Dubai Luxury & Activities

Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates is the fifth city in the fifth country I’ve lived in. Dubai is hard to describe if you’ve never visited, but if I had to compare it to what I know, I’d say the city would be a mixture of Miami, Vegas and Scottsdale, AZ all wrapped into one. It’s nonstop like Vegas, with big shiny buildings with flashing lights. Insane amounts of wealth everywhere like Miami and reminiscent of the beautiful desert including flowers and palm trees like in Arizona. Dubai is a city where people can come to get away from reality. Everything is over the top, and the city actually becomes your “playground.” Boat parties, all you can eat and drink brunches, dressing up, shopping, incredible restaurants, rooftop pools, day time beach clubs and the list goes on and on. In a nutshell, this city is the epitome of excess and gluttony. I’m not saying this in an entirely negative way, because it definitely is experience.

Now that you’re all up to speed on the lifestyle of Dubai, let’s get some misconceptions out of the way! First, if you’re not muslim living here, you don’t have to wear an abaya or a head scarf. The local culture is very understanding and accepting of westerners here. Second, Dubai is extremely westernized and forward-thinking. 85% of the population is comprised of expatriates, and the Brits make up most of the western demographic. Third, drinking is absolutely allowed here, but only within hotels, which is where most of the fun partying happens. Finally, it is extremely safe here, probably one of the most safe places I’ve ever lived. People living here are extremely honest and trustworthy. You could leave your mobile phone sitting out on a table and come back hours later to find it still there. Living in a safe city, by yourself as a foreign expat woman, really brings a sense of security when living abroad.

Moving on to my recommendations or things I’m “obsessed” with. If it isn’t obvious already, I love finding new “vibey” places to eat or grab a coffee. So here are my recommendations when visiting Dubai.

FOOD + COFFEE

Coffee + Food + Vegan/Vegetarian: Comptior 102

Vegan Cafe: SEVA Table

West Beach: Koko Bay + Lucky Fish (West Bay Beach)

Authentic Thai: Pai Thai

Breakfast: Brunch & Cake (The Point & Al Wasl)

La Mer Beach: Row of cute places to eat

Mexican: Tortuga (Great view of the Burj Al Arab)

BEST Pizza: Pitfire Pizza

TIMEOUT Market: Drinks and various places to eat

Greek: OPA — authentic Greek food and traditions of smashing plates and music

Local UAE Coffee: Arabica 100% (multiple locations)

POOLS + BEACH CLUBS

Bab Al Shams (In the desert): Leave the city and spend a day or overnight in this gorgeous, incredibly decorated hotel for a pool day including an insane lunch buffet or stay overnight.

West Beach: Koko Bay, February 30, Lucky Fish — the West Bay beach clubs are such a vibe, feeling as if you’re almost in Mykonos. Good music, amazing ambiance and gorgeous drinks. Highly recommend for a day in the sun and water or for sunset drinks.

Chill Pool Day: Jumeriah Zabeel Saray Hotel - this hotel is on the palm and it has the most elegant vibe with a gorgeous pool overlooking the sea. The beach area is lovely as well as the drinks and food.

Chill Pool Day: Waldorf Astoria on the Palm

Chill Pool Day: Westin Hotel — check out the Heavenly Spa here as well. Probably one of the best massages I’ve had, ever.

Chill Pool Day: The Address Fountain Views

Party Pool Days: Zero Gravity or BLA BLA

BRUNCHING & GOING OUT

There is a never-ending amount of things to do when it comes to going out and spending the day partying, drinking and hanging with friends. Here is a list of a few of my favorite places and activities I’d recommend.

Boating: Find yourself a boat to get on — for any reason, birthday, goodbye party, or just for fun. Being out on the water is absolutely incredible and you’ll get to have the best views of the city.

Brunch: Treehouse, Saffron at the Atlantis, KOYO, Lucky Voice, Amazonico, Mr. Myagis, Seven Sisters

Of course you have to visit some of the other Emirates when you’re here such as Abu Dhabi to visit the Grand Mosque, go to the Lourve Museum, and if you have time take a quick boat to Nurai Island for the day. This is something I HIGHLY recommend you check out, it is a stunning, picturesque island 15 minutes by boat away from Saadiyat island in Abu Dhabi. It is known for its turquoise waters, beach activities and chill vibes, with great food and drinks, and music played by a DJ.

It’s been an unbelievable whirlwind of a journey and I am so proud and glad to say that I was able to spend time in the Middle East and experience a new culture and way of living.

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شكرًا لك (thank you)

Top "must-dos" in Istanbul

A bustling city resting on the banks of the Bosphorus, also known as the Straight of Istanbul. Forming the boundary between Europe and Asia or Asian Turkey side and the European Turkey side, this straight is the hub and center of the city. Tour boats, shipping docks, hundreds of men fishing off the bridges to catch fish, tourists taking pictures, families on the boardwalks selling chestnuts, mussels, and roasted corn, restaurants built underneath the bridges for visitors to enjoy the view. Its nothing but magical and exciting to see.

The various types of architecture throughout the city has something everyone will love, from the beautiful old buildings and mosques from the Byzantine Empire era to the more ornate, grandiose palaces which housed Sultans and royal families. Additionally, the Turkish people were so welcoming and hospitable, it made our stay that much better.

The weekend was filled with site-seeing, wandering around the new and old town in addition to tasting an absurd amount of Turkish delights and mixed kebab plates. On our first day, we took to the streets wandering from the new part of town, Taksim Square, through the winding and bustling streets across the Bosphorus to the Old Town. Stopping along the way to admire all of the handcrafted lights, tiling, handwoven scarves, Turkish towels, artwork and of course all the baklava and treats, I was overwhelmed with the beauty and energy Istanbul had to offer. We finally managed to make our way over the river on the Galata Bridge after stopping to watch a mid-day prayer at a local mosque while the somewhat eerie, but beautiful prayer call played throughout the city. We were finally off to explore the major attractions. The (Sultan...) Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and Topkapi Palace. Words can’t explain the overwhelming beauty and detail that each of these places exhibited. They all were so magical. Having visited countless amounts of ornate churches throughout Europe, it was incredible to finally experience first hand what a practicing mosque looked and felt like. Shoes off, cover your head, women in one area and men in another. Although we weren’t allowed to enter the Blue Mosque while prayer was taking place, we visited another, much smaller and less popular Mosque where we were able to enter while prayer was taking place. It was a memorable experience to say the least.

Lastly, we visited the both the Basilica Cistern, Ortakoy Mosque, The Grand Bizarre and the Dolmabahçe Palace. Used during the Ottoman Empire, this palace was nothing short of immaculate. Breathtaking is an understatement. Each room had its purpose. Prayer room, musical room, tea room, sitting room, you name it, there is a room dedicated for it. But the showstopper was the Grand Ballroom. Reaching 35 meters high, this room absolutely took my breath away. Crystal chandeliers in every corner and a hand painted dome with gold plated work as far as the eye could see. I could have stayed in this room for hours. Truly something build for a “king”…or Sultan.

A quick weekend in Istanbul can be done, but is definitely not enough time to fully experience all of the amazing things Turkey and it’s people have to offer. It’s energy during the day only is amplified into the evening. Make sure to visit the Taksim Square at night. Street vendors selling chestnuts, muscles, musicians playing on the streets, smells of shisha in the air, people shopping and buying Baklava at 1 am, it’s an incredible site to see. Venture down one one of the side streets and another world of restaurants and bars appear. Be prepared to stopped at every place and asked to eat at their restaurant. Every place we tried had the most incredible Turkish food. You definitely can’t go wrong eating a unknown local spot.