BY NEWS.com.au

Dubai's sheiks of chic
Visitors to the Heritage and Diving Village see artisans at work on traditional crafts including pottery, woven goods and Bedouin jewellery. ...

THE desert state fronts the Persian Gulf and is a camel ride away from neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Oman. Where else would you find snow skiing in 40 degree heat? Or 4WD bashing over rolling sand dunes barely 30 minutes from your seven-star hotel?

Burj Al Arab

Innovative in design and opulent to the point of indulgence, the Burj Al Arab hotel will set you back about $1600 a night for a standard room (suite if you don't mind). But that standard suite is 169sqm and set over two floors.

Expect Tuscan columns and a spiral staircase covered in marble with a wrought-iron gold leaf railing. As a valued guest, you can also expect a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce, discreet in-suite check in, private reception desk on every floor and a brigade of highly trained butlers to provide 24-hour attention. If you really want to go first class, the Royal Suite is $34,000 a night.

The Spice Souk

Dubai is famous for its souks - or markets - with each one seemingly dominated by a particular nationality. Iranians are ascendant here and few sights in this cosmopolitan city are more colourful or fragrant. This tiny aromatic market is awash with frankincense, herbs and spices, dried lemons and chillies, nuts and more. But this is no mere tourist attraction. It draws locals to its covered stalls and shops and sells household items as well as food and medicinal products. This is the place to pick up incense, henna kits and sheesha or hookah pipes.

Al Mawal Lebanese Restaurant

The Al Bustan Rotana Hotel is home to one of Dubai's great dining and entertainment experiences. Only minutes from Dubai International Airport, Al Mawal is a favourite hangout of Lebanese expatriates drawn to the tasty food that arrives within seconds of one being seated and seems to continue without a pause. Guests are encouraged to relax at their table with a hookah and a man is dedicated to keeping these alight during the evening.

A highlight is the nightly show that begins at 11pm and continues until well after 2am. Normally

sedate and well-mannered guests are transformed into a swaying, chanting mob as Brazilian-born dancer, Prescilla Fantoura, takes to the floor. The set menu and show is $80.

Dune Safari

Close to the city is the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve where you are taken in a luxury 4WD. Your guide deflates the tyres to begin an adventure best undertaken on an empty stomach.

Sand dune bashing is a sport that involves a spectacular and at times gruelling drive over rolling

dunes. There are occasional stops to see camels groomed and to watch the glorious sunset. The

evening ends with a traditional Bedouin feast of grilled meat, fresh salads and Arabian sweets.

Not far away is the belly dancer and henna artists and the obligatory camel ride.

Companies such as Arabian Adventures offer a range of tours and safaris out of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah.

Jumeirah Mosque

Dubai may be one of the most liberal places in the Muslim world, but its Islamic traditions run deep. There are many beautiful mosques in the city, most of which are off-limits to non-Muslims, however one of the most beautiful is Jumeirah Mosque which conducts tours at 10am four times a week.

The tour includes a talk on the culture of the UAE and its official religion, Islam. The mosque is one of the most photographed sights of Dubai and tours are organised by the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding which runs many programs for tourists.

Heritage and Diving Village

Dubai is 150 years old, so the tourist will be short-changed if he is expecting to see relics from the biblical era on every corner. However, there is ample evidence that the region has a distinguished

history. The fathers of this modern day emirate oversaw the establishment of a heritage village that incorporates a small museum displaying artefacts from several archaeological sites dating back to 550BC.

Visitors to the Heritage and Diving Village see artisans at work on traditional crafts including pottery, woven goods and Bedouin jewellery. The village includes a small souk where visitors can enjoy coffee and traditional Arabic bread. The Diving Village pays homage to pearl diving that was once the major industry of Dubai.

Wild Wadi Waterpark

With so much sun and sand, the place for tourists to cool off is Wild Wadi with 24 adrenalin-pumping state-of-the-art rides and slides set on 5ha of land.

The water park is designed like a wadi (valley or dry riverbed that occassionally floods) and draws on many of the characters and influences from Arabian folklore. The thrill index of the rides varies, making it perfect for young and old and those who want to test their limits.

Highlights are body and surfboarding on simulators called Wipeout and Riptide, and a two-part

ride that blasts riders uphill into a pool area that takes them on a 170 metre downhill slide.

There are 90 lifeguards on duty.

Mall of the Emirates

And you thought our shopping centres were big. This mega centre is billed as the ultimate leisure, entertainment and shopping resort. The Mall of the Emirates are more than 450 retailers, a two level Magic Planet (a huge indoor family entertainment centre), a 14-screen cinema complex, art gallery, theatre, two luxury hotels, and Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski destination in the Middle East. We are not talking about an occasional snow flake, either. Ski Dubai has five runs of varying difficulties, with the longest 400 metres. It is 85m high (about 25 storeys), 80m wide and can accommodate 1500 skiers. Even with summer temperatures topping 49C outside, inside is a constant 1C.

Dubai Museum

Housed in the early 19th century Al-Fahidi Fort, the Dubai Museum supposedly the oldest building in Dubai, this Museum traces the development of the emirate. A stand-out inclusion is a series of dioramas that show life in Dubai as a tourist would have found it centuries ago.

An intact grave from the Al-Qusais archaeological site is as disturbing as it is fascinating.

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