This posting has been provided by Netflights who offer cheap flights to Dubai as well as holiday packages to the city

Dubai, located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the most popular and luxurious tourist destinations in Asia. There are both historical and modern aspects to this city, and plenty of attractions and sights to see.

There are number of guided bus tours in Dubai, where you can visit and appreciate the many sights and historic landmarks of the city. For example, the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, opened in Dubai recently, and is mostly seen by tourists via tour buses.
Dubai has a rich history, and it is worth visiting a few of the many mosques, churches, and museums in the city. For example, Dubai Museum, located in the Al Fahidi Fort, is the oldest existing building in the city. As well as local antiques as old as 3000 B.C, the museum also contains ancient artefacts from African and Asian countries. The Grand Mosque is also a highly popular tourist attraction. It is considered to be the most attractive mosque in Dubai, and therefore is also the most photographed. The coastal residential area of Jumeirah also has a mosque, the Jumeirah Mosque, which is open to non-Muslims for special tours to give insights into the Islam religion.

Dubai is also known for its arts and culture, and if you are visiting the city in December you are just in time for The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). It is one of the leading international film festivals, and continues to nurture the emerging cinema culture in Asian and African countries. This year, it will be held between the 12th and the 19th of December.

If you’re thinking of where to stay, Dubai offers a wide variety of highly luxurious accommodation. In particular, the most lavish of these is Atlantis, the Palm. It is a resort located on the artificial Palm Jumeirah Island. It is in the shape of a palm tree, and consists of a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island. The island has been self-declared the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. The Palm resort is modelled after the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas. As well as a water park and an underground aquarium, the resort also has Dolphin Bay, where guests can swim and interact with the dolphins at Atlantis.

For the ultimate shopping experience, the Dubai Mall is highly recommended. With approximately 1,200 shops, it is the world’s largest shopping mall. It’s a great way to spend the day, because in addition to shops, the mall has a number of activity centres for kids, as well as an Ice Rink, a cinema complex, an aquarium, and over 160 food and beverage options.

This luxurious and exciting city has plenty to offer to any tourist, whether you’re there for two days or two weeks.

Cruises have one major feature over most traditional holidays the fact that everything (except alcoholic drinks, tips, and shore excursions) are all-inclusive. This means that once you have paid for your cruise, you get your meals, activities, entertainment, and much more available at no extra charge. You can keep busy all day and all night. You can eat at all times of the day and evening between the scheduled meals, snacks, and midnight buffets. The excellent cuisine in a variety of restaurants is a mouth-watering experience.

There is a daily itinerary of scheduled events that you can take advantage of with all types of sports including unusual ones such as rock climbing, the nightly shows and dancing, and much more. If you want to do your own thing, there is always swimming, sunbathing, the spa, gym, shopping, a casino, or just relaxing and people watching.

Royal Caribbean and Princess cruises are excellent examples of lines that give wonderful customer service long before you go as well as all the time you are on their ships.

You can start with a cruise search online where you can compare the various offerings for destinations throughout the world, length of days (from a weekend to a month), size of ship, the innovations that make each ship special, prices for which accommodations, what land tours are offered at an additional cost, and whatever else you want to know. If you are taking the children, find out which ships offer many areas and activities specifically for the younger ones in order to keep them busy.

You can also order brochures to pour over to have a further look at different cruises to decide which one you definitely want to go on.

A land adventure at various ports can fulfill a lifetime desire to experience the wonders of the world. The ship can schedule the tours for you.

Since both Royal Caribbean and Princess ships depart from many different ports, you can learn where the nearest one is to you. If you need transportation because it is a distance away, arrangements can be made for you if you cannot arrange your own.

Royal Caribbean International was founded in Norway but is now based in Miami, Florida, has 42 ships in service and one under construction, and enjoys 24.8% of the world’s cruise market. Its Allure of the Seas, for instance, has 2,700 staterooms and 28 ultra-modern suites. It’s sixteen decks contain different “neighborhoods” such as Boardwalk and Central Park, the Aqua Theater which is the first amphitheater at sea, an adults-only Solarium, a Youth zone for the kids, and endless other delights.

Princess Cruises is a cruise line that is British-American owned and is based in Santa Clarita, California. Remember their Island Princess and Pacific Princess in “The Love Boat” TV series? Even though their current ships are amazing, in May, 2010, a contract was finalized for two new ships that are expected to enter service in Spring of 2013 and Spring of 2014 with an evolutionary design, new innovations, and with 100% of its outside staterooms having balconies.

