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If you're staying in central Dubai, you'll want to get out to the desert for an excursion at some point, but if you're looking for a full-on desert holiday, there are a number of places you can stay outside of the city, including Al Maha resort and spa. Their suites come with private pools and decks, and vary in size, accommodating couples and up to six people. The Presidential Suite is the largest, with three bedrooms, a private kitchen and courtyard, and an expansive desert, backyard view. This is a comfortable option for families—there are two king-sized beds and one room with twin beds—but note that Al Mah is a ten-year-old-and-up resort.

Part of the world’s tallest building, the unapologetically luxe Armani hotel is the first hospitality project by fashion designer Giorgio Armani. The vibe is masculine and minimal, but somehow warm at the same time, with custom-made furnishings done in neutral browns and sleek grays. Taking the concept of Italian hospitality and running with it, management hooks up each guest with a lifestyle manager to book treatments at the on-site spa, arrange dinners at any of the hotel's seven restaurants (don't leave without sampling the menu at Armani/Ristorante), and organizing Bentleys for airport pickups and drop-offs. Ask for a room overlooking the fountains, you won’t be disappointed.

Before Dubai was Dubai, and before the Burj Khalifa was built, there was the Buj al Arab. One of the world's iconic hotels, it's regularly referred to as the only seven-star hotel (there's no such thing), and known for it's impeccable service, with a manned butler station positioned on every floor. The suites (particularly their specialty versions, like the Presidential and Royal), are over the top in every sense—enormous spaces filled rotating canopy beds (some with gilded mirrors overhead), man-cave-like library rooms, formal dining tables, private cinema spaces, different patterned rugs and pillows everywhere, sweeping grand staircases, gigantic marble columns, dressing rooms bigger than most NYC-sized apartments, tubs bigger than most NYC-sized bathrooms, and gold, gold, and more gold. It's sensory overload to be certain, but the fact that the decor hasn't been brought into this decade is all part of the shtick. Actually staying here will cost you—but plan to see the inside of the Burj Al Arab while you're here in any case, because it's a trip in and of itself. (You won't miss the exterior, which looks like the sail of a ship, visible from touch points throughout the city. Legend has it that British architect Tom Wright said all the world's best known buildings are both interesting but simple enough that a kid could draw them in a few lines—think of the Eiffel Tower. The Burj Al Arab can be drawn in four.)

At the end of 2016, Nikki Beach opened a resort, spa, and a series of fifteen private villas on the Pearl Jumeirah property next to their pool club. In contrast to the overstated luxury that you'll find elsewhere in Dubai, Nikki Beach takes a minimalistic approach that is aesthetically very pleasing. Bright and modern, the expansive spaces are the artwork of Italian designer Gregory Gatserelia of Beirut-based Gatserelia Design. Everything is bright and modern, polished (but not coldly so). The multiple-floor beachside villas, which have their own pools, are hard to beat (shocker), but the resort rooms are lovely overall, and everything is lent an intimate, oasis feel.

This palatial hotel is 100 percent pure Versace, from the bespoke fabrics to custom furnishings all in the inimitable Italian fashion house's signature style. With 215 rooms and suites, more than a hundred residences, eight restaurants and bars (each with an al fresco terrace), three outdoor pools, and unobstructed views of the Dubai Creek and the city skyline, it basically doesn’t get any fancier than this. Consider it a must-see, even if you just stop in for lunch and a stroll through their gorgeously manicured gardens.

Dubai’s Ritz-Carlton has a lot to offer, even beyond what you’d expect (excellent service, abundant amenities, generally luxurious furnishings, etc.). For starters, the location is hard to beat: it’s situated in JBR—super close to the water—which means that addition to being beautiful, it’s in a very walkable part of Dubai (slightly removed but close to the center of beach activity) that’s brimming with energy. Their restaurant, Blue Jade, is a next-level sushi restaurant that is a draw independent of the hotel. Plus, the Ritz-Carlton is one of several great places to try a lavish Dubai afternoon tea situation—their bar, Lobby Lounge, serves tea daily from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., which means you can opt into a full experience that includes decadent bites ranging from éclairs to smoked salmon rillettes (and whiskey flights, if that’s more your thing).

