Dubai shopping

Shopping in Dubai

During a short visit to Dubai, a reader asks about shopping in Dubai and aske which mall is best if you can only do one?

The Dubai Mall, home to a hotel, an aquarium and 1,200 shops (is one of the most popular answers.

I have a stopover in Dubai and am looking for shopping advice. Which mall should I choose if I only have time for one?

That’s a bit like asking about the best pub in London: there are a lot of malls in Dubai, catering to all kinds of taste.

That said, I’d suggest heading for the giant new Dubai Mall (thedubaimall.com), next to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa and ideal for guest staying at he Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Downtown on the doorstep of the Dubai Fountain and over the road from the Dubai Mall and skyscraping Burj Khalifa (visible from some rooms) downtown. The taxi arrivals area is as bustling as an airport drop-off zone, but as soon as you take the lifts or escalators up to the shopping levels, all is a lot calmer. Don’t let the fact that it’s the largest mall in the world put you off: there are information desks everywhere and the shops are clustered, so you can target the Fashion Avenue, the Gold Souk and so on.

The Dubai Mall has all of the well-known clothes brands, of course, along with a Galeries Lafayette and the first Bloomingdale’s outside America. If you need any further distraction, options include the Dubai Aquarium (£8.50; thedubaiaquarium.com), an ice rink (£8.50; www.dubaiicerink.com), a 22-screen cinema and a four-storey waterfall.

Where to stay in Dubai

This upscale hotel in Deira Creek is in the heart of Dubai’s bustling business district, offering rooms and suites all with balconies and fabulous views of Dubai’s legendary Creek.

This apartment hotel at Dubai Marina is a luxury residence perfectly locatded in a highly developed and upscale neighborhood. The residence is just minutes away from the Jumeirah beach, diverse tourist attractions but within easy reach of the Duabi shopping malls

In the evening, be sure to head for one of the mall’s cafe terraces or the lakeside promenade to see the choreographed cascades of the Dubai Fountain. It sounds naff, I know, but you’ll be surprised: it’s 900ft long and squirts 22,000 gallons of water up to 500ft skywards.