Everything in Dubai seems surreal. The Muslim call to prayer drifts through the busy shopping malls. In summer, it’s so hot that bus shelters are air-conditioned and pool water is chilled. Wild Wadi, a 12-acre Arabian-themed water park, stays open some nights until 1 am—but for women only. It’s the Middle East like you never imagined it.

Taxi!
Shortly after you arrive, you’ll realize that most of Dubai is man-made. The island underneath the Burj Al Arab hotel? The snow at Ski Dubai in the Mall of the Emirates? The lagoons around the Madinat Jumeirah resort? All obviously artificial. When I first stepped onto the beach I was startled to see tiny shells in the sand. Wait, this beach is . . . natural? Not necessarily. Just because you’ve carted sand in from somewhere else doesn’t mean it can’t have tiny shells in it.

But there are still parts of Dubai that remain real—like the abras, or water taxis, that cross the Dubai Creek (actually an inlet of the Persian Gulf). These are open boats made of weathered wood with canopies bearing ads. They look a little junky—in one, there’s gear stored in a beat-up milk crate; in another, the driver sits in an old bucket seat from a car. This could be the last bargain in Dubai: a ride costs one dirham (about 35 cents). There are three abra stops on each side of the creek, one right near the spice souk. You can even hire an abra for an hour (offer about 60 dirhams, or $20 USD) to motor up and down the creek, seeing rusty cargo boats at anchor and the skyscrapers in the distance.

Been There, Dune That
Desert safari? Sounds like something you’d do in Africa, riding around in an open jeep with a guide who’s stealthily following the tracks of, say, the elusive leopard. Guess again. In Dubai, a desert safari means speeding over the dunes with a driver who isn't satisfied until he’s actually flipped the vehicle over—or so it feels at times. Meanwhile, his steep turns send sand spraying out in waves from under the wheels (close those windows!). My group went on safari with Lama Desert Tours (lama.ae); thank goodness our driver was willing to slow down and even stop when we asked (well, one of us begged—motion sickness can be an issue). It’s not until you get out of the jeep that you can appreciate the sheer beauty of the desert. Undulating dunes curve and ripple off into the distance as far as the eye can see; underfoot, the sand is as soft and fine and reddish-brown as cinnamon. If only we could just walk back to town. . .

Inside the Burj
The over-the-top, sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel has become the icon of Dubai. Until recently, visitors could pay just to look around, but the number of gawkers began to annoy paying guests (and make no mistake, they are paying). Now the only way you can see inside without booking a room is to reserve a table at a bar or restaurant.

Cocktails aren’t cheap, but they're worth the price for a glimpse inside. The lobby alone is jaw-dropping, with its gaudy carpets and servers bearing tea and dates. The entire building centers on a soaring atrium; the balconies on each floor seem to reach up for a mile. The Jetsons-style Skyview bar, located at the top on the 27th floor, gives you a glimpse of the structural devices that keep this marvel of engineering standing. The drinks menu is like a book; the fancier concoctions run as much as $46 USD and contain such ingredients as saffron, chickpea paste and camel milk. Then there’s the “world’s most expensive cocktail,” made with 55-year-old Macallan scotch served in an 18-karat gold-coated glass (you get to keep it) and stirred with a piece of oak cut from the cask in which the Macallan matured and carved into the shape of the Burj Al Arab. Only 10 of these cocktails are available, so act quickly—high rollers have already snapped up six of them, at almost $7,500 a pop.