I'll start:
- Jumeirah Beach Park--invariably Dubai ought to mean a visit to a warm, sunny beach. JB Park combines that with very nice, grassy lawns and complete facilities.
- Dubai Marina's Marina Walk (on a weekend evening)--As the sun sets, the towers come alight, the crowds of people swarm and the $2 million performing fountain mesmerizes.
- Ibn Battuta Mall--a mixture of shopping and culture in a clean, colorful, uncrowded setting.
A December morning in the Dubai Marina.
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I'd say:
1. A drive along the Hatta-Dubai Road to Hatta Fort Hotel
2. A drive down Sheikh Zayed Rd.- from Trade Center R/A to the end of the Marina
3. Jebel Ali Beach near Palm Jebel Ali
In addition to the above . . .
1. The walking tour of Bastakiya, done through the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding.
2. Dubai Museum.
3. Abra ride across the Creek and a walk though the souqs on Deira side.
. . . so they appreciate where Dubai has come from, and how fast and dramatically it has changed.
100% agree with the 6 above here, in fact anytime anyone visits the first thing we do is urbanite82's trips! You have to show them the desert and Big Red on the way to Hatta is very good for this... And Jebel Ali is a must (while it lasts).
So, not to mention the same again another three (plus one):
1. Nad Al Sheba Camel Pens / Market.
2. The Madinat and Burj Al Arab - everyone knows these and wants to see them...
3. Jumeriah Mosque tour - very good and people love the glimpse into both the mosque and a brief introduction into Islam.
(plus one) If you can do the Wadi Bih drive RAK to Dibba, everytime anyone visits this is the most talked about trip...
Definitely the Wadi Bih trip too, dxbluey! Our visitors get a huge buzz out of that.
Although pricy, the buffet dinner under the stars at Al Hadheera Desert restaurant at Bab Al Shams resort is also a show-stopper.
The Gold and Spice souks, plus the fish market across the road are great fun in the right company - especially with families with kids - the shop-keepers really open up to the kids!
Out of town, not Dubai but not too far away, is:
- Al Ain, Jebel Hafeet, camel markets, oasis and the Al Ain zoo
- the Arabian Wildlife Park on the Sharjah Airport Road heading to Al Dhaid - this is awesome
- the Musandam, Khasab for the dhow ride into the Khor to watch dolphins and snorkel, plus the amazing drive into the Hajjars at the back of Khasab up to Jabal Harim. (overnight trip)
Dubai is now three distinct parts to my mind, so I try to show visitors all three.
No 1 for me is always wandering around the spice & gold souks and on into Naif souk, cross the Creek by abra into the textile souk, wander around Bastakiya, Dubai Museum, into Heritage Village, then dinner at KanZaman on the Creek in Shindagah.
Then a drive into the desert areas, if time is limited maybe just to Nad al Sheba, but preferably to Hatta, which shows the visitors the scrubby desert that made up so much of Dubai, then Big Red and the other dunes, then the mountains. Some interesting shops along the way too.
Third is 'New Dubai', which means down SZR to Mall of the Emirates, turn off to drive through Jumeirah to look at the villas and Beach Road mosques, on to Madinat Jumeirah/Burj al Arab and the beaches there, on to Ibn Battuta Mall. After dark to Dubai Marina, dinner either there or back at Al Qasr or Souk Madinat.
none really
JEBEL ALI ango bang nang kapang Hayjo
I LOVE JEBEL ALI INDUSTRIAL ZONE
BD, have a quick question. The other night, I was cruising on SZR around 3AM (am still in NYC time) and seeing the huge number of high rises, couldn't help thinking - isn't this a lot of pressure on the land, given that Dubai & Sharjah lie on a faulty line?
Yes, I know, we've all heard about building houses on sand--isn't there a Biblical parable to that effect?
That's really a question for the geologists. But to my knowledge, the fault line you refer to is in Iran, but of course near enough to cause tremors here--the stronger felt, the closer you are to it, like in RAK. I have been told that these new structures are being built according to European and North American specifications to withstand something like level 6 quakes with minimal damage. All the work that goes into the piling, the rebar used and careful preparation of foundations, structures which seem to have very solid cores... Even as a layperson, it appears to me that reasonable precautions are being taken.
BTW, are you (Blogrosh) visiting the UAE at the moment? Thought you were in NYC.
Thanks for your response BD. Would you know a developer's website which has these details?
Yes, I am home, in Sharjah, (returning to NYC Jan 16th.) for Christmas - do this every year. I just love being in the UAE this time of the year.
I was told this by the project manager on the MAG 218 site in Dubai Marina: The UBC (uniform building code) for seismic loads will be observed at a zone 2A level or up to a 5.5 or 6.0 richter scale. The lift core of the structure will have reinforced concrete walls.
In reporting on my interview with the project manager, I came across an interesting article discussing the 2005 Pakistan earthquake and construction standards which can shed some light on the situation here. One excerpt:
Lahore, which is under zone 2A (UBC 97) which corresponds to maximum Richter 5.5 went through ground acceleration of maximum value specified for its design zone. There were no collapsing buildings in Lahore...
thanks, very useful
1)Labor camps in Sonapur
2)Cramped buildings and rooms with a dozen people in each one in Al Ras/Bur Dubai/Satwa
3)The traffic jam
My chice is
1. Desert Safari
2. Shopping in Bur Dubai Electronics market
3. Wild Wadi
Thank you very much
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