from the outside, or pay for access to the
walk-through tunnel. A highlight here is a
darkened cave where you can go nose-to-
nose with dozens of toothy sharks. If that’s
not close enough, don a wetsuit and join a
dive instructor on a shark dive (Dh625 to
Dh1025, depending on whether you’re a li-
cenced diver). Don’t worry: all sharks are
kept on a closely monitored feeding sched-
ule to keep their predatory behaviour in
check. If that’s too thrilling, hop on a glass-
bottomed boat for a glacial float (Dh25).
Upstairs, the very worthwhile Underwa-
ter Zoo journeys through three eco-zones:
rainforest, rocky shore and living ocean,
and a total of 38 aquatic displays. There are
lots of rare and interesting denizens here,
including air-breathing African lungfish,
cheeky archerfish that catch insects by
shooting water, spooky giant spider crabs
and otherworldly sea dragons.
Budget at least 30 minutes each for the
tunnel and the zoo.KidZania TheMe park
Map p216 (www.kidzania.com; 2nd fl, Dubai Mall,
Financial Centre rd; child 1-4yr Dh95, child 4-16yr
Dh130, adult Dh90, Zuper package incl food &
shopping voucher Dh199; h10am-10pm Sun-Wed,
10am-midnight Thu-Sat; c) A real winner with
the kiddies, this interactive miniature city
has offices, a school, a racetrack, a fire sta-
tion, a hospital and a bank, and other real-
world places. Children dress up and slip into
adult roles to playfully explore what it’s like
to be a firefighter, doctor, mechanic, pilot
or other professional; there are 70 roles to
choose from. They even earn a salary (in acurrency called Kidzos, no less) with which
they buy goods and services, thus learning
the value of money. There is also a toddlers’
section for activities with accompanying
parents. For older kids, you can just drop
them off while you shop. What bliss!1 Al-Quoz
The most cutting-edge galleries within
Dubai’s growing art scene are in this in-
dustrial area south of Sheikh Zayed Rd,
between Downtown Dubai and Mall of the
Emirates. However, don’t picture yourself
strolling from gallery to gallery as though
you were in London’s Soho: most are tucked
away in nondescript buildings or anony-
mous warehouses and are hard to find. And
don’t count on your taxi driver knowing
the way. Most galleries have location maps
on their websites – and be sure to pick up
a copy of the ArtMap publication, which is
invaluable because it includes maps of all
galleries (www.artinthecity.com). The clos-
est metro station is Al-Quoz.Gallery isabelle Van
den eynde Gallery
Map p216 (%04-340 3965; http://www.ivde.net; off
Sheikh Zayed rd, btwn interchange nos 3 & 4;
h10am-7pm Sat-Thu) Previously known as
B21, this innovative gallery has lifted some
of the Middle East’s most promising tal-
ent from obscurity into the spotlight. The
mythology-laced installations, videos and
collages of Cairo-based Lara Baladi and
the distorted photography of Iranian-bornbird sancTuaryRight in the heart of the city, ras al-Khor Wildlife sanctuary (Map p216; Sheikh
Zayed rd; %04-338 2324; http://www.wildlife.ae; admission free; h9am-4pm Sat-Thu; c) is an
amazing nature preserve that narrowly escaped becoming an area of massive de-
velopment (complete with artificial islands, shopping malls and hotels) in a project
which, as of 2012, has been indefinitely suspended�
Pretty pink flamingos steal the show in winter but, in fact, avid birdwatchers can
spot more than 250 species in this pastiche of salt flats, mudflats, mangroves and
lagoons spread over an area of around 6�2 sq km (2�4 sq miles)� At the mouth of
Dubai Creek, the sanctuary is an important stopover on the east African–west Asian
flyway, as well as being home to innumerable native plant species� There are three
hides (platforms) with fantastically sharp binoculars for who want close-ups of the
birds without disturbing them� The flamingo roost is off the junction of Al-Wasl and
Oud Metha Rds� Groups of five or over must apply to the Environment Department at
the Municipality for a permit at least two days before planning to visit� You can down-
load an application form from www�wildlife�ae�s
heikh Zayed
r
oa
d &
a
ro
und
Si
G
h
TS