There is more to Dubai than fast cars and luxury hotels

When someone mentions Dubai, many of us immediately think of the finer things in life; hotels with build-in aquariums, over the top architecture and of course, the world’s largest shopping centre.

Before travelling to Dubai, I wasn’t aware of the rich history and culture that build the city. Instead, I was blinded by the glitz and glamour of Downtown Dubai.

I thought the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Fountain was all the city had to offer, but I was wrong - so let me tell you about Old Town Dubai.

Located north of the city, and running along the busy Dubai Creek, is the 'Old Town’. Prior to the oil boom which led to the development of a boat load of buildings, this was the primary hub of trade and commerce. Today it's still thriving and home to many local businesses within the fashion, commerce, trade, food and art industries - locals call it the ‘real Dubai’.

• The hotel that’ll make your stopover a luxe holiday in itself

• We found one of the best places to unwind in the Middle East

The hustle and bustle of the Old Town and be quite overwhelming, so we broke down the highlights so you don’t miss out on anything.

1. Shopping at the souks
Walking through the souks, or marketplace, is truly an indescribable experience.

On arrival, you’re graced with the fragrant aroma of saffron – AKA the world’s most expensive spice - while, visually you contronted with an abundance of bright textiles, gold, jewellery more spices and of course, food.

The atmosphere and chaos is truly mind blowing, when visiting put down your phone, stop, listen and smell - it’s a whole lot different to Melbourne's Victoria Markets.

Fashion lovers rejoice, as you will be able to find one-of-a-kind pieces here, so Karen from finance will stop copying your look.

Just remember to never pay full price; locals are more than happy to bargain with you.

2. Sheikh Mohammad Centre of Cultural Understanding

A visit to the Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding is essential. It gives you the opportunity to learn all there is to know about culture and life in Dubai and the greater United Arab Emirates.

For me the highlights were falconry - yes, that involved actually holding a falcon - and learning just how early people in the UAE created forms of air-condition to keep out those hot dessert days.

At the end of the tour, there's an opportunity to sit down to a meal with a local family and basically ask them anything. I highly recommend this, it's such a lovely way to meet locals and really get to know the culture and cuisine.

3. Frying Pan Food Adventures

The Dubai food culture is made up of countless Middle Eastern cuisines from Palestinian, Lebanese to Egyptian and more, we knew we couldn’t leave without getting a taste of everything, so we hopped on a food tour at Frying Pan Adventures and boy, we weren’t let down.

The folks at Frying Pan Adventures know the Dubai food scene like the back of their hand. Talking patrons off the grid to local dining hotspots. Tours runs across the city, illustrating the history of the country’s food culture.

Being a part of the tour will get you VIP access to a variety of restaurants, allowing you to go behind the scenes and get a glimpse of how the dishes are made.

From Egyptian pizza to falafel, hummus, and a countless desserts, this tour is every food lover’s dream. Warning: Wear loose pants, your stomach will expand on this trip.

Tours start from $100 AUD and last about 4.5 hours.

4. Dubai Creek

Experience the hustle and bustle of the local business culture first hand by taking an abra, AKA a wooden boat, down the creek.

The creek runs right through the Old Town, so you take take in all the sights while cooling down from the Dubai humidity.

5. Alserkal Avenue

Enhance your understanding on contemporary art and pay a visit to Alserkal Avenue.

Located in the city’s industrial quarter, just a stone throw away from the Old Town, Alserkai Avenue is a series of galleries and museums highlighting the world of contemporary art in the United Arab Emirates.

The artworks are stunning, they'll make your Instagram feed shout for joy. We recommend grabbing a coffee from one of the many cafes that surround the galleries and getting your walking shoes on.

So the next time you’re travelling to Dubai, don’t be blinded by the world’s largest building or over to the top hotels, do what the locals do, and experience the ‘real Dubai’.

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