First impressions of Dubai:

As a first-time visitor to Dubai, arriving at the airport, I could immediately see by the opulent design features and the grand scale of things, that this stopover was going to be a memorable cultural experience.

As soon as we stepped outside the airport building, it felt like stepping into an outdoor sauna, as the hot humid air hits you. This is expected in the heart of summer. We were ushered to a taxi with a female driver, to take us to our hotel. This is perfect if you are a female solo traveller and prefer to drive with a female taxi driver instead.

Where we stayed:

We stayed at the Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Lakes Towers. I redeemed my Virgin Atlantic points and used it obtain a hotel voucher for our stay. As we arrived in Dubai early morning, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we could check in early, use the shower facilities and pool while waiting for our room.

We stayed in a suite, on a higher floor, with views over the city. The breakfast selection and service in the mornings was impressive to say the least! The hotel restaurant offers brunches, which Dubai is famous for. Pre-book as it gets very busy!

Flights to Dubai:

We had a direct flight to Dubai, which is only 9 hours from Cape Town. For flight options, give Travelstart a try for Cheap Flights to Dubai. Dubai is also a stopover en-route to other locations, so if you are able to, why not spend a day or two there to explore what the city has to offer. I certainly thought it was worth the few days and cannot wait to go back.

What I wore:

I opted to dress conservatively in public, and wear dresses and 3/4trousers with sleeveless tops and high necklines. I did not visit the beaches due to limited time, but most hotel patrons wore bikinis at the pool.

Getting around:

Dubai is very easy to get around. The metro is an inexpensive means of transport, especially getting to the main attractions, malls and airport. There are taxis at every metro station, if you want to use a combination of the modes of transport to get around.

The metro trains have designated areas in carriages for women and children only, which is marked with pink signage. My husband and I mistakenly got into this carriage, but swiftly moved to the other side of the carriage after we noticed our mistake! Men using this carriage can be fined if found in this area.

We used taxis between the hotel and metro station as the summer heat made it uncomfortable to walk outside for longer than 20 minutes at a time.

Burj Khalifa: At the top

Every iconic city in the world has that one unique building, and Burj Khalifa is Dubai’s! Visiting this building is a must for all visitors to Dubai and I made sure I fitted this in early on in our trip. The building is a landmark and can be seen from just about every part of upper Dubai. This skyscraper is the tallest building in the world and has an elevator with the longest travel distance.

The entrance to Burj Khalifa is via the lower level of Dubai Mall. We bought tickets to levels 124 and 125 in non-peak hours. There is an option to go all the way to level 148. If you visit at prime/peak times, the tickets costs more. Using the high-speed elevator is quite a thrill and an experience of its own. The observation decks offer spectacular 360 views over the city. The outdoor observation terrace has high powered telescopes which offer a closer view down below. It does get quite windy out on the terrace, especially as you are so high up.

The trip to the top was worth every AED spent! Book your tickets in advance here for this excursion to avoid the queues. Try some of the chocolate dates stuffed with almonds, which can be purchased at the shop on your way out, they are an usually delectable treat! We loved the Arabic cardamom tea and coffee and brought some home with us.

A shopping experience with a twist:

Dubai is a shopper’s shopper’s paradise.  We visited the Emirates mall and Dubai Mall, with the latter being my favourite. Dubai Mall is unique. Other than the vast scale, where else in the world can you find a dinosaur fossil, large aquarium, fountain show, mini ski resort and ice rink in a mall! One of the tanks faces onto a shopping corridor, so you can see sea life swimming past as you walk by. It was so impressive that I could not help and stop and admire the scale and marine life. They offer experiences such as shark cage diving for the adventurous!

Cuisine in Dubai:

You can find just about every type of cuisine in the food court. The lower level food court appeared to be more popular with the locals, offering more traditional foods. There are lots of sweet shops offering various Arabic sweets. You cannot leave Dubai without tasting the traditional sweets and stuffed dates, best served with tea or coffee.

Just about every one of my favourite European retail stores can be found in this mall. Dubai mall has an entire section dedicated to shoes, so I already loved it! I think I need a week to get through the mall. At the time of our visit, there were huge summer sales, so my shopping budget took a bit of a beating 😊.

Dubai has so much to offer and I feel like we barely scratched the surface on this trip. I have unfinished business (shopping) in Dubai and cannot wait for next opportunity to visit. I would love to visit the desert and skydive over the Palm islands the next time I am in Dubai.

Where to next? It will be one tall order to beat this stopover trip!

Until next time, adventure awaits!

Kim

Disclosure: This post is a collaboration with Travelstart.