I’ve always wanted to visit Dubai but I could never justify a separate trip here. I decided to do a stopover from Bangalore to London and it was the perfect way to see the city. I only had 36 hours but still took advantage of my first time here!

I landed on Friday 13th May 2022 – an unprecedented time where the UAE President Sheik Khalifa had passed away. The country was going into mourning for 40 days.

As I landed in the evening, I dropped my bags off then Rob, Becky and I went to Jetty Lounge for a cocktail and some pizza. The views are stunning!

The next day, I booked a 9am slot to the top of the Burj Khalifa (level 124 and 125). It is the tallest building in the world standing at 828m. This time slot didn’t have many people around so it was nice to enjoy the views and take some photos from above with the amazing views across Dubai without the crowds.

I met up with Rob and we went around to some landmarks to see the views including Dubai Mall, Dubai steel heart, Wings of Mexico statue, Souk Al Bahar and Palace Hotel. This area is meant to be beautiful at night with all the lights so I’ll have to come back!

For lunch, we went to the Time Out Market where we enjoyed some cocktails and food with great views.

We caught a taxi to the Dubai Marina area and went for a cocktail at Atelier M. We then walked around the area and Marina Beach for a bit but it was becoming quiet unbearable with the heat so we headed back to the hotel.

In the evening, we headed to the Jumeriah Al Qasr. We walked around and then got a little boat out to Pai Thai which was such a fun novelty. We sat at the bar first and had some cocktails which were delicious then waited for my neighbour Maaya and her friends to join. The food was delicious and authentic so I highly recommend it!

The next morning, we went to Tom&Serg., an Aussie style cafe for brunch before heading back to the airport.

It was a short trip but it was a fun time eating and drinking our way through and catching up with friends. I know I’ll be back as it’s such a good, convenient stopover destination.