I have no idea where to even start writing about Dubai, and I’m still not sure how long this post will be, but I’ll try to keep it short and sweet so you don’t need a snack break halfway through. A trip to Dubai had always been my dream. If you asked me why, I probably couldn’t give you a straight answer… maybe it’s just that it feels like a city where anything is possible?

Anyway, the decision was made: December trip (because I enjoy living and didn’t fancy melting in the summer heat). Everything was booked, and before I knew it, I was on my way to the airport. The journey itself was pretty uneventful, and around 11pm we finally landed. The dream had officially come true! After a quick transfer and check-in, I was in bed shortly after midnight, feeling very accomplished.

I should mention that we had most of our attractions pre-booked, so our 10-day stay was pretty well planned. Which sounded great… until I realised I had to be at Miracle Garden the next day at 1pm. So much for a relaxing lie-in I mentally scheduled “catching up on sleep” for some undefined future.

After breakfast, we tried to figure out how to get there and ended up choosing a taxi. Honestly, if you’re travelling with 2–3 people, it makes more sense than the metro- you’ll probably pay the same or even less, and you don’t have to pretend you understand the map.

Dubai Miracle Garden itself is such a cool place, imagine millions of colourful flowers right in the middle of the desert. It’s massive, with heart-shaped pathways, flower castles, and even a full-size plane covered in blooms. It honestly feels a bit unreal, like you’ve walked into someone’s very ambitious screensaver. Perfect for photos, wandering around, and occasionally getting slightly lost… which, to be fair, is part of the experience.

We came back to the hotel, and if you think I finally got to catch up on sleep… umm, no. Of course not. Life had other plans. The next day’s attraction? The Burj Khalifa – 153rd floor. No pressure.

But wow… what an experience. The views were absolutely incredible. We had tickets to the lounge, so drinks and snacks were included-and let me tell you, coffee just tastes better at 153 floors up. I don’t know if it’s the altitude or the vibes, but suddenly I felt like a coffee connoisseur.

After a pretty relaxing afternoon up there, we went down to watch the Dubai Fountain show, and it did not disappoint. The water jets were dancing high up in the air, perfectly in sync with the music. Every show was different too – different songs, different style – so of course we stood there longer than planned thinking, “just one more.”

After such an eventful day, we headed back to the hotel, completely exhausted. Oh, and I almost forgot – the Dubai Mall, right next to the Burj Khalifa, is absolutely humongous. It’s the kind of place where you go in confident and come out two hours later wondering how you ended up in a completely different postcode. And it’s not just shops – it has everything: a massive aquarium with real sharks (yes, actual sharks casually swimming around while you’re shopping), an Olympic-size ice rink, cinemas, the Sky Views Observatory, and even the Human Waterfall with diving sculptures. Honestly, it’s less of a mall and more of a small city.

The next stop on our Dubai attraction map was Dubai Marina. And no – I still hadn’t caught up on sleep. At this point, I’d accepted my fate and decided I’d probably just sleep on the flight back to England… if I was lucky.

But anyway, back to the Marina- what a lovely place. It’s got a really nice, relaxed vibe, with loads of cafés everywhere, perfect for sitting down and pretending you’re not completely exhausted. And surprisingly, it’s not as expensive as you might think. There are plenty of bike paths too, so if you’re on a budget and don’t feel like spending money on taxis, renting a bike is a great option (plus, you can convince yourself it counts as exercise) 😛

And if you’re trying not to spend too much on food, there’s a Carrefour supermarket nearby where you can grab something cheap – just like in any other Carrefour around the world, except with a slightly better view.😛

After a coffee and a nice walk, we went on a day cruise around the Marina, which we had already booked with Two Continents – a company that, honestly, gives 100%. At that point, all I had to do was sit back, relax, and enjoy the views… and maybe try not to fall asleep mid-cruise.

Now I really promise this is the last attraction I’m going to tell you about, after this, it’s just photos (you’ve been warned).

Next stop on our list was The Palm View. And honestly, it’s one of those places that makes you stop, stare, and go “wow” without even realising. From the top, you get an incredible view of Palm Jumeirah, a massive artificial island shaped like a palm tree because, of course, a normal island just wouldn’t be enough in Dubai.

What’s even crazier is that it was built using sand brought in from all over the world. I can barely organise a weekend trip, and here they are building entire islands from imported sand.

You can also spot the famous Atlantis hotel sitting right at the top of the palm, looking like it belongs in a movie (or at least somewhere way more expensive than my budget). It’s the perfect spot for photos, especially at sunset, and one of those views that really reminds you just how extra Dubai is… in the best possible way.

And as I promised, here are a few more attractions worth seeing.

JBR Beach

Ain Dubai

Dubai Creek

Gold Souk

Old town market

PS: And before you ask about the Museum of the Future – no, I didn’t see it !! I clearly needed to leave something for next time… you know, just in case I needed an excuse to come back to Dubai 😛

If you have any questions or need any advice, feel free to drop a comment below or send me a message. I’ll be more than happy to help 🙂