Oozing with luxury and a steadfast conviction that bigger is always best β from the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, to the biggest shopping mall, Dubai Mall β the city of riches has a reputation that precedes it.
Deep diving
Attempting my first scuba dive by myself wasnβt on my list of things to do for 2024, but when in Dubai … Of course, the city with the worldβs fastest rollercoaster and largest indoor theme park also has the worldβs deepest swimming pool, at 60 metres β Deep Dive Dubai. Here you can snorkel, free dive or, like me, undertake a beginnerβs scuba-diving experience.
After youβve ticked off Dubaiβs βbigβ things, spice markets and gardens await. Credit: Stocksy
Within the two-hour session, I was briefed, kitted up, and after a few failed attempts and much guidance from my patient instructor, Mustafa, I dived to 12 metres. Underneath the surface of the pool is another world β a fake, abandoned city. There, I played a game of one-sided chess, rode a motorbike, and took a fully wet-suited bath.
Garden grows
Iβm not a green thumb but Dubai Miracle Garden β the worldβs largest flower garden, which houses over 150 million blooms β doesnβt fail to impress. Itβs reminiscent of a scene from a more colourful Edward Scissorhands β finely manicured flowers and hedges shaped into elephants, archways and ballerinas that pirouette, as well as a life-sized Emirates A380 jet. The garden is beyond photogenic.
Dubaiβs Miracle Garden has more than 150 million flowers.Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Spice world
Colourful, aromatic and bustling, Dubaiβs famous and historic markets are an experience for the senses, offering seemingly everything and anything imaginable. Located on either side of the Dubai Creek in Old Town Dubai, the souks are a must-see, providing a different perspective of the city and a glimpse of the traditional UAE, through architecture, street art and the array of museums.
