Dubai holiday Accommodation
A century ago, Dubai was a tranquil town along the banks of Dubai Creek, where coral-and-gypsum huts housed Bedouin traders and pearl divers. Today, the merchants have gone international, their bounty calling forth science-fiction style skyscrapers from the sand to stand alongside the mosques and windtowers of old Dubai.
If you attend any of Dubai's festivals, you may be lucky enough to see traditional dances like the fast-paced liwa or the Bedouin ayyalah performed. Most Bedouin crafts are practical as well as beautiful: Pots like the birnah and hibb are designed to keep milk cool, while the mehaffa, or hand fan, does the same for you. The barjeel, a windtower and attractive architectural element, directs the smallest breeze into the house; it's surprisingly effective air conditioning.
As in any Islamic country, it's important to respect local customs. Visitors, particularly women, do well to dress modestly. It's impolite to photograph people without asking permission first. Men should refrain from shaking hands with women unless the woman puts her hand out first, and women may find that some men won't want to shake theirs; strict Muslims may avoid touching women outside their families. That said, the people of Dubai are used to foreigners' faux pas, and if it's obvious you're trying your best you're unlikely to offend anyone.
