumeirah Mosque – The Jumeirah Mosque on Al-Jumeirah Road is perhaps the most photographed building by tourists in Dubai because of its impressive example of modern Islamic architecture. Built along medieval Fatimid lines and entirely of stone, the Jumeirah Mosque with its two minarets is particularly beautiful in the night when subtle lighting increases the mosque’s dramatic effect.

Grand Mosque – The Grand Mosque in Ali ibin Ali Talib Street was only rebuilt in 1998 with the city’s tallest minaret standing at an impressive 70m (231ft) tall.The Grand Mosque is made up of nine large domes and 45 smaller ones. This mosque can accommodate up to 1,200 worshippers.

Souks – The souks, or traditional markets, are one of Dubai’s most popular tourist attractions. The souks are located on both sides of the creek, with the most impressive ones on the Deira side.

The highlight of this tourist attraction is the colorful and bustling Spice Market where tourist can find local delights like exotic perfumes and watch noisy locals bargaining with vendors.

Dubai Museum – Not to be missed is the Dubai Museum in Al-Fahidi Fort. The museum itself is actually a historic fort, dating back to 1799. It was only converted into a museum in 1970. The exhibits in the museum ranges from ancient weapons, pearl-diving outfits to an impressive range of military artifacts.

Some of the most intriguing exhibits are those discovered from the 3000 to 4000-year-old graves at Al-Ghusais.

Heritage Village – The Heritage Village is located at Shindagha Tunnel, Al-Shindagha Road and as the name suggests, it is an attempt to weave in some local traditional heritage in contrast to Dubai’s rapidly developing modern skyline.

The objective of the project is to recreate the Bedouin way of life, with locals dressed up in traditional Arabic garbs, exhibit traditional handicrafts, music and dance.

Jumeirah Beach – Although much of the famous pristine crystal clear water of Jumeirah Beach located at Al-Jumeirah Road is dominated by luxury hotels and 5 star accommodations, some of the hotels do allow non hotel guests to use their pools and stretches of beach if they dine at the hotels or pay a nominal usage fee.