Activities in United Arab Emirates
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4x4 Dubai Desert Safari
5 hours (Departs Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
by Viator
Travel by 4x4 across the deserts of Dubai on this exhilarating excursion! Get an adrenaline rush sandboarding on the Dubai desert, enjoy a camel ride and get a…Not LP reviewed
from USD$85.05 -
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Ski Dubai
Skiing in the desert? Puh-leeze! Where else but in Dubai? The city’s most incongruous attraction, Ski Dubai is a faux winter wonderland built right into the gargantuan Mall of the Emirates. It comes complete with ice sculptures, a tiny sledding hill, five ski runs (the longest being 400m) and a Freestyle Zone with jumps and rails. Gulf Arabs especially are fascinated by this snowy display, but they typically restrict themselves to the walk-through Snow Park, passing through a colour-lit igloo filled with carved-ice penguins and dragons, then sledding down a little hill in plastic toboggans. Skiers and boarders are kept separate from the Snow Park and instead whiz down a…
reviewed
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Sensasia Urban Spa
Detox treatments, facials and massage from Bali, Japan and Thailand are the specialities at this women’s indie day spa done in sensuous Far East–meets–Middle East style. The menu includes such highly original options as warm cocoa butter stone therapy, chocolate body buff, fennel colon cleanse and pro-collagen quartz lift. For the ultimate indulgence, become ‘Queen for a Day’ (Dh1500).
reviewed
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Givenchy Spa
Clean, elegant and straightforward, Givenchy exclusively uses its eponymous products in its 12 treatment rooms. The lighting is a bit yellow, but it’s the kind of place you can go with your conservative mother who prefers sensibility to excess. Hot-stone massage is the specialty.
reviewed
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Al Boom Diving
Al Boom is the largest dive operation in the UAE and leads daily guided dive trips off Dubai and to the East Coast and the Musandam Peninsula. The experienced staff also offer the gamut of courses, from Discover Scuba Diving to Instructor level.
reviewed
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4x4 Dubai Desert Safari from Abu Dhabi with Camel Ride, Dinner and Belly Dancing Performance
8 hours 30 minutes (Departs Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
by Viator
Take a 4x4 adventure across the sands on an afternoon and evening safari from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, where you’ll catch a spectacular desert sunset and enjoy…Not LP reviewed
from USD$129.09 -
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Sahary Gate
The number of expats living and working in Dubai who have never had a single conversation with a UAE national is a cause for concern. Too many expatriates know very little about the culture of their hosts, and Emiratis aren’t making enough of an effort to enlighten their guests. To help counter the stereotypes and misunderstandings that pervade Dubai society, Sahary Gate offers a range of workshops and tours that help educate foreigners about the local culture. Arabic calligraphy, cooking, language and jewellery-making are taught in workshops typically lasting between two and four hours, while some of the tours are refreshingly unique. You can visit the palace of a…
reviewed
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UAE Football Association
On winter weeknights, neighbourhood stadiums in Dubai are packed out with up to 10,000 spectators - mostly young Emirati men - passionately barracking for their favourite football teams. Surprisingly most foreigners, be they expats or visitors, hardly attend the matches. And they're rarely covered by the local English-language press.
