DUBAI SHORT LIST
FLY
Yes, Emirates is every bit as good as you’ve heard it is. Service is top-notch with this luxury airline: A ticket booked in business or first class includes chauffeur service to and from the airport and five-plus-course meal extravaganzas that the chef tailors to the destination. (South Asia, for example has eight different meal profiles and dishes depending on the city being flown to or from.) And the most popular beverage consumed in first-class and business-class cabins is champagne. (That’s Dom Pérignon and Veuve Clicquot, respectively.)
SHOP
Bigger is definitely better at the Dubai Mall, where an aquarium, an ice rink, a 3-D candy printer and over 1,200 stores beckon locals and tourists alike to get their steps in exploring the many high-end boutiques (Valentino, Harry Winston, Gucci). And just over a bridge, you’ll find an abundance of lavish fabrics and handcrafted goods at the many retailers in the Souk Al Bahar. Pop by the Margaret Dabbs Sole Lounge, which is tucked away inside the 8,920-square-metre Shoe District, and book in for the Ultimate Luxury Foot Therapy, an otherworldly medical pedicure (conducted by a podiatrist) combined with oxygen therapy and lymphatic drainage—the perfect antidote to the stress of retail-overspend justification.
TOUR
For an authentic taste of local food and culture, we recommend having the delightfully knowledgeable hosts at Frying Pan Adventures Middle Eastern Food Pilgrimage walking tours introduce you to the best green falafel and spicy Emirati meat you’ll ever eat. Tip: Wear loose pants. Stop at the Spice Souk in Deira to stock up on rose petals, camomile flowers and, of course, saffron. Cash only.