The ‘eighth wonder of the world’, Palm Jumeirah is an audacious feat of human engineering. Fashioned on the date palm, with its roots on the Dubai coastline and its 17 fronds fanning out into blue waters, this is the first of the planned ‘Palm’ islands and, though it’s the smallest of the three, it is already the world’s largest man-made island. Photo by: twocentsworth

Extravagant boutique hotels and villas are built and residents moving in, with the project aiming for competition in 2009. Measuring 5 x 5 km, the crown is connected to the mainland by a 300 m bridge, and the very top of the palm is reached by a sub-sea tunnel. Ninety four million cubic metres of sand and seven million tons of rock have gone into the formation of this premier resort. Beaches, marinas, cafes and restaurants of every conceivable nature are planned. Photo by: The Red Pill

Dubai is the fastest growing city in the world, and the shortage of beaches and hotels seems to have given rise to the three Palm Island resorts which will together increase Dubai’s coastline by 520 km. In 2007, the Cunard Line sold the Queen Elizabeth II liner to Dubai World – to be permanently anchored at Palm Jumeirah as a hotel and tourist destination. Photo by: hrbdpaint

Once a peaceful town frequented by Bedouin fisherman and pearl divers, Dubai is now rich and racy, and somewhat surreal. Shiny skyscrapers overshadow the surviving and still buzzing souks, and shopping is the major pastime. There you are escaping from people and may be from reality. There is nowhere like it on earth. Photo by: The Red Pill

When to go: The weather is more manageable and cooler from November to April. In the Muslim month of Ramadan hotel prices may drop, but it’s illegal to eat, drink or smoke in public between sunrise and sunset. Population: 8,000 residental units are planned. How to get there: Fly to Dubai. Photo by: miketheredbarron

Photo by: buggolo