For those who haven\u2019t yet been, Dubai has shaken its reputation as a \u201ctransit destination\u201d, a status that limited tourism beyond the impressive airport\u2019s doors in recent years. The glitz, glamour and all-round otherworldliness of Dubai is a sight every globetrotter should experience \u2013 it\u2019s an over the top structural paradise where big and shiny constructions sprout from the desert sand literally to the clouds at an alarming rate.<\/p>\n
To discover Dubai beyond the desert safari we spoke to Francesca Berta, Dubai based Online Marketing Manager for Travelstart UAE<\/a>; she recommends the following Dubai attractions on a visit to the immaculate megacity.<\/p>\n It seems fitting that Emirates, the Dubai based carrier<\/a> which now has the largest A380 fleet of any airline, has an awesome presence at The Dubai Mall. The Emirates A380 Experience which launched in April 2014 invites everyone to the flight deck of the airline\u2019s biggest bird.<\/p>\n Take flight as Captain of Emirates\u2019 A380 and soar through the skies on a 30-minute adventure in the realistic simulator. Wannabe pilots can choose from 12 destinations, and even set the weather conditions before taking off.<\/p>\n At AED350.00 (about R1050) it won\u2019t be the cheapest 30 minutes of your Dubai holiday, but it\u2019s probably the best way to relax after a busy day\u2019s shopping at the mall.<\/p>\n Visit The Dubai Mall on facebook<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s like they knew the South Africans were coming! For something truly different in Dubai, and the chance to braai while floating on the water, try the BBQ Donut at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.<\/p>\n The famous Boardwalk BBQ Donut is the perfect choice for a memorable lunch, dinner or afternoon tea with a difference!\u00a0 The Boardwalk BBQ Donut offers you the opportunity to dine with friends and family while floating on the creek.\u00a0 Choose from our a la carte menu or grill your own on our special BBQ as you enjoy the spectacular surroundings and city skyline.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Step back 155 million years ago into the Jurassic Era with a visit to DubaiDino on display at The Dubai Mall. This original dinosaur skeleton was discovered in 2008 at the Dana Quarry in Wyoming, USA, and air-freighted to Dubai. No comparable exhibit, with nearly all bones completing the skeleton, exists elsewhere.<\/p>\n Visit The Dubai Mall on facebook<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) is a cultural awareness platform in which expats and visitors to the UAE are invited to join in various cultural activities in a friendly welcoming environment hosted by local Emiratis.<\/p>\n Francesca on the SMCCU:<\/p>\n It’s a real Middle Eastern dinner hosted by the Sheikh who founded the Cultural Center. After dinner there is time for a 100% open discussion about local culture. People were asking all kinds of questions; even the more sensitive ones, and none of them remained unanswered.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Visit the SMCCU on facebook<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n An icy oasis in the middle of the desert, Chillout Lounge is the Middle East\u2019s first sub-zero lounge. An excellent alternative to the ever-popular Ski Dubai (the indoor ski slope), at -6 degrees Celsius Chillout is the coldest place to enjoy a meal or drink.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just had a major refurbishment and now features ice sculptures, ice seating and tables and a uniquely illuminated interior. When you arrive you\u2019re given thermal clothing; thereafter you should spend a few minutes in a buffer zone area to acclimatize. The temperature in the buffer zone is set at 5 degrees Celsius which gives the body time to adjust to the low temperature in the main Chillout Lounge.<\/p>\n Visit the Chillout Lounge on facebook<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n By now I\u2019m sure you\u2019re noticing a trend with all these artificial but oh so alluring Dubai attractions, and iFly Dubai won\u2019t disappoint. They\u2019ve recreated the rush of skydiving indoors via a vertical wind tunnel that moves air up in a perpendicular column, offering the best possible flight experience for rainy-day skydiving. It\u2019s safe for all ages and instructors are close at hand should you need help. There\u2019s a range of iFly packages; the First Time Flyers Standard package costs AED220.00 (about R660) and includes your training session, use of all the flight gear, two flights (one min each) and one on one personal assistance from your instructor.<\/p>\n Visit iFly Dubai on facebook<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n The Dubai Miracle Garden aims to develop the world\u2019s biggest flower garden with state of the art landscaping features. The Miracle Garden is located in the North West Quadrant of the Arabian Ranches interchange along Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road and when it reopens next month (November 2014) visitors can expect to be stunned by millions of blooming flowers with different artistic designs and remarkable structures.