What are the best areas in Dubai to live or holiday in? What is best residential neighborhood in Dubai for a family? Where are the best places to buy property in Dubai? Let’s answer the foregoing questions below.
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Downtown Dubai is one of the favorite neighborhoods in Dubai. It is best for vacationing and wouldn’t score high as one of the most affordable districts in Dubai. If you’re visiting Dubai alone or with family, for day tours or Dubai’s nightlife, for sightseeing or shopping, Downtown Dubai could be considered the best place for you.
This area in Dubai has been dubbed the glitziest part of the city. Downtown’s elevated status is not in doubt, boasting Burj Khalifa, Dubai Fountain, Dubai Mall, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. These are the world’s tallest building, world’s tallest fountain, one of the world’s largest shopping malls and the world’s biggest suspended aquarium respectively. Besides Downtown’s notable attractions, it’s also within easy reach of the old part of the city, Dubai Creek and the souks.
What’s more? Downtown’s close to the metro system which means you could easily get around the city. If you’re on a budget, Downtown might not be a fit. A close alternative of Downtown is the Sheikh Zayed Road.
For the whole post on Downtown’s attractions, please kindly click here.
As mention already, Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. Records show that many tourists’ favorite attraction in Dubai is the tower of towers. This magnificent feat has a “Y” shape when viewed from above it, inspired by Hymenocallis, a flower also called Spider Lily.
2,717 ft (828 meters) tall, it’s about three times the height of Eiffel Tower and about two times taller than Empire State Building. The no-mean feat gives you the best panoramic view of Dubai with the exception of the plane. The intimidating height of the building notwithstanding, it supports a led-illuminated façade and consequently, boasts the world’s largest led-illuminated façade.
To learn more, please see Burj Khalifa.
Armani Hotel is a classy hotel in the great tower. It is the first in the world to be designed by Italian fashion legend Giorgio Armani and features his signature minimalist style with muted gray interiors, sumptuous fabrics and Japanese wooden floors.
Every guest’d get a VIP welcome and a personal butler on their arrival. That’s not all as there are individually tailored spa treatments, fluffy monogrammed robes and more.
Located at 122th story, At.Mosphere is a classy restaurant in the tower. Spending the time there is easy as it is comfy and its cuisines brilliant. Getting to and from the classy restaurant no hassle as it “uses” an elevator which travels at the speed of about 45 seconds.
You might alternate the observatory decks with the lofty restaurant as it boasts ubiquitous floor-to-ceiling windows perfect for spectacular vistas. Added, it boasts plush leather seats and pristine white tablecloths.
Burj Khalifa has two observatory decks, At The Top (124th) and At The Top SKY (148th). From these decks, you should have the most exquisite panorama of Dubai. While At The Top SKY is higher, At The Top boasts an electronic telescope, an augmented reality device developed by Gsmprjct° of Montréal.
As though Burj Khalifa is not enough for Downtown, this area also boasts a well-over-$200-million fountain, christened Dubai Fountain. Shooting water about 50-stories high, the fountain is the world’s tallest performing fountain. And as regards the biggest choreographed fountain in the world, it’s second to none. While it takes about 30 minutes break after displaying, many sightseers wait for it until another round, at least. This is no wonder; rather, the feat is the wonder.
For more please, kindly see Dubai Fountain. There you’d see a magnificent video of it.
It’s been earlier said that Dubai Mall is one of the largest and most visited malls in the world. It combines shopping, restaurant and entertainment services. The mall should have just anything you might want, in that it boasts over 1,300 retail stores. Its services would include free WiFi, porter service, personal shopping experience, Emaar gift cards, valet parking (cost some money), parking space, and delivery service.
Further, Dubai Mall is known for some non-shopping related attractions such as Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo (oh yes, it is resided in the mall), Kidzania (for the kids), Goal (for the kids), Dubai Ice Rink, Hysteria, Guy Fieri’s Kitchen, etc.
