BUR DUBAI. Across from plush Creekside Park, this tourist village was designed with traditional architectural styles in mind and aims to help visitors understand and appreciate the city's Bedouin traditions. Al Boom includes several terrific international restaurants, as well as a kid-friendly amusement park and a marina. Explore the wooden dhows, some of which are actually floating restaurants that serve flavorful Middle Eastern cuisine, or charter a seat on a cruise ship.

BUR DUBAI. Al Faheidi Fort, which dates back to the early 19th century, houses the Dubai Museum, which has an impressive collection of military and cultural artifacts. The fort, believed to be Dubai's oldest standing building, was originally constructed to defend the town's early residents from warlike tribes in the region. Today, visitors can tour the old fort and see antique pearl diving tools; copper, alabaster and clay artifacts; antique khanjars; and traditional musical instruments. A must see if you're visiting Dubai for the first time.

BUR DUBAI. The Dubai Heritage & Diving Villages, located next to the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoom House, offer invaluable insight into the city's past. This center focuses on the Emirate's cultural and social development in three fields: architecture, pearl diving and maritime. Displays and exhibits include a Bedouin tent village, an ancient armory, and a wide range of excavated items from a nearby archaeological site. A small cafe and gift shop are on the premises as well.