Dubai or as sometimes called “The City of Gold”, is the largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2018 it placed #7 in the most visited cities in the world with 16.7 million visitors. For anyone planning to visit Dubai in the coming months, here are some things you cannot miss out on.

Dubai is a vibrant reality, ready to be discovered with many attractions - and we are not only talking of the majesty of the Burj Khalifa or the richness of the Dubai Mall.

If you want to see more than "The Las Vegas of the Middle East", you can take a stroll in the Old Dubai and find traditional marketplaces called “Souk”. Among more than 300 stands, you can find jewellery at the cheapest rate and you even can still haggle for a much better price.

In Old Dubai, you can't miss the Jumeirah Mosque, the only Mosque in Dubai open to non-Muslims that you can enjoy to visit and find a perfect spot for your photos.

Don't lose the chance to ride in the desert on a camel: You can either choose to have a short day trip, enjoy the sunset or even spend the night in the uniquely breathtaking scenery.

Once you are back to Dubai city be sure to spend the day at one of the many Dubai beaches, from the Black Palace Beach featuring views of Palm Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab,  to the Kite Beach for the more active traveller where you can enjoy kite surfing,  beach volleyball, stand-up paddle-boarding and kayaking.

Dubai is also located the world's largest natural flower garden called the Miracle Garden with 72,000-square-metre space and approximately 70 flower varieties. During the day, this colourful and lively landscape can be visited for 50AED (almost 94 Chinese Yuan).

Last but not least, enjoy the view of the city from the tallest building in the world from the observation deck, with an outdoor terrace at 555 meters, you can do nothing but be fascinated while observing the lights of the city at night.

Things to know:

-  The work week in the Arab world runs from Sunday to Thursday, so don't be surprised when Sunday brunch becomes "Friday brunch".

-  Bars do provide alcohol but be sure not to get drunk, it's severely punished and it can lead to police intervention.

- Public displays of affection are very offensive, you don't want to be arrested for holding hands or kissing your significant other while in public.

If after reading this article you are already checking for tickets to Dubai, please let us know if our advice was useful and share your photos on every social media platform and tag @eastant and use our hashtag #TravelwithEastant.

Enjoy your trip!