Palm Jumeirah

Palm Jumeirah is a place you use rather than see: its pleasures are beach clubs, resort day passes, waterpark hours and long lunches with the skyline across the water. Non-guests buy access — most Palm resorts sell day passes that bundle beach, pools and often food credit, cheaper on weekdays and in summer.

The free alternatives are better than expected: the Palm West Beach boardwalk at sunset, and The Pointe's fountain-and-Atlantis view across the bay.

The Palm Monorail runs the length of the trunk from Palm Gateway (connected to the tram) to Atlantis — more useful as a viewpoint than as transport, since stations sit away from most resorts. Taxis remain the practical way to any specific beach club. The View at The Palm, on the trunk's central tower, is the aerial photograph everyone wants of the fronds.