Home to many of the world’s tallest, biggest and firsts, the city also has an interesting past. In search of it, PATRICK WEAVER heads to the Creek, Dubai

Holidaying  in Dubai you get used to superlatives. Leaving the Mall with its “world’s largest gold souk” by the Waterfront atrium the first thing I see is the world’s highest fountain, the oasis Waterfall, and a few hundred yards to its right the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Dubai, which opened with a fanfare of fireworks earlier this month.

The tower incorporates the first hotel endorsed by Giorgio Armani with 160 rooms, the atmosphere restaurant on level 122 and the world’s highest observation deck on level 124 with 360° views of Dubai, and an outdoor deck where you can better experience the tower swaying in the wind. A sprawling/burgeoning city of tallests, biggests and firsts, Dubai does have a past but you have to go to the Creek to find it.

Click here now for amazing deals to Dubai!

It was originally a trading centre where East met West, and the activity was all Creek-based.

There are still plenty of dhows taking cargos to other Emirates and the rest of the Middle East but you will catch them sailing past only at night as the gulf is closed to freight traffic during the day to allow road traffic to cross via low bridges.

Once it is dark, the al Maktoum bridge collapses and the huge sea craft are able to go about their business, as they have done for hundreds of years.

Against the backdrop of Dubai’s skyscrapers, it’s an amazing sight.

The Creek splits the two big souks; one selling gold, the other spices. On my previous visit, 12 years ago, the shop owners in the gold souk were very much in-your-face but this time there was no pressure to part with my cash.

One gold shop looks very much like another with a vast array of gleaming bracelets, trinkets and chains in varying shapes and sizes.

Haggling is of course part of the culture and the cost of a piece should be around a third of what you would pay for something similar at home. I could easily have paid for the cost of my flights with a single purchase.

Want incredible deals to Dubai? Click here now...

The spice market looks and feels more like a traditional souk with an enticing aroma of cinnamon and cardamon filling the air along the narrow alleyways. I picked up some cut-price saffron for my cooking.

After a spot of retail therapy I headed to the European style, My Bar in the Dusit Thani hotel where I tucked into a large bowl of noodles while listening to live soul and jazz music.
 
The next day I visited the Al-Fahidi Fort, built in 1787. The impressive coral and shell building is home to the Dubai Museum. I marvelled at archaeological objects dating back 4,000 years, musical instruments and ancient weapons. The fort itself was originally used to defend the town from neighbouring tribes and has since served as the seat of government, the ruler’s residence and a jail until the Dubai’s ruling family, the Maktoums, converted into a museum.

After a sweltering day of sightseeing it was lovely to return for a relaxing shower in the wet room of my luxurious suite at the Park Hyatt before dining out. Spoilt for choice, I settled on Verre, Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in the Hilton Dubai Creek. The sea scallops were exceptional but then so was the price, about £30, but it was a meal you would not forget in a hurry.

My favourite gourmet moment was the Bateaux Dubai dinne cruise where I tucked into a five-course dinner as we looked out on the Creek from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Dubai may be renowned for its world’s tallest tower and world’s largest man-made islands but it’s the romance of sailing along the Creek that will stay with me.

GETTING THERE: 0207 321 6110/www.dubaitourism.ae