<\/p>\n Visit The Dubai Miracle Garden on facebook<\/em><\/p>\n When the glitz and glamour of the modern city exhausts you, a cruise on the creek in Dubai\u2019s old city is a must if you\u2019re looking for some authentic Middle Eastern downtime in the evening. Hop aboard and enjoy an unforgettable evening, where the height of opulence combines with a heartwarming sense of Bedouin tradition as you glide down the shimmering creek on a genuine wooden Dhow. Cruises depart Deira Creek at 8pm and include water, tea or coffee, soft drinks, a buffet dinner and safety gear. Bateaux Dubai and Al Mansour Dhow (organised by the Radisson Blu Deira) are good options for cruises on Dubai Creek.<\/p>\n Francesca says:<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have time for a cruise I recommend a tour of Deira and then a transfer to the other side of the creek using the Abra (water taxi). It\u2019s very traditional and only costs 1 Dirham.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Exclusive award winning international performances await you at The Act Dubai \u2013 the city\u2019s most extraordinary option for dinner and a show. Mind-bending theatrics inspired from the world of vaudeville and cabaret create a show unlike any you\u2019ve ever experienced. The 10 000sqft, multi-level venue, located on the 42nd<\/sup> floor of the Shangri-La Hotel, is the highest theatre-venue in the world, and for a showboating evening of entertainment, dining and sophistication of the highest level, this venue is surely a hard Act to follow.<\/p>\n Francesca on The Act Dubai:<\/p>\n It is very cool for a night out, similar to Madame Zingara but in the Shangri-La Hotel on a very high floor. It\u2019s also way edgier than Madame Zingara so parents should leave the kids at home.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Visit The Act Dubai on facebook<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n A meal in the sky to cap it all waits at At.mosphere Restaurant at the Burj Khalifa \u2013 the structural engineering pride of the world. The building dwarfs the city\u2019s most impressive skyscrapers, and at 828 metres (163 floors), it is the tallest building on Earth.<\/p>\n At.mosphere Restaurant is on Level 122 and is one of the finest luxury dining and lounge experiences in the world. Led by Executive Chef Jerome Lagarde, the restaurant presents a unique dining concept that captures the imagination of all epicureans. The restaurant holds the Guinness World Record for being the Highest Restaurant from Ground Level and offers the best views of the Arabian Gulf.<\/p>\n Visit At.mosphere Burj Khalifa on facebook<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Summing it all up Francesca recommends saving some time for shopping at the Mall of the Emirates and the Dubai Outlet Mall, take a stroll in the Marina and enjoy a glass of wine at the Yacht Club, go on a desert safari, engage with UAE culture at the Mosque and the Gold Souk, and live it up with a visit to Atlantis The Palm \u2013 another one of Dubai\u2019s iconic engineering accomplishments that South Africans can lay some claim to as it is the creation of SA hotel magnate Sol Kerzner.<\/p>\n Through it all, keep in mind that Dubai is a foodie\u2019s city with some of the most incredible eat out options on the planet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Find your direct Emirate flight from Johannesburg to Dubai<\/a> today!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Emirates A380 Experience, The Dubai Mall<\/h2>\n
![\"Emirates](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Emirates-A380-Experience-Dubai-Mall.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBBQ Donut, Dubai Creek<\/h2>\n
![\"BBQ](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/BBQ-Donut-Dubai.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDubaiDino, The Dubai Mall<\/h2>\n
![\"DubaiDino\"](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/DubaiDino.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCultural Meals at the SMCCU<\/h2>\n
![\"Dubai](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Dubai-Cultural-Meals.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChillout Lounge<\/h2>\n
![\"Chillout](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Chillout-Lounge-Dubai.jpg\")
<\/p>\niFly Dubai<\/h2>\n
![\"iFly](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/iFly-Dubai.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDubai Miracle Garden<\/h2>\n
![\"Dubai](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Dubai-Miracle-Garden.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCruise on Dubai Creek, Old City<\/h2>\n
![\"Deira](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Deira-Creek-Cruise.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Act Dubai<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/The-Act-Dubai.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAt.mosphere Restaurant, Burj Khalifa<\/h2>\n
![\"Atmosphere](\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/10\/Atmosphere-Restaurant-Burj-Khalifa.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
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