If you're a football fan, attend a match once and you may be hooked: the carnival atmosphere is electric. Fans dress up in colour-coordinated outfits, and a singer and band of drummers lead song-and-dance routines to inspire their teams. If you're curious, catch a match between the old rivals, Al-Ahli, Sheikh Mohammed's red-and-white jersey…
reviewed
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Oriental Hammam
In a city built on ersatz facsimiles and Disney-esque gimmicks, the not-to-be-missed Oriental Hammam stands out as the hands-down best re-creation of another country’s cultural institution: a Moroccan bathhouse. Moroccan-born attendants walk you into a giant, echoey, steamy marble room lit by stained-glass lanterns, where they wrap you in muslin, bathe you on a marble bench from a running hot-water fountain, then lay you down on an enormous, heated marble cube – head-to-toe with three other women (or men, depending on the day) – and scrub your entire body with exfoliating coarse gloves. Next they bathe you again then lead you to a steam room where you relax before…
reviewed
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Wild Wadi Waterpark
When the kids grow weary of the beach and hotel pool, you’ll score big time by bringing them to Wild Wadi. Over a dozen ingeniously interconnected rides follow a vague theme about an Arabian adventurer named Juha and his friend Sinbad the sailor, who get shipwrecked together. There are plenty of gentle rides for kids and nervous nellies, a big-wave pool, a white-water rapids ‘river’ and a 33m-high Jumeirah Sceirah slide that drops you at a speed of 80km/h (hold on to your trunks, guys!). Thrill-seekers can also test their bodyboarding mettle on Wipeout, a permanent wave. Kids must be at least 110cm tall for some of the scarier rides. Check the website for discounts. From…
reviewed
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Amara
Dubai’s top spa at the Park Hyatt has eight treatment suites, including three for couples, all with their own private walled gardens complete with outdoor rain showers. Choose your own background music, then lean back for a luxurious foot bath followed by your selected treatment. Tempting ones, especially if you just got off the plane, include the two-hour Diamond Ceremony (Dh750), where you’ll be pummelled into Gumby-like bliss with a variety of steps, including an aromatherapy deep-pressure back massage, a mineral-rich body masque and a chilled-stone eye massage. Best of all, afterwards you’re not shoved out the door but are free to enjoy the tranquil garden over tea…
reviewed
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Knight Tours
Knight Tours is the only operator we could find that employs Emirati guides. The company’s owner is a UAE national with Bedouin roots and his company’s philosophy of giving tourists an authentic experience can make a real difference if you want to learn about activities such as falconry and camel breeding. Half-day (adult/child Dh220/110) and full-day (adult/child Dh450/225, minimum four people) tours end up at Knight’s attractive ‘Bedouin Village’, where guests can smoke sheesha, get henna tattoos and try on traditional dress. Knight earns bonus points for ditching the belly dancing – it’s never been part of the culture in this part of the world and doesn’t…
reviewed
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Aquaventure
Adrenaline rushes are guaranteed at this water park at the Atlantis hotel. The centrepiece is the 27.5m-high Ziggurat (great views!), the launch pad for seven slides, including the most wicked of them all: Leap of Faith, a near-vertical plunge into a shark-infested lagoon, albeit protected by a transparent tunnel. There’s also more than 2km of nonstop river action with cascades, tidal waves and rapids. Unfortunately, long lines between attractions tend to interrupt your momentum. Little ones can keep cool in a ginormous water playground where climbing structures and rope bridges lead to myriad slides. Tickets also include access to a private beach, although the water is…
reviewed
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Pharaohs Club
Other than Fitness First, this is the closest you’ll find to an LA-style club, with some serious weight-lifting equipment (including 100lb dumbbells) for juiced-up grunters, a climbing wall, squash courts and multiple fitness classes (some for women only) including body pump, yoga, aikido, mat Pilates and step. The best amenity is the enormous, free-form ‘lazy-river’ rooftop swimming pool; kids love it. One caveat: temporary memberships are a nuisance to acquire. You must set one up, via fax or in person, at least three days prior to your week’s membership; passport required. Don’t bother if you’re not staying nearby. The pool, by contrast, is open for one-day…
reviewed
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Dubai Hot Air Balloon Flight
4 hours (Departs Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
by Viator
Leave the glitz and glamor of Dubai behind and join this early-morning hot-air balloon expedition deep in the heart of the desert. Rising early to see the…Not LP reviewed
from USD$273.00 -
Private Tour: 4x4 Desert Adventure Safari from Dubai
5 hours (Departs Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
by Viator
Experience the ultimate Dubai desert safari by private 4x4 vehicle! On this five-hour private tour, you’ll travel across the deserts of Dubai, go sandboarding,…Not LP reviewed
from USD$92.97 -
Dubai Hop-on Hop-off Tour
Varies (Departs Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
by Viator
Discover Dubai at your leisure with a 24 hour or 48 hour ticket on the Dubai Hop-on Hop-off Tour. Create your own itinerary as you see the most popular sights…Not LP reviewed
from USD$60.00 -
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1847
Men: if you’re lucky enough to be able to grow a good-looking beard, we highly recommend you do so while in Dubai. Locals will approve and be ever-so-slightly more accepting of you. However, many expats prefer to keep a hairless visage; the dandies among them indulge in an old-fashioned straight-razor shave – complete with hot towels beforehand – at the clubby men-only ‘grooming salon’ 1847. Ask about packages, including mani-pedis and massages. Good haircuts, too. There’s another branch at the Grosvenor House hotel in Dubai Marina.
