Dubai Apartments: Dubai is a city of contrasts, known for being both traditional and ultra-modern, a desert city and a water-side city, a Muslim enclave and a secular business centre. No other Arabian city is as varied or as open to the Western world as Dubai. If you're planning a trip to Dubai, take a look at the holiday apartments available for let on www.selfcateringhols.com. All Dubai apartments are available for flexible, short-term rental.
On the southern shore of the Persian Gulf (here called the Arabian Gulf) sits the glittering city of Dubai, the commerce capital of the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is known for its skyscrapers, luxury cars, high-end shops and top hotels (the world's only 7-star hotel is here in Dubai), but the city is much more than a business centre. It also boasts a lovely waterside dotted with marinas, a historic centre with traditional Arabic architecture, and countless bustling, open-air markets.
Dubai Creek is the lifeline of the city and should be first on your list of places to visit. An inlet that divides the city into two neat halves, Deira to the north and Bur Dubai to the south, Dubai Creek is home to the impressively grandiose trading port where merchants from across the globe come to unload their wares. Take a short cruise on the creek for the best views of Dubai. Apartments on the waterfront are among the most popular rentals in Dubai.
Head to Bastakia to take a peek at Dubai's past. This historic district, with its winding roads and old windtowers, is a fascinating place to explore. Nearby is the Al-Fahidi Fort, built in the late 18th century and considered the city's oldest building. Now the Dubai Museum is housed here.
For shopping, there are endless options in Dubai. If you're in search of a bargain, head to one of the many Souqs (markets) in Dubai; take your pick of the Electronics Souq, the Perfum Souq, the Spice Souq, the Diera Gold Souq or the Indian-flavoured Bar Dubai Souq. High-end boutique shopping is widely available too.
With fewer than 1 million inhabitants and an area of 3900 square kilometres, Dubai is one of the sparsest populated cities on the planet. Green parks, sprawling residential areas and an abundance of golf courses fill the city and its outlying areas; there is even a bird reserve within the city limits. With so much greenery in Dubai, apartments and villas here almost always have large gardens to enjoy.
Dubai enjoys an arid, sub-tropical climate, meaning that warm-to-hot weather and bright blue skies are the norm here. November to April is the coolest time of year and the most popular time to visit. The average high temperature in January is 24?C. Summers are quite hot, with an average high of 41?C in July.
The Dubai International Airport is the busiest airport of the Middle East and is connected to more than 130 destinations, including most of the major capitals of Europe and Asia. Flights from London are readily available; travel time from the UK is between 7 and 10 hours on major carriers like Emirates Airlines or British Airways.
From the airport, taking a taxi to Dubai is relatively inexpensive. In the city, taxis are the most common way to get around. It's possible to pay by the kilometre or by the day. Not all taxis have meters, however, and you might have to haggle a bit to settle the price.
Since Dubai is such a large, dispersed city, hiring a car is also a popular option, and anyone with an international drivers' license can drive here if they dare face the traffic. The wide, modern highways in the United Arab Emirates are among the best you'll find anywhere in the world. In Dubai, driving is on the right-hand side of the road.
Dubai, a city on the shores of the Persian gulf, is a natural place for water sports. Deep sea fishing, sailing, windsurfing, waterskiing and scuba diving are all popular here.
The dry, arid land surrounding Dubai may seem unlikely territory for golf courses, but in fact this is the Middle East's top golf spot. More than a dozen challenging, championship golf courses are in the city or just outside its limits.
