Dubai & Abu Dhabi 7 - Full PDF eBook

1 SightS

The WalK aT Jbr ouTDoorS

Map p220 (Dubai Marina; hmost outlets 10am-

10pm Sat-Thu, 3.30-10pm Fri; c) Located in

front of the Jumeirah Beach Residence, the

city’s first outdoor shopping and dining

promenade was built in 2008 to meet the

needs of the 20,000 people living in the Ju-

meirah Beach Residence development. But

right from the start, The Walk’s attractive

mix of more than 300 largely family-friendly

restaurants, cafes, shops, supermarkets and

boutiques has also drawn scores of tourists

and residents from other neighbourhoods.

They come to stroll down the 1.7km Walk,

watch the world on parade from a pavement

cafe or to browse for knick-knacks at the

Covent Garden Market (p113). On Thursday

and Friday nights, traffic slows to a crawl,

letting you get a good look at all those shiny

Ferraris, Maseratis and other fancy cars

rumbling along here. If you fancy dipping

your toes in the ocean, head to the Jumei-

rah Beach Residence Open Beach, fronting

the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, with its views

of the Palm Jumeirah.

Mall of The eMiraTes ShoppinG Mall

Map p220 (www.malloftheemirates.com; Sheikh

Zayed rd, interchange no 4, al-barsha; h10am-

10pm Sun-Wed, 10am-midnight Thu-Sat) Dubai’s

most popular mall (and the second biggest

after Dubai Mall) sprawls with acres of

polished white marble. The curiosity of Ski

Dubai (p113) is a major draw, as are the

remarkably good food court and comfort-

able multiplex with its Gold Class screening

room. The downside is the relatively narrow

walkways and the lack of daylight, making

it feel a tad claustrophobic at peak periods.

ibn baTTuTa Mall ShoppinG Mall

Map p220 (www.ibnbattutamall.com; Sheikh Zayed

rd; h10am-10pm Sun-Wed, 10am-midnight Thu-

Sat) The shopping here is only so-so, but this

mall is still well worth a visit for its stunning

architecture and design, which traces the

way stations of 14th-century Arab scholar

and traveller, Ibn Battuta. It’s divided into

six sections, each reflecting a region he visit-

ed, including Tunisia, Andalucía and Egypt.

The most stunning is the Persian Court,

crowned by a beautiful handpainted dome.

The centrepiece of the China Court is a full-

size Chinese junk, while in the India Court

you can pose with an 8m-high elephant.

Surprisingly, there’s nothing kitsch or ‘Dis-

ney’ about this place – the craftsmanship

and attention to detail are simply stunning.

There’s also an exhibit about Ibn Battuta

and his accomplishments. The Mall is situ-

ated between Interchange numbers 5 and 6.

losT chaMbers aquariuM

Map p220 (www.atlantisthepalm.com; atlantis –

The palm, palm Jumeirah; adult/child under 12yr

Dh100/70, ray feeding Dh175, tour Dh75, combo

ticket incl aquaventure adult/child Dh250/200;

h10am-10pm; c) This fantastic labyrinth

of underwater halls, passageways and fish-

tanks recreates the legend of the lost city

of Atlantis. Some 65,000 exotic marine

creatures inhabit 20 aquariums, where rays

flutter and jellyfish dance, moray eels lurk,

and pretty-but-poisonous lionfish float. The

centrepiece is the 11-million-litre Ambassa-

dor Lagoon. You can feed the rays or go on

a guided tour, but if you choose to do none

of the above, at least wander to the entrance

where you can see one of the largest aquari-

ums for free.

dubai ferry boaT Tour

Map p220 (Water Transport Station, Marina Mall,

Dubai Marina; ticket Dh75; h11am-9pm) This

one-hour boat trip departs at 11am, 5pm,

7pm and 9pm from Marina Mall and takes

in several of the city’s major sights, includ-

ing Jumeirah Beach Park and Heritage Vil-

lage. Tickets can be bought on board. The

ferry leaves from one of the most scenic

parts of Dubai Marina so don’t worry if you

get here early as you can enjoy the views of

the water flanked by a show-stopping selec-

tion of shimmering towers.

useful Maps

The free Dubai at a Glance map is

available from the Department of

Tourism & Commerce Marketing

(DTCM) welcome desks (including the

airport) and hotel concierges� Book-

shops, petrol stations, supermarkets

and hotel shops also stock maps� The

most accurate maps are published by

Explorer; its Dubai Mini Map (Dh18)

provides a large fold-out overview

map with detailed maps of key areas�

For more detail, invest in the Dubai

Map (Dh45) or the comprehensive

Dubai Street Atlas (Dh145)�

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