Global Village

Lonely Planet review

The carnival-like Global Village runs from December to March in Dubailand. Think of it as a sort of World's Fair for shoppers. Each of the 30-some pavilions showcases a specific nation's culture and - of course - products.

Our faves: the Afghanistan pavilion for fretwork-bordered stone pendants and beaded-silver earrings; Palestine for traditional cross-stitch kandouras (casual shirt-dresses) and ever-popular cushion covers; Yemen for its authentic khanjars (daggers); India for spangly fabrics and slippers; and Kenya for its kitsch bottle-top handbags. Dig the earnest entertainment, from Chinese opera to Turkish whirling dervishes. Organizers claim this is to be a permanent installation at Dubailand, but as of this writing it was still seasonal. Check the web.