The city of Dubai is one of the most fascinating places in the world. It’s also one of the most modern and luxurious destinations, with a skyline that attracts millions of tourists every year. But if you’re looking for something more than just skyscrapers and malls, there are plenty of hidden gems in Dubai that don’t get enough attention. Here are some places that have been hiding under my nose for years (and others’ noses too), but which deserve your time:
Burj Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel located on an artificial island that was constructed just off the coast of Dubai. It’s one of the most recognizable landmarks in Dubai, and it’s easy to see why: its shape resembles an Arab sailing ship (a dhow), hence its name.
The hotel is often called “the world’s only 7-star hotel”, but this is not strictly true–there are actually 8 stars on display at night! The extra one comes from a light that shines from within its central dome, which acts as a beacon for incoming ships in nearby waters. You can get Burj Al Arab guided tour facility as well.
The building itself consists of three wings that fan out from the central core like spokes on bicycle wheels; each wing contains 140 guest rooms divided between four floors each–that means there are 560 rooms total! Each room has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Dubai’s skyline or coastline; some even have private pools and terraces with views over Palm Jumeirah Island.
The Dubai Museum
The Dubai Museum is a great place to visit if you’re looking for something educational and fun. The museum is open from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm, so it’s easy to find time in your day that works best for your schedule.
The museum is located on Al-Hussain Bin Ali Road near Al-Fahidi Fort, making it easy to access by public transportation or taxi cab. The cost of admission varies depending on whether or not it’s school holidays (the price drops during these times), but generally ranges between AED 20-40 per person depending on age and whether or not they have any special exhibits going on at the time of your visit–which they often do!
There are plenty of things within walking distance from where you’ll be staying at one our Dubai apartments; if not already mentioned above then here are some more recommendations:
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, and it’s also the spiritual and cultural center of Dubai. The mosque is open to visitors who want to see its stunning architecture, large prayer hall and beautiful gardens.
The construction of this grand mosque began in 1996 with help from various international companies such as Arup International Ltd., IBM Corporation (USA), P&W-Gulf International Ltd., Price & Myers Consultants Ltd., WSP Group plc (UK). The main contractor for this project was Arabtec Construction Co WLL which employed over 12000 workers during its completion phase between 1994 – 1996 at an estimated cost of US $110 million dollars.[1]
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is the largest aquarium in the Middle East, with over 8,000 fish and marine creatures from around the world.
The aquarium has an underwater tunnel that allows you to walk through a shark tank, as well as an interactive ray pool where you can feed rays by hand! It’s open from 9 am to 9 pm daily (except Thursday).
Wild Wadi Water Park
Dubai’s Wild Wadi Water Park is located in Dubailand and offers over 100 different water slides. You can choose from the adrenaline-pumping Pipeline Plunge or the relaxing Lazy River Ride. For those who prefer to take it easy, there’s also a wave pool and lazy river where you can float around for hours on end without having to worry about anything else. The park also has several other attractions like a shark aquarium (where you can touch them), an arcade and mini golf course–there really is something for everyone!
Dubai summers can get extremely hot so if you’re looking for somewhere nice and cool where your children will have fun while you relax too then this is definitely worth checking out!
Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall is the world’s largest shopping mall, with over 1,200 stores and 120 restaurants on its premises. It also has an aquarium, a theme park and an ice rink–making it an ideal destination for both shoppers and tourists.
The mall opened in 2008 and was designed by architect Tom Wright. It cost $1.5 billion U.S dollars to build; however this number doesn’t include the price tag of its surrounding buildings which were constructed at different times over the years prior to opening day (we’ll get into those details later). The Dubai Mall currently houses over 200 retailers including: Armani Exchange; Christian Dior; Fendi; Gucci; Hermès Paris; Jimmy Choo London Ltd.; Max Mara Studio SRL.; Michael Kors Holdings Limited (MKHI); Mulberry Group plc (formerly known as BHS Group plc); Prada Company SPA & Co KGAA
The city of Dubai is more than just skyscrapers and malls.
It’s no secret that Dubai is home to some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, luxury shopping malls and luxurious hotels. But there are many things you can do in Dubai beyond these popular tourist attractions. The city is also home to a number of museums and other attractions that will take you on a journey through history, culture and art.
If you’re looking for something different from what’s offered at most other cities’ tourist spots, then we recommend visiting one or all of these hidden gems:
Al Fahidi Historical District (also known as Bastakiya) – This area was once part of an old city called Deira which was established by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum during his reign over Sharjah in 1818 AD. The district contains several buildings with traditional architecture such as wind towers (or burj) on top; many houses were built with materials imported from India such as woodwork doors decorated with brass knobs made by local craftsmen using traditional methods handed down through generations over time until today when they still use them when making furniture pieces such as beds etcetera…
Conclusion
Dubai is more than just skyscrapers and malls. There are plenty of hidden gems in this city, and we hope that this article has inspired you to explore some of them on your next trip! We’ve only covered a handful of these amazing places in our list above but there are many more to discover–so go out there and explore!
