If you would like to get in touch with the past and see how Dubai was before the skyscrapers dominated the Emirate, go to Al Bastakiya along Dubai Creek.

This is an historic district and the oldest residential area in Dubai. It was built in the eighteen nineties with 60 houses, narrow lanes and marvelous wind towers. The unique thing about the area is that the people living there judged the wealth of their neighbors by the number of wind towers they possessed. It was once a residential area for rich merchants until the discovery of oil. The rich merchants moved away and the houses were taken over by expatriate workers.

In the nineteen seventies, half of the buildings were demolished to make room for an office complex and the rest became dilapidated, except for the Majlis Arts and Crafts Centre. The wind towers were used as warehouses. In 1989 the rest of the buildings were going to be demolished, but the timely intervention of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, saved them.

He asked for them to be preserved, pointing out that they would be a powerful tourist attraction. Restoration work was carried out by the Dubai Municipality, ending in 2005. Nowadays the buildings house art galleries of local and Persian art and cafés.

Shaikh Muhammad Center for Cultural Understanding, a non-profit organization is located in Al Bastakiya. The purpose of creating this organization was to establish a relationship of culture between the people of Dubai.

There is nothing quite like the Al Boom Tourist Village near Creekside Park, so you must be sure not to miss this unique experience.

The village is a recreation of Bedouin tents, with an amusement park, banquet halls, restaurants, a coffee shop, an ornamental lake and a small marina with several cruise boats, waiting to take you on a short trip around the creek and the lake. The village opened in 1991 as a very simple tourist attraction and it has grown over the years due to the increasing number of visitors. It is also a popular venue for weddings and receptions.

On your arrival at the village you will be invited to take part in a traditional Bedouin coffee ceremony, which is a mark of respect between host and invitee. You can go round the village on a camel or on horse-back. There are workshops where you can watch a typical bread-making lesson and learn about the traditions linked to henna-painting. During the day there are fantastic falcon shows to watch.

The restaurants offer an extensive menu of Arabic and Lebanese food and fresh sea food. Some of the restaurants are on board the dhows, so you can enjoy a good meal while slowly floating around the lake. All in all it’s a wonderful day out for all the family.

Editor's Note: PARK IS CLOSED FOR RENOVATION; UPGRADE ONGOING.

Peter Pan didn’t want to grow up, and we can all relate to that; here in Dubai you can become Peter Pan and let your dreams fly away in Wonderland, one of the best theme parks in the world. Located near Creekside Park, it opened in 1996 and it comprises over 18 hectares of indoor and outdoor activities dedicated to amusing everyone from 7 to 70 years old.

The place is a wonderful mixture of a traditional funfair, with its skill games where you can win a prize on the dart stand, the coconut shy or bowling alley, and a futuristic park with its Action Ride Theatre, a 4D simulator that will take you through various alien landscapes including water and wind effects that really make you think that you are on another planet!

The “Fort Fun” section of the park will keep the little ones happy for hours: this reproduction of a Caribbean fort has climbing frames, slides, swings and trampolines which will turn your kids into pirates and heroes in the blink of an eye!

There is a great theatre that features 3D films where you take part in the show: smell the monsters’ breath and watch creepy-crawlies climb up your leg!

Outside you can enjoy the swimming pools with their water-slides, rides and activity pools. If you don’t want to get wet, there are camel rides, carousels, go-karts, bumper-cars, remote-control boats, and roller-coasters.

Every Wednesday is Ladies Day – open exclusively for women; Thursday is Family Day. The rest of the week, the park is open to everyone.

The 21st Century Tower in Dubai is a remarkable testament to modern architectural achievement. Rising along the bustling Sheikh Zayed Road, this 55-storey skyscraper stands at an impressive height of 269 meters. When it was completed in 2003, the tower was celebrated as the world's tallest residential building, a title it held with distinction.

This iconic structure, however, faced competition in the years following its completion. The Eureka Tower in Melbourne, Australia, and the Q1 tower on Australia's Gold Coast eventually surpassed it, altering its standing in the world rankings. Nonetheless, the 21st Century Tower continues to be a significant landmark in Dubai's skyline.

The building's residential apartments, spread across its 55 floors, offer residents an exceptional living experience. One of the most striking features of these apartments is their breathtaking view of the Persian Gulf. Residents and visitors alike are treated to a panoramic vista that captures the beauty and expanse of the Gulf, making it a highly sought-after location for those seeking luxury living in Dubai.

Adding to the allure of the 21st Century Tower is its rooftop pool. This feature provides a unique and luxurious experience, allowing visitors to feel as though they are on top of the world. Swimming in the pool, with the vast cityscape of Dubai spread out below, is an experience that epitomizes the lavish lifestyle that the city is known for.

An integral feature of Old Dubai, the Al Shindagha Watchtower dates back to 1939. This stone sentinel kept watch over the creek, long before glass towers and luxury yachts arrived to steal the skyline. Restored in 1994, it stands today as a reminder that Dubai’s story began with vigilance, not superlatives...

Once part of a trio of defensive towers, it helped guard the growing settlement, back when the biggest threat wasn’t traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road but whatever might drift in with the tide. The surrounding neighborhood wasn’t just any patch of sand, either-this was home territory for Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, adding a royal touch to the already impressive architecture.

Built from stone that matches the district’s traditional style, the tower blends seamlessly with its surroundings-proof that form and function can coexist without trying too hard. A small plaque at the base offers visitors a fast-track history lesson for anyone curious about how this little structure played a big role in Dubai’s early defenses.

And, of course, there’s the modern function that no 1930s architect could have predicted: it makes a fantastic backdrop for photos. Snap the tower, snap the creek, snap yourself-no filter needed, but strongly encouraged...