Where to stay in Dubai

The old Dubai that the towers replaced — and that still operates. The Gold Souk has AED 14 billion in gold on display and for sale. The Spice Souk nearby sells frankincense, saffron, and 50 varieties of dried spice. The Deira waterfront has abra water taxis (AED 1 per crossing) to Bur Dubai. The textile souk in Bur Dubai sells fabric at Indian market prices. This part of Dubai is honest, busy, and nothing like the rest of it.

The man-made marina flanked by residential skyscrapers — a city-within-a-city that was desert 20 years ago. The Marina Walk promenade has every kind of restaurant and café. Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) is the open beach adjacent: free public access, free beach walks, and the The Walk shopping strip. The Dubai Eye (the world's largest observation wheel) overlooks it all.

Dubai's only preserved pre-oil neighborhood: coral-and-gypsum wind tower houses from the early 20th century, converted into art galleries, museums, and boutique hotels. The Dubai Museum (AED 3 — extraordinary value) tells the city's transformation from fishing village to megacity in 60 years. The surrounding Bastakiya quarter is the most photogenic 15 minutes in Dubai.

The new development east of Downtown around the historic Dubai Creek: the Dubai Creek Tower (under construction, will surpass the Burj Khalifa), the Dubai Frame (a 150m picture frame with views of old and new Dubai — AED 50), and the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary where flamingos wade in a wetland reserve surrounded by skyscrapers. The contradiction is peak Dubai.

The engineered center of modern Dubai: the Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building), The Dubai Mall (the world's most visited shopping mall — 80 million visitors per year), and the Dubai Fountain (the world's largest choreographed fountain). The fountain show runs free nightly at 6pm and 6:30pm. The area around the Burj is spectacularly lit at night and genuinely impressive in scale.

The original luxury beach district: the Burj Al Arab (the sail-shaped hotel that became Dubai's symbol), the Madinat Jumeirah resort complex (the most elaborate Arabian-themed development in the world), and the 1970s-era beach villas of Jumeirah's old families. Public access to the Burj Al Arab requires a reservation at one of its restaurants — minimum spend AED 500.