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walking tour of the old neighbourhood.

Another day, we tried a desert safari; hopping into a 4X4 jeep, which whipped us across the sand dunes as we clung on tight.

As the lead car of the convoy, we never knew what was coming next, and I’m pretty sure our screams made the driver go faster.

We then arrived at the Bedouin campsite, where we had a BBQ and enjoyed some evening entertainment, including belly dancing , performances by whirling dervishes and camel rides.

Dubai has many of the world’s biggest, tallest, grandest buildings and we were lucky enough to spend our four-night stay at the world’s tallest hotel – the JW Marriott Marquis.

On entering the impressive structure, we were greeted by a number of attentive staff members and the seamless check-in took less time than the lift to my room – which was on the 69th floor, boasting stunning views of the Burj and downtown Dubai.

The hotel also features one of Dubai’s most indulgent spas, which made for a perfect post-desert afternoon of pampering.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Saray Signature Dead Sea package; two hours of treatments including a Dead Sea salt scrub, full body mud mask and a soak in a private heated sea salt mineral water pool, followed by a full body massage, before floating up to my room to prepare for the evening.

As you can imagine, breaking our fast at the JW Marriott Marquis meant going all out.

Not one but six buffets stood before me and just when I thought I couldn’t eat another bite, I spotted an actual mountain of baklava, as well as a stand of homemade ice cream.

My five days in Dubai during Ramadan were just the right mix of Emirati culture and holiday luxury, and I left the UAE with a newfound appreciation for Arabic culture (and chocolate-covered dates). Shopping in Dubai, above, is an experience in itself and you can forget anything as dreary as a deck chair on the beach