This integrated urban resort, part of newish hotel collection in Al Habtoor City on the banks of Dubai Water Canal, the St. Regis Downtown Dubai is truly, outrageously luxurious. Butler service is available to all guests, and the breathtaking décor (complete with a grand staircase) is heavily inspired by the iconic beaux-arts architecture of the original St. Regis New York. There are eight restaurants and bars to choose from here, plus a private helipad, outdoor and rooftop pools, a full-service spa, and a brand-new water theatre right next door—basically, everything you’d ever need in a beautiful waterfront compound.

Only in Dubai could an archipelago in the shape of a palm tree be a thing. Located on Palm Jumeirah island, the Waldorf Astoria is a good option if the idea of being removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, and spending relatively more time relaxing by the pool/beach appeals to you. (There's only one road on and off the island—via the "trunk" of the palm tree—so it adds a bit of time to touring around.) It's family-friendly (one pool is adults only and the other for all ages), so a good option if you have kids in tow, as there are a handful of outdoor activities they can get into right on the property. The seaside rooms have balconies seemingly made for enjoying coffee with a view in the AM (the buffet breakfast downstairs is solid, too, though). Probably most notable about the suites are their oversized glass-and-marble bathrooms, with luxurious waterfall shower heads and soaking tubs. Also on Palm Jumeirah: There's a path for walking/running/biking, which you can pick up right outside the Waldorf Astoria. About two and a half miles along the path, toward the center of the island, you'll hit a fun, little food truck area near the Atlantis.

Although Abd El Wahab is technically located inside shopping mall Souk Al Bahar, don’t expect it to be a typical mall-dining experience—with a large terrace and views of the surrounding city and man-made lake, having a meal there is actually quite relaxed. They serve excellent iterations of the classics in a wide-ranging menu: think perfect tabbouleh, hummus, grilled meats, and vegetables served in myriad ways with ample fresh, warm bread.

As strong as Dubai's mocktail game is, the city also has a vibrant club scene. Since liquor licenses mostly reside with the hotels in Dubai, so do the clubs (as well as many restaurants/bars). For a dressed-up night out, there's Giorgio Armani's club, located on the lobby level of the brand's hotel, within the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world). Inside Armani/Privé, it's sleek, modern decor set to a mix of local and international DJ's, from 10pm to 3am.

A French bistro (with a Mediterranean-leaning menu) that gets progressively livelier as the night goes on, Bagatelle serves dinner until around 11 pm, and functions as a nightclub going into the am. The extensive wine list is a major draw.

The Ritz Carlton is one of the only hotels in this neighborhood that's not a skyscraper, so the inviting gardens and terraces on ground level are reason enough to check it out. Chef Ta Van's menu features dishes inspired by his Vietnamese grandmother’s recipes, weaving in flavors from Thailand, Singapore, Japan, and China (and complemented by a ridiculously good sake). Ask for a table with an ocean view, on the terrace.

We could wax poetic for a while about the food—which is an incredible offering of elevated Italian food that includes everything you’d hope for, from super-fresh salads and seafood dishes to homemade fresh pasta—but the real draw here is the restaurant itself, which is a beautiful multi-level space with beach views. It’s somehow both laid-back and upscale at once; the more family-friendly option is to opt for a table upstairs on the terrace, where you can order wood-fired pizza. Downstairs, you’ll find both a main dining room and a large, tree-adorned patio space where you can order from the full menu.

In Gate Village, between art galleries, jewelers, and other fine-dining restaurants (Zuma is here, as is La Petite Maison), Gaia is swish and comfortable and serves incredible Grecian food. Start with sea bream carpaccio and baked feta, and take advantage of their very good cocktail menu. (Gaia is one of the only non-hotel restaurants in Dubai that serves alcohol.) Then, go for fish, picked from the “ice market” and prepared how you like it—in thin raw slices, maybe, or grilled with lemon, or baked a la spetsiota.

A spinoff of the London La Petite Maison—a restaurant by Arjun Waney (the investor behind Zuma) based on the restaurant of the same name in Nice—the food here has a distinctly southern French soul. Plates come small and to share, so you can theoretically sample it all. The salads and carpaccios from the starter menu shouldn't be missed, and for the main course, the fish is always excellent. The real star of the show is the black-leg-roasted chicken, though. Order it right when you sit down; It takes about an hour and twenty minutes, but it justifies the wait.

