Escape to the glamour and razzmatazz that is Dubai - a destination that simply has it all. Not only does it offer almost guaranteed year-round sunshine in under just seven hours flying time from the UK, it also offers an unrivaled range of attractions, experiences, adventures and shopping.
For honeymooners or those looking for a luxury escape you'll be spoilt for choice by Dubai's truly exceptional range of opulent over-the-top luxury hotels. Multi-award wining Jumeirah Beach Hotel is an iconic retreat shaped like a breaking wave offering over 20 restaurants, cafes and bars. Madinat Jumeirah Resort combines opulence with an overwhelming sense of tradition. At Madinat meandering waterways will transport you to one of the two grand boutique hotels or courtyard summer houses. Atlantis the Palm, on Palm Jumeirah, is also a truly magnificent property. At Atlantis you will be captivated by the 17 hectares of water themed amusement, extensive fresh and salt-water pools and lagoon exhibits, an open-air marine habitat, a seemingly endless stretch of beach, luxury boutiques and numerous dining choices.
For adventure for the young, or young at heart, there is Wild Wadi, one of the world's most advanced water parks offering 30 rides and attractions. Choose your level of excitement from the wave pool to the ultimate surfing experience of the Wipeout and Riptide Flowriders. Again for water fun lovers there is the 42 acre water metropolis located within Atlantis The Palm Hotel. A host of thrilling waterslides and wave machines make this a children's paradise, and you can also train a dolphin for a day at Dolphin Bay. Away from the water you can venture into the desert for a high octane ride down cascading sand dunes in a 4x4 jeep, a simply thrilling experience. And if you're looking to chill-out you can now snow ski in Dubai! This amazing new venue features 5 slopes on real snow which range in difficulty from beginner to expert.
If it's shopping you're after then Dubai offers the ultimate shopping experience. You can chose to barter at one of the gold and spice souks or visit one of the many glitzy shopping malls. The Dubai Mall is the region's leading shopping, lifestyle and entertainment destination. The Mall boasts more than 1,200 stores and a myriad of world-class attractions including the Republic indoor theme park, the Dubai Ice Rink, Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. Other outstanding malls include Mall of the Emirates and the new Ibn Battuta Mall, the world's largest themed shopping mall.
For golf enthusiasts there are equally outstanding facilities on offer. The Emirates Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club are two of the world's 'Must-Play' golf courses' and the new Jumeirah Golf Estates EARTH and FIRE courses which opened in 2010 have already gained international acclaim.
Where to stay? Nothing is far away in Dubai but accommodation prices change dramatically depending on the location. The city, extending westbound to Sheikh Zayed Road, offers some great value three and four star hotels, whilst the luxury beachfront properties are considerably more expensive. The city being Bur Dubai, Deira and the eastern end of Sheikh Zayed Road; the beach being Jumeirah Beach/Marina, the resort of Jebel Ali and the amazing Palm Jumeirah. Look out for our great special offers of free extra nights and free upgrades from room and breakfast to half board!
Bur Dubai is the old sector of Dubai, a historic district which runs from Jumeirah to Dubai Creek; the creek separates Bur Dubai from Deira. Deira is Dubai's old financial centre; today Deira is a lively commercial-residential district. Sheikh Zayed Road runs south-west of Bur Dubai parallel to the shoreline; this area is bustling with great hotels and restaurants.
Jumeirah Beach is the main beach area of Dubai where famous hotels such as Jumeirah Beach Hotel, One & Only Royal Mirage, Madinat Jumeirah and the iconic Burj Al Arab are located. The Jumeirah beach area encompasses Dubai Marina, one of Dubai's latest developments. The Marina boasts an amazing skyline' a fabulous beach, a mall, and two different walkways (The Walk and Marina Walk) with wonderful restaurants and shopping. The Movenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach is one of latest luxury openings located in the heart of the chic marina at Jumeirah Beach Residence.
The luxurious 5-star Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, comprising of both the Jebel Ali Hotel and Palm Tree Court & Spa, is located just 15 minutes further west of Dubai Marina. This outstanding fully integrated resort features an 800-metre palm-lined private beach, lush gardens, three swimming pools and a championship-standard 9-hole golf course.
And finally there is Palm Jumeirah. The Palm is the most amazing artificial island located just off the coast of Dubai near Dubai Marina. The island is shaped like a palm leaf, with a trunk connected to the mainland and fronds extending from the trunk, all protected by The Crescent, an 11km surrounding breakwater. Atlantis, The Palm is the truly magnificent flagship resort on Palm Jumeirah with further luxury hotels planned to open in 2011.
Dubai has a sub-tropical, arid climate. Sunny, blue skies can be expected most of the year
In summer from May-Oct the sun is scorching and can regularly rise to 450C - the average for Jul & Aug is around 400C. During this time the heat together with the coastal humidity means that people generally opt for staying in the air-conditioning during the hottest times of the day
During the period from Nov-Apr the climate is less intense with average daily temperatures between 25-300C. However nights can be very cool going down to as low as 100C.
Dec-Mar is generally the time of the highest rainfall which at around 30mm is still not really significant. Weather of course is totally unpredictable some years there may be only light showers and but just occasionally there could be heavy rain.
