By MYLEENE KLASS

First Klass: Frequent visitor Myleene surveys the city's skyline with the iconic 'sail-like' Burj Al Arab hotel dominating the seafront that changes with every visit


Dubai rises from the desert like the steepling crests and falls of a Chopin fantasy that I might play on the piano. Architecturally, it's a rippling, romantic flurry of crashing chords that sends you giddy with excitement and delight. My first visit to Dubai was 15 years ago when I was drawn by the exotic idea of getting away from it all and heading to the desert.

I was nearly 18 and I had already become used to a nomadic sort of life as my dad was in the Navy, which meant that as a family we travelled a lot. I brought this wanderlust into my own life and all my early competition earnings from playing the piano went on travel.

I've been back to Dubai - one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates - several times since and I love the city so much I spent Christmas and New Year there in 2008.

On my most recent recent visit I went up in a seaplane to get a real overview of the place. The ride was fantastic: a 30-minute flight providing a superb view of this extraordinary city. It was breathtaking - the modern development is unrecognisable from the one that I first saw 15 years ago. Back then, it still felt like a settlement on the edge of a desert, the only attraction in the Old Town being the museum.

But Dubai isn't just unrecognisable from 15 years ago, it has been transformed from the way it looked just five years ago. Indeed it seems to reinvent itself every year. On each visit, when you look up, the skyline is completely different. It's a city of superlatives and extraordinary achievements.

It's not enough that it contains the tallest building in the world. Everything is on a vast and supremely impressive scale, from the water parks to the shopping centres.

But while the place is heart-stoppingly grand, its people are genuinely warm. And, importantly for a female visitor like me travelling with my daughter, you always feel secure. You can walk around at any time of the day or night and be completely safe.

As the mother of three-year-old Ava - and now expecting my second daughter - I look at holiday places from a mum's point of view. What I love about Dubai is that it's very family-orientated.

From the moment that you get off the plane everyone is incredibly helpful - they love children here and there's never any problem about finding child-friendly food. On every level it works and ticks every box.


City of superlatives: Dubai boasts the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa


When I'm there I love to do a lot of walking. I don't come just to sit in my hotel room, I want to explore - and there's a long list of things to choose from. Shall we hit the shopping malls or head for the water park and the aquarium? Or what about taking a trip to see the fabulous fountain show next to the Dubai Mall?

I'd seen many of these things before but it was wonderful to revisit them with my daughter.

She thinks that the incredible Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, is really a spaceship and I've told her it takes off and comes back in time for breakfast: she's happy with that explanation. Because of the opulent hotels and richly appointed shops many people think you have to be some sort of oil baron to be able to afford a holiday in Dubai. Which is a pity because the place really has something for everybody no matter what their budget.

Everyone seems to visit looking to follow their dreams. And this isn't just the tourists gazing up wonderstruck at the highrises. Dubai attracts workers from all over the world. At your hotel breakfast each morning you'll be amazed at the many nationalities of the restaurant staff - from Armenian to Zimbabwean.

Dubai is a land of opportunity and consequently many people gravitate towards it. I love the cosmopolitan feel. Modern Dubai may look bland in places - one shopping mall can look rather like any other - but the people make the world of difference.

I spent one afternoon chatting to a group of 12 Irish men and women who had all come to the city to take jobs in construction and other business industries and they all raved about the wonderful chances they had been given through coming to live and work in Dubai.


Sea world: The massive aquarium at the Atlantis which Myleene's daughter Ava loves


It must be great for a family living in Dubai. You have the beach, the sea, the water parks, the food - and everything is very clean and efficiently run.

On my most recent visit I stayed at Jumeirah Beach, the second time I've been there.

I like it because it's slap-bang in the middle of everything - from your bedroom you can hear the sound of morning prayers from the nearby mosque. Over at the Atlantis Palm, the hotel's aquarium is incredible, and since I'm raising a little girl who is convinced she's a mermaid, it is like a dream come true for her.

The Atlantis's water park is also phenomenal; everybody I know who's stayed there has been blown away by it. They all say the same thing: the children get into the water but then they won't get out as they all love it so much.

So the city's good for children...and for mums, too, as the shopping is fantastic. And the prices are very fair. Some say shopping in Dubai is expensive, but I don't think it is and I love going to Harvey Nichols and Bloomingdales.

Another major plus is the huge choice of food. With my Austrian background, I like to seek out German food such as schnitzel and I adore the Japanese restaurants, especially the seafood. Anywhere that sells blackened cod gets my vote. Each of the hotels has such a great choice of different cuisines: Asian, Italian, Indian, Chinese . . . you name it, you can find it here.