This bar and grill, which operates out of a hotel garage, is run by Montreal native Joey Ghazal, who's attempting to create a casual, laid-back vibe that's unlike anything else you can find in Dubai. Unsurprisingly, Dubai’s younger crowd are on-board with the concept—you'll routinely find them bellied up to the extra long bar sipping on cocktails. The family-style menu features all the brasserie standards, including a three-tier seafood tower, and there's a pages-long cigar menu, too.

Some people will tell you that Dubai is akin to the Miami of the Middle East—like most comparisons, it's neither spot-on nor completely wrong. But if that's the vibe you're looking for, you'll find a version of it at Nikki Beach on Pearl Jumeirah island. The beachside pool is surrounded by lounge beds and private cabanas, outfitted in chic, all-white decor, with a gorgeous view of bright ocean just beyond it. As a bonus, the food at the indoor-outdoor on-site restaurant is good in its own right—particularly the sushi. Adjacent to the beach club is Nikki Beach's newly debuted resort and spa.

Founded by the same owners of the successful café Salt on Kite Beach, Parker's began as a social media-fueled pop-up concept that quickly gained traction around town. Once you're in, the menu really caters to a sweet tooth; particular attention is paid to inventive desserts while other menu specials include things like a crispy chicken potato sandwich with fries inside.

Pars Iranian Restaurant is a great casual eatery to stop in for a meal if you're shopping nearby. Expect excellent Iranian food, served in large portions—think tender meats, lots of rice, tomatoes, pickles, and mint leaves. It's a great spot for groups and littles; there are several outposts throughout the city.

Built directly onto a private wooden pier with a stunning glassed-in terrace and bay views, this is the ideal place for a romantic evening. While not particularly glitzy, the ambiance is undeniably elevated, as is the seafood-centric menu: the caviar, lobster, and fresh fish are offered in every imaginable incarnation. Dinner is always a sure thing, though the locals like to flock here for the boozy brunch, which can't be overstated: Brunch is huge in Dubai—really the thing to do on Fridays (which is the UAE's Saturday).

While distance doesn't make it an easy trip to plan for those coming from the Americas and around, as a city, Dubai is well-suited for a girls trip. For starters, it's extremely safe, and more so than other popular celebratory destinations (say, Miami or Vegas), which is refreshing if all you want to do is get some quality time with your girl gang. Plus, there are some fun ladies-only activities, one of them being a trip to the Dubai Ladies Club. Located on the beach, the club offers membership and day rates, for access to the pool, tennis and squash courts, spa, fitness classes, and so on. (There are also options for kiddos, too.) For a peek into the club life, come for breakfast or lunch at Remaliya—the pretty cafe (which also has an outdoor terrace for not-scorching days) makes some of the most refreshing smoothies and juices in the city. (Note that Remaliya is open to men on Mondays until 2pm.)

Heinz Beck, of three-Michelin-star La Pergola in Rome, serves an elegant Italian menu at Social, his white-tablecloth restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria on Palm Jumeirah. Leave room to share a few desserts, and also note that Wednesday is ladies night, with a three-course menu (plus a couple of drinks) at a reasonable set price.

This sleek rooftop lounge is decorated with tons of foliage and string lights, the only nod to the kitschy name in the form of several sculptures of monkeys holding telephones. The bar has incredible views of the city and directly faces the world’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa. Food-wise, there's a nice selection of Mediterranean share plates, a surprisingly good burger, and an array of trendy cocktails involving vapor and smoke.

A few years ago, it felt like nobody could stop talking about Zuma. Sometimes too much hype can turn you off a restaurant, but that’s not the case here. More than ten years after the original London opening, with locations in what seems like every major city, it's still one of the best meals anywhere. Tokyo-based interior designer Noriyoshi Muramatsu (who's done several Zumas) differentiates Zuma Dubai, which sits within the Dubai International Financial Centre, with a massive bamboo sculpture suspended from 450 delicate wires.

An open group working hub, this loft space in Alserkal Avenue has a cafe, collective library, screening room, and lots of good vibes. A4 plays host to rotating exhibitions, pop-up shops, and a range of creative events.

