Thousands of things for you to try – Habibi, come to lovely Dubai!

There are plenty of places in Dubai with unusual interior. AYA (1) offer an immersive experience, guiding you through the abstract journey of an eclectic mix of inner mind and what is seems to be a beyond-foreseeable future. It contracts well with a supermarket within a Dubai Mall in the Chinatown settings (2):

If you get bred and look into switching gears, try an ice rink (3) where you can train or admire others, very well professional people riding and hanging out. Almost like a fish tank, but filled with the people. For those who in fond of ancient history, the Wafi city offers exterior and interior design in the Egyptian style (4):,

When you enter a Green Planet, the first thing you’ll see is a huge tree (5) where the journey starts from the top, while descending and explore different forms of nature at each level. The great thing is that most of the animals are walking or flying freely around, so there are lot of opportunities for nice pictures (6):

The desert, despite initial expectations, offers a lot of entertainment (7). There is an option to do dunes bashing or take a guided or not-so-supervised tours and ride a quadricycle. When the darkness falls, various camps offer dinner and night shows. Make sure to spend some 1-1 time with the sands as well (8):

One of the first must-see places in the state of the emirate would be Dubai Marina (9). It’s located close to the shore, connected to other touristic areas and offers different way to spend time: food options, tours, zipper line. You always can see a lot of people from different countries hanging out there during the season.

Surprisingly, at Jumeirah Beach Resort area you can see a cinema offering shows in different languages. What catches the eye is that there are movies that would use an original audio track, intended to be shown for the native speakers (10) or vice versa – the ones that are intentionally adapted for foreign viewers (11):

With a healthy overload of malls, it’s never gotten boring to explore. Some of them themed as places that famous traveler visited, some has a fully operating snow city, while others offer a street view with 18th century architecture (12). Even if shopping is not a number one item in a list, it’s worth to visit them once.

While Financial Centre and Business Bay areas may be the home for white collars, there is always time for an art. By walking there, you can easily spot different sculptures or statues (13). At the shopping malls located below the ground the natural light comes from the ceiling, supplying visitors with Vitamin D (14):

After Istanbul, where cats get a special treatment, it is lovely to see these little creatures guarding the bridges (15) or taking their side of the path walk, observing pedestrians (16). If look more carefully, there is a chance to spot their habitats hidden in the bushes with bowls full of food and water (17):

Looking behind the corner allows to spot interesting places, hidden in the heart of the city: backyard, courts, old wooden doors under the shade of trees spreading their branches, creating a special vibe (18). The entire area is themed in such style and applies to Souk Al Bahar which stay opposite to Burj Khalifa (19):

It’s surprisingly fast to switch from the Arabic to European motives by travelling to Riverland and finding yourself gazing at the watermill (20) or walking at what looks like a small town (21). Located near the city, it allows an opportunity to trick your friends, pretending you just came abroad for the change of scenery.

The exploration never stops and next item on the list is the Courtyard, offering a lovely mix of different types of architecture, hidden in the heart of industrial area of Al Quoz. You can find coffeeshops, souvenirs, theatre and even museum here (22). The fountain in the middle (23) adds more lay-back tunes:

La Mer, seemed to be the place with an eclectic and what it seems rustic architecture. Currently stopped functioning it gives the vibes of the ghost town, where you can see quite unusual banners (24) or pieces of art here and there (25) with visitors who came to the place hunting for good pictures or fancy videos.

Chocolate lovers definitely will be able to indulge themselves by finding place which a dedicated solely to this product (26), while folks who prefer coffee and good design can visit places like La Nena to admire surrounding and quite futuristic interior of the place (27), which is pleasant for visual and tactile channels:

During the season, Miracle Garden opens the doors into a kingdom of thousand flowers of different shapes and forms. With limited number of activities, it is definitely will please observants, showcasing installations from airplanes to castles, giant dancers, colorful trees, geometrical shapes of all forms (28):

Even during the summer, the plants are given the chance to survive. At the night hours the irrigation system will start its routine, providing a liquid to everything growing on the ground (29). Some of them would begin at 4 am, making sure there are not so many residents walking across the lawn at such time.

Cinemas are furnished with a different type of chair providing visitors with certain level of comfort (30). There is a food delivery right to your seat through the app, offering a good alternative to staying in the line. Healthy choice of food makes it even more engaging and fun, like having a popcorn with a pizza’s taste.