Something for everyone: The Atlantis Palm is a fantastic family-friendly destination


And everything is provided with such great service, nohing is ever too much trouble or a problem. I can assure you it isn't like this in many of the other places in the world that I visit.

I have loved travelling since I was a little girl. My twin passions when I was young were museums and caves. I used to drive my family mad wanting to go to places such as Cheddar Gorge in Somerset. Put me somewhere such as the Pyramids in Cairo and I'm in holiday heaven - I love all the history and the mystery. Sitting on the beach and doing nothing has never been my thing. My family and I all like to be doing something.

Now, with a three-need to be busy in a safe, comfortable environment, which Dubai offers. And when I visit with my mother-in-law, she wants to be busy shopping and watching the horse racing.

The new stadium is unbelievable. I flew over it on my seaplane ride and it's a stunning place, part of the new Meydan City area which includes a new marina and trackside hotel.

Opened in March, the racecourse claims to be the ultimate horse-racing experience. And after cheering finest thoroughbreds crowd, you can take five-star hotel, international and an IMAX cinema.

The course is the new home of the Dubai World Cup and many would argue it is also the new global home for elite horse racing. I grew up in Norfolk surrounded by horses, so going to the races is always an absolute treat for me.


Jewel of the Gulf: Lose yourself in Dubai's souks, full of precious metals and gems


What surprises friends when I tell them about Dubai is that there really is so much to do - each day that I spend there is packed. On this visit, for example, I devoted one day to exploring the Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping complex and home to just about every major fashion brand. Besides the shops there are dozens of eating places and also a huge indoor skating rink.

I finished my day off with a trip to 'old Dubai' and a stroll around the souks. For centuries, wooden dhows, traditional Arab sailing boats, arrived in Dubai from India, Sri Lanka and the Far East laden with all sorts of luxurious goods, especially spices, silks and perfumes.

Located on both sides of Dubai's famous Creek, the highlight on the Deira area is the colourful Spice Market, where the air is thick with the scent of exotic aromas.
When you walk around the souks you get an idea of what Dubai was like before the high rises and huge malls.

Dubai is known as the City of Gold and when you visit the traditional gold souk you'll see why. There's street after street of shops full of sparkling jewellery selling gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, opals and amethysts.

The textile souk in the nearby Bur Dubai area is crowded with shops offering textiles of all sorts of colours, textures and weaves from around the world.
Shimmering threads adorn thin voile, embroidered satin and silk tempt, and velvets jostle with peach skins as well as Swiss cotton in every shade and hue imaginable. The choice seems unlimited and prices are negotiable.

A good tip is to visit early in the morning or later in the afternoon when it's cooler - I've been at 7am just after the markets open when you really capture the magical atmosphere of the place. The Creek area is the focal point of life in Dubai.

Despite the construction of large modern ports elsewhere in the city, the Creek's importance has not been diminished; it remains a vital hub for the region's traders.


Man-made masterpiece: The Palm Jumeirah is one of Dubai's more recent projects


This is where Sheikh Maktoum bin Buti, having moved with 800 tribesmen from neighbouring Abu Dhabi in 1833, looked out and had his vision of a modern Dubai.

Advances were gradual until the 1970s when, in just a few years, the new high-rise Dubai rose up from the desert with the likes of the World Trade Centre, the Emirates Towers and the 12 towers of Business Bay. Yet, for all its ultra-modern glitz, Dubai remains at heart an old trading city with its roots in pearls, fishing and the bustling markets.

As an ambassador for Marks & Spencer, I enjoyed visiting the local branch which supplied me with a wardrobe of clothes to wear for the photoshoots I did while in the city.

My range of baby clothes has also just been launched in Dubai, so things have come together for me there. Not to be too cheesy, my dreams, too, are coming true in the city that dares to dream. I walked into the Dubai Mothercare and saw on sale the designs that I drew in Watford. It was all overwhelming.

During my stay people kept asking me if I'd ever think of moving to Dubai to live. I met the former England cricketer Freddie Flintoff - hero of our Ashes victory over Australia in 2005 - who has bought a place and is now based in the city. He told me that I should move there too.

I love Dubai so much, I have to say that I'm very tempted.

Myleene Klass was recently in Dubai taking part in a promotional campaign 'In Dubai Everyday is an Opportunity' and at the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes horse race at Newmarket. During her time in Dubai, she stayed at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and visited some of the Emirate's favourite destinations, including the Meydan racecourse and Dubai Creek.

Getting there
Netflights.com (0844 493 4944, www.netflights.com) offers three nights' B&B at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel from £649. Valid for departures from June 5 to July 16, 2011.

It also offers three nights B&B at the Atlantis The Palm hotel from £699. Valid for departures from June 4 to July 16, 2011. Both deals include return flights with Qatar Airways from Gatwick.


source :dailymail