With my New Zealand Working Holiday Visa coming to an end, I knew I had to face reality and finally book my flight home. But, I knew I was going to at least make a holiday out of the journey.

I knew I would fly from Queenstown to Sydney for 3 nights, then fly up to Brisbane for another 3 nights, before the dreaded 14 hour Emirates flight to Dubai. I knew I would touch down in Dubai regardless, in order to eventually fly direct into Glasgow in Scotland, but with making the trip home on my own, I couldn’t quite decide on whether to take the 1 hour 50 minute layover provided by Emirates, or venture out into the City of Gold.

I recommend you venture out.

Dubai Airport

I landed at 05:30 local time and swiftly made my way through arrivals with a quick stamp of my passport and no questions asked. The process was very straightforward and soon I was outside the airport being helped into the back of a taxi with my 35kg suitcase. My driver was extremely friendly and put me at total ease, despite being in this new country, on my own, without 4g. I was actually given a free tourist SIM card in the airport at the same time that my passport was stamped – I just didn’t use it, given the short amount of time I would be there!

Dubai Accommodation

There are many different, popular areas to stay in whilst in Dubai, such as Dubai Marina, Jumeriah Beach Residences, The Palm, Deira and Downtown. I chose to stay Downtown, as it is approximately 20 minutes from the Airport by car and the best area for seeing the famous Burj Khalifa and for visiting the Dubai Mall.

I stayed at DAMAC Maison Distinction, a skyscraper hotel, situated within walking distance (2km) from the Burj Khalifa. the hotel has a 24-hour front desk, where I was warmly welcomed at 06:30 in the morning. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, gym, spa and outdoor pool and so I had plenty to do before I was happily checked in later in the morning, 4 hours before the official check in time of 15:00. You can check the hotel out HERE.

The pool was quiet when I visited it, with it being so early in the morning, so I therefore had it all to myself, with jaw dropping views over to the iconic skyscraper. The Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building at 828m – over half a mile high!

Things to do in Dubai

Enjoy the Area – Before deciding to stopover in Dubai I had read a few articles on what to expect, many of which mentioned Dubai’s strict rules and showcased long lists on ‘how to behave as a tourist’. Naturally, this instilled some apprehension within me, however although I was only able to spend a short amount of time in this city, I felt extremely relaxed and found it to be one of the most welcoming. I strolled the 30-minute walk from my hotel, past the Wings of Mexico Statue and across the Dubai Mall Park Bridge, through the Burj Khalifa Park and alongside Burj Khalifa Lake, just in time to hear the music begin playing from the speakers and to see the Dubai Fountain explode into dance.

Later in the afternoon, as the sun began to set around 18:00, the area outside the Mall and the Burj Khalifa was bustling with people, music was playing from the speakers alongside the artificial lake, the traditional Abra boats had started gliding across the water and there were stalls selling ice-cream and fresh coconut water on the sidewalk.

Dubai Fountain – The Dubai Fountain puts on a show at 13:00 and 13:30 as well as every 30 minutes from 18:00-22:00 thoughout the week. On weekends (Thursdays, Friday’s and Saturday’s) shows continue until 23:00. It is the worlds highest performing fountain, which dances to a variety of songs.

Burj Khalifa – I purchased my tickets HERE for getting to the top of the Burj Khalifa. With my ‘Burj Khalifa Sky’ ticket I was able to skip the queues and visit not just level 124 and 125 but also level 148, where I had access to a lounge with refreshments. This activity also included a personal tour guide for the group. From the top of the Burj Khalifa you can see for miles, including across to the famous Palm and the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel.

Dubai Mall – The Mall is the second largest in the world and has over 1200 stores and over 200 restaurants. I ate at Wagamama because it was one of the first places I wanted to head to when I got home to Scotland, but I could easily spend a week eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the various eateries. Within the mall is an aquarium, a 24-meter tall waterfall representing pearl divers (pearl diving helped establish the city of Dubai) and an ice rink, to a name a few extras. I only spent a couple of hours here but could easily spend a couple of full days – with a healthy bank account. The observation decks of the Burj Khalifa are also accessed via the Dubai Mall.

I was back to the airport at 03:00 to catch my next flight home to Scotland, so sadly I only had time to see the main attractions, but I am glad I did. My short stop over has only left me wanting to go back and discover more…