Explore the desert upon which Dubai is built! We recommend a tour with Platinum Heritage (http://platinum-heritage.com/). You will drive through the desert in 1950s Land Rovers, exploring the sand dunes and local wildlife at sunset. The guides will put on a falcon show and explain how they were once trained to help hunt. Following this, dinner is served in a desert camp where you can learn about constellations, indulge in shisha, ride a camel and watch local entertainers. 

Many wedding guests will be venturing out for an evening dinner safari on Thursday, April 14th. Please be in touch directly with Platinum Heritage via their website if you are keen to join the tour. 

Several other companies also offer desert tours, however we found Platinum Heritage to be the most considerate of the environment. 

There's no dearth of shopping malls in Dubai.

The largest mall in the world, Dubai Mall, is more than a mall. You will find an aquarium, skating rink, a shoe emporium, an A380 simulator and lots of fun experiences for kids (SEGA Rupublic, KidZania). There's also a Cheesecake Factory and PF Chang's in case you're wondering what Sam is always talking about! 

The Mall of the Emirates is also an experience with its indoor ski hill and penguins. 

Lose yourself among the alleys of gold and spices in old Dubai. It is estimated that the gold souk contains 10 tonnes of gold at any given time. It's also a short walk to the Dubai Fish and Vegetable Market.

The spice souk is made of narrow passages where you can find any spice your kitchen requires. Most of the spices originate from India, Pakistan and Iran. 

The Bastakiya neighborhood dates back to 1890 when wealthy textile and pearl traders from Iran, built their homes here. There is a labyrinth of narrow streets with several wind towers (old-school air conditioning), beautiful courtyards and ornate wooden doors. 

This quarter is home to museums, craft shops and mosques. The only remaining portion of the old defensive wall of Dubai, built in 1800 of gypsum and coral, can also be viewed here.  

If you are looking for long stretches of serene beaches, Dubai will not impress. There are several private and public beaches, but most are filled with people playing sports or working on their tan. 

Aside from the private beaches accessible via hotels (you can pay a daily fee to use their facilities), we like "The Beach" at JBR (Jumeirah Beach Resort). Located close to the marina, and just opposite "The Walk" (a boardwalk full of shops and restaurants),  "The Beach" is a public space and is within walking distance to the Cheesecake Factory (where you might just find Sam.... sigh...). 

The Palm Islands are an artificial archipelago constructed from sand dredged from the bottom of the Persian Gulf. The Palm Jumeriah adds 520km of shoreline to Dubai and contains several hotels, including the famous Atlantis resort. 

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest man-made structure in the world. At 830m/163 floors, the Burj Khalifa contains a mix of commercial and residential space.

The building is home to the Armani hotel and the world's highest observation deck. 

The Burj al Arab is a luxury hotel, often called the world's only 7 star hotel. It stands on an artificial island connected by a private bridge to Jumeriah Beach. 

To secure the foundation of the 289m tall hotel, the builders drove 230 forty-meter-long concrete piles into the ocean floor. 

Explore the hotel after a lovely (and costly!) afternoon tea: http://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/dubai/burj-al-arab/offers/burj-al-arab-afternoon-tea/