Sightseeing in Dubai

Overview

Most of Dubai's attractions are manmade, a result of the city's mad rush to promote itself as the holiday and medical tourism capital of the Middle East.  There are some of the best and fastest amusement rides outside of the US, indoor ski resorts, a zoo, a number of parks, and well-developed beaches.  Dubai is also positioning itself as a cultural center and is developing museums and exhibits aimed at educating visitors about its heritage. 

Bastakiya

This traditional Arabian neighborhood dates back to the early 1800s and has been painstakingly restored to offer 21^st century visitors a glimpse of life before the oil boom.  The narrow lanes are lined with traditional Arab homes and wind towers, and the village includes an art gallery, a cultural center, as well as the Dubai Museum.

Jumeirah Mosque

Islamic places of worship are rarely open to non-Moslems, but the Jumairah Mosque, the largest in Dubai, is an exception.  Built along medieval Fatimid lines, the mosque is open for tours on certain days of the week, although there exists a strict dress code.

Gold Souk

You don’t have to be an avid shopper to enjoy Dubai – window shopping here is almost as sublime as the real thing.  The Gold Souk, as the name suggests, is the official gold bazaar in this, the world's largest re-exporter of gold.  Visit its meandering lanes in the late evening when bangles, ear studs, long chains, and neck pieces turn the area into a gold-illuminated wonderland.

Wild Wadi

Spread across 12 acres and with rides that use up 30 million liters every day, Wild Wadi is where to head to on your medical tourism vacation when you want to beat the heat.  There are 23 rides, a heated/cooled wave pool, and the Jumeirah Sceirah, the largest water slide outside of the US.

Desert Safaris

Several private tour companies offer different sorts of trips into the desert for medical tourism visitors and adventure travelers– wadi bashing to explore the dry streams left behind by the winter rains, a roller coaster-like dune drive through the slippery sand, and of course, sand skiing.  A typical excursion can end with you by a desert camp fire enjoying a full barbeque buffet spread  with drinks, smoking a shisha, and watching a belly dancer shake her stuff by the moonlight.  

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