12 reasons why dubai will catch you

Dubai, a destination that does not leave you indifferent

Si estás pensando en una escapada para esta Semana Santa o estás dándole vueltas a un viaje diferente, ¿por qué no visitar uno de los emiratos árabes de moda, Dubái? Su capital, que también recibe el mismo nombre, es una ciudad que se ha expandido en poquísimo tiempo y cuenta ya con más de 950 rascacielos de más de 200 metros de altura. Ver su fantástico skyline sería una buena razón, pero te ofrecemos hasta 12 buenos motivos para visitar la ciudad de los récords mundiales.

En un emirato lejano… o no tanto

Si vuelas con Emirates desde Barcelona a Dubái tardarás unas 6 horas y media. Y si lo haces desde Madrid, media hora más. En ambos casos el vuelo es directo, sin escalas. Con la oferta de cientos de películas que ofrece la compañía aérea (español incluido), te garantizamos que el viaje no se hace nada pesado. Puedes encontrar vuelos desde 270€.

Moverse por la ciudad es fácil

It has public transport that works very well. In fact, the Dubai Metro, with its beautiful futuristic-designed stations dotting the urban landscape, is the longest automated metro in the world at 47 stops and 75 kilometers long. And it is not the only record that Dubai holds, as you will see later. A ticket costs 4 dirhams, less than € 1. And if you prefer to travel by rented car or taxi, don't worry, the price won't skyrocket: gasoline is a third cheaper than in Spain.

Rooms with views

A 4-star hotel near the beach, such as the Wyndham Dubai Marina, with views of the sea or the skyscrapers of the Dubai Marina area - one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in the city - can cost around € 150-200 per night. You would be less than 20 minutes from the world's largest shopping center, Dubai Mall, and the tallest building on the planet, Burj Khalifa. It is a matter of diving a little on the internet, because you can find offers of up to 35% discount on the original price of the room.

Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world

If you think that New York is the city with the tallest buildings in the world, you are wrong. Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, takes the cake: it measures 828 meters and has 163 floors. You can access two observatory points that are located on the 124th floor (442 meters from the ground) and on the 148th floor, 555 meters. The views are spectacular.

Dubai Mall, much more than shopping

If you are a fan of shopping or simply window shopping, the Dubai Mall - yes, you guessed it, the largest in the world - will be a true paradise for you. Apart from housing the most exclusive shops, it has numerous attractions, such as a huge aquarium with more than 33,000 fish or a skating rink.

The souk, haggle!

Are you one of those who like to haggle in traditional markets? Then you can't miss the Dubai Souk, which is located west of Deira, in the town of Al Dhagaya. In it you will find more than 300 stores, of which the vast majority are jewelers, although there is also a good part of textile trade and, of course, there is no shortage of spices and Arab pastries.

A treat for the palate

Dubai food is, in general, a mixture of Lebanese, Indian and Mediterranean food. Among its most typical dishes are machboos deyay (rice with chicken and spices), ghuzi (roast lamb) or hummus (chickpea cream). Of course, you cannot miss the gahwa, Arabic coffee with cardamom, saffron and rose water (without sugar), which is usually accompanied by the famous dates or the delicious Arabic pastries.

Desert safari

This is one of the activities that the whole family can enjoy, since it involves hiring a half-day excursion (available in all hotels) in which, after going up and down the dunes in a 4x4 (nothing that envy the roller coaster), you visit a camp where you can see trained falcons flying, riding a camel or practicing sand boarding.

Burj Al Arab, the most exclusive hotel

The Burj Al Arab is one of the most iconic buildings in Dubai - with permission from the Burj Khalifa. Its shape is reminiscent of a sail inflated by the wind and it is the only 7-star hotel in the world. From the public beach that is right next door, Kite Beach, you can take some fantastic photos, while enjoying the spectacle of kitesurfing, a very fashionable water sport that fills the sky with colorful kites.

Long live the contrast !: from the oldest to the most modern

Dubai Creek is the area that houses the history of the emirate, where they will tell you how Dubai was originally known for its pearl fishermen. It houses museums and cultural centers and a ride on an abra (traditional boat) is highly recommended, while listening to the call to prayer from the mosques at sunset. In contrast, you cannot miss one of the most modern areas of Dubai: Alserkal Avenue, a kind of industrial estate that brings together art galleries, design shops or places as suggestive as the Chocolat Factory Mirzam in its different warehouses. where you can see how they make their delicious tablets with cocoa from the most exotic corners of the world.

The Frame, an impressive frame

It is a gigantic golden structure that literally frames views of old and new Dubai. Inside the building, a metaphorical bridge joins an exhibition that discovers the origins of the Dubai culture (past) with a room where its ambitious development plans in the near future are projected in an audiovisual envelope.

And much more

To all these good reasons to visit Dubai, it is added its varied leisure offer: IMG Worlds of Adventure (the largest indoor theme park in the world with attractions for the whole family); the Dubai Miracle Garden, a botanical garden with more than 50 million flowers ; the marvelous Le Perle theater show, a water show with impressive acrobatics and special effects or the Dubai Food Festival, the most important gastronomic festival in the Middle East, involving more than 2,000 restaurants and 100 events throughout the city.

If you are thinking of a getaway for this Easter or you are thinking about a different trip whatever the date, why not visit one of the fashionable United Arab Emirates, Dubai ? Its capital, which also receives the same name, is a city that has expanded in an incredible way in the last two decades and already has more than 950 skyscrapers of more than 200 meters in height . And they do not stop … because they are preparing thoroughly to dazzle locals and strangers at the 2020 World Expo .

