Dubai is a hub of entertainment, luxury and larger than life activities. Known as the city of gold, this emirate is the pride of UAE and rightly so, with tourist footfalls ranging in millions each year, the city is on every traveler’s bucket list.
Dubai is known for a lot many reasons, one of them being its manmade wonders. Fondly called as the city of world records, Dubai has some of the best modern man-made wonders of the world including the Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world) and the Burj Al Arab (world’s most luxurious hotel). They are the biggest tourist attractions in Dubai and are included in practically every package tours and itineraries.
But are we missing something here? No doubt that these biggest attractions have given Dubai a name on the world map, but it’s not only these. There are a lot many attractions that are not spoken about much but have been instrumental in shaping up Dubai as a world tourism hub. Here’s a list of the best tourist attractions beyond the well-known that deserves a visit.
Malls of Dubai
The first thought that strikes with the name Dubai is shopping. Needless to say, there are a plethora of options but Dubai having its love for creating benchmarks, have the biggest, most amazing shopping malls in the world. Yes, whether it is the Dubai Mall or the Mall of Emirates; the city boasts of the biggest shopping malls across the globe. While Dubai mall has over 1200 shops, 120 cafes, and restaurants along with a 21 screen cinema theater, the Mall of Emirates houses the world’s first ever indoor ski resort with 630 retail outlets, 7900 parking spaces, over 100 restaurants & Cafes, 80 luxury stores, and 250 flagship stores. Other super giant malls include Ibn Battuta mall, Diera city mall, and a lot many more that makes shopping a distinctive experience. Every bit as amazing as it sounds, these malls are a world in themselves and definitely a must visit attraction of Dubai.
Souqs of Dubai
The traditional souqs of Dubai still have the soul of the Bedouin village that once it was. These traditional markets give you the glimpse of the traditional Arabic trading style while allowing you to shop without burning a hole in your pocket. You can bargain as much as you want and shop for amazing souvenirs. Even if shopping is not something that compels you to visit the souks; go there for the vibrancy, electrifying energy, and people watching. The most famous souqs of Dubai are the Gold souq that displays around 10 tons of gold on a given day, the perfume souq, textile souq and the spice souq that keeps the world’s best spices and condiments at the display.
Dubai desert safari
It is said that no trip to Dubai is complete without experiencing the desert safari. Dubai is gifted with an abundance of the serene and peaceful desert and the safari experience is a must to soak in its tranquility. The trip of desert safari Dubai gives you a wholesome experience of the Arabic desert with its sand dune bashing and Bedouin style campsite activities with live music, food, drink, and dance.
Literally a part of every tour package of Dubai, you can get great deals and offers on the desert safari. While there’ll be numerous operators offering safari trips, for maximum entertainment and comfort select respected tours like that of Raynatours and get the most out of your desert safari experience.
Global Village
One of the world’s biggest entertainment, leisure and tourism project, Global Village brings along the best of various countries at one single place. An exceptional place to see the blend of various cultures, Global Village is a colossal funfair, sort of a theme park with stalls of as many as 70 countries displaying their nations best of food, culture, and souvenirs. It is especially a must visit if you are visiting Dubai with family as it has a lot many children friendly slides and activities.
Dubai aquarium and underwater zoo
One of its kind aquarium in the world, the Dubai aquarium is the largest suspended acrylic aquarium of the world housing over 33000 aquatic animal species including sharks and rays. The aquarium is located at the ground level of the Dubai mall and reaches the height of the 3rd floor of the mall. Adjacent to the aquarium is the underwater zoo that has a tunnel offering an 180-degree view of the world of marine animals.
One of the highlights of the record holding sights of Dubai, Dubai aquarium might not be as highlighted as others but it is every bit a worthy visit to wow yourself.
Dubai Miracle Garden
The Miracle garden of Dubai is literally no less than miraculous. Where else would you find more than 45 million flowers grown and arranged in various designs and shapes to please the tourists, and achieving this in a desert land is no mean feat. What’s more? The flower arrangement of the garden changes every year to give tourists a new feel every time. The place also has a butterfly garden, the first of its kind in the world, it has over 22 species of butterflies in a natural habitat.
Dubai may not have many natural attractions of its own but that did not stop it from creating the best of man-made tourism wonders; a feat impossible for many. What Dubai has achieved with all these wonders, is a place in the history of the globe. The emirate is not only the pride of UAE but also a benchmark city of the world. Dubai’s journey from a small Bedouin village to the city of gold is a practical example of clever strategies planned for unprecedented growth and development. An exceptional example of effective channelization of resources, Dubai has proved its
worth to the world in more ways than one.
About Author:
Neha Singh is a post graduate in Mass Communications, who loves everything about life. Traveling is extremely close to her heart and writing came to her naturally. An avid trekker & explorer, who often takes off some time from her busy life for mountaineering. She loves meeting new people & gets attached to their culture very easily. Her ambition is to explore as many places as she can in her life. She strongly believes in Gandhian principle – “simple living high thinking”.