**Downtown** The Burj Khalifa skewers the centre of the city, soaring 828m above the glitzy Dubai Mall and the dazzling Dubai Fountain, with a dizzying observation deck 555m high. Nearby, the City Walk leads Dubai’s new wave of open-air malls brimming with glam licensed restaurants, while the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is packed with upscale eateries and five-star hotels.

Around the Burj Al Arab

A Dubai icon since 1999, this sail-shaped stunner is the world’s only seven-star hotel, building a hyper-modern Arabian palace on an artificial island with its own man-made beach and an infinity pool terrace. In the 321m shadow of the Burj Al Arab sits the Wild Wadi Waterpark, the Jumeirah Public Beach and Madinat Jumeirah — a modern recreation of an ancient Arab marketplace — plus more turquoise water further up the coast at Kite Beach.

Dubai Marina and the Palm Jumeirah

Every frond of the Palm is peppered with luxurious villas, beach resorts and sun-kissed strips of sand. Atlantis is the jewel in this golden crown, complete with its own aquarium, dolphin pod and the Aquaventure Waterpark. Back on the mainland, you’ll find good value restaurants along the Walk and the Beach at Dubai Marina, the drop zone of Skydive Dubai, and JBR Beach for a splash.

Old Dubai

Beneath all the bling fizzes a fusion of Arab, Bedouin and Islamic culture in Old Dubai. Souqs straddle Dubai Creek, which stirs with abras (wooden boats) cruising between Deira in the north and Bur Dubai in the south. Cheap and cheerful Emirati eateries give you a taste of what Dubai was like before oil money transformed a once-sleepy fishing village into the uber-wealthy wonderland it is today.