The Dubai Aquarium is the largest suspended aquarium in the world. 10-million-liter large, it boasts thousands of aquatic animals, and these include over 140 species, 300 sharks and rays. One of the reasons it’s really enjoyed is that it has a walk-through tunnel and thus gives visitors a unique sightseeing experience as the fishes swim besides and above them.
The artificial water world is 51-meter long, 20-meter wide and 11-meter high. If you’re in Dubai Mall and you love amazing sights, this attraction is a must. You could experience the drawcard in different ways. These include Shark Encounter, Cage Snorkeling, Shark Dive, Shark Walker, Scuba Dive, and Glass Bottom Boats.
To learn about them and more, please see Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo.
KidZania in Dubai is a faux children’s city of 7,000 square meters. Combining learning and entertainment, it boasts 60 exciting roles children can participate in. It is designed so that children can learn as they enjoy themselves. This idea is buttressed by several psychological theories or imitates them.
To learn more, kindly see this post.
Goal is a FIFA certified turf, tailored for the kids (5 – 15-year olds). You could take your kids there, so they can flex their muscles. Exercise is especially good for children as this, medically, helps them with their physiological development. You might leave them there as you go about your shopping, or you could watch them as they run back and forth on the pitch with the ball. This should spark some ecstasy in you.
Dubai boasts a fine ice rink. On this classy park, you could ice skate as well as play some other winter sports. The ice rink is safe and well managed. You have little or nothing to worry about as regards security, relevant facilities or equipment. IceBykes or eBykes are allowed at the park.
To learn more, kindly see this post.
Wanna get horrified? Visit Hysteria. I bet it’ll scare you out of your wits. With several cleverly designed scares and terrifying moments, the haunted experience is not for the faint of heart but the adventurous.
Guy Fieri’s Kitchen is restaurant service owned by the so-called culinary legend. His cuisines have been described as top-notch. Having restaurants in different countries, Guy Fieri’s Kitchen operates on an international scale.
Bus Tours are some sort of tours that allow you to explore any given area. At Burj Khalifa, Dubai Trolley, some exclusive non-emitting trams, could give you an equivalent of a bus tour (or even better) and, interestingly, in Dubai’s glitziest part. Each trolley has an open-deck and an air-conditioned seating. The route of the trolleys forms a loop across Downtown Dubai. There are more facts you might like. To learn them, kindly see this post.
Dubai Marina is one of the world’s largest, most meticulously planned waterfront developments and offers the exhilaration and vibrancy of a chic and classy neighborhood. Little wonder one of the most sought-after and one of the most expensive places in Dubai.
This development is built along a three-kilometre stretch of shoreline and has over 200 skyscrapers. The area boasts almost eight kilometres of beautiful walkways. The Walk is a remarkable walkway attraction in it. Dubai Marina favors kids thanks to its children’s play areas. It was carefully designed to showcase a variety of modern architectural styles and sophistication. From shopping malls, through restaurants to cinemas, the state-of-the-art district boasts essential amenities.
Transportation here is good as there’s a good network of roads and functional canals. You even have the Dubai tram option for cheap transportation in or from Dubai marina. Shop and enjoy the cinema at Dubai Marina Mall.
In Dubai Marina, you can do a great deal of touristic activities. Enjoy a cruise here as you meander through Dubai Marina’s waterways and the outskirts of the popular Palm Jumeirah. Indulge in Italian designer Roberto Cavalli’s Caffe, get sourvenirs at I Love Dubai, nibble on grilled seafood at Mediterranean find Eat Greek or mega burgers at US The Cheesecake Factory.
Bluewaters Island by Meraas – home to the world’s second Caesars Palace hotel and chic Cove Beach club – is a remarkable destination. Bateel Cafe in The Walk is famed for its gourmet dates. Fly over Dubai Marina on the world’s longest urban zip line, XLine Dubai Marina. Two can ride on it concurrently.
