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Ed Hahn
Ed Hahn
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4 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Creekside - Bur Dubai and Deira

  • January 21, 2006
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Ed Hahn from Hong Kong, China
Creekside - Bur Dubai and Deira

If there is an “old” Dubai and if there is a downtown Dubai it’s Creekside. The Creek is a natural sea-water inlet which cuts through the centre of the city and is the historic focal point of life in Dubai. As we strolled along the paved walkway on its banks, we were often reminded of Dubai’s centuries-old trading traditions.

The creek separates Bur Dubai on the south bank, the tourist center, from Deira on the north bank, the retail commercial center. Both districts have their unique charms. Bur Dubai has its traditional architecture, museums and historic houses. Deira has its souqs and shops as well as streets packed with people from many different cultures.

We spent one evening and one afternoon just strolling up and down on both sides of the creek. We rented an abra for a waterside tour of the creek. It costs about 100 Dirham (US$27) an hour. We bargained for a run from the mouth of the creek to the al Maktoum Bridge and then a drop off on the Deira side for 50 Dirham (US$13.50). Worth every fil (US$0.003). We found the dhows, anchored up and down the creek, the most interesting sight on the ride. These dhows ply the Gulf Coast but also venture as far as India and East Africa.

If you just want to ride an abra as the locals do pay 50 fils (US$0.14) and ride across from one abra terminal to the other. There are two on each side.

The evening we were there, we visited the Bur Dubai Souq. It has the usual tourist junk but is also known for its textiles and nearby tailoring shops. Unless you are buying a very cheap item, be prepared to haggle. We bought some caps and a shawl for one-half the asking price and gave up early, in my opinion.

We had dinner at a Lebanese-Thai restaurant, whose name I’ve forgotten. It has a veranda that juts out over the creek. We ordered from both cuisines and were somewhat surprised at how good and reasonably priced the food was. It’s on the left as you enter the Bur Dubai Souk.

We visited Deira in the late afternoon. It reminded us of Lockhart St. in Hong Kong. The shops held every type of item you could imagine. The streets were filled with shoppers and the ubiquitous delivery vans - lots of noise and confusion.

We visited the jewelry souq and the perfume souq. Frankly they were both disappointing. Instead of open air spaces, most of the merchandise was in shops. This cuts down on browsing.

The Spice souk was as I imagined it would be – open sacks of many different kinds of spices and merchants trying to convince us to buy spices we would most likely never use. I loved it.

There’s much more to Creekside, some of which I discuss in the Bastakia and Family Activities Reviews. I recommend you budget at least two full days to explore it.

From journal Dubious Dubai

Editor Pick

Bastakia Quarter

  • January 19, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Ed Hahn from Hong Kong, China
Bastakia Quarter

Most of the guidebooks give al Bastakia short shrift. Pam and I could have spent a whole day there. In my mind, it’s the most worthwhile site of all the ones we visited.

The al Bastakia Quarter which is actually in Bur Dubai dates back to the early 1900s. The houses were once the homes of wealthy Persian merchants, who moved to Dubai to take advantage of favorable tax concessions. Most came from the Bastak District in southern Iran, hence the name of the quarter. It is being turned into a pedestrianized conservation area. The buildings and houses are being restored and should be finished in the near future.

We started at the Majlis Gallery. Which is open from 9:30am – 1:30pm and 4:30 – 8:00pm, Telephone: 04 3536233. The showrooms are set up around an open courtyard which is graced with a beautiful olive tree. It is a most relaxing environment. When we were there, the main gallery featured paintings by Sylvia Woodcock. Local artists are featured in some of the other rooms. In addition to the art work, handicrafts, particularly candles and candle holders, are for sale. I was very impressed by the variety and price range of the gift items on offer. We bought a number of items to give to friends. The manager, an English woman, was most helpful and helped make the whole experience a good one.

We stopped for lunch at a delightful venue named the “Local Restaurant.” It had fountains and greenery and a raised, covered platform in the center of the courtyard for dining. The waitresses were in Persian costumes and competent. The Persian food was excellent and reasonably priced. I think we enjoyed our leisurely lunch here as much as any meal we had in Dubai.

After lunch, we went hunting for the renowned boutique hotel, XVA, named after the street it’s on. Because of the alleys and lack of signs we got lost trying to find it. When we finally did, we were rewarded by a courtyard that contains a delightful Café. The rooms around the courtyard are art and custom furniture showrooms. The guesthouse itself has only a few spartan rooms but gives lie to my assertion that there are no reasonably priced decent hotel rooms. The problem is getting a reservation here is difficult. Telephone: 353-5383, fax: 353-5988, e-mail: xva@xvagallery.com.

We wandered the lanes after visiting the XVA. We found traditional houses, a mosque and an avant garde dress shop. The many wind towers help make the area architecturally interesting. I can only speculate how fascinating this area is going to be when they finish reconstructing it. Don’t miss it.

From journal Dubious Dubai

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