Originated in Sydney in 1996, Jones the Grocer's gourmet cafés are now in over seven countries (four cafes residing in Dubai alone), making it an easy-to-find standby for a solid meal and great host/hostess gifts in the form of gourmet chocolates, cheeses, jams, and other kitchen goodies. The café is a great place to set up with a coffee and sandwich for a few hours of work.

The Dubai OG of concept cafes with a healthy bent, The Lime Tree is a New-Zealand-style eatery that is now three locations strong. The original, opened in 2001, is near the beach, next to Jumeirah Mosque; meant to feel like a villa, with an upstairs balcony and courtyard garden, it's a popular mom-spot post dropping kids off at school. There's a location on Sheik Zayed Road in Al Quoz, and another in Al Quoz, in walking distance from the shops and galleries of Alserkal Avenue, where you're likely to find people posted up on laptops in one of Lime Tree's nooks or at the long picnic-style tables. Lime Tree serves organic coffee and teas, organic free-range egg scrambles, quiches, and salads, plenty of gluten-free bakery items. Everything is made in house.

This sweet little gourmet market and café has a location in Business Bay. There's a great market with gourmet cheeses and other deli items (all of which can be ordered for delivery), plus a lengthy to-go menu full of salads, grain bowls, and soups. It's also a decidedly solid option for morning coffee.

This modern chocolate shop is actually housed inside the chocolate brand’s manufacturing facility—meaning, in one visit, you can see every step of the chocolate-making process by peering into glass-walled pods. In addition to chocolate tasting workshops, Mirzam is known for creating exceptional bars with just three ingredients (cocoa beans, unrefined cane sugar, and small amounts of cocoa butter), but that actually does a disservice to the chocolate you’ll sample there; they’re also known for the variety of spices they incorporate into their bars. (The name “Mirzam” is borrowed from a star of the same name that ancient spice traders used to navigate maritime routes). Limited-edition bars have included single-origin dark chocolate with roasted pumpkin seeds and sea salt wrapped in a hand-painted design by a local UAE artist, and a white chocolate offering infused with a chai spice blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves.

Started by two women, Amal Al Marri and Deem Albassam, Salt began as a temporary food truck at Kite Beach. (This sounds like a familiar story in many cities but food trucks weren't a thing in Dubai when they tried it, and they still aren't at the level of what you'll find in LA, NYC, London, etc.) While a lot of Dubai's eating and entertainment happens indoors (mall culture is huge here), Marri and Albassam wanted to create a fun spot for locals to hang outdoors. Salt now has a permanent spot at Kite Beach, and it's wildly popular. The menu—sliders, fries, softies—is indulgently good beach food. If you're feeling adventurous, the cereal latte is a bestseller. (There's also a Cheetos-fried chicken sandwich option...)

This spot has all of the makings of the perfect indie coffee shop. The pastries are excellent, the bright, high-ceilinged space is a great place to perch and work, and the coffee is some of the best in Dubai. All blends are 100 percent organic and fair trade, and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly.

From chef Tom Arnel and restaurateur Sergio Lopez, the same guys beind the eponymous Tom & Serg, this sleek-yet-charming venture offers the same gold standard service (and coffee). Tucked inside the ground floor of the Burj al Salam Trade Center, the gourmet café pretty much does it all: They bake our own bread (try their yeast-free sourdough), roast their own coffee, and prepare everything from scratch. It's both a great place to grab coffee and work, and casual dining destination in its own right—their extensive menu offers everything from chilled quinoa pudding to pistachio falafels with beetroot tahini to spiced corn and cod risotto. You'll also find a lot of vegan and dairy- and -gluten-free options.

The creative arts hub that has become Alserkal Avenue in Dubai's warehouse Al Quoz district has a disproportionate amount of the city's cool, health-centric cafes and specialty food shops. Wild & the Moon feels like it was lifted out of LA (the other location is actually in Paris). The first floor houses an organic, cold-pressed juice/smoothie/plant milk bar; upstairs, there's additional seating, and an array of hanging greenery (sprawling ivy, potted ferns, mini cacti). It's a beautiful space to visit, but they also take online orders—if you've hit the bottle a little too hard the night before, you can get an entire juice cleanse set delivered.

