We all have one thing that we're fond of, whether it's football, handbags or collecting CDs. Whatever it may be, there is something that makes us happy. For me, it's always been travelling. Don't get me wrong, there are a few things in life that make me happy- good company, food, lusting over handbags and movies. But when it comes to travelling it's something else entirely, it's experiencing something for the first time. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea and when I say travelling I don't necessarily mean backpacking, more like the Hilton in Dubai but still.. you get what I mean.
So do I actually have a point here? To be honest, not really. I just wanted to tell you a little bit about my recent trip abroad because why not, maybe it will inspire you to go.
Where did I actually go then? If you haven't guessed it from the pictures above (no worries if you didn't) I visited Dubai and Bali this Summer with my boyfriend. I flew from Manchester to Dubai, spent four days there, travelled from Dubai to Bali, spent a week there, then back to Dubai for three days, before flying home. That was tiring just to type so you can imagine how the flights were long and boring. But more importantly, was it worth it? Going all that way and spending all that money.
I'm just going to focus on Dubai today as I honestly still can't make my mind up on whether I loved it or not. In the run up to the holiday I spent forever ordering and trying on clothes before sending them all back because I really didn't know what was acceptable. I wanted to be respectful of their culture but I was also very aware of how hot Dubai is. I ended up settling on some maxi dresses (one of which actually broke while we were out- nightmare!) and some flowy pants. So that's tip number one, if you're going, I advise you go for these types of clothes as otherwise, you were looked at quite strangely. I also opted for a scarf to wrap around my shoulders and I was so glad that I brought it with me because whenever I removed/ adjusted it, I felt really out of place.
Dubai is hot. I mean I knew it was going to be hot before we went but oh my, there is literally no air. My best way to describe it is to put your head into an oven. Even the sea was boiling hot and it was incredibly stuffy. I wish I would have gone at a bit of a colder time but nevertheless, inside had air conditioning and it gave me an excuse to look around all of the malls (which were great!!) So my second tip is to stay hydrated and if you're like me and awful with the heat, go when it is a little bit cooler.
Now since I already mentioned the Malls.. why not mention it some more. We visited two malls, The Mall of Emirates and The Dubai Mall. The Dubai Mall was easily my favourite, as like most of Dubai, it takes your breath away. The Aquarium and swarm of people surrounding it, is overwhelming as soon as you walk in, there are shops everywhere and so many restaurants and stores to suit everyone. You feel yourself just standing and looking around for a while in awe. The only downside was that the pound to the dirim isn't all that great so most things were quite expensive but if you have another currency this might not be a problem!
The views are definitely worth a look, we went up the Burj Khalifa during the day and it was such a stunning view. You can pay for various floor levels to suit yourself, and even if you don't want to go up to the sky deck (we never) you can still see eveything perfectly fine! They love a good photo opportunity in there so be prepared to be pulling all sorts of faces and moves infront of a green sceen, and although we didn't buy any of the photos, we still had a bit of a laugh at them.
Dubai was such a culture change for me and it took me a while to get used to. I like to walk around so the gigantic motorways everywhere weren't exactly in my favour. However, I still feel like Dubai has a lot more to offer that I never got to experience so I would love to go again maybe in Spring or Autumn.
Have you ever been? What did you make it?
Emma :)
