Seven highlights of Dubai beyond the glitzy skyscrapers

Seven wonders of Old Dubai

With its perfume museum, souks and underrepresented cuisine, Dubai’s historic enclave is a high-voltage bolt of culture.

1 The Emirati breakfast

Balaleet for breakfast.Credit: iStock

Of all the cuisines that make-up Dubai’s diverse food scene, local Emirati fare is often the hardest to find. With its shaded courtyard and white and blue interior, Old Dubai institution Arabian Tea House is one of the emirate’s oldest and most culturally relevant dining spots. The Emirati breakfast trays of balaleet (vermicelli with cardamom, cinnamon and other spices topped with an omelette and served with just-baked traditional bread) are popular, but it’s worth visiting for lunch if you’re a late riser. See arabianteahouse.com

2 The ancient scents

All about perfume inside the Al Shindagha Museum. Credit: Adobe

There are five main ingredients in Emirati perfume: oud, rose, saffron, musk and amber. And you can smell each as you brush up on Dubai’s perfume heritage at the Perfume Museum at Al Shindhaga Museum, which comprises 22 houses dedicated to different aspects of the culture, including poetry and coffee. This small, modern museum is beautifully presented with interactive stations producing the scents for sniffing and a small display featuring an incense burner discovered in a nearby archaeological site that dates back to the first millennium BC. See alshindagha.dubaiculture.gov.ae/en/

3 The Old Town

One of the 1890s-style buildings of the Old Town, now the Basta Arts Cafe.Credit: Alamy

Dubai’s version of an “Old Town” is neatly contained along the western side of Dubai Creek. The well-preserved area, also referred to as Bastakiya, dates back to the 1890s and features traditional architecture of low-rise sand-hued dwellings topped with wind towers that are separated by narrow, winding streets. Wander on foot or join a tour on the open-air majlis-inspired Heritage Express trolley bus.

4 The Spice Souk

Spices at the market.Credit: iStock

The spice, gold and textile souks in Deira are the heart and soul of Old Dubai. Swamped with vendors selling everything from “crystal menthol” to masala tea, this buzzy pocket is an absolute must for tea and herb junkies. Make a beeline for Mr Ali’s store Rise, where he proudly sells saffron from his third-generation farm in Iran. (Don’t let border control stop you from stocking up: dried herbs are allowed back in Australia as long as they’re commercially packaged and declared).

5 The Majlis Gallery

The courtyard of the Majlis Gallery.Credit: Alamy

Among the labyrinthine streets in Al Fahidi District is one of the city’s most prominent fine-art spaces, the Majlis Gallery. It displays work by artists from all over the region in a variety of mediums such as paintings, sculptures, glasswork and photography, and often hosts international artists-in-residence. Even if you don’t plan on shipping home a piece, the gift shop has abundant objets d’art that could easily slip into a suitcase. See themajlisgallery.com

6 Out of the frying pan

On tour with Frying Pan Adventures.

Led by long-time locals and sisters Arva and Farida Ahmed, walking food tour company Frying Pan Adventures is the unofficial authority on authentic dining in the emirate. Their longest-running tour “Middle Eastern Food Tour Pilgrimage” explores Deira, the area where the women grew up and still live. This almost four-hour moveable feast features everything from Palestinian falafels to Iraqi fare and Arabic baklava. See fryingpanadventures.com

7 The hotel few know about

The gallery space at XVA Art Hotel.Credit: Alamy

Inexpensive XVA Art Hotel (rooms from AED450/$190) is tucked down a narrow alleyway in Al Fahidi District and is one of Dubai’s best kept secrets. The boutique hotel occupies a heritage-listed, 100-year-old house and its 15 rooms are scattered around three courtyards, each with a different design. It’s the only hotel within the area and doubles as an art gallery, with the onsite shop providing a tailoring service and selling souvenirs such as camel milk soap and jewellery. See xvahotel.com/rooms/

The writer travelled as a guest of Holland America Line (hollandamerica.com/en/au) and Visit Dubai, (visitdubai.com/en/).