Traveling at Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Who needs to visit Dubai?

Dubai is ideally situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, meaning that one-third of the world’s population is within a four-hour flight and two-thirds are within an eight-hour flight. With an excellent network of roads and highways connecting neighbouring Arab countries, and regular cruises to and from Dubai, the emirate is easily accessible by air, land, and sea.

Dubai has a reputation for fine-dining excellence, and it certainly lives up to that, with plenty of celebrity chefs from around the world setting up outposts in hotels and resorts across the city.

There's life beyond the skyscrapers. Dubai has a rich history, and the UAE culture is fascinating if you scratch beneath all that gold. Weren’t expecting that, were you?

The food is fantastic. One of the benefits of having such a huge expat population is a wealth of dinner choices: Dubai has an exciting food scene.

You don’t need a bikini. A bikini will suffice. While the UAE is a Muslim country, it’s not as conservative as you might expect. Dress as you would do in Europe: shorts and skirts are fine. There’s no need to cover your hair either. But bring a coverup. The Metro is cheaper, but most of the stations are in inconvenient locations. Take a taxi instead – and tip your driver.