re: Planning a trip to europe/Dubia....

I spent part of my honeymoon in Dubai and was not overly impressed. There is not much history per se, but the architecture is amazing.

The Dubai mall is big, but there is nothing there that is not available in NYC. They even have a Shack Shake and a Magnolia Bakery (2 NYC standards).

The Burj Khalifa is cool to check out, but I recommend that you get your ticket in advance. Also, if you go to BK then you will enter through the Mall of Dubai so no need to plan two separate trips (we made that mistake).

Be sure to check if any religious holidays are occurring during your trip because the restaurants won't serve alcohol. On the same note, there are no bars in Dubai. You can only drink in the hotel restaurants. I recommend stocking up at the duty free in the airport.

Check out the Al Muntaha Bar. It is in the Burj al Arab so make sure to make reservations in advance or you won't be allowed onto the island.

Not sure of your budget, but the absolute best night of our honeymoon was at Al Maha. The place is ridiculously expensive even by OT standards ($1,600 per night), but was well worth it. We rode camels, watched a falconry exhibition, had all meals included and had dinner on the private deck of our suite. All suites have a private infinity pool. We got bumped up to a royal suite.

LINK