Do: Camel racing, Al Marmoun Racetrack
Camel racing is to the UAE what old-school boozers are to Britain – it's serious business here in the Gulf, and the 2015 season kicks off right at the start of the year. Camel racing is a traditional UAE custom, and makes a nice antidote to spending an afternoon getting boozed up in one of Dubai's many hotels. Oh, and they're often ridden by robots rather than jockeys. Seriously. dubaicalendar.ae
Stay: Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah
You're in the glitziest city in the Middle East, so obviously you'll want a hotel that's as glitzy as it is traditional. Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, on the prestigious Palm development, is a proper Arabian palace – huge suites that constantly smell like incense, Middle Eastern furnishings and a private (and gorgeous) slice of Dubai coastline. jumeirah.com
Eat: Traiteur Brunch, Dubai Park Hyatt
There are legendary brunches, and then there are legendary Park Hyatt brunches. Traiteur – described to us by a friend as "the best brunch ever" – is the resident restaurant in the Dubai Park Hyatt that every Friday puts on an afternoon of scoffing yourself silly with the best French food and drink (otherwise known as 'brunch'). Pile up the plates of escargots, mussels, duck a l'orange, and – if you choose the champagne package – UNLIMITED CHAMPAGNE. dubai.park.hyatt.com
