by Rhiannon Williamson

Dubai is such an exciting and diverse travel destination that it attracts millions of visitors annually - particularly during the winter months when the weather is perfect for every single activity from sunbathing and scuba diving to camel racing and desert safaris.

If you're planning a trip to Dubai here's a guide to the types of attractions and activities you and your family can plan on enjoying.

First things first, as stated the winter months from November through to March are the most popular time of the year to visit the emirate. The weather is perfect with daily sunshine and high temperatures but the sun is not at its most intense which means that visitors can actually get out and about and not have to avoid the desert heat that radiates excessively in Dubai in the summer.

In January each year Dubai plays host to the now world famous Dubai Shopping Festival, a retail extravaganza that annually attracts in excess of 3.3 million visitors who come to enjoy the month long festival and associated celebrations.

The shopping festival is such a hit because the luxury bargains that tax free Dubai is world renowned for are available at sale prices for example, and every single day there are incredible prizes to be won from luxury cars to substantial cash lump sums! Add to this the fact that the Dubai Shopping Festival is a family experience and has daily events and activities for children and nightly firework displays for example and you can see why January is such a great time to be vacationing in Dubai.

Once you've shopped in the gold souk and the incredibly luxurious malls and marketplaces you might like to get away from the crowds and head out away from the emirate into the desert on a camel or jeep safari; alternatively you could try sand skiing, dune or wadi driving and then have a desert picnic feast.

Heading back into Dubai there are two great ways to get to know more about this historic and incredibly interesting city - a visitor can either take to the air or the water ways and get a unique glimpse of the emirate. Taking an aerial tour of Dubai in a helicopter is a once in a lifetime experience; or for those who prefer something more sedate why not cruise Dubai's waterways in a traditional wooden dhow.

For those who're after a more action packed experience from their vacation in Dubai why not try thunder bowl, horse riding in the desert, go karting, golf, ice skating or deep sea fishing? And for those with traveling to Dubai with children there are a whole host of exciting adventure parks to try from Dubai Wonderland to Wild Wadi, from Magic Planet to the soon to be completed Snow Dome.

Whatever type of event, activity or attraction you're after Dubai can satisfy your every whim. With daily cultural events, nightly entertainment activities and a whole world within one emirate waiting to be discovered what are you waiting for? Book your vacation today!

About the Author

Rhiannon Williamson is a freelance writer whose articles about travelling and living abroad have appeared in publications around the world. To find out more information about vacationing and shopping in Dubai click here.