Carrefour aérien majeur et escale ultime, Dubaï attire les voyageurs avec son architecture futuriste et commerçante - y compris le plus haut bâtiment du monde, le Burj Khalifa - et son mélange de culture du vieux monde et d'attractions extravagantes. Faites des affaires dans les anciens souks de la vieille ville et des marques de luxe dans un centre commercial de 1 200 magasins; plongée sous-marine dans un immense réservoir à l'aquarium et zoo sous-marin de Dubaï ou dévaler les pentes du snowpark couvert Ski Dubai; faire une croisière à bord d'un boutre traditionnel; et dirigez-vous vers le désert pour dévaler les dunes en 4x4 suivi d'un dîner sous les étoiles dans un camp bédouin traditionnel.
The best times to visit Dubai are late fall through early spring—anytime from November to March—when average temperatures range between the high 70s and high 80s Fahrenheit and you can enjoy the outdoors (provided you’re armed with sunscreen). Summer temperatures hover around 100°F and come with high humidity, making Dubai something of a sauna from May until September, but hotel rates also plunge by up to 75 percent, and you can simply hop from one air-conditioned attraction to another.
Dubai’s heat and highways work against walking, although it’s easier to go by foot in Deira and other older districts. The easiest alternative is a taxi, with plenty to flag down and reasonable rates—think about $1 to $2 per kilometer, plus an initial standing charge. For longer distances, use the Dubai Metro, which runs between Dubai Airport and the Creek, and on to Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, and Downtown. To save hassle, buy a Nol card, and pre-load it to avoid the often-long ticket lines at stations. You can also use your Nol on Dubai’s buses, trams, and waterbuses.
If you’re after cheap souvenirs away from Dubai’s upscale shops, the Karama Market in the old town is the go-to of savvy locals, and does a roaring trade in low-cost clothes, gifts, and accessories. Don’t be surprised if you’re invited into backrooms filled with replica designer handbags and watches, and brace yourself for lots of elbow-tugging and pleading from the vendors. One rule: There’s no point in shopping here unless you haggle—and haggle hard.
Hotels and restaurants automatically add a 10- to 20-percent service charge to bills, and sometimes an extra tourism levy of around six percent. That’s quite a sting, but it’s still customary to leave a 10- to 15-percent tip at restaurants, and to give porters and hotel room cleaners a few dirhams. Bear in mind that service charges don’t usually get to waiters and that hospitality worker earnings in Dubai are usually low. In taxis, it’s customary to round up fares to the nearest five dirhams at least.
Dubai’s futuristic architecture is unmissable, with the 2,723-feet (830-meter) Burj Khalifa skyscraper, sail-shaped Burj Al-Arab, and mighty Atlantis hotel on Palm Jumeirah stand-out sights. Hot on their heels—and we mean hot—is the desert, an ocean of orange dunes that feels light years from Dubai’s high-rises.
...PlusAfter admiring Dubai’s mega-buildings, there’s plenty else to do. Ride a camel or 4WD in the desert before a barbecue under the stars. Browse glitzy malls, roam scented souks, and chill on a yacht or dhow (wooden boat) cruise. Or simply absorb the glam vibe at the pool and ocean.
...PlusDress codes are more relaxed than you might expect. At pools and beaches, swimwear is acceptable. Dress more modestly inside hotels, malls, and restaurants by covering knees and shoulders—although shorts are usually okay. In souks and mosques, avoid sleeveless tops, shorts, and sandals. Mosques require women to wear head coverings.
...PlusDubai is known for its extravagant skyscrapers, opulent hotels, showy malls, and top-notch restaurants—and the A-lister lifestyle organically entwined with them. Other signature attractions include its crop of all-singing theme and water parks. In stark contrast is its desert, a beautiful and empty wilderness, which lies silently around it.
...PlusYes, non-Muslim tourists can drink alcohol in Dubai. If you’re over 21, feel free to imbibe at licensed hotels, restaurants, and bars. However, alcohol is illegal in public places, including public beaches, and can trigger severe fines or prosecution. Note that during Ramadan most licensed venues won’t serve alcohol until early evening.
...PlusYes, Dubai is expensive. Lavish hotels and luxe lifestyles are synonymous with Dubai, although it’s still possible to budget in the emirate. Target the city’s Deira area for inexpensive hotels and eateries used by locals. There are also numerous free and low-cost attractions, including public beaches, souks, museums and creek boat rides.
...PlusLake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America, and is famous for its beauty: Located on the Nevada-California border high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, its azure waters are ringed with snow-capped mountains. Lake Tahoe is also renowned for its ski resorts, and hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics.
...PlusLake Tahoe offers dozens of warm-weather activities for outdoorsy types in the summer months, from kayaking, parasailing, paddleboarding, and fishing to hiking and biking. Once the sun sets, South Lake Tahoe's bars, restaurants, and craft breweries are a popular destination for visitors looking to kick back and relax.
...PlusAs one of the country's most popular ski destinations, Lake Tahoe is host to 15 different resorts, each of which promises thrilling slopes, alternative winter sports like snowboarding and snowshoeing, and a lively après-ski scene. You don't have to be intrepid to take in soaring views from the Heavenly Gondola.
...PlusTo make the most of your time in Lake Tahoe, head to the lively Tahoe South, where the bulk of the lake's casino
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