Bambah, founded by the incredibly charismatic and warm Maha Abdul Rasheed, is a homegrown Dubai shop. A vintage aficionado, Rasheed started the Bambah concept as a vintage shop, grew a loyal following (women fly in from Saudi Arabia specifically to see her), and re-opened in Al Quoz, selling her own line of embellished, flirty formal and cocktail separates. Parents take note: Rasheed just debuted an insanely adorable mini-line for girls.

Amidst a sea of skyscrapers and grand malls, this Parisian concept shop—which is both a healthy café, organic market, home goods, clothes, and jewelry store—is a welcome boho-chic respite right by Jumeirah beach. The café uses ingredients from local organic farms, and the entire menu is sugar- and dairy-free, changing daily to reflect the day’s harvest; they have a robust juice and smoothie menu, great salads, and standbys like buckwheat pancakes and chia seed pudding. Definitely wander over to their curated shops, where you'll find some unique jewelry, Jérôme Dreyfuss handbags, and craft furniture (plus great hostess gifts) sourced from around the globe.

A trip to the Dubai Mall is on every tourist's list, but the role of malls in local Dubai culture can't be overstated: This is a shopping center city—malls house so much of Dubai's food and family entertainment, particularly in the summer months when the temperature outside can be unbearable. The Dubai Mall is the crowning glory of them all, at 5.9 million square feet—grab a map on your way in, seriously. Geared toward kids, there's an aquarium, indoor theme park, Olympic-sized ice rink, and twenty-two screen movie theater. There are hundreds of places to eat, including the dessert-focused Parker's. As for retail, you can find it all here. The ground/first floor area of the mall called Fashion Avenue has all the big designer and luxury brands you could think of. Also worth seeing: the department store Level Shoes, which is 96,000 square feet itself (i.e. SO many shoes). On the second floor, there's an enormous, impeccable Kinokuniya, which is absolute heaven for bookophiles—there are more than half a million books here, plus thousands of magazines in multiple languages, and all the stationery and accompanying paper goods the heart could desire.

Just across the creek from Al Fahidi/Bur Dubai—you can hop on a boat taxi for a ride—are the old city's souks. Both a quintessential Dubai experience and an incredibly touristy activity that many will say you must do while here, visiting the gold and spice markets can be overwhelming, so if you're going, steel your senses. Sellers are constantly calling out to passerby, trying to entice them to enter their storefront out of all the other nearly indistinguishable adjacent shops. It's standard to haggle—the original price is rarely what a customer pays—and you'll generally get a better deal if you ask for prices in the local AED currency. (Almost all the vendors take credit card, which is convenient.) That said, it's exciting when you find what feels like your treasure among the souks—the gold market is a mecca for gifts to return home with. You'll also see some primarily silver shops mixed in here, plus accessories, shoes and clothing. The spice market is a little quieter, and it can be interesting talking to some of the vendors about the diverse array of spices they have on hand. (Or, you know, you can stock up on chocolate dates for your suitcase.) If you're hungry after shopping, stop at the self-explanatory cafe, Creekside, which doubles as a gallery/cultural event space.

This place is a design junkies dream. Even if you're not in the market for home décor, the sprawling showroom and its endless stock of unique furniture, lighting, and home cinema options is worth a visit. (The sales people are incredibly knowledgeable about the design world.) Ikonhouse also hosts occasional talks with noteworthy architects, technology innovators, furniture designers, and more.

This concept store is a central point of the Design District, where Dubai's creative crowd works and hangs out. The space itself features a little dining area surrounded by a highly curated design space displaying ceramics, glossy coffee table books, and other knick knacks on plexiglass shelves (you can even get Mast chocolate here). The central dining space—which has a menu designed by Dubai-based chef Izu Ani—is always buzzing with lunch meetings.

Arwa Hafiz, a Saudi entrepreneur and the woman behind The Odd Piece, clearly has an eye for vintage and modern finds alike. An expansive loft space in Alserkal Avenue, The Odd Piece is a haven for collectors, with gorgeous mid-century furniture placed among antique desk chairs, contemporary lamps, and all manner of home accessories, sourced from all over the globe. The Odd Piece shares their showroom with The Rug Company's handcrafted-in-Nepal, art-worthy floor decor.

The capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi is about ninety miles from Dubai, an hour and a half or so by car. If you have extra time in Dubai and you haven't explored the UAE before, it's worth the trip out; every emirate in the UAE is remarkably differently (also see Sharja/Aman). There aren't many mosques that non-Muslims can enter in Dubai (or the region), but the most stunning one, which happens to be open to visitors, is in Abu Dhabi—Sheikh Zayed Mosque, named after the original president of the UAE. An enormous, majestic place of prayer—built with more than 100,000 tons of white marble, to fit 40,000 worshippers—Sheikh Zayed Mosque has eighty-two domes, one thousand pillars, and four crowning minarets. The architecture and design borrows from diverse Islamic styles and includes subtle floral shapes cut with semi-precious stones and sharp, geometric details, that as a whole feel strikingly modern. Visitors can go inside the mosque as long as prayer isn't in session, where you can see the world's largest hand-knotted carpet (5,700 square meters that are said to be the work of 1,2000 craftsmen and took over a year to make).

Sure, there's a lot of hype around going to the top of the world's tallest building—but when in Dubai...provided you aren't deathly afraid of heights, just do it. The view is knock-the-breath-out-of-you crazy. Built by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, excavation began in 2004, and the building, a series of rising, helix-shaped spires, officially debuted six years later, in 2010. It's 160 stories, or 2,716.5 feet (828 meters) tall. To put that into perspective: Shanghai Tower is 2,073 feet; One World Trade Center is 1,776 feet; and the Eiffel Tower is 984 feet. (Because it's Dubai, where more is frequently seen as more, an ever taller structure is in the works.) There are a few observation decks—stop at level 124, 125, 148—where you can look down at what appears to be an imaginative, sprawling paper city from that high up. At level 122, you can do high tea at At.Mosphere (it's about the view and the experience, not the food). Book in advance—even just to get up to the observation decks. While you're here: You can easily couple your tour of the Burj Khalifa with the adjacent Dubai Mall.

The desert surrounding the city of Dubai is a preferred escape for many locals/expats, who will rent quads and trek out to walk around the dunes, picnic, and hang, or ride bikes around the Al Qudra tracks. For a more organized journey into the desert, check out the touring group Platinum Heritage. You can arrange to be collected from where you're staying (or from a convenient group pick-up spot), and a knowledgeable guide will drive you the hour or so out into the desert, which is incredibly majestic—rolling bronze dunes as far as the eye can see in every direction. There are two main tour options: with the Platinum, you ride in a luxury Range Rover, and in Heritage, it's vintage Land Rovers with more of an emphasis on learning about desert life. (If you get carsick easily, the Platinum is probably the safer bet, although many will take something to help prevent nausea before the trip.) You can do both around sunset, which adds to the magic. They also allow for camel rides if that's of interest, but you're likely to see some wandering wildlife, too—like the Arabian oryx, a white antelope with unicorn-like, long, doubled, curved horns, which had gone extinct in the wild in the 1960's/70's but has since been reintroduced. You'll also be able to eat a traditional Bedouin meal served around one of Platinum Heritage's desert campsites.

As a young city, Dubai is still building its cultural scene. Toward that goal, and the delight of many locals, the Dubai Opera house, which was under construction for a few years, opened at the end of 2016, a 5,800-square-foot marine-style, dhow-shaped building in the heart of downtown. The venue is the performance arts hub of the city, putting on a wide array of ballets, operas, plays, musicals, comedy shows, and concerts.

The village surrounding the DIFC's Arc de Triomphe lookalike, the gate, is also home to some of the city's best galleries. You'll find the classic upscale operations here (Christie's, for example, has their office in this area) as well as some local galleries that are more than worth touring, like Ayyam Gallery (they also have a location in Beirut). You can cover all the art spaces an hour or so, but check the calendar for their art nights, which bring live music and performance to the space in the evenings.

Best known for its prime kitesurfing conditions, hence the name, this busy beach has something for everyone: Try your hand at the water sports (rentals available on the spot) or simply relax and take in the beautiful views of the Burj Al Arab. In addition, there's a dedicated kids area with trampolines, a climbing gym, and a skate park—plus favorite food joint, Salt. And if your phone is running low on juice, there are charging stations right on the beach.

