Dubai is literally a city that is being built overnight. Work crews construct highways, public transit systems, and some of the worlds' tallest buildings from dusk until dawn, and beyond. Highway signs point to destinations that have not been built and taxi drivers are still learning where everything is located. I began my journey in Dubai at the Madinat Jumeirah Resort. I was in quick need of an alcoholic beverage following my 14-hour long-haul flight from Atlanta. My taxi pulls up to the resort, which is actually more of a mini-city than a hotel. The concierge and valet run around feverishly to illustrate their level of efficiency and hospitality as I enter the Madinat property. The resort is the definition of opulence as I see man-made waterways transporting hotel guests to various parts of this Arabian-styled "super-hotel". Complete with two grand boutique hotels, courtyard summerhouses, a traditional souk, and a wealth of restaurants and nightclubs.
The next morning, I decide to spend some time on the infamous Sheikh Zayed Road. A 7-lane highway that cuts directly through newly constructed downtown Dubai. Some of the tallest and most uniquely designed buildings in the world line this street. An incomplete high-speed monorail hovers 40-50 feet above this super highway, which is said to eventually provide public transit service for all of Dubai and neighboring cities. This is a very ambitious yet essential task to easing the ever-worsening traffic that is quickly becoming a staple of this city.
I enter the Four Points Sheridan, which is a 45-story colossal building that actually seems petite in comparison to its neighbor, the 170-story Burj Dubai. The roof deck is the most amazing part of this hotel, with a never-ending pool and a Caribbean inspired bar that has pina-coladas and margaritas down to a science.
Yearning for a taste of traditional Middle-eastern culture, I decided to drive to the Eastern shore of UAE, which is bordered by the Sea of Oman. Once you are 15-20 minutes outside of Dubai, you quickly see how under-developed this tiny city-state used to be 10-15 years ago. There is nothing but desert on all sides and the only sign of civilization is the occasional carpet dealer on the side of the highway.After 2.5 hours, I reached the town of Dibby, which has only 2 hotels. The rest of the town is a mix of fish markets and falafel restaurants with a population of approx. 1,500. The main attractions in this city are the public beaches. These vast swaths of sand are cluttered with abandoned cars, washed up artifacts and unique photo opportunities. I took a camera and a journal with me and was able to spend the entire day without the least bit of boredom.
If you decide to take a trip to Dubai, I strongly recommend seeing many of the amazing sights that have become symbols of this modern metropolis. However, taking a small day-trip outside the city has the possibility of opening your mind to the unpredictability and the simplicity of this once quiet coastal sheikdom.
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