Everything
about Dubai now invokes superlatives - biggest, tallest, best. Though the developers
of the sparkling new Burj Dubai, or Dubai Tower, already claim it as the world's
tallest, with 162 floors and a staggering elevation of 818m, it is said that contingency
plans exist to extend upwards just in case anybody attempts to go higher elsewhere!
An
exceptional climate with year-round sunshine combined with shopping that is equally
exceptional are two of the factors which attract so many to this 21st century
playground.
Yet Dubai is a pleasing contrast of ancient and ultra-modern.
Negotiating skills are put to the test in the authentic gold and spice souks and
the more contemporary electronics souk in the old part of town close to the Creek,
the waterway which forms the central spine of downtown Dubai. For a totally different
experience, the Mall of the Emirates is the largest shopping complex outside the
USA and even includes a snowdome, a vast refrigerated warehouse which means that
tackling some quite challenging downhill pistes is one of the more surreal activities
on offer with air temperatures of 30 degrees or more outside. Dubai's
collection of stunning hotels, unlike anything to be found in other world resorts,
are for the most part concentrated in the Jumeirah beach area which is strung
out along the seemingly endless stretch of white sand coastline. The sheer opulence
and architectural originality of the hotels and luxury apartments almost defy
description, with new buildings shooting up on reclaimed offshore islands laid
out in the shape of giant palm trees. Many
of Dubai's outstanding restaurants, several with great views over water and the
city, are to be found in the leading hotels together with the new wave of 'uber-cool'
bars and entertainment venues frequented by resident ex-pats and visitors alike. Though
the continuous development programme is relentlessly pushing the desert further
back from the coastline, creating in its place an oasis of greenery, water features
and palm trees, visitors to Dubai are still able to spend time engaging in 'soft
adventure' with a desert theme. Everything from desert safaris to 'dune bashing'
in specially adapted 4x4 vehicles or from tented Bedouin feasts to camel racing
is part of the visitor's Dubai experience. In
a land of superlatives, the sports enthusiast too will not be disappointed. Spectator
events such as horse racing's Dubai Gold Cup and rugby's Dubai Sevens Tournament
are world class, whilst Dubai is also rapidly establishing itself as a centre
of world cricket excellence. For active sportsmen, the watersports and sailing
facilities are outstanding. The
visiting golfer is spoilt - there will be over 10 championship golf courses by
the end of 2009 designed by the likes of Ernie Els,
Greg Norman, Sergio
Garcia, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Baker
Finch and Tiger Woods. There will also be three
European Tour events hosted annually with the finale of the European Tour event
for the top 60 players battling it out for $10 million in November this year. Dubai
will provide golfers of all abilities great fun, and an experience that is memorable.
Being only 7 hours from the UK, with connections from most of the UK's main airports
access to and from is easy, and once on board there are no hidden costs for baggage
or refreshments. | 