A relative veteran by Dubai standards, Lawrie Shabibi's gallery has existed for more than five years, showing on the international circuit, throwing weight behind some important rising artists in the region. While you're in the neighborhood, it's also worth visiting the Green Art Gallery and The Third Line, both of which also operate on the international fair circuit and showcase some incredible Middle Eastern talent.

Dubai's Marina has become one of the city's most desirable neighborhoods—a lot of young expats live here—in part because the area, including the adjacent JBR, is so walkable, in a city that has typically revolved around drivers. To orient yourself: The Marina is the section that hugs the main Sheikh Zayed Road on one side and the interior waterway on the other. There are a few footbridges that connect the Marina to Jumeirah Beach Residence (called JBR), which is on the gulf side. The Walk at JBR is the name of the outdoor shopping promenade strip of Jumeirah Beach Residence. For a tour of the area, start by walking the waterway in the Marina, where you can watch the yachts going by, and then cross over to JBR toward the beach, where you'll find some of the best people watching in Dubai—a real cross section of the city's residents and visitors. Stop to eat while you're in JBR.

Dubai's northern border is shared with the emirate of Sharjah, and right above Sharjah sits the emirate of Ajman—both within driving distance should you want to see more of the UAE. Visiting Sharjah is a really interesting contrast to staying in Dubai—known as a more conservative emirate, Sharjah is dry (meaning absolutely no alcohol) and calls for modest dress. It's really a place to go to discover and learn about authentic Islamic culture. The historic old town is captivating; there are markets and souks to browse (that feel less touristy than the Dubai variation), and where you can see traditional Bedouin jewelry. Sharjah has a number of quality museums, including the smartly curated Museum of Islamic Civilization, which is in a converted souk on the water. Sharjah is also known for its three lagoons, and Al Majaz amphitheater event venue. Sharjah's northern neighbor, Ajman, is the smallest of the seven emirates and very scenic; Dubai locals come here for a weekend beach getaway. Also here: Ajman Museum—the former ruler residence/late eighteenth-century fort now serves as a glimpse into the emirate's past, including the once predominating pearling trade of the region.

One thing that's striking about Dubai is how brand-new everything is nearly everywhere in the city. The exception is the tip of the city that points toward Sharjah, sometimes referred to as—yes, Old Dubai. Water (Dubai Creek) divides this section into two main neighborhoods: Bur Dubai and Deira. Plan to spend a morning/afternoon exploring both, starting with SMCCU in the historic Fahidi district of Bur Dubai. Here, you'll see the oldest architecture in Dubai (meaning a couple hundreds years, but still, you'll feel a world away from the sleek Burj Khalifa—a mix of stone, tent, and palm tree structures that were home to the area's fishermen and pearl divers. The cultural center offers tours of the neighborhood, including Diwan Mosque (probably the only time women visitors will cover their hair—so it's a good idea to bring a scarf with you, but you can borrow one if you forget). What's really cool about SMCCU is they host breakfasts and lunches where visitors are invited to ask any and all questions about Emirati and Muslim culture. It can be a pretty fascinating experience—both learning more about different customs and traditions and also hearing the perceptions of other travelers. From Bur Dubai, you can catch a boat ride across the creek in Deira to shop the souks.

Going skiing at the mall could only be a thing in Dubai. The first indoor ski resort/snow park in the Middle East, Ski Dubai as it's called, is located inside the Mall of the Emirates—which isn't even the biggest shopping center in Dubai. Stop mid-mountain for hot chocolate.

Located inside the grandiose Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotel, this spa is more of a palace than anything. The interior is decorated with pristine marble walls, ornate mosaic tiles, and grandiose chandeliers hanging above the baths. It's also enormous: The complex includes 42 treatment rooms, steam rooms, saunas, and two thalassotherapy pools for saltwater and seaweed treatments. In appropriately over-the-top Dubai style, both the men's and women's spa areas have "snow rooms" complete with ice fountains, which are maintained at four-degrees Celsius year-round.

With an interior covered in tagging and graffiti murals (and with house music blaring constantly), The Warehouse Gym is an old-school boxing gym on steroids. The facility houses over 20,000 square feet of exercise space, expansive circuit training areas, and a full-size MMA boxing ring. There's a full schedule of classes, including CrossFit, cycling, boot camp, fitbox, and TRX, and a ladies-only gym space, too. Everyone says good things about the dragonfruit bowl in their cafe, too.