There are areas that full greenery, trees and bushes. Sometimes you may see herons (31) or any other type of the birds living there. Lushy view of organic life is not an uncommon thing, here and there you can observe its representatives (32) or even see gorgeous lakes with a various floral world around them (33).

Proximity to the sea offers certain activities. Dinner cruise with a view, rowing across the Marina and admiring skyscrapers (34). A party on the boat, dancing through the night and enjoying the music (35). Interestingly, there are even signs, traffic lights on the way, helping captains to navigate their ships around.

While walking at Dubai Marina, you can see a lot of vessels of different shapes (35). Especially when there is a season it mostly feels like a traffic where the boats come one by one. The traditional ships are called abra and usually decorated with bright lights of garland increasing an attraction for wondering tourists (36):

Located at Gulf, Dubai has a lot of beach clubs on the short (38). Some of them could be a part of the hotel or made as the standalone entity. There are always some activities going on there: you either can chill at the sunbed, cabana or go dance and mingle with the people while listening to the set of some trend DJ’s.

At certain distance from the city, there is a place called Global Village. It offers variety of food and shopping experience form different parts of the world. The fascinating part of this complex, is that every night, there is a stunt show with cars, motorbikes and various tricks involved. Definitely must-see at least once (39):

If you think that rain is not a frequent visitor here, there are facts to prove you wrong. Besides of the internal irrigation systems, the lawns could be hydrated with the natural liquid (40). Roads’ surface would be turned into the gloss, glittering in the lights of the night city. Sometimes even heavy storms may occur.

When picking the boat, you unlock the ability to see one of the best luxurious hotels from a different angle. Both Atlantes show the gorgeous side of themselves. One reminds of a huge palace with gigantic gates (42), while another one seems like a condominium from the future, attracting an eye with unusual shapes.

Sometimes, when you look up, you may notice interesting objects on top of the building (44). Treat them as easter eggs, they are there for those who like to observe. When it comes to National day, you may witness the stunning drone show (45) where hundreds of units form different animated scenes for viewers.

If you happen to go outside the city, you may find the areas where the labor force is resided. Mostly, they live in dorms, few people per a single room. It would remain a small village where they have all necessary: haircut saloons, supermarkets, food courts, laundries, exchange houses to send money back home (46):

Sea could bring a lot with the tide. If you walk across the shore line, you may end-up with collecting a lot of seashells of different forms and shapes (47). Noticeably, most of them are the same size and sometimes you may even see the parts of the corrals (48). If pay more attention, sand crabs could be spotted as well.

There is a Legoland there, and one of its attractions is to visit mini-version of the brick factory. Being made for visitors, it demonstrates the process of turning raw material into the fine pieces (49). There is also an option to make your own. The tours happen on a regular basis few times per day, with a free admission.

At the heart of the city near business center, you can find an Old Village which brings you to the atmosphere of Arabian market (50). Even places like Starbucks are fitting nicely there thanks to adopted exterior (51). Proximity to the Dubai Creek gives a nice view to the water surface, and the opposite side of the city.

Bird view from Burj Khalifa is gorgeous at any time of the day. You can see clusters of buildings, from shopping malls to business skyscrapers, connected with arteries of roads with cars that transport people like leucocytes carry the oxygen to different organs of living and breathing organism of megacity (53).

Vast space offers more activities, especially when they require bigger rooms. Art jam is one of them where you would find yourself in a big hangar, painting canvas in abstraction way (53) or creating personalized figure that could potentially decorate an apartment (55). Most of such places relying on corporate events.

For lone wolves or couples there is a place called ‘Sketch Art Café’ that offers a painting experience along with a cup of coffee. You get few blank cups, crayons, pencils, watercolors to express creativity. As result, your work will be preplaced to the hall of fame (55), so make sure to aim and create a unique one (56):

In the business district there are plenty of tailors and haircut places, also called ‘gents saloons’. Often you can see people going there during the lunch time, optimizing their day (58). Nearby, there would be stands with free magazines like ‘Forbes’, ‘GQ’, ‘CEO’ or others which would be replenished on monthly basis.

