The heat hits me despite wearing a traditional headscarf as I climb into a 1950 Land Rover ready to embark on an adventure through Dubai’s Desert Conservation Reserve.
I watch in awe as we wind our way through sand dunes spotting native wildlife including Arabian oryx and sand fish lizards. Rare summer rain has caused bursts of vegetation, boosting biodiversity and attracting wildlife. As the sun begins to set, our tour guide Amjjad Mehmood from safari firm Platinum Heritage, parks up so we can take pictures and enjoy a glass of Vimto – a huge hit in the Middle East – and traditional tea before heading to watch a falcon display led by Waseem.
Getting to hold the falcon turns out to be pretty spectacular. After we posed for photos, we made our way to our torchlit Bedouin Camp for the evening, made of wood and natural stone.
We were welcomed with traditional dates and coffee. Our Heritage Desert Safari package included a four-course meal, with fresh meat and chicken straight off the barbecue and fresh bread hot off the stove. Camel meat was also on offer, a popular dish in the United Arab Emirates.
Starters included, shorbat adas (lentil soup), kibbeh (ground lamb and beef mixed with nuts), sambousek (pastry with mozzarella and halloumi filling), baba ganoush (roasted eggplant), houmus and fattoush salad – a favourite of mine. Mains were traditional lamb ouzi (arabic spiced lamb simmered for six hours in an underground pit), which oozed flavour, served with ouzi rice and spiced vegetables.
The buffet went on with options including charcoal grilled chicken, vegetable tagine, and grilled vegetable kebab.
To finish off, we indulged in luqaimat (arabic style bitesize doughnuts), fresh fruit and ice cream, while watching an Emirati performance of drumming and yola dancing. The night finished with gazing into the stars as the lights dimmed, before we made our way back.
Our package included a free stainless steel water bottle, as the company is aiming to go plastic-free. We were also given a link to a personalised video of our tour.
Heritage Safari by vintage Land Rover is priced at around 695 AED (the UAE’s dirham currency) per person which works out at £152 and is well worth it (uae.platinum-heritage.com). Dubai, renowned as a playground for the rich and known for its skyscrapers, luxury shopping, fine beaches and amazing restaurants, can also be enjoyed at a budget price.
Old Dubai
To continue immersing myself in the Emirati culture but watching the pennies, I visited the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) which offers educational programmes and heritage tours of museums and mosques.
Nestled away in a beautifully restored wind tower house in Old Dubai, I attended a cultural brunch meal. It included balaleet (sweet vermicelli pasta mixed with scrambled eggs), dango (chickpeas in light broth with chilli), chicken biryani, chicken nashif (dry with a little gravy), and luqaimat desserts served with Arabic tea and coffee. Meanwhile our tour guide Noura Al Marzooqi talked us through the Emirati culture, the influence of Islam on local traditions, cultural values and daily life. We learnt about traditional clothing and how Emirati residents welcomed their guests into their homes.
Before we left, we got a whiff of bakhoor, a type of incense burned to perfume the air. Emirati Brunch starts at around £28.50 per person (cultures.ae/program/cultural-meals).
Next stop was Dubai’s Spice Souks market and the Creekside Food Walk to find the city’s hidden food treasures with Frying Pan Adventures. Soaking up the atmosphere and listening to the call to prayer, we walked through the busy streets visiting spice and textile stalls, where I bought some fresh saffron to add to my biryani back in the UK.
The four-hour tour included plenty of snack stops – we tasted an egg paratha roll from Al Hajes Cafeteria, with delicious spiced tea karak chai, and visited the Shaiba Bakery, serving mouth-watering Afghani cheese, honey and zaatar fresh flatbread. We finished with an Iranian dessert at Jafer Biman Ali Cafeteria to cool us down.
An abra (boat) ride across Dubai Creek took us for our finale meal at the Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant, which I highly recommend for traditional Emirati cuisine. Prices with Frying Pan Adventures start from around £95 per person, (fryingpanadventures.com).
Budget to blowout hotels
To keep with the theme of tradition on a budget, I stayed two nights at the Al Seef Heritage Hilton Hotel. This authentic property is located on the banks of the Creek, a stone’s throw away from markets, shops and restaurants. The rooms were situated among market-style shops, with access to a pool and spa.
While the hotel doesn’t have a beach, a visit to the award-winning Drift adults-only beach club seemed the perfect idea. After a stunning transformation, Drift now features an expanded bar area, and a new DJ booth. After a dip in the pool with a mocktail, I headed straight to the white sand beach to laze in a white-draped cabana before a swim in the sea. Lunch at the French restaurant was delicious with juicy spicy king prawns for starters and linguine for main – and you can also have a fish of the day with potatoes and veg.
Drift offers several packages including Ladies Day twice a week. From around £21.70 per person, (driftbeachdubai.com).
But if you’re after a hotel beach, Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort is the place to be. The five-star property is situated along 1,300ft of private shoreline lagoon with access to rooms, apartments and the UAE’s first water villas. It offers six bars and restaurants and has a shuttle service to Dubai Mall three times a day.
Relax, Luxury
After all the excitement of sightseeing and endless food, I headed to Saray Spa JW Marriott Marquis Hotel for a relaxing morning, opting for the fragrant stone massage priced at around £207.80. Day passes start from £25 with full access to the gym, wellness and pool facilities (marriot.com).
There isn’t a better way to watch Dubai’s sunsets than from a private superyacht – and a tour with the Xclusive Yacht company took us around Dubai Marina taking in the skyline, harbour, Ain Wheel and Burj Al Arab hotel. Drinks were on tap at the upper deck bar along with nibbles, fruit and desserts to accompany the sun’s fiery plunge. Rates start at around £219 per person (xclusiveyachts.com/yacht-rental).
The next day, I headed to Dubai’s Financial District for lunch at The Guild, recognised as Michelin Guide’s Opening of the Year 2024.
It offers a business lunch from around £26pp. The Guild’s interior is hard to miss, with avenues of trees, terracotta pathways, timber structures, an open fire and secret garden-like intimate spaces. I also headed to the 500ft tall Dubai Frame, one of the city’s latest gigantic landmarks – as the name suggests it is in the shape of a vast picture frame.
Is there anything they can’t build here? The lift takes just over a minute to get me to the top, then I walk across a glass walkway making my legs feel like jelly, grab a coffee and take in the views. Back on the ground, a video exhibit gives us a glimpse into what life will be like in 50 years.
Admission into the Dubai Frame is about £11 (dubaiframe.ae). To finish my budget to blowout whistlestop tour in Dubai I stopped at vibrant, high energy Pan-Asian rooftop restaurant Attiko.
Starters from around £8), mains from £19) and the stellar views of this incredible city are free.
Book the holiday
- Emirates flies from Birmingham to Dubai starting at £624 return; departures from Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow Manchester, Newcastle and
- Stansted also available. emirates.com
- Rooms at the Al Seef Heritage Hotel in Dubai start at around £173 a night B&B. hilton.com
- Rooms at the Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort start at around £480 a night B&B. anantara.com
- More info at visitdubai.com
