The Perfect Girl’s Holiday // 8 Things To Do In Dubai
I visited Dubai back in February on my third trip there, but this time it was a little bit different. The last two times I’ve been have been with a friend to go and stay with another friend… so this time it felt like I was going as a proper tourist as I didn’t have someone who lived there showing me around and taking us to places that the locals go to – so it was nice to get a fresh perspective on the city, and experience it as something new!
I know Dubai sometimes gets a lot of stick for not being the safest place to visit as young women or being very showy and money-centric, and in some places yes this is apparent, but I love it! It’s very rare that I go back to somewhere I’ve been before, but that’s the beauty of Dubai – there is always something new to do – and in some cases, a whole new area to discover.
On the safety side of things, there are definitely areas that I would steer clear from when the sun goes down, but these are the less touristy areas, and probably ones you wouldn’t be staying in as a visiter anyway – but for the whole 5 days we were there, I never felt unsafe once. We used public transport to get around in the day (there are women-only carriages on the trams) and taxis at night and everyone was friendly and professional, so this definitely shouldn’t be a reason to not visit!
In today’s blog, I wanted to round up the 8 things you should do on a trip to Dubai.
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Brunch
I’ll start with the obvious one and something that Dubai is definitely famous for – Brunch! The first time I visited, the concept hadn’t really been brought to the UK, so it felt very alien to be drinking and eating all you can for 3 hours in the middle of the day, but it is one of the most fun things you can do out there. This time around we went for the one at Zero Gravity, as it was 4 hours and the food and drink options looked slightly better than some of the others. They usually cost around £50-100 (I think Zero Gravity was around £65) but you can definitely make the most of your time there.
The setting was amazing as you are on the beach and they also have a pool with a glass edge, and sunbeds that you can reserve through the day. The food was amazing and so fresh and they kept topping it up throughout the day. To be more sustainable, they give you a plastic cup when you go in which you refill with your favourite drinks – we spent a lot of time at the frozen margarita stand!
As the Muslim weekend falls on a Friday and Saturday, most of the brunches will be from around 12-5 on a Friday and it is definitely wise to have a look before you go. We rocked up to the beach club and were lucky that they were still letting people in, as about 30 minutes later it was full!
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Shopping
Dubai is also known for its shopping scene and having some of the biggest malls in the world. The Dubai Mall is the one I would recommend the most as it has the famous fountains outside too which put on a very good show and also an aquarium inside!
It’s really easy to get to by public transport, but it is about a 15-minute walk (through an air-conditioned tunnel) to get to the actual mall!
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Beach Club
We stayed at the Movenpick Hotel in the Jumeriah Lake Towers district, which was a lovely hotel, but it wasn’t by the beach. We were very lucky that it was partnered with a sister hotel on one of the leaves of the palm, where you could go for free during the day.
Beach clubs are all the rage in Dubai, but if your hotel isn’t on the coastline, it would be worth asking if they are partnered with any that are – sometimes they let you go for free, or you might have to pay a small fee, but it’s worth it for a chilled day by the sea.
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Ladies Night
The last couple of times I’ve visited Dubai, it was with two of my male friends, who always thought it was harsh that girls drink all night for free (it is what it is!) so I didn’t experience as many Ladies Nights as I would have liked, but the best thing about going away with a girl is that free drinks are always on the cards!
I downloaded this app which tells you by region where the Ladies Nights are and how much they will cost you. Most give you 3 tokens for 3 free drinks, but if you’re lucky there might be another one nearby that you can visit too! Definitely a way to have a cheap night!
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Boat Trip
With Dubai being sat on the coast, there are all kinds of different boat trips to do whilst you are there. Whether you want to visit the Atlantis on the palm or hire a boat for yourself for the day, there are so many options, and it gives you the best views of the city.
For tours, I usually use Viator as it makes me feel more comfortable knowing that I have booked through a reputable website, and the great thing is with pre-arranged tours is that they usually come and collect you from your hotel!
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Discover ‘Real’ Dubai
This is something that I would suggest to do in the day but it is definitely an eye-opening experience. As I mentioned, Dubai has a reputation for being quite showy and glam, but there is another side to it as well. We took the tram to an area called Al Karama to get a taste of how some of the locals lived, but anywhere around this area will give you a whole new perspective of Dubai.
If you have time as well, I would suggest taking a walk around Dubai Creek or even a boat trip across the water.
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Desert Activities
As this was my third time visiting, I knew that a trip to the desert should definitely be on the cards. The first time I went, I did quad biking over the sand dunes, and the second time we went in a 4×4 with someone driving you (erratically!) over them, and I would definitely say the former was the more fun experience! The tours usually have a morning and afternoon taking so just make sure you have more than an hours sleep, which was a mistake we made!
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Rooftop cocktails
There is no surprise that when it comes to a city full of skyscrapers that they have a lot of beautiful rooftop bars! If you want the full Dubai experience I would definitely recommend having a look before you go and making the most of Ladies Night’s offers if you can.
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