Dubai

The best look we had at Dubai was from the 52nd floor of The Palm Tower, 240 metres above the trunk of the Palm. From The View at The Palm the whole island lies flat below, fronds and all, with the Gulf around it and the city's towers running back along the coast. We took our daughter up to see it. She was a bit young to appreciate it, which was fair, since it was about as close as any of us came to the rest of Dubai all week.

We went for the weather, and late January is when to go for it. November to March runs at roughly 17 to 30°C with low humidity, and everyone else knows it, so it is also the busiest and dearest time to book. From June to August the days reach the mid-40s in heavy humidity and plans retreat indoors, to the malls. Ramadan, which comes earlier each year, shortens opening hours by day and fills the restaurants after Iftar.

We hardly left Palm Jumeirah, and minded less than we might have, because we had not planned to. The Palm is built out into the Gulf, carries most of the city's big resorts and is good at keeping people on it. Ours was chosen against a short brief: entertain us, feed us well, let us sleep properly and have rooms big enough to share with our daughter. It met every line of it, and the staff were superb. Next time we would see and do more, and might stay in Dubai Marina and JBR instead, where Marina Walk follows the water to the beach promenade and the restaurants and nightlife are on the waterfront. Dubai will do the busy holiday or the week of family sun; choose the holiday and the area follows.

The busy version starts early, in the spice and gold souks of Deira before the crowds arrive, then crosses Dubai Creek by abra to Bur Dubai and the wind-tower houses of Al Fahidi. In Downtown, At the Top, the Burj Khalifa's observation deck, wants booking a few days ahead, and would give the Palm Tower's view a second opinion. After dark the Dubai Fountain plays on the lake outside Dubai Mall, a walk from the tower. The desert is about 45 minutes' drive out, among the dunes around Al Qudra, with 4x4s over the sand and dinner at a Bedouin-style camp.

When we did go out for dinner, it was to The Maine Beach House, for seafood at Club Vista Mare. That is on the Palm too.