WHAT TO DO IN DUBAI

• 1. Burj Khalifa

  Perhaps the most impressive building you will ever see in your life, the Burj Khalifa. From a plane, from the beach, everywhere you can see this 828 meter high building. A visit to the Burj Khalifa is an activity that you should not miss when you are in Dubai. You can buy tickets for a 360 degree view on the 124th floor and see Palm Island on a clear day. You can buy tickets for a specific time with sunrise and sunset being the most popular. It is advisable to purchase tickets online in advance because tickets regularly sell out.

• 2. Enjoy breakfast at one of the highest restaurants in the world

  We stayed at the Burj Khalifa for quite a while. If you really want a special experience, we recommend you make a reservation in the highest restaurant of the Burj Khalifa (and pretty much in the world) to have breakfast here. This restaurant is called Atmosphere, booking in advance is recommended. You have to spend at least AED 250 per person (about €60, but this is your entrance to the Burj Khalifa of course!) The restaurant is located on the 122nd floor (450 meters altitude) and therefore does not differ much from the viewpoint we mentioned above. It is a fine dining restaurant, so make sure you wear appropriate clothing and let yourself be completely pampered by the friendly staff.

3. Be amazed at Dubai Mall

The only Mall where you (probably) won't go to shop, but to be amazed. Rolex, Dior, Chanel and all the fancy brands you can think of can be found there. But the largest mall in the world also has a Zara and an H&M, although the prices here are higher than the regular branches. There even is an aquarium in the shopping center. If you want to walk under the aquarium you will have to pay, but you can also see a lot from the outside and enjoy the beautiful fish swimming here for free.

4. Fountain/light show

 Most people can't get enough of the Burj Khalifa and if that applies to you as well, the show is definitely something you want to see. A light and fountain show takes place approximately every half hour, the schedule depends on the season. During the fountain show you can hear Arabic music where the water shoots up to the rhythm of the music. Fun fact is that this is the most expensive fountain show in the world! During the light show, the Burj Khalifa itself is illuminated by hundreds of LED lights built on the building.

5. Rent a scooter and explore the coastline of the Persian Gulf

This was perhaps one of the best activities we did in Dubai! Cycle and scooter tracks have been constructed along the entire Jumeirah coast. This makes it very relaxing to enjoy the view of the Burj al Arab and the Persian Gulf on an electric scooter. There are several companies that offer these electric scooters, to activate the scooter you must download an app and have data. We used Lime, where we paid a starting amount and then paid per kilometer. There are several scooter parking spaces along the coastline, you can find them exactly via the app. A nice route starts at Jumeirah beach and goes south towards the Burj Al Arab. Along the way you will find plenty of nice beach bars for a smoothie or a tasty lunch.

6. A day in Abu Dhabi

The impressive city of Abu Dhabi is an hour's drive from Dubai, ideal to visit this city whilst you are in the area. What you certainly don't want to miss here is the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is the largest mosque in the country and consists largely of white marble with gold details. You will also want to see Emirates Palace, the Louvre of Abu Dhabi and of course the Formula 1 circuit. When you book a day tour to Abu Dhabi, these highlights will certainly be included. However, there are many different tours available, so check in advance what you find interesting to see in Abu Dhabi and then see which organization best suits your needs!

7. Visit the different souks in old Dubai

We definitely recommend visiting the souks in the old part of Dubai because here, you can still see Dubai as it once was without high skyscrapers, and mainly locals. There are several souks such as the spice souk, where they have baskets full of different spices. You also have the gold souk where there are countless shops selling gold. The textile souk where beautiful rugs and scarves are sold. However, be prepared for pushy salespeople who are eager to show you their store. There is nothing wrong with them, but you have to be brave enough to thank them kindly if you don't want to buy anything and just keep walking. If you want to buy something, you will first have to practice the art of haggling. The prices they mention are way too high, so make sure you never pay their prices. Bargaining is part of the souk experience.

