Shoppers paradise is the best summary one can give you of this steaming metropolitan emirate of the UAE. Plenty of bargains. Let me elaborate on the variety of scenes you can get on your trip to the city of gold! Shopping: For the big brand names, I would suggest you visit the Bur Juman centre, Twin towers in Deira, Emirates towers boulevard on Sheikh Zayed Road or Wafi City. Every well-known brand in the world can be found in these shopping centres. To add to this list is Carrefour, better known as City Centre in Deira.For the bargain hunters, do visit the Karama market where you can get quality T-shirts for AED.50-100. Shoes can also be bought here but I would also suggest you visit the mother of shoe stores - Shoe Mart. They have branches all over the Emirates, so you needn’t come to Dubai to get your tootsies some good coverage! By the way, Karama market is the place to bargain and bargain good. Things from all over the world can be found and bought for a good price. Although illegal, imitation Calvin Klein, Burberry can be bought here for less than a quarter of the original price! Another recent feature and addition to the shopping scene is the birth of the 1 and 2 Dhirams shops (10-20 rupees), you can come away with some excellent stuff that could cost double in the bigger shops. A word of advice and warning to those wishing to get into City Centre on a Thursday or Friday evening - FORGET IT!! This is the most popular hang out for everyone, locals and expats alike. Carrefour now houses some of the most popular brand names which includes Burberry, D & G, Debenhams, NEXT, Giordanos, Gerry Weber, Body Shop, etc..Besides the shopping, they have entertainment for the kids in the guise of Magic Planet, which not only has rides for the kids but also has some eateries like McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc..For the more sophisticated diners, theres a food court on the second level serving Iranian, Chinese and American cuisine. Theres also the largest Virgin Megastore in the Middle East and Costas coffee and Cinnabon. And it doesn’t end here, when your feet have finally given way, make way to the 11 cinemas housed there! Gold: Damas jewellers has its branches all over the Emirates, so you can have a ’’peek’’ everytime you pass one! I secretly believe that the sight of gold in this city can give rise to gold fever. Also, do visit the gold souk in Deira. Your eyes will be dazzled. Entertainment: There is the Irish village in Garhoud where you can grab a few pints. There are a number of cinemas you can visit (I recommend the cineplex in Deira city centre, where they have 11 cinemas under one roof and couple seats! There is the Hard Rock Cafe where a lot of cash is essential if you wanna have a good time. There is also Planet Hollywood, Splashland, The Umm AL Quwain Water Park for all those with water as their earth sign, Safa Park, the Corniche for a nice leisurely promenade in the evenings, Jumeira beach where barbeques are often held by private parties, Wild Wadi another fun water park. And if you can time your visit right, there are a lot of music artistes who come very often to Dubai to play, so if you’re lucky, you may just get them in action. Besides all this, there are tour operators who can organise safaris with camel rides, sand boarding / skiing, belly-dancers, lunch or dinner inclusive or exclusive - whatever you may opt for. Also, not to be missed is a dhow cruise which takes you on a scenic tour of the famous Dubai creek. The Dubai creek is said to have been only a metre wide until the Sheikh ordered it to be widened, thus opening the doors to trade. Do visit the Heritage village and the Dubai Museum, its nice to know a little bit of the culture and heritage of this enchanted country. Accomodation: There are a variety of hotels you can put up in various areas. Ranges from Rs.1750/- to Rs.10000/-, you can get a decent room in accordance with your budget. For the low budget ones: you have the option of staying at the Regent Palace or Savoy residence. For the higher bracket stays you can opt for Hyatt Regency or Jumeira Beach hotel or the Sheraton Jumeira. The latter are beach resorts with some really fancy prices but even fancier views! Things to see & do: The Burj Al Arab, formerly known as the Chicago Beach Hotel, is an architectural delight. This seven star hotel has its own helipad and an underwater restaurant. Entry into this hotel will cost you Dhs. 200. This fee, however, is deducted against any food and beverages that you may consume in this hotel. Wild Wadi is another water park you should not miss. Situated next to the Burj Al Arab, the entry fee is Dhs.70 and this will take you on some of the wackiest rides available. One should not miss an opportunity to peek into the culture an history of the United Arab Emirates. The Dubai Museum will take you through the history of Dubai for a mere Dhs.10. Right next door is the old palace of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum. Not to be missed! A desert safari is the order of the day! Most safari tour operators charge anything from Dhs. 125 upwards. The tour normally begins at 3 pm in the afternoon. It involves a very bumpy ride through the sand dunes (dune bashing), after an hour or so of spine-jerking turns, the safari leads you to their base camp where they offer camel rides, some sheesha (hubbly-bubbly or hookah)in different flavors, you will be entertained with belly-dancers and unlimited food and beverages. For more dhirams, the tour operators can include wadi bashing, sand skiing and other off road activities for the more adventurous. DO: 1)Bargain 2)Visit shopping centres like Lamcy Plaza and CarreFour for some good promotions and discounts. 3)Hire a vehicle for a day or if you have a British license, you can get a temporary UAE license over the counter and hire your own vehicle. 4)Be careful of your belongings and passport. Keep them safe at all times, preferably in a locker. 5)If you do wish to take a non-metered taxi (private), bargain with the Pakistani driver, they can be brought down to almost half the price! 5)Take the metered taxis as they are safe though quite expensive, some of the names are Dubai Transport and Camel Taxi Service and Cars. 6)Schedule your visit to come during the Dubai Shopping festival where you can get stuff at half the price they were before! DON’T 1)Ever mock the muslims or the muslim religion. 2)Drive without a license. 3)Start a fist-fight with anyone and least of all a local. 4)Tease a woman. The punishment is embarrassing with your famous mug shot in the daily newspapers! 5)During the month of Ramadan(a time when our muslim brethern pray and fast all day), one is not allowed to eat, drink or smoke in public places. Restaurants will be closed and it is tough to find entertainment. All of the above come with a severe punishment dealt with differently in each Emirate. If you are caught in Ras Al Khaimah, they be sure you will be in for a 100 lashes! On a final note, let me say that many people get caught up in the buy as one gets free promotions, so when you do get caught.......don’t just sit there! GO and GET it!!!