Destination: Dubai

Dubai is the beating heart of the United Arab Emirates, boasting some of the most glamorous sights in the world. The very mention of the name brings up images of luxury shopping, absolute wealth, ultramodern architecture, high end fashion and a lively nightlife scene. It might even remind you of one of several movies filmed there: Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens and Star Trek Beyond to name a few. Whatever Dubai means for you, there are a lot of reasons to visit. Today, we’re looking at just a few – as well as some curious facts that will make you even more eager to visit.

Dubai has one of the most impressive skylines in the world – including the world’s largest man-made structure in the entire world, the Burj Khalif.

The city skyline is a breath-taking view, particularly at night when a flood of lights stand out against the black of the deserts. It feels almost as if it came from a utopian painting. It’s crisp, clean and luxurious, as well as featuring the record breaking Burj Khalif and 4 of the 5 tallest residential buildings in the world – all of which are in the Marina area of Dubai. You might think that this would be claustrophobic, but far from it. The area is so glamorous and enchanting that it actually feels inviting and safe – enchanting even. If you do want to get out of the city though, the skylines over the miles of deserts offer some serious serene views, and many can be seen from hotels on the outskirts.

You can get frosty on the slopes in the middle of the desert

Dubai is home to a ski resort with a multitude of slopes, right in the middle of the Arabian Desert. It feels almost unreal, and it kind of is, but that’s just Dubai. This ski resort is bigger and better than any other, because once again, it’s Dubai. It features an 85 metres high set up and covers an area of 22,500 square metres. And, once again, it breaks a world record. Just like the Burj Khalif, this is another part of Dubai that tops the charts. The Dubai ski resort is home to the world’s first 400 metre long, indoor black run, perfect for professionals.

Side note: if you don’t want to ski in the desert you can do that too. Sand boarding is also a big hit with tourists visiting the area.

The Dubai Design District has just been opened making it the modern art, architecture and design capital of the Middle East

The Alserkal Avenue art district is an area in the industrial Al Quoz section of Dubai which has become a pilgrimage location for those with artistic interests. It appears that in the last few years it has been growing in popularity and now is the perfect time to get in on the scene. There are a multitude of art galleries springing up, even through the Financial Centre as popularity snowballs. All in all, Dubai has a pretty diverse art scene that seems to be growing exponentially. But art isn’t the only creative area that has seen some serious money put in. Big names like Owen Wilson have hosted master classes at the Dubai film festivals.

Dubai do everything with extra allure, even fountains.

Bringing us to a third world record, because everything is extravagant in Dubai, we’d like to introduce you to a fountain. It sounds simple, but it’s really not. The Dubai fountain was made by the same team who created the Bellagio fountain in Las Vegas which is also stunning. Like most things though, its nothing on the Dubai edition. Illuminated with 6,600 lights and 25 coloured projectors, the Dubai fountain is a light show and a work of art all rolled into one. The height of this fountain is just of 500 feet and is 1,000 long. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, the displays (which happen throughout the day and night) are accompanied by a custom written selection of contemporary Arabic music. It’s truly astounding how even something as simple as a fountain can be such a delight.

The foodie findings are second to none, and you need to try them

There are so many delicacies that are available to try here, from street food to Michelin star fine dining. For anyone with a love of food, Dubai is a must do destination for your pallet. There are many Michelin star restaurants, some of each are owned by celebrities. Here are three of our top recommendations based on literally thousands of reviews from happy customers.

• Rang Mahal By Atul Kochar. Atul was one of the first Indian chefs to receive a Michelin star and is an investor on The Million Dollar Menu, luckily his prices aren’t that steep.

• Rhodes W1 By Gary Rhodes. Although he sadly passed in 2019, his restaurant remains and so does the standard. Rhodes was a host on MasterChef, MasterChef USA, Hell’s Kitchen, and his own series Rhodes Around Britain.

• Bread Street By Gordan Ramsay. Host of Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen, Ramsey’s food is a total dream – the opposite of his show’s titles.

What are you waiting for? A glamorous holiday starts in Dubai.