Local post has the external boxes that stand right outside of their offices. It seems that they also could be served as the box for rent or suggest that the recipient may possess it if they don’t have their own (60). In some places you can see a book-crossing points where you can borrow some for free or leave yours (61):

When visiting a restroom, you may want to see couches or any other items of interior where you can have some quick rest (62). Depending on the type of the building, the class of furniture will be lower or higher. There are different signs that you could see there too: for gender, for kids, for determined people (63):

In certain areas you may spot ‘business cards’ of working girls that would demonstrate the unique value proposal itself and contact details. Little messenger icon would suggest various ways to make an acquaintance (64). Sometimes when you look at ordinary places, you could spot unusual items too (65):

To facilitate shopping experience, you can use special devices at the beginning of the journey (66). Grab device, scan items, enjoy a smooth check-out. Most of the offices would order all of the appliances from the big online supermarkets like Noon, Amazon, Instashop. Delivery is as fast as for the same day (67).

There are two metro lines in the city and stations are noticeable from distance, as they look like the part of the golden starship (68). One of the paths goes across the shore and allows the passengers to enjoy the views of the city (69). It is especially beautiful in the night time when everything is illuminated (70):

It is possible to travel across in a healthy way, aiming to stay fit. There is a company called Careem that offers bicycles rental. The interesting part is their docking stations furnished with solar panels, allowing to get an extra source of free energy, especially when there is an almost endless flow of it in the region (71):

Alternative way of exploring or navigating through the neighborhood would be usage of scooters. There are plenty of vendors offering such service and it is easy to get one (72). Be mindful, that there are no-go zones. If your phone is running out of juice, there is a way to charge it right from the vehicle wirelessly (73):

If there is a need to move faster around the area, there is a hybrid version of bicycle and scooter (74). Noticeably, there are plenty of people using this as the last mile solution or even as the commute transport on a day-to-day basis. They obliged to wear a helmet and special vest with the light-deflecting stripes.

Food deliverers are knights of the road. Interestingly, they would wear a protection for both knees and elbows (75). Their rides have the box that has lights and quite visible at the evening time. You always can distinguish drivers as they have their brand colors, wear a special uniform, and carry big food bags (76):

At the shopping malls there is an option to get a taxi right from where you are. Usually, can catch the driver from the spot or use a special app. It is especially handy, when the place is big and you carry a lot of bags (77). For those who can’t or temporary may not able to walk themselves, there are free wheel chairs (78):

If needed, you can get your car washed or refueled on the spot when there’re no options (79). Or even get some veterinary on-the-wheel to help to the members of your family with tail (80). They can arrive right at the doorstep to help. Look carefully, and you will see interesting things inside of the most vans (80):

Monday starts with various deliveries for customers who placed them over the weekend. Step out of the building and you will witness delivery of drinking water (82). Place a small order, and the bicycle, or driver on e-scooter will arrive at short time, free of charges, after you confirm the purchase via WhatsApp (83):

School buses are responsible for delivery of kids. They come in classic yellow color, can be big or small (84). Usually, each child accompanied by nanny. When getting a car, you can expect Lexus or hi-class Toyotas to arrive (85). If want to go green, you can get a squeaky-clean Tesla coming to fetch you (86):

The RTA – Roads and Transport Authority not only issue and monitor people following the rules, but also explains how they should be followed. For example, what and how should be transported in metro, how and where you can ride on specific transport, what should be the equipment of riders of each type (87):

When stepping into the metro, you may notice various signs, telling you where to go or stay. While waiting for the car to arrive, there is a sector for those who departing and those, who are about to arrive (88). It is quite similar to Singapore’s MRT with different design. Same applied to the travelators and escalators (89).

Trams, connected to a few metro stations, allowing to reach out more destinations. With no entry control, they rely on people integrity. For check-in or check-out, you just need to tap the card (90). The display allows to see ETA arrival time and where to find a gold class car (91). One-time tickets made of paper (92).

Remember to play fair when you travel, as there are controllers who would scan your card. You may see people travelling with their scooters that they keep under the seat (93). For folks returning from a trip abroad, there is a section to store bulky luggage (94). Saw them only at Golden Class cars yet though.

Golden Class itself offers more comfortable way of commuting. You can see various markers indicating the car (95). It is either at the head or tail of the car (96), and if you in the train itself, there is a map that helps you to understand where is it, depending on the direction (97). Don’t miss it with the pink one please.

Valet parking is a common thing in Dubai. Cars come and go, reminding some Hollywood movies, where the hotel guy would catch the key throwed towards him and collect tips afterwards (98). For the sun weather there are tents protecting vehicles from the sun or sand. At the big parking’s, there’ll be plenty of them (99):

Pedestrian path indicates the status of the object for both drivers and people crossing the road. They use designated areas for waiting, colored lights defining no-go section, and border lights to help the drivers see it from the distance (100). Pay attention to notice curious shapes of cars, and search for Batman’s (101):

Sheds could be found at the parking areas and also at the kids playground (102). Usually, it’s a few pieces connected together providing shadows for the children. At Marina Dubai, there is a spot located beneath the bridge, utilizing the constant blockage of the ultraviolet light for comfortable conditions for little ones.

