Living in Dubai you get many visitors, largely because you are living in the half way point to the rest of the world! So as people you know are passing through they will often stop off to say ‘Hi’ and that’s exactly what happened to me a few weekends ago!
Having been in Dubai almost 2.5 years I feel like I’ve pretty much got this ‘Dubai Tour Guide’ thing down! So heres a guide as to what you can get up to in a short time in Dubai, providing you have the stamina… and an expert tour guide of course 😉
Thursday Evening
Dinner and drinks at Q43 – Media One Hotel
This isn’t the most fancy of places however the view is incredible! And it’s a great place to grab a few non pretentious drinks and a good burger. The bar/restaurant is on the 43rd floor (clue is in the name) and the view is of Palm Jumeirah and also the marina. If you get a clear day you can also see the Burj Al Arab in the distance.
Friday
BRUNCH – Al Qasr
If you’re not at Brunch on a Friday in Dubai, are you really even in Dubai?!
Brunch is an all you can eat, all you can drink affair that starts around midday on a Friday and ends approximately 4 hours later, however the aim is to keep the party going as long as possible! After all, no one wants to go home early …
Al Qasr, in my opinion, puts on one of the most lavish brunches in Dubai, with pretty much every cuisine going and all the premium alcoholic cocktails you can manage! There is a live band that really gets the crowd going and did I mention there’s dessert…. tons of dessert! It is also set in the beautiful Madinat Jumeirah which is one of the most photogenic places in Dubai!
Uptown Bar – Jumeirah Beach Hotel
After brunch, we decided to do a bit of a ‘bar tour’. Firstly, we went to Uptown bar in the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. This bar has a great view of Downtown Dubai with the Burj Khalifa in the distance. You also have a view of the sea and the Burj Al Arab right next to you! We sat and watched the sun set right behind it. Perfect! (and quite classy)
Atelier M – Pier 7, Dubai Marina
Following this we went to Pier 7 in the Marina. We went right to the top, to the roof terrace at Atelier M where you can get amazing night time photos of the Marina. We had a bottle of wine here and about 5 bowls of free popcorn … it was a good 5 hours after brunch now and we were starving!
Barasti Beach Bar
Then it was on to non other than Barasti Beach Bar! – I mean if you’re still out this late after brunch there has to be a point where you leave the class at the door! Barasti is a bar on the beach, playing some decent tunes with a skyscraper backdrop, and when you have been drunk for a good 10 hours, what’s not to love?! We chilled on the beach, had some shisha and a little dance and then decided the hunger had got the better of us… so it was time to head home and end the night on a not so classy high by ordering a McDonalds delivery whilst in the taxi! Don’t say I don’t show my guests a good time!
Saturday
Palm Jumeirah
Having woken up early as planned, with pretty dire hangovers… as planned! We headed out for a day of sightseeing.
First stop was breakfast at the Coffee Club, where we filled our faces with the likes of eggs, toast and orange juice, then it was on to the Atlantis on the Palm. A quick stop outside for a little wander and some standard tourist shots of the building then it was back in the car and on to the next stop! … No messing!
Dubai Mall – At The Top, Burj Khalifa
You can’t come to Dubai and not go up the worlds tallest building! So I sent them up there whilst I did some shopping in the mall. I’ve literally been up too many times to count! But if you’re visiting Dubai and have never been up, it’s definitely a must!
When they came down we went to Walters Coffee Shop, this is a Breaking Bad themed coffee shop and it is so much fun! … Order the Chemex coffee to get the full experience!
Following this I gave them a whistle stop tour of the mall, which included, The Dubai Dino, The worlds largest indoor aquarium, the ice rink and the waterfall.
After all this walking we were starving … and still quite hungover, so we listened to our stomachs and hit up Texas Roadhouse! I love this place for their steaks and the bread!
Once dinner was over it was time to go watch the Dubai Fountains. This is still one attraction I am not bored of! We literally hung around most of the evening watching the fountains whilst eating ice cream and super car spotting in between!
Sunday Morning
Jumeirah Beach Residence – Eggspecation
This is their last morning before the flight so we headed to the beach! We had eggs and pancakes at Eggspecation, took a walk along the beach and had some standard photos with the camels!
I mean, as far as weekends go, this one was pretty epic! So it can be done, you can see a hell of a lot of Dubai in a couple of days. It’s tiring and you don’t have time to fit in absolutely everything, like the desert or Aquaventure waterpark to name a few, but then why do everything in one visit… after all, you need a reason to come back right?! 😉
Laura x
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