Dubai is a city that boasts remarkable architecture and world-class entertainment and sporting events. From the tranquillity of the desert, the sandy beaches and the lush green parks, to the bustle of the souks and ultra-modern shopping malls, Dubai is a cosmopolitan city that offers a kaleidoscope of attractions for visitors.
One&Only Royal Mirage, considered Dubai’s most stylish beach resort, offers three equally distinctive properties: The Palace, the Arabian Court and the Residence & Spa. The resort conjures the magic of Arabia, where genuine care and hospitality blend with fantasy and tradition. Overlooking Palm Island Bay, representing an oasis of calm in the heart of bustling ‘new Dubai’, the resort offers a superb selection of restaurants and bars, the One&Only Spa, a kilometre of private coastline and 65 acres of lush landscaped gardens.
The Concierge of One&Only Royal Mirage recommends these top five activities to do whilst visiting the city:
5. Oriental Hammam at One&Only Spa
Dubai offers a great variety of spas and beauty retreats, but the Oriental Hammam at One&Only Spa is an indulgent experience that comes highly recommended. The Royal Hammam ritual includes a deep cleansing using Moroccan Black Soap followed by a complete body scrub. A traditional body wrap and honey facial ensues and the ritual is completed by a body massage on the on the warm slab of the hammam. In keeping with the Morrocan theme, the resort’s Tagine restaurant offers wonderful selection of Morrocan delicacies whilst the restaurants courtyard is the perfect setting to enjoy a relaxing drink and shisha.
4. Dubai Creek
The best place to experience a true taste of Dubai’s culture is the Dubai Creek. Here you will find the Gold Souks and enjoy a ride on a traditional Arabian Abra. These Abras, or boats as otherwise known, criss-cross the water from Bur Dubai on the left bank, to Deira on the right. It’s a great way to explore the original side of the city and can take up a morning, an afternoon, or a whole day depending on how much exploring you would like to do.
3. Aquaventure Waterpark
Aquaventure Waterpark is located at Atlantis, The Palm, the iconic resort that dominates the skyline of The Palm. Water parks are a popular pastime in the UAE, and as the No. 1 water park in the Middle East and Europe, this is the ultimate place for families, friends and couples alike. It features the longest zip line in the Middle East, a wide variety of waterslides – some that even catapult you through shark filled lagoons, Dolphin Bay and a private stretch of beach for guests to enjoy. Adjacent to the water park is the The Lost Chambers Aquarium. Home to 65,000 marine animals, guests can discover the lost city of Atlantis and explore underwater mazes, enjoy the Aquatheatre, feed the fish, or even go scuba diving.
2. Dubai Mall
Dubai’s malls are some of the largest and most opulent in the world, with Dubai Mall the largest. Located next to Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, this ‘city-within-a-city’ offers every designer and high-street brand imaginable in addition to an ice skating ring, an aquarium, a series of restaurants and cafes, and the Dubai Fountains – a spectacular light and water display that is shown every 30 minutes in the evenings.
The Metro is a great way to get to Dubai Mall, and taxis are very popular and easy to use in Dubai, but for the ultimate luxury, One&Only Royal Mirage offers exclusive chauffeur service which gives guests the option of a BMW Series 7, Mercedes S-Class, or for a truly luxurious experience, a Rolls Royce. The resort also offers a butler service where guests can have an appointed person from the resort accompany to assist with their shopping and guide them around the mall.
1. Desert Safari
An absolute must-do activity in Dubai is the Desert Safari. After a 4×4 takes you on a tour of the desert where you experience an exhilarating ride over the sand dunes, you can enjoy a camel ride, belly dancing and a traditional Bedouin BBQ by candle light in the middle of the desert. This activity is at the top of our list for things to do in Dubai, and can be organised through the concierge team at the resort.