Dubai has to be seen to be believed. Where else can you go sand surfing or camel riding in the sweltering desert, ski down a snowy slope and have cocktails in the world’s tallest building all in one day? The city-state’s Las Vegas-style opulence starts at the airport, with its acres of marble and cascading waterfall, while on the drive into town OK! found spotting Ferraris and Bentleys an easy game!

The latest addition to the skyscraper-lined landscape is the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building – while you’ll also find five of the world’s seven largest malls here. Once you’ve shopped till you’ve dropped, there are sandy beaches to be enjoyed, cocktails to be sipped and dining at one of Gordon Ramsay, Gary Rhodes or Jamie Oliver’s Dubai outposts to be ticked off too…

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WHEN SHOULD I GO?

It’s warm all year round, but the summer months are sizzling. Dubai has two seasons – summer starts in mid-April and runs to November. When OK! visited in May temperatures reached 40˚C, but all the malls and taxis are air conditioned. Visit in winter when it’s pleasantly warm.

WHEN SHOULD I STAY?

Anyone who loves to be in the heart of the action will adore the Oasis Beach Tower. It’s located on The Walk – the 1.7km beach-side café and shop-lined promenade along Dubai Marina – and just across from Jumeirah beach. The Oasis features two, three and four-bed serviced apartments – and the view of the coastline and the hotel’s palm-lined pool from our balcony on the 35th floor was spectacular. We found a pillow menu in the bedroom, while the bathroom was stocked with Elemis goodies.

Within the hotel complex are four restaurants including Wagamama and Frankie’s Italian Bar & Grill, a popular hangout owned by Frankie Dettori and Marco Pierre White. The Oasis runs a shuttle bus to its sister hotel, the Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, so guests can use its extensive facilities. OK! loved our trip to Jebel’s spa, where we chose a body wrap which supposedly not only helps lose inches but also tackles cellulite.

WHICH STARS MIGHT I SEE?

Many of OK!’s favourite celebs head to Dubai for their R&R. It’s a favourite with footballers and their ladies including John and Toni Terry, Coleen and Wayne Rooney, Gary and Danielle Lineker, Danielle Lloyd and Jamie O’Hara and Alex and Steven Gerrard. Dubai fan Peter Andre also holidayed there earlier this year with his kids Princess and Junior. Sarah Harding comes for girlie breaks, while the Minogue sisters, Lily Allen and Justin Timberlake have all stayed at Atlantis The Palm.

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WHERE CAN I SHOP?

With Christmas less than 80 days away, escape bleak Blighty and combine tanning with some festive tax-free shopping. If you’re a mega-mall fan you’ll be in heaven as both the Mall Of The Emirates (450 shops including Harvey Nichols and Ski Dubai) and the Dubai Mall are gargantuan. The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping centre with 1,200 stores, has every designer label you can think of and more! If you have kids in tow send them off with Dad to the SEGA theme park, KidZania, the ice skating rink or aquarium, all within the mall. For bargains, try the Dubai Outlet Mall, where you’ll find discounted designer brands. For great bargains, visit during the Shopping Festival (January 20 to February 20 2012).

Elsewhere, cross the Creek by water taxi and visit the various souks. For OTT bling, the Gold Souk in Deira is a must. At the nearby Spice Souk we bargained down from a staggering £60 to a more reasonable £20 for a spice gift set!

WHERE CAN I SIP COCKTAILS?

You’ll find most of the cool drinking haunts within hotels. OK! loved the lychee Martinis, sunken seating and cool lounge music at the glam Buddha Bar (Grosvenor Hotel), the hip Sho Cho (Dubai Marine) for the ocean-view terrace and beautiful people, and Trilogy in Souk Madinat for its rooftop bar and three floors of music. The cool beach club Barasti (Le Meridien Mina Seyahi) caters for an Ibiza-style crowd, with Pete Tong and Fatboy Slim having DJ’d. Follow in the footsteps of Shaggy and hang out at the OTT Cavalli Club (Fairmont Hotel), designed by Roberto himself. For cocktails at altitude choose one of these sky-high bars – Vu’s, 360˚ or Uptown.

WHAT MUST I DO?

Go skywards to the observation deck on the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa, which also houses the Armani Hotel. If you’re petrified of heights like OK!, you’ll be glad the lift isn’t glass-encased so you won’t see anything when whizzing up 828m in less than two minutes! Make sure you book in advance, as tickets are far cheaper. Stop off two floors down for a nerve-quelling drink at the At.mosphere lounge.

WHAT ARE THE BEST EXCURSIONS?

Try a new sport at the Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Hotel. Spread over 128 acres, the complex has a golf course, football academy, equestrian centre and a watersports and dive centre. Always up for a challenge, we tried our hand at archery and clay pigeon shooting at the hotel’s shooting club – according to our instructor, OK! was a natural!

We also ventured out to the Desert Ranch, within the Al Sahra Desert Resort, where we signed up for desert horse trekking. We also spent time bathing and feeding the camels that live there.

Or take to the water in style. Hop aboard the glass-enclosed Bateaux Dubai at sunset to cruise pass the twinkling creek, passing by landmarks such as Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, the home-turned-museum of the former ruler. With white linen table cloths and a backdrop of tinkling ivories, OK! tucked into an exquisite four-course meal that featured seared scallop and fennel risotto, Australian beef tenderloin with violet potato and fruit sorbets. A definite trip highlight.

HOW DO I GET THERE?

Emirates (0844 800 2777; www.emirates.com/uk) offers return flights from London Gatwick to Dubai from £449, including taxes.
A three-night Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh Christmas shopping package, staying at the four-star Oasis Beach Tower (www.oasisbeachtower.com) on a B&B basis, including hotel transfers, a dinner cruise on Bateaux Dubai, one spa treatment and excursions to Dubai’s souks and malls, costs from £375pp based on four adults sharing a two-bedroom superior apartment. Price valid for travel between December 10 and 23.
For room rates and information on the five-star Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, visit www.jebelali-international.com.