With the scent of sandalwood and cinnamon drifting from the souq, the clamour of dhows being unloaded on the creek side and a jigsaw of white sugar-cube houses, it appears at first glance that Dubai hasn't changed much since it discovered oil in the late sixties.
Look up however, and the skyline is a showcase of contemporary architecture basking beneath the Arabian sun. Ultra modern Dubai appeared virtually overnight and has so much to offer that, on arrival, the tourist board presents you with a manual rather than a brochure.
Where else in the world can you start the day by hurtling over knife-edge dunes on desert safari, before cooling off on a jet ski and winding down with a round of golf?
Dubai has consigned its dusty caravanserai to the history books, and today gleaming duty free malls and a month-long shopping festival have transformed the city into a retail mecca.
With sacks overflowing with saffron and frankincense, silk carpets piled up to the roof and everything from rosewood boxes to copper coffee pots, Al Ras Souq is the city's oldest and the perfect place to test out your haggling skills.
Nearby the Gold Souq boasts some of the lowest prices in the world. Otherwise, head down to one of the many malls to re-stock your designer wardrobe.
Housed in a Beau-Geste style fort on the banks of the old world creek, the Dubai Museum looks back at city life before the oil boom, and corrals together the best of the country's archaeological finds.
Zigzag down the creek on a traditional motorized abra and the remainder of Dubai's history unfolds in the former ruler's residence Sheikh Saeed's House.
Meanwhile the land surrounding Dubai is by no means a cultural desert. Archaeological sites litter the sands, starry nights can be spent round Bedouin fires, and days trying anything from camel racing to sand boarding. Of course you could just head down to the beach.
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