Winter Sun in Dubai

Last month I enjoyed a very last-minute short trip to Dubai, UAE. I was in need of a break, a change of scenery and was hoping to enjoy some sunshine too.

I flew with Emirates direct from Manchester to Dubai. My flight was less than half empty flying out, but full coming back. It was all very straightforward and easy.

I stayed at Palm Tree Court, JA The Resort which is located on Jebel Ali beach. I booked all-inclusive and had a sea view with a balcony which was lovely. My accommodation was set in beach villa style, low rise blocks, which was definitely the right choice for me. The gardens/grounds are impressive, it’s right on the beach and there’s lots of choice of restaurants and bars and other facilities (golf course, equestrian centre etc). Beach Hotel and Lake View Hotel are also located on JA The Resort. You could easily stay here for a week and not venture out!

I stayed quite a distance from the rest of the city, especially Deira and Bur Dubai which are northeast of most of the other places to visit, so that’s something to bear in mind. The Dubai Metro is efficient and cheap however it doesn’t go everywhere and there can be long walks at connecting stations / to reach your final destination. I went on the Dubai tram around JBR and on The Palm Monorail. The city is really designed for cars. Taxis are usually widely available (however beware, I had to queue for almost 40 minutes to get a taxi from Dubai Mall on Saturday evening).

The skyscrapers, especially the Burj Khalifa, are amazing. The scale of it is mind boggling! I’d looked on a map before I went but to be honest I hadn’t really got my head around the distances involved. I loved the ‘old’ area of Deira and Bur Dubai as it felt more authentic and different to home.

Remember the UAE is an Islamic country so be respectful and adhere to local customs and laws. The weekend was Friday and Saturday however at the beginning of this year it moved to Saturday and Sunday to align with the global economy, so the weekend now starts on Friday afternoon.

There’s pretty much guaranteed sunshine, especially during our winter, which makes it a good choice of destination for some winter sun without a really long flight (7 hours from the UK). In my view it would be far too hot to visit in the summer.

My advice is to think carefully about which area of the city you want to stay in and what you want to see and do while you are there (if anything – you might just want to relax on the beach or by a pool and not do much!)

Please get in touch if you’re thinking of a trip to Dubai.