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United Arab Emirates

Glitzy, glam, and over-the-top, this city-state is a fascinating mix of old and new, where flashy shopping malls rise up alongside flavorful old-world souks (outdoor markets). With myriad shopping malls, flamboyant hotels, a dizzying array of dining options and hip clubs and bars, Dubai is definitely worth a peek! For a different take on this exploding tourism mecca, head to the Heritage Village during Ramadan or the Dubai Shopping Festival and you’ll witness local Emiratis take joy in their songs, dance and traditions.

Locations

Dubai

Spend a few fascinating hours by the creek, watching the dhow (traditional wooden boat) traffic and the abras weave along the waterway while smoking some sheesha. Walk the streets of the tranquil, restored Bastakia area or take a stroll through multicultural Karama or Satwa. Outside the urban areas are ancient archaeological sites and old fishing villages. The United Arab Emirates is a country with both a record-setting building boom (the tallest building in the world will be completed in Dubai in 2009) and a still-vibrant Bedouin culture, one that learned to survive in harsh desert conditions for hundreds of years.