Dubai

Essential Sights

Housed in the elegantly restored Al Fahidi Fort, which was built in 1787 to defend the city against invasion, the Dubai Museum's huge amount of exhibits that date back 3,000 years reflect the original settlement's historical and cultural heritage. Particularly fascinating are the life-sized dioramas that demonstrate what life was like before the discovery of oil.

Burj al-Arab, aka the "Tower of the Arabs", is that gravity-defying luxury hotel that you'll undoubtedly recognise from pictures of Dubai. Its distinctive curved design is said to represent the curved sail of a dhow. It is 321 metres high, was opened in 1999, and staying in what amounts to this 7-star hotel can cost as much as £20,000 per night – although you could slum it in a lesser suite for a paltry £800 per night! If you fancy a fleeting visit – perhaps to the Al Muntaha restaurant that's suspended 300m over the sea - then it'll cost around £30 just to cross the private bridge that connects it to the Dubai mainland.

The Khalifa Tower is the tallest manmade structure ever built, at 828m (2,717 ft). The building officially opened on 4 January 2010 after construction began in September 2004. It is part of the 490 acre development called Downtown Burj Khalida, to be part of Dubai’s huge business district.