First Time Dubai Visitors!

[Wrangler3]

We shall be in Dubai for a few days next month and would welcome some advice about locations. Where is the best area for first timers to stay? We want to be able to get in some sun worship at the hotel but we also want to see a bit of the place and have a bit of time in the shopping area. Downtown is an area which crops up a lot? Would this be good?

[Buenchico]

Wikitravel is always a good place to start when visiting a new destination:
https://wikitravel.org/en/Dubai

Reading through the 'See' section there, my own instinct would be to head for Al Bastakiya:
https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/articles/dubais-heritage-a-tour-of-al-bastakiya/

That second website has further suggestions, here:
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/united-arab-emirates/dubai/

Make sure that you're familiar with all of the laws and customs there though!
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arab-emirates/local-laws-and-customs

[Peter Pedant]

chrisakes are you joking- - - its Dubai

[jno]

beware taking painkillers containing codeine into the country, you can end up in jail.

Lots of hotels and restaurants by the Dubai marina and most of what you can visit is on the air-conditioned metro. The old town by the river is pleasant - "old" in Dubai means 50 years or so.

[sddsddean]

If you at all into gardens, go to the Miracle Gardens...it is wonderful.
https://www.dubaimiraclegarden.com/
Easy to get to...get the metro to 'Mall of the Emirates' (on the red line) and walk down to the bus station under the metro station and get the 105 bus...its a shuttle to the gardens. Thats my number one, but there is so much to do in 'a few days'. BTW, thought the trip up the Burj Khalifa was over rated. Queued for nearly 2 hours to go up and once there it was crowded and you could see naff all 'cos of the haze. Only worth doing if you want to be able to say "I've been half way up the tallest building in the world".