When travelling abroad, it can be an absolute risk taking a train, or taxi to get to and from the airport, delays can cost you not just extra money, but at worst your whole holiday experience. So taking the car and parking at the airport is often the best thing to do, it’s much less stressful. The problem is that parking at airports can cost a lot, and if you just turn up on the day, the cost you’re faced with could put a real dampener on that holiday feeling. If you book the parking in advance however, it can be a lot cheaper.

Booking ahead won’t just save you money either, it will also ensure that you get a parking space, and the further in advance you book the cheaper the cost generally is. Policies at airports vary, but some will actually let you book your parking space up to two years in advance.

A good starting place for prebooking your parking is at ParkBCP where you can book parking at many UK airports including – Manchester Airport Parking in addition to London airports where you can get deals on Stanstead Parking and Heathrow Parking.

Another thing to watch out for is that different airports charge different amounts, a Which? Survey reported that many airports in the South charge more than their Northern counterparts. The survey looked at fifteen of the UK’s busiest airports and found that Heathrow was the most expensive at over £85, while Manchester was the cheapest at just under £20 (this was based on seven days of parking not booked in advance). This means, that if you have the option of flying from several different airports to reach your destination, it could be worth considering their parking costs before you book your flights.

Another option is to consider an airport hotel and parking package. This can allow you to combine a night’s stay in a hotel, and the parking of your car while you are away. By staying in a hotel close to the airport the night before you fly, you remove all the horrible worry of whether you’ll get there on time, and if you opt for a fairly basic budget hotel, you may well pay no more than you would if you paid for just the parking alone, and in some cases you might even pay less. Airports that offer this option include Manchester, Heathrow (where there are 31 different airport hotels to choose from all offering parking), Gatwick, Edinburgh, Luton and many more.

Overall, the difference in what you pay if you book in advance, compared to not booking and just arriving on the day of your holiday and paying, could be as much as 70% in some cases, and of course the more you save on parking, the more you have to spend on your holiday.

Oban (“little bay” in Gaelic), Scotland, is a charming harbor town in western Scotland. It is an important ferry port for many of its surrounding islands. Located in the spectacular Argyll countryside, it is known for some of the most magnificent sunsets in Scotland.

Also known as the Seafood Capital of Scotland, Oban boasts of fabulous seafood restaurants and many fish stalls. One of the most recommended eateries is the SEAFOOD TEMPLE. Their freshly caught, simple, delicious and generous portions are incredible. The owner and staff are very friendly and attentive, and the view over the bay is superb. This is such a top-notch restaurant that you have to make a reservation. Also visit the INVERAWE SMOKERY AND COUNTRY PARK with its smokehouse, one of the country’s finest stocked fisheries, nature trails, a shop, and a cafe.

You will find kayak schools and many tours including to the SCOTTISH SEALIFE SANCTUARY with its otters, seals, and other salt water native animals. The SEA FREEDOM KAYAK is a mobile kayak which offers coaching and day trips where you can paddle among the islands and lochs. Also popular is canoeing, climbing, gorge walking, wildlife excursions, and more.

The beautiful Argyll area is known for its glorious gardens, one of which is ARDUAINE GARDENS, run by the National Trust for Scotland, which is a fabulous paradise filled with outstanding plants.

How can a person go to Scotland and not visit an attraction such as the OBAN DISTILLERY? This is one of the oldest sources of malt scotch whiskey in Scotland. An hour tour gives you much information about the process, shows you the distillery at work, and you get a taste or two!

Several castles are in the area including the medieval DUNSTAFFNAGE CASTLE, which is rumored to be haunted. As well as a good history display, there is also a chapel within the woods and a path to a cobbled beach behind the castle.

Another sight to see is the Coliseum-type McCAIG’S TOWER with its Victorian architecture and views of the harbor. Admission is free and was built by McCaig as a mausoleum, giving unemployed stone masons of his day work, which they completed after his death.

The OBAN WAR AND PEACE MUSEUM has free admission and has a wonderful collection of memorabilia, artifacts, and photographs from the war years when RAF Flying Boats operated from this bay.

Fun for the whole family is MITCHELL’S AMUSEMENTS with kiddie rides, video games, pool tables, a candy shop, and a coffee shop.

Top off your Oban adventure by staying at the luxury hotel Barcaldine house close to Oban, which is surrounded by beautiful gardens, mountains, and beaches. Although this country manor is 300 years old and there are many original features to admire, it is modernized and is a nominee for a 2010 Scottish Hotel Award. With just eight bedrooms and six self-catering cottages, it was opened as a hotel in May of 2009. It is pleased to boast about its award-winning restaurant and its Rising Star Chef of the Year 2010. Barcaldine House is also a renowned wedding venue.