Dubai rewards visitors who go beyond the superlatives. Yes, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building on earth and the Dubai Mall is one of the largest in the world, but the city also has a genuine old quarter worth a morning of unhurried wandering, some of the region's best museums, and a desert and mountain hinterland that most visitors never see.
The Creek remains the city's spine. Wooden abras cross it for one dirham, connecting the Al Fahidi historical district and its museums on the Bur Dubai side to the chaotic, pungent souks of Deira. Both halves are worth at least half a day each.