For novices, the sites off the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) East Coast (Khor Fakkan
and Dibba; see p132) are most suitable.
Also popular are dive spots still further
north, off the rugged Musandam Penin-
sula, which is actually part of Oman. How-
ever, fast-flowing currents here require a
higher level of experience. In recent times,
the eastern shores have been beleaguered
by the red tide (see the boxed text, p164), so
be sure to ask dive operators about condi-
tions. A day’s diving includes two dives
and costs around Dh300 to Dh450, includ-
ing the boat ride and equipment.
For details on the top dive and snorkel-
ling sites in the UAE and the Musandam,
consult the 180-page UAE Underwater
Explorer (www.explorerpublishing.com).
K TESURFINGI
Kitesurfers congregate at northwest-facing
Kite Beach (p94), aka Wollongong Beach,
where there’s a designated launch and
recovery area. It’s about 3km north of the
Burj al-Arab, past Umm Suqeim Hospital
in the district of Umm Suqeim 1. Novices
should take a few lessons (about Dh300 per
hour). Qualified instructors can be found
at d co Maritimeu (%050 870 3427; www
.ducomaritime.com).
S RFINGU
Jumeirah’s Open Beach is home to Dubai’s
longest-standing surf school, with lessons
available daily from 9am to 5pm, depend-
ing on surf conditions. Board rental is
Dh50 an hour or Dh200 a day. For details,
see s f ur dubai (%050 622 3020; http://www.surfing
dubai.com).
W TERSKIINGA
Waterskiing in the polluted Dubai Creek
is not recommended. Instead, head to
Dubai Marina or Abu Dhabi. Water skiing
at a Gulf-front five-star hotel with its
own beach club costs around Dh150 for
20 minutes – which, if you’re a novice, is
a long time. Nonguests must also pay a
daily admission fee for access to the hotel
grounds and beach club (usually about
Dh75 to Dh250). Try Le Meridien Mina
Seyahi (p94), where beach access costs
Dh150 (Dh250 on Friday and Saturday)
and waterskiing Dh150.
B AT O CHARTER
To get a perspective on just how far the
city now stretches, see it from the water.
d ai ub creek Golf & yacht club (Map p 208 ;
%04-205 4646; http://www.dubaigolf.com; near Deira
side of al-Garhoud bridge) offers boat charters
aboard skippered 33ft vessels. A one-hour
Creek cruise costs Dh800, while three-
hour trips taking in the Palm Deira are
Dh2200. The six-hour trip (Dh3800) goes
down the coast to the Palm Jumeirah via
the Burj al-Arab.
W TERPARKSA
Dubai has two waterparks: Wild Wadi
Waterpark (p102) and Aquaventure (p115).Gyms
Nearly every hotel in Dubai has a gym, but
the equipment is often chosen by people
who don’t work out. The worst have only
a few stationary bikes and a cumbersome
all-in-one machine with too many cables
and pulleys that constantly need adjust-
ing. The best have a full complementn ed To Knoe Wp anning l ahead
Dubai and Abu Dhabi host some top
sports events over the year and it’s
imperative that you reserve your place
and book tickets in advance, especially
for such grand-slam events as
Abu Dhabi’s Grand Prix�Time of year
If you are planning to attend or partici-
pate in an event, bear in mind the time of
year, as this can dramatically impact the
cost of your stay with hotels and flights
costing considerably more outside the
midsummer months�b ying Ticketsu
Check websites for relevant reservations
procedures� The following sites are good
sources of ticket info and booking:
̈ www �boxofficeme�com
̈ www tp �i �net/tickets
̈ www �dubaisportscity�aec stso
Costs obviously vary wildly depending
on the event, but you can reckon on
spending around Dh2000 on a three-day
Grand Prix pass, Dh230 on a top rugby
match and Dh230 on a ticket for a golf
tournament such as the Omega Dubai
Desert Classic�Plany
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