Dubai (United Arab Emirates) > Reviews > The fastest city ever to have grown

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Good
Shopping	Excellent
Nightlife	Good
Ease of getting around	Good
Family Friendly	Excellent

Advantages:	Clean living with great opportunitys for a childs school life .
Disadvantages:	Detached society under a muslim bureaucracy .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I first visited the U.A.E around nine years ago, where my father had moved to work in a 'up kumming' place called Dubai.
I have since returned five times, once every two years or so and it never fails to impress me, greatly, how much of a change i see.

Anyone who knows dubai will have seen the architechtural splendor that is the Burj al arab, that ten years ago wasn't even existent, and shiek zayid road! In 1994 sheik zayid road was home to just 7 apartment towers, now it is the main nerve of dubai with over 150 aparment towers along with more than a thousand shops built in.

My father now lives on a compound near the media city named desert spring village, a reassuring, friendly community that is nearing extinction in a modern race to build and build.
Desert spring village has resided in the dunes of dubai since the mid 1970's, which is very old in dubai. Unfortunatly the compounds owner having recently passed away, the mans son has immediately sold the land into demolition in a typical act of profiteering.

Anybody thinking of visiting dubai as a holiday destination would be wise to do some reseach beforehand, as there are many jewles to be spoilt with.
The Al Ain zoo is an exellent day for 'all the family', and anybody who enjoys things like hippos and lions of course. Also the world famous Wild Wadi water theme park is a must. The infamous Jumeira sceira slide, despite the apparent death of a local a few years ago, allows you to climb 70 feet of wooden steps where you get a marvelous view of the Burj al arabs light diplays and flame throwing water fountain, followed by a 30 mph decent which is a cross between a shot of adrenalin, an enema, and a high pressure hose to the face. Surprisingly most people race back fo more. I think the locals must have accomodated Wild Wadi into there religion as this is the one and only place where you'll see devout muslim women splashing around without a veil, it's wonderful.

For anyone who would prefere a more authentic swimming and bathing experience, try a long dip in one of the many giant stone baths along the roadside up in the Jebel mountains, one can just leap out of the car and into a hot bath along the way. The water is pretty damn hot, which is just as well as at this time of the year (february) it can be rather cold, 8 to 10 degrees C at night with a warm Calafornian style 20 degrees and blue skies in the day.