Explore Dubai Marina Mall as it’s family friendly. Besides shopping and movies, it has some exceptional dining and Little Explorers, an edutainment sanctuary for kids.
If you’re a lover of the beach and would want a place close to it or even a beach resort, Jumeirah Beach is the best area in Dubai for you, whether you want to holiday, live or buy property. Jumeirah Beach is a broad expanse of sandy shoreline. This beach which has been dubbed Dubai’s golden mile runs parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road. While I’ve picked this area primarily because it’s the beach area, my choice has been informed by other factors: destinations in it and these are Burj Al Arab Jumeirah (world’s most luxurious hotel), the Madinat Jumeirah hotel, an entertainment complex (and its attached souk); The Mall, Wild Wadi Water Park, and JBR Walk.
Getting to Downtown from here via taxi should gulp more or less 25 minutes. Getting to Downtown by metro should take nearly an hour, if you walked down to the stations. If you were considering a good alternative to Jumeirah Beach, Dubai Marina or Palm Jumeirah might be a good choice.
Recommended: See The Best Public Beaches in Dubai
If you’ve seen a couple of ancient European movies, you should’ve come across their ships’ silhoutte. The silhoutte is the inspiration of the shape of the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Viewed from above it, it resembles a triangle. The building has, in this way, been iconic cementing the modernity of Dubai. If hospitality is your care, you’d be saturated at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Of course, has it not been voted repeatedly as the world’s most luxurious hotel?
Burj Al Arab offers you some really fine services and experiences which might include a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce, private beach access, a breath-taking terrace with pools and cabanas as well as some of the world’s best dining venues, including the highly acclaimed Nathan Outlaw at Al Mahara.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel (JBH) is a classy hotel located at the Jumeirah Beach. Its architecture resembles that of the wave of water. Given how inspiring it is, only a high level of creativity could have informed the architecture. JBH is Jumeirah’s first hotel and given its shape, it is also iconic like Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. The hotels asserts that its legendary service would make your next holiday feel like your first. Can this be a challenge?
Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa is a great choice for a beach, city or a family holiday in Dubai. Overlooking the pristine waters of the Arabian Gulf and set in 19 acres of landscaped gardens, the resort is not only exquisite but also allows of a unfettered view of the sea or Dubai Marina. The resort offers facilities with 504 luxurious rooms and suites, three swimming pools, a splash pool and a kids’ pool, direct beach access, a range of recreational activities, water sports and a state-of-the-art fitness center.
The resort also holds daily children’s events at the Kids Club to ensure there is something for them to do whilst you relax. Like lots of other attractions in Dubai, it boasts some International award-winning restaurants.
Wild Wade Waterpark, well spoken of, is another attraction at the Beach. It flourishes in front of Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Inspired by the tale of Juha from the Arabian folklore, Wild Wadi offers 30 rides and attractions the whole family can enjoy. Guests from Jumeirah Hotels get free access.
Wild Wadi Waterpark will be conducting essential maintenance from 12 January until 7 February 2019, during which it’ll be fully closed.
For ticket, click here
Palm Jumeirah, one of the largest man-made islands in the world, is a favorite tourists’ destination. Shape inspired by the palm tree, Palm Jumeirah is adequately name. It hosts some landmarks as the seashell-pink arches and turrets of Atlantis hotel. Along the Golden Mile (the island’s Trunk) are some international hotels such as Anantara, Fairmont and Waldorf Astoria. On the Palm’s fronts are residential villas. The island boasts some really fine restaurants, classy spas and inspiring beach clubs set against glimmering vistas of the ocean.
On the average, when you consider affordability and comfort, Al Barsha should be a perfect fit. It can be said to be in the middle. It’s not as expensive as places like Dubai Marina yet it’s modern and has good organization.
If what you’re considering is a place to move to in Dubai, Al Barsha is a great choice. It’s a great place for a family with a child. Described as quiet, it’s budget-friendly and safe, although Dubai is generally safe. There are lots of restaurants and other facilities to make you comfortable. There’s also a park called Al Barsha Park.