To this impressive skyline we must add the incentive of having the desert or artificial islands very close , such as the famous Palm Jumeirah, where celebrities such as Kylie Minogue, David and Victoria Beckham or Angelina Jolie have homes. Are you thinking that it is an unattainable luxury? We are going to show you that this is not the case and that it is a destination that you can enjoy with friends or family.

1. Closer than you think

If you fly with Emirates from Barcelona to Dubai it will take about 6 and a half hours; and if you do it from Madrid, half an hour more. In both cases the flight is direct, nonstop. With the offer of hundreds of films offered by the airline (Spanish included), we guarantee that the trip is not difficult. You can find flights from € 270.

2. Getting around the city is easy

It has public transport that works very well. In fact, the Dubai Metro, with its beautiful futuristic-designed stations dotting the urban landscape, is the longest automated metro in the world at 47 stops and 75 kilometers long. And it is not the only record held by Dubai, as you will see later. A ticket costs 4 dirhams, less than € 1. And if you prefer to travel by rented car or taxi, don't worry, the price will not skyrocket, because you think that gasoline is a third cheaper than in Spain.

3. Rooms with views

4. Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world

If you think that New York is the city with the tallest buildings in the world, you are wrong. Burj Khalifa measures 828 meters and contains more than 900 apartments, as well as offices and a hotel. More than 12.00 people from 30 countries participated in its construction and it was inaugurated in 2010. Although it has 163 floors, there are only two observatory points that are located on the 124th floor (442 meters above the ground) and on the 148th floor. , 555 meters. The lift is very fast and we guarantee that the views of the city will not leave you indifferent.

5. Dubai Mall, shopping and leisure

If you are a fan of shopping or simply window shopping, the Dubai Mall - yes, you guessed it, the largest in the world - will be a true paradise for you. Aside from housing the Burj Khalifa, it has 1280 stores, including the largest shoe store –of course– in the world with the most expensive shoes from the most exclusive brands. People spend an average of 3 hours in it, but not only looking at shops, but also enjoying the huge aquarium that is inside, with more than 33,000 fish, its restaurants, skating on its skating rink or watching the spectacle of the Colored “dancing” fountains in the artificial lake next to one of its entrances.

6. The souk of gold, spices and fabrics

If you are one of those who like to haggle in the traditional markets, you cannot miss the Dubai Souk, which is located west of Deira, in the town of Al Dhagaya. In it you will find more than 300 stores, of which the vast majority are jewelers, although there is also a good part of textile trade and, of course, there is no shortage of spices and Arab pastries. The only recommendation is to have a little patience, because the vendors are quite insistent and invite you, sometimes too fervently, to enter their premises.

7. A pleasure for the palate

Dubai food is, in general, a mixture of Lebanese, Indian and Mediterranean food. Among its most typical dishes are machboos deyay (rice with chicken and spices), ghuzi (roast lamb), hummus (chickpea cream) or moutabal (eggplant cream), which are accompanied by the typical Lebanese flatbread. Of course, you cannot miss the gahwa, Arabic coffee with cardamom, saffron and rose water (without sugar), which are usually accompanied by the famous dates, legemat (sweet fritters) or baklavas (the famous Arab pastries made of puff pastry and dried fruits. ).

8. Desert safari

This is one of the activities that the whole family can enjoy, since it involves hiring a half-day excursion (available in all hotels) in which after going up and down the dunes in 4x4 (nothing to envy to the roller coaster), you visit a camp where you can see trained hawks fly, ride a camel, get a temporary tattoo with henna, practice sand boarding and drive quads … all this until after contemplating the wonderful sunset , at which time you can enjoy a typical dinner in jaimas, while watching a show with typical dances.

9. The beach with Burj Al Arab in the background

The Burj Al Arab is one of the most iconic buildings in Dubai - with permission from the Burj Khalifa. Its shape is reminiscent of a sail inflated by the wind and it is the only 7-star hotel in the world. In Dubai, if you can, it's big! From the public beach that is right next door, Kite Beach, you can take some fantastic photos, while enjoying a swim or the show of kitesurfing, a very fashionable sport that fills the sky with colorful kites.

10. From the old town to the trendiest area

Dubai Creek is the area that houses the history of the emirate, where they will tell you how Dubai was originally known for its pearl fishermen, before becoming a strategic trading area in the Persian Gulf. It houses museums and cultural centers such as the SMCUU, Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding. A ride on an abra (traditional boat) is highly recommended , while listening at sunset to the call to prayer from the mosques on the shore of the estuary. In contrast, you cannot miss one of the most modern areas of Dubai, Alserkal Avenue, a kind of industrial estate that brings together art galleries, fashion design stores, spaces for cultural projects in its different warehouses.or places that lovers of delicatessen will fall in love with. You cannot miss a visit to the Chocolat Factory Mirzam, where they will explain to you in situ how they make their precious tablets, with cocoa from the most exotic corners of the world.

11. The Frame, an impressive frame

12. For all tastes

To all these good reasons to visit Dubai, it is added its varied leisure offer: IMG Worlds of Adventure (the largest indoor theme park in the world with attractions for the whole family); the Dubai Miracle Garden, a botanical garden with more than 50 million flowers; the wonderful Le Perle theater show, an aquatic show with impressive acrobatics and special effects or the Dubai Food Festival, the most important gastronomic festival in the Middle East, involving more than 2,000 restaurants and 100 events throughout the city.