7. Champagne Brunch
Dubai does brunch in a big way. Expats and visitors, in particular, have made the Friday brunch tradition an extreme extravaganza. We’re not taking your typical hotel omelet station and a cappuccino kind of brunch. These are gourmet gluttonous all-you-can-eat buffets and bottomless drinking binges that go on for hours. Hotels are the exception to the no alcohol rules in the UAE, and the champagne and cocktails flow freely during these bacchanalian brunch banquets. Each hotel tries to outdo the other with their outlandish offerings, but you can find some more relaxed venues as well. Book ahead, as these Friday feasts are popular.
8. Desert Tripping
As a counterpoint to the cosmopolitan city, take a trip to the surrounding desert when you visit Dubai. Lots of tour companies offer excursions out to the dunes to give you a taste of traditional Bedouin life. Camel rides, belly dancers, henna painting, sandboarding and overnight 4×4 safaris are some of the options. Enjoy an Arabic meal and an apres-dinner shisha smoke and get into the spirit of the desert.