What’s more? It has metro stations, and the famous Mall of the Emirates is located in it. Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Palm, Media City and Dubai Internet City are very close to it.
Given your consideration, however, you could decide to move to any of the areas discussed above. Burj Khalifa itself has residences and as you should’ve known already, it’s close to Dubai Mall.
Bordered by the Persian Gulf, Sharjah and Dubai Creek, Deira is one of the best affordable places in Dubai.
With the recent advance in Dubai, this district is now becoming part of Dubai’s old world. Given it was the city’s main commercial center, it is considered by some as the Heritage Village on the basis of its rich culture. You can have a cultural vacation here. And regards residence, it’s good place in Dubai to live in as it’s inexpensive compared to the modern areas in the city.
It boasts the renowned Deira Market (remarkable for cheap shopping) and other markets as well as some souks including the gold, spice and fish souks. From it, you can easily go wherever you want in Dubai, although its traffic congestion is can sometimes be off the charts. For the record, the Dubai metro serve Deira. If you absolutely want to keep expenses to the minimum, you might consider staying at Sharjah. We’ll talk more about it later.
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The Dubai Frame is a wonderful architectural feat. This rare gem won the ThyssenKrupp Elevator International Award. Described by The Guardian newspaper as “the biggest picture frame on the planet”, the building’s architecture was according to Donis informed by the fact that when designing the structure he saw Dubai as a city full of emblems and rather than adding another one, proposed to frame them all: to frame the city.
Instead of building a massive structure, the purpose of the proposal was to build a void of 150 meters by 105 meters to continuously frame the development of the past, current and future Dubai. To become the structure that celebrates the city.
Dubai Creek is a saltwater creek in Dubai, used among other things for trading. It connects the sea trading port to the desert as it passes through the heart of Dubai. The past is past and today, tourists now, through rides in the Creek, explore the Creek’s surroundings, and/or gain insight (through, say, the dhow cruise) into Dubai’s past. In the past, the creek enabled trade with India and Africa.
You several option of exploring the creek. You could use the abra, water taxi, or dhow. You could also explore it from the landscaped paved walkways.
While Dubai boasts a lot of shopping malls, souks (coming from older Dubai) remain some of places you can make great purchases. At Deira, the Gold, Spice and Fish souks are notable. Besides other needs, you could get souvenirs at these destinations at great prices, although you get to haggle.
To Dubai’s north is Sharjah. Sharjah is the capital of the emirate of Sharjah and is the third largest and perchance the third most populous city in the UAE. Historically, it’s one of the wealthiest towns in the region. While it’s not part of Dubai, it’s only about “20 minutes’ bus ride from Dubai,” says Irfan Mirza, a chap who commute between them. He says in good faith that he spent the nights in Sharjah and went to Dubai in the morning via public transport. For him, this arrangement worked like a charm. If you really want to save money, this might be the option for you.
If you are Indian or Pakistani and would like to live in an area you can find your community, Mankhool/Karama might be where you want to stay. Besides the fact that you have lots of Indian and Pakistanis here, amenities wouldn’t constitute problems as you can get a lot at walking distances or even by virtue of the phone call. Further, a lot of things are accessible, so that life is easy here because you wouldn’t always have to drive to get just everything.
Dubai is a great place to visit, live and buy properties. Of the areas discussed above, you can choose to live, or buy property in any of them. Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah are the very expensive areas, while the Deira, and Mankhool/Karama are some of the cheapest. If you don’t have too much money to spend on an accommodation yet you want a modern area, you should go for Al Barsha.
Other areas in Dubai you might consider staying are Media City, Dubai Internet City, Al Quoz (Alserkal Avenue specifically) for art, Bur Dubai, Al Garhoud and Dubai Marina. While there are many other areas, the ones discussed here are some of the best of their kinds.
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