I visited the hidden side of Dubai – with local food tours and traditional desert camps

DUBAI is known for its over-the-top opulence and dazzling skyscrapers.

And the glitzy Dubai Frame skydeck 150 meters above the ground, I have an excellent view of it.

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It may have been a challenge to get me into the glass elevator that takes guests to the top, but the glass walkway and panoramic sights of old and new Dubai made it worth the eight-second ride.

Before you head to this glamorous coastal city on the northern edge of the United Arab EmiratesI was one of many who had a preconceived idea of ​​what Dubai would look like: a bling of stereotypes and bikini-clad Love Islanders posing in seaside resorts.

Oh, how wrong I was. The four gloriously sunny days I spent in this beautiful city – 38 degrees Celsius in early October – will be hard to beat.

What many visitors don’t know is that Dubai has a charming old town, with packed souks where haggling is a must.

To get your bearings, book a food tour with Frying Pan Adventures (Fryingpanadventures.com/food-tours-in-dubai), founded by two sisters who wanted to preserve the culture on which the city was originally built.

We chose the Souks & Creekside walk, and our guide Ketki made sure we were well fed.

Included in the price of £91pp were delicious hot rolls dripping with honey, along with Iranian rosewater ice cream, fiery spring rolls and finally a divine dinner at Al Khayma Heritage restaurant.

The traditional restaurant served us juicy pieces of bone-in lamb, which I still dream about, on a bed of fragrant rice.

I then hopped on an abra – a wooden boat that locals use to travel from one side of the creek to the other – to make a night of it at the Al Seef Heritage Hotel, a boutique hotel on the other side of the creek. Hilton.

The brushed stone building is located in the Al Seef district, a vibrant neighborhood bordering the stately Dubai Creek coastline. functions with charming heritage.

And it’s affordable, with rooms for less than £70 a night in low season.

If you have more money to spend, check into Anantara The Palm Dubais famous artificial island. The 5H hotel has everything you need for a relaxing holiday.

The rooms are grouped in private clusters along a series of lagoon pools.

The waterfront style villas are more like the room types you’ll see in the Maldives, with Premier Lagoon Access rooms offering private access to the swimming pool.

The resort also has its own private beach and four swimming swimming pools, as well as an excellent spa and a choice of water sports and tennis courts.

In fact, there was so much to enjoy at the hotel that it was tempting to give up the idea of ​​trips and stay put. But eventually the delights of Dubai called and I couldn’t ignore them.

If you’re up for something adventurous, book a desert safari with Platinum Heritage.

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I chose the Heritage Safari Vintage Land Rover package (uae.platinum-heritage.com/heritage-safari), which was great value at around £145 per person.

Cruising along the Arabian sands in a 1950s open-top Land Rover, looking out for native wildlife as the sun set, is not something I will soon forget.

If you’re lucky, you might get up close to an Arabian oryx.

Camel tastes like beef

The safari package also included a falcon show – the falcon is the national bird of the UAE – and a visit to a traditional Bedouin camp, the highlight of my trip.

Here I was able to enjoy a specially cooked dinner (several courses, so have an early lunch), followed by music and dancing performed by the Bedouins. I even tried camel, which tasted just like beef (or so I told myself).

For a completely different daytime activity – and one that has much more to do with the new Dubai than the days of yore – rent a charter hunt for the day.

It’s an alternative way to view Dubai’s skyline and there are plenty of photo opportunities, with famous landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa visible from the water.

The Xclusive crew Yachts couldn’t do enough for my group, and with their service, the unlimited alcohol and the incredible fruit and cheese platters, I too could pretend I was part of the rich and famous set.

If you still have room in your stomach, an Emirati brunch in the Old City, where you can try all the local delicacies, is a must.

Or head to the French-inspired DRIFT beach club to enjoy local prawns with chilli (£26) before relaxing by the pool while sinking a refreshing negroni.

My favorite meal, however, was the wood-fired steak and chips (£58) at trendy New York-inspired restaurant The Guild. It was certainly a great way to say goodbye to the place.

My getaway proved that, despite previous thoughts, Dubai can deliver a surprisingly affordable vacation.

And now, when I tell people about it, I shout from the rooftops (or should that be skyscrapers?) about how much I can’t wait to return to this jewel in the Arabian Peninsula.