Dubai is one of those places where you know what you are going to get. The sun always shines, the sand is always a bit too hot and the water parks are the best in the world! Each time we go to the UAE there is a new place to explore, something else has been built and it is generally the biggest/fanciest/most amazing thing in the world. The UAE itself has undergone remarkable development over the last 30 years, with new malls, office blocks and entertainment venues popping up all over the place. Having previously been a hub of pearl diving, it was the discovery of oil in 1966 which began the transformation into the city we see today.

We headed to the Dubai Museum which is based in the oldest building in Dubai (1787), definitely worth going to; it’s pretty cheap and provides a nice alternative to yet another shopping mall. The pearl diving exhibition was interesting, its unbelievable how long people can hold their breath for. There’s info on the trading routes, souks and of course, the obligatory camel ride! Having been bullied into riding the camel, I then went to stroke it, completely forgetting that they spit and bite. Lucky for me, this one was a bit sleepy, so I managed to get out of the way in time.

However, by far the best place in Dubai (and possibly the world) is Wild Wadi Water Park. Atlantis on the Palm is pretty fancy, it is much bigger and has dolphins and its own beach – but Wild Wadi is still the best. A water park for me needs to be mainly slides and rides, rather than walking and queuing; Wild Wadi has connected its rides so that you sit on a rubber tube and get blasted upwards to the top of the ride, before hurtling back down. For a lazy person such as myself, it is the perfect way to travel!

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On our most recent trip to Dubai we went to the Dubai Miracle Garden, which hosts a dazzling floral display all year around. It successfully mixes the exuberance and excesses that Dubai is famous (or infamous) for, with beautiful plants and some creative touches. Get there before it gets too hot, as having to stay in the shade will limit how much of it you see.

Dubai is a place of opulence; to me it always feels a bit hollow, a little forced and fake. However, it is also surprising and amazing, there are opportunities for adventure, for learning and history and creative expression. Most of all – there are opportunities for shopping; hundreds of them, everywhere – best leave the credit card behind.