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Business News/ Mint-lounge / Features/  The insider guide: Dubai
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The insider guide: Dubai

The concierge team at the Taj Dubai gives us tips to get the best out of the city

The Burj Al Arab. Photo: Getty ImagesPremium
The Burj Al Arab. Photo: Getty Images

Insider: Pio, Ahmed and Allan

Street cred: The concierge team. Pio is head concierge.

Hood: Taj Dubai

First of all tell us the best time of the year to visit your city? Why so? Why would you pick that period?

The best time to visit Dubai is during the cooler months between November and April. The weather is pleasant and suited for all kinds of outdoor activities. During this season, major festivals take place and atmosphere is livelier. Some of the events happening during this period are the Dubai Shopping Festival, the Dubai Jazz Festival, the Dubai Food Festival, the Dubai International Film Festival, the Dubai Desert Classic and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Plo, Ahmed and Allan, the concierge team at Taj Dubai. Plo is head concierge.
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Plo, Ahmed and Allan, the concierge team at Taj Dubai. Plo is head concierge.

Depending on your nationality, you might need a visa or visit permit. It is best to contact your hotel to confirm your legal situation before coming for the visit. If visit is made between December and January, bring along a jacket as temperature can drop as low as 14° Celsius. Two recommended books that you will surely find interesting are My Vision: Challenges in the Race for Excellence by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and City of Gold by Jim Krane. Recommended websites to help you get around and know Dubai are www.visitdubai.com, www.dubaicalendar.ae, www.timeoutdubai.com and www.whatson.ae.

Super. I am now here. So what next? What are the first few activities you’d recommend for a first time visitor to your city?

A desert safari tour is a must to do. This tour includes camel rides, henna tattoos, Shisha, a barbecue dinner and live entertainment. A detailed tour of Dubai is also highly recommended for first-time visitors. Such a tour provides an insight into Dubai’s rich history—passing royal palaces, visiting historical buildings with their ancient wind towers, crossing the Dubai Creek by traditional water taxi, and exploring the city’s vibrant souks. A seaplane or helicopter tour is another activity that will take you to a magical journey across the Dubai skyline. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is the best way to see Dubai and takes between 15 and 45 minutes.

Now, what are your favourite places in the city? Places to have fun, places to read a book, places to do some shopping?

A visit to the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, is No.1 on the list. Packages include access to the

Guests at the Amani Hotel at the Burj Khalifa. Photo: Getty Images
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Guests at the Amani Hotel at the Burj Khalifa. Photo: Getty Images

Now, all concierges have little city secrets that you only share with your favourite customers. Share a couple with us? Please?

A visit to the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding is worth a visit and the best way to learn about Dubai. With its motto “Open Doors, Open Minds", everyone is given the chance to interact and ask any question about the United Arab Emirates’ local culture, customs and religion. A good camel burger is well worth a try and can be found in Local House restaurant located in Bastakiya next to the Dubai Museum.

All that touristing has us famished. What are your favourite eating places in the city? Places that you’d go with your family…

Some of the most recommendable dining options are Zuma, a Japanese restaurant, and La Petite Maison, a French restaurant, both located in the Dubai International Financial Center. Then there is the brilliant Coya, a Latin American restaurant located in the Four Seasons Dubai.

And finally, tell us why your city is the best place in the whole world…

Dubai is the best city in the world simply because it has everything to offer. It is one of the safest places in the world where people with different cultures and traditions live happily and peacefully.

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Published: 31 Jul 2015, 09:28 AM IST
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