Arabia’s City of Gold, by Jo Bradley

ARABIA'S CITY OF GOLD 

by Jo Bradley

Just an eight-hour flight to the deserts of the United Arab Emirates and the azure waters of the Persian Gulf and I was in – Dubai! The cosmopolitan city has some of the most stunning architecture towering over the waterfront of the Creek. Having never been to the middle East – I was very impressed!

Just a short ride from the city centre are miles of pristine beaches and super-luxury hotels; the Jumeriah Beach forms the shape of a sail of one of the show boats which have been trading in the port for centuries. The other awesome hotel Burj Al Arab is pure opulence. We were given a guided tour and I would imagine a lottery win or a very special celebration would be fitting for a few nights in this fairy tale from the Arabian Nights!

Dubai has the world’s largest manmade island. ‘Palm Islands’ with two marinas, a water theme park, and shopping and leisure facilities. The island adds 120km to Dubai’s shoreline and is visible from the moon! Pure escapism! Dubai’s nickname ‘City of Gold’ is apt, for the gold souk market attract buyers from around the globe. As a duty-free destination Dubai offers excellent shopping malls and Arabic open-air markets where bargaining is the order of the day.

If you can tear yourself away from the city, a 4WD desert safari is great fun! There’s just miles and miles of soft sand dunes, and the experienced drivers take the 45-degree tilts effortlessly, while we held on, white knuckled and screamed with joy! A trip to Dubai is an excellent destination all year round. It’s certainly not ‘cheap and cheerful’ but the standards and service all over give you the feeling that you are being treated like a sultan!

If you'd like to be treated like a Sultan - Call me or meet me in the gallery!