8. Book a desert safari

 Dubai is located in the middle of the desert, so a trip to the sandy plains is easy! You can choose a day trip or an overnight safari. During the day, activities include sandboarding, dune bashing and camel riding. In the evening there is a large BBQ dinner with entertainment, after which the guests that are on a day trip go home . With an overnight safari you will sleep in the camp and enjoy the stars and possibly a traditional water pipe late at night. Our tour operator was Ocean Air, quite commercial but a well taken care of experience.

9. Visit Global Village

Global Village is an event that takes place every day in the winter months (October-April) in Dubai. Culture, entertainment and food are combined here for a unique experience for young to old. There are pavilions from 90 different countries, with each country providing performances, products and dishes for festival goers. A ticket costs about 25 dirham. Global Village can only be reached by car or bus (not the metro). For some extra entertainment you can go to Global Village on Thursday or Friday evening, when there are extra activities such as fireworks shows and parades.

10. Boat tour

 There is a lot of water in Dubai, and where there is water there are of course boats. In terms of luxury, you can make it as crazy as you want. There are dinner cruise tours on a traditional dhows where you sail along Dubai Creek or Dubai Marina. But you can also rent a sunset yacht tour. If you really have the time, you can even book a day tour to Musandam, the Oman peninsula, including swimming and snorkeling!

11. Atlantis aqua park

 This is an activity for the waterslide fanatics among us. Atlantis Aqua Park is a kind of like Disneyland, but with slides. This activity in Dubai has also set a record, as Atlantis is the largest water park in the world. In addition, the slides themselves also break all records, such as 'the longest family slide in the world' and 'the highest slide in the world'. There are 50 slides in the park and in addition to these slides there are plenty of beds where you can lie down. There is even a stretch of beautiful white beach with palm trees where you can also play volleyball, football and here you can book various water activities for an additional fee, such as jet skiing.

12. Grab breakfast at 515 villa

 The tastiest breakfast/lunch spot we visited during our trip to Dubai and that is why it deserves to be mentioned. This place has a lovely courtyard that you can enjoy in the half shade and everything on the menu is delicious. From a burrata sandwich to home-made ice cream, all served with delicious coffee. Because of its location, we combined this spot with a day at the beach, but they are also open for dinner!

 13. Stay at (or visit) the 25 hours hotel

 This is a fantastic hotel to stay in if you are still looking for an accommodation. There is a relaxed vibe, the staff is friendly and there are endless facilities. The hotel has a gym, its own spa, a rooftop swimming pool and several restaurants so that you don't necessarily have to go out in the evening to have fun. There are different activities each day, such as a party or a drink. You can visit this hotel without actually staying at the hotel. They have two rooftop bars that are both worth a visit, a relaxing shisha lounge and a funky cocktail bar (Monkey Bar)!

14. Stroll through Madinat Jumeirah with a view of the Burj al Arab

 Madinat Jumeirah is a beautiful complex consisting of a number of luxury hotels, Souk Madinat and several restaurants. A network of clear blue water runs through the complex, so most restaurants and cafes have a terrace on the water with a view of the Burj al Arab. This makes the complex a cozy place to go for a drink or dinner during the day or in the evening. It is also possible to explore the water with a traditional abra for a fee. The shopping center, Souk Madinat, is also definitely worth walking through if you are looking for that nice souvenir or that beautiful scarf. The sellers are slightly less pushy than the sellers in old Dubai, but it is also slightly more touristy here.

Some final tips:

• The Careem app is the local taxi app that is super handy, always a taxi 2 minutes away.

• For women, it is advisable to have a thin scarf in your bag to put over your shoulders if necessary.

• Not all locations are easily accessible by public transport, a SIM card with data can be useful to always be able to order a taxi.

• Before you return, find out which terminal you need to go to, we were at the wrong one and had to take another taxi to take us to the right terminal.