reviewed
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Talise Spa
Arrive by abra (water taxi) at this Arabian-themed spa, which has 28 gorgeous free-standing templelike treatment rooms complete with altars laden with quartz crystal – they’re like the inside of a genie’s bottle. The only problem is, once your treatment is over, you can’t enjoy the sumptuous surroundings because you’re hustled out the door to make room for the next appointment. Still, the treatments are top-notch – a blend of Eastern and Western, from Ayurvedic cupping to Swedish massage – and convenient if you’re staying at the Madinat.
reviewed
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Sega Republic
Dubai Mall’s indoor amusement park is packed with thrills. Must-rides include Spin Gear, a rotating roller coaster that shoots you through complete darkness; the Wild Wing and Wild Jungle motion-simulators that take you on an Indiana Jones–style adventure; and Storm G, a high-speed bobsled ride that twists and turns 360°. Some rides have height restrictions. Pay either per ride (Dh15 to Dh30) or get a Power Pass (Dh140) for unlimited trips. The Platinum Power Pass (Dh220) includes unlimited rides plus Dh200 credit for arcade games.
reviewed
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Dubai City Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
4 hours 30 minutes (Departs Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
by Viator
Experience the historic sites and vibrant cosmopolitan life of Dubai on this comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city. See Dubai's famous landmarks like the…Not LP reviewed
from USD$36.85 -
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Orient Tours
Having been around for quarter of a century, Orient is the granddaddy of the Dubai tourism industry and can be relied upon for an efficient, if predictable, whiz around the desert. It’s one of the few Dubai operators that organises trips to Liwa upon request (Dh1800 per car, minimum two cars per trip). The half-day (adult/child Dh290/205) desert safari includes the usual dune drive, camel farm, sandboarding and dinner, while every Tuesday a full-day trip (adult/child Dh310/230) includes a visit to the village of Falaj al-Mualla.
reviewed
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Fitness First
This huge global chain has eight massive branches in Dubai with state-of-the-art cardio equipment, a great line-up of classes from Body Pump and Spinning to Pilates and kick-boxing and a full complement of free weights. Some also have swimming pools and gender-segregated sauna and steam rooms. On-site trainers help you tone your muscles. Handy branches are at Dubai Festival City, BurJuman Centre, Dubai International Financial Centre and Ibn Battuta Mall.
reviewed
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Sandy Beach Diving Centre
The reefs and waters between Dibba and Khor Fakkan offer some of the best diving and snorkelling in the UAE, with world-class coral and marine life. The Sandy Beach Diving Centre offers a variety of dive trips catering to experienced divers and novices, and knows the coast inside out. Tanks and weights are included in the dive price. If you have your own equipment, a trip to the reef costs Dh75 for the boat trip or Dh50 for beach entry, while a single boat dive including all equipment costs Dh250.
reviewed
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Private Tour: Dubai City Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
4 hours 30 minutes (Departs Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
by Viator
Discover the main sights and vibrant cosmopolitan life of the city of Dubai on a private tour. On this comprehensive sightseeing experience, you will see…Not LP reviewed
from USD$41.32