Dubai: Oasis in the desert

Tours
In Dubai, you can charter boats to go out into the gulf, you can hire land cruisers to go out into the desert and “dune bash.” But my recommendation: Get your hotel to hire you a car and take some friends with a guide and drive through the other emirates, two hours later you'll be in Oman and along the incredible Musandam Peninsula. There you can also hire dhows and take the boats out for day excursions, swim with dolphins and barbeque along the fjords and inlets.

Food
Dubai boasts more than 450 restaurants, and it’s practically impossible to have a bad meal there. Any cuisine is at your fingertips, whether you crave Japanese, seafood, Cajun, Italian or Middle Eastern dishes. (My favorite: a Japanese restaurant at the Dubai Marina called Cho-Cho.)

For a fun note, there is what is considered the most expensive restaurant in Dubai — the Al Muntaha restaurant at the top of the Burj Al Arab. The experience begins with a three-minute mock submarine ride to the bottom of the Arabian Gulf into the restaurant where a huge aquarium awaits. You can spend about $150 per person on dinner, not including wine.

For seafood, seafood and more seafood, try the aptly-named Seafood Market at Le Meridien Hotel. It’s a large-scale restaurant, where freshwater fish tanks are lined up against the wall (guaranteeing a fresh meal). Fish, crab, lobster, oysters, clams and anything else you can think of are available, and you decide how you’d like it cooked to match almost any style — whether you want spicy Szechwan chili sauce, Japanese Tempura-style with light seasonings, healthy steaming or a light lemon sauce, it’s all there. You can also choose what will accompany your dish, i.e. garlic fried rice, udon noodles, plus a fresh array of vegetables prepared as you like. Next to the vegetable section is a huge selection of fresh fruits from around the world. About $80 per person.

For a more casual, affordable, homey source of seafood with a Mediterranean twist, try Flooka (Arabic for “boat”) at the Dubai Marine Beach Resort. Grilled fish, fried fish, tender lamb, pomfret cooked in a tandoor oven, and served with tahini and chili, it’s a hit.

Part of the Dubai Aviation Club (a fitness and recreation center), The Cellar is a great place for continental dining — interestingly, the space looks like a medieval gothic chapel complete with stained glass. If it’s not too hot, have brunch on the terrace to overlook the lake filled with ducks. On Thursday and Friday night, have dinner with unlimited champagne. If you’re not done drinking after that, head to the nearby Irish Village pub for some of the best beers on tap in town.

For truly cheap eats, try Woodland Avenue, one of the best-value restaurants in town. South Indian cuisine is mostly vegetarian and almost always tasty — the décor leaves something to be desired, but it’s worth the price of about $20 a plate. ((04) 336 6632)

Must-sees
Al Ain Camel Market in Abu Dhabi
The city camel market is well known throughout the country and is the last of its kind. It provides the opportunity to see and hear traders discussing prices and listing the merits of their prized camels. The nearby animal souk is a similar experience, although it specializes in the sale of sheep, goat and other livestock.

Ski Dubai
For about $75 USD you can buy a one-day adult ski slope pass. It includes a day pass, jacket, skis, snowboard, ski poles, trousers, ski boots, snowboard boots and disposable socks. It is covered with real snow all year round to the size of three football fields. The temperature is maintained at a comfortable -1º to -2º. There are five different runs of varying difficulty and length, longest run of 400 meters. There is a quad chair lift, tow lift, and there are even flying carpets. This is a bizarre experience, considering where you are, but the technology and engineering behind the ski area is amazing — 6000 tons of snow is manufactured a day.

Archaeological sites
There are three main archaeological sites in Dubai. They are located in Al Ghusals, Al Sufooh and Jumeirah. Al Ghusals and Al Sufooh have over 2,000-year-old graveyards. You can visit the excavation sites where you will find artifacts from the 7th-15th century. Contact: Off Road Adventures, 04 3432288

The Grand Mosque
The Grand Mosque Dubai is counted among one of the largest mosques (with a capacity to accommodate up to 1200 worshippers) in United Arab Emirates. Originally constructed in traditional Islamic architectural style and opened in 1900 A.D. as a kuttab (Quranic school) where children learned to recite the Quran from memory, the Grand Mosque of Dubai was rebuilt (maintaining the style of the original Grand Mosque) in 1998 and now boasts a 70 meters (231 feet) high minaret, the tallest minaret in Dubai. Situated on the Bur Dubai side of the creek, near the Ruler's Court, the Grand Mosque consists of 45 small domes in addition to nine large ones, boasting stained glass panels, sand-colored walls and wooden shutters, making it a distinguished landmark and important place of worship.

Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the mosque, but can go to see and take a few photos of the mosque and its exceptionally beautiful minaret.

MORE FROM WHERE IN THE WORLD IS MATT LAUER?

Where in the world is Matt Lauer? Section Front

Images: Tango time in Argentina   Video: Watch Matt bust a move in Cape Town   Video: Matt has a sky-high adventure in Austria   Video: Matt learns about life in India   Video: How do they survive the cold in Russia?   Video: Natalie skis the desert slopes in Dubai   Video: History lesson: Who are the Incas?   Discuss Matt's globe-trotting adventures Play the WITW games Matt Lauer’s favorite places in the world Where in the world is Matt Lauer? Section Front   Add Where in the world is Matt Lauer? headlines to your news reader: