kaiban
By Gavin Thomas
Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it often seems to me, are not so much conventional cities as fascinating urban experiments in which almost anything can happen -- and frequently does. This is where some of the world's most spectacular developments are taking shape, but also a cities that still beat to the traditional rhythms of the Arabian bazaar, lending a unique character to destinations so far beyond the cutting edge.
Photo Caption: Seeing the seagulls while crossing Dubai Creek in an abra. Dubai, UAE.
Hop aboard a traditional abra (water taxi) for the brief but thrilling ride across the breezy waters of the Creek, with views of tangled souks, wind towers, and minarets to either side -- a marvelous view of old Dubai, and unforgettable at any time of the day or night.
Photo Caption: Abras waiting in the water in Dubai, UAE.
However many times I visit, I always seem to end up getting lost, whether in the backstreets of the Spice or Gold souks or in the interminable Covered Souk, with its disorienting labyrinth of tangled alleyways and tiny shops.
Photo Caption: The Deira spice souks in Dubai, UAE.
A fascinating enclave of Indian life tucked away in the depths of Bur Dubai, Hindi Lane the closest you can get to visiting India without actually going there, with picturesque little stalls selling assorted religious bric-a-brac and a pair of fascinatingly secretive little Hindu temples.
Photo Caption: Shopping in Hindi Lane in Dubai, UAE.
Eating in Bur DubaiDubai has a plethora of top-notch fine-dining restaurants (with bills to match), but nothing beats a meal in one of Bur Dubai or Karama's no-nonsense Indian or Pakistani restaurants, many of which offer bags of subcontinental atmosphere, plus superb food at giveaway prices.
Photo Caption: Some of the delicious dishes available to eat in Bur Dubai. Dubai, UAE.
Penny-pinching fashionistas can't do better than head to the legendary Karama Souk, home of the 'authentic' Dubai fake, with top-quality replica gear at budget prices. Just don't expect it to last quite as long as the real thing.
Photo Caption: Shoe shopping in Karama. Dubai, UAE.
If, like me, you're a fan of maverick modernist architecture, head down to Sheikh Zayed Road, with its futuristic skyrises, bounded at either end by the incredible Emirates Towers and Burj Dubai -- particularly stunning after dark, when the entire strip turns into a brilliantly illuminated cavern of high-rise kitsch.
Photo Caption: Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, UAE at night.
The most superbly over-the-top of all Dubai's recent mega-developments, Madinat Jumeirah is a vast faux-Arabian city and a fabulous place for an idle stroll or a cocktail at sunset, with lashings of wonderful ersatz traditional architecture, framing surreal views of the futuristic Burj Al Arab beyond.
Photo Caption: Souk Madinat, Jumeirah near Dubai, UAE.
No matter how many times I see it, I can never get enough of the Burj Al Arab, quite simply the world's most sensational building of recent years, and jaw-dropping from all angles, and at any time of the night or day.
Photo Caption: The Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai, UAE.
A fabulous forest of skyscrapers where a few years ago there was nothing but empty desert. Nowhere showcases the incredible scale, speed, and ambition of Dubai's ongoing expansion as much as the incredible Marina development -- the nearest you'll get to seeing history, literally, in the making.
Photo Caption: The marina in Dubai, UAE.
Supersized kitsch is one of the things Dubai does best, and nowhere more so than at the surreal Ibn Battuta Mall, themed in extravagant pan-Islamic designs after the travels of the legendary Moroccan traveler. Take it all in over a Starbucks coffee in the grandiose Iranian courtyard at the heart of the mall -- the world's weirdest cappuccino experience.
Photo Caption: Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, UAE.
Ignore the roar of dune-bashing four-wheel-drives and the squeal of distant quad bikes. The desert at dusk is always unforgettable, as the sands turn a rich, deep gold, the light magically thickens, and one still feels strangely and wonderfully insignificant amidst the interminable sand dunes, stretching away as far as the eye can see.
Photo Caption: Dusk in the desert in Dubai, UAE.
You could (and I often do) wander for hours through the oasis at Al Ain, a miraculously peaceful forest of date palms, which feels hundreds of miles from the modern city outside.
Photo Caption: Al Ain Oasis in Ahu Dhabi, UAE.
It's absurdly huge, utterly kitsch, and wildly overblown, but you can't help being bowled over by the sensational Emirates Palace, far and away the most interesting place to visit (or stay) in Abu Dhabi.
Photo Caption: The Emirates Palace in Abu DHabi, UAE.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it often seems to me, are not so much conventional cities as fascinating urban experiments in which almost anything can happen -- and frequently does. This is where some of the world's most spectacular developments are taking shape, but also a cities that still beat to the traditional rhythms of the Arabian bazaar, lending a unique character to destinations so far beyond the cutting edge.
Photo Caption: Seeing the seagulls while crossing Dubai Creek in an abra. Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: Abras waiting in the water in Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: The Deira spice souks in Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: Shopping in Hindi Lane in Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: Some of the delicious dishes available to eat in Bur Dubai. Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: Shoe shopping in Karama. Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, UAE at night.
Photo Caption: Souk Madinat, Jumeirah near Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: The Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: The marina in Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: Dusk in the desert in Dubai, UAE.
Photo Caption: Al Ain Oasis in Ahu Dhabi, UAE.
Photo Caption: The Emirates Palace in Abu DHabi, UAE.