Some of the food has interesting details. For example, when you buy a piece of butter, you can get the sense of weight using ‘embedded’ ruler, making it easier for home chefs to be more precise (103). At some bars or caffes the owners would brand not only the cutlery, but the food or eatable items itself (104).

If you’d walk at the Time Out Square, you’ll find different dishes from across the world: sushi, kabab, grill, ramen and so on. Some of them may look quirky, like crab in the bun that seats at miniature Czech Hedgehog (105). Some caffes would prepare a fascinating thematic deserts in a festive season (106):

When you get your sushi delivered, expect that box will be of bigger size, compartmentalizing different types. Same rule is applied to soy sauce, wasabi and ginger carefully split across potential participants sharing the meal (107). Biryani could arrive in a clay pot sealed by bread which is also consumable (108):

Drinks normally would be served with a straw that has remaining part of the paper package from the top side, so that when you remove it, it is untouchable and clean (109). Some coffeeshops would give you an extra cookie when you buy a coffee. Smile wider and you could rely on getting extra on the top of it (110):

In the supermarkets, there is an option to squeeze nuts to get a fresh paste right on the spot. Different options available, some of them would have a chocolate crumb (111). There are also plenty of products made in fancy ways. For instance, you could spot a ‘nutchup’ – a sauce produced from peanut butter (112):

The roadshow of interesting grocery items won’t stop here. Pink-colored eggs would be silently screaming through the refrigerator glass, making the first-time buyer wonder what makes them so special (113). For those who miss Singapore, there are familiar beverages containing memories in a shape of a can (114):

The lovers of traditional Russian drinks won’t be left alone – blueberry, sea blackthorn, cranberry compote attracting the attention (115). In some stores you could find them in a thematic sections, but at others, they part of the standard layout that they do have in the shop, mixed with products from other countries as well.

If dairy is your thing, especially when it comes to sour products, it’s definitely worth of trying different types of cheese. They have different shapes, forms, like soft or creamy, the way of making, packed or sold by weightage. Most of them are ready to eat, other require a bit of preparation or grilling and seasoning (116):

Separately, it is worth to mention the freshness of the products. If you go to the store, you can almost surely find the same-day product, delivered right to the store, thanks to local facilities. It applies to beverages (117), yoghurts (118), milk (119). Quick note: there are camel-produced goods, give them a try!

When you look at miniature versions of Nutella (120), you may think of the minimalistic alcohol bottles. There are different types of the products that you could discover within the same scale: honey jars, shampoo, mouth refresheners. If in rush, get a cup of brand coffee from vending right in the store (121):

Languages never stop surprising us by how weirdly they would sound for foreigners (122). As mentioned before, some of the Indian dishes would be served in clay pots, even if it is an ice cream with some pistachio (123). Slightly reminds how the tea is consumed from disposable clay cups on streets of Kolkata.

You can find a little piece of Asia right at the beach washed by waters of Gulf (124). The building in Chinese style, stands separately, shines bright in the night and offers noodle right from the wok (125). Could be a great way to have a dinner by the sea, watching the sunset, eating a food, and thinking about an eternity.

Where you definitely will see the abundance is the choice of dates or olives. Colors, forms, origins presented widely (126). The seller would let you to try it first before making a decision. And if you need a set for a dinner with friends or something more romantic, you can easily find boxes with mixed items (127):

If something doesn’t have a price, no need to bring it to the shopping assistant or carry over all the way to the cashier. Find special scanner and it will tell you the story about the thing in your hands (128). The spirit of fusion goes different ways, so you could encounter some Asian and European mixes occasionally (129):

The food that is ready to be consumed also represent different countries depending on the supermarket. Sichuan chicken could stay near with Tabbouleh. Garlic paste could meet Butter Masala. Wine leaves might be mixed with mutton Biryani (130). Lifehack: you may ask staff to put everything into one bowl :)

Companies celebrates traditional holidays making it an interesting activity for the rest of the employees who may not be familiar with certain date and meaning behind of it (131). Depending on the firm and people there will be multiple activities, the way of dressing and traditional food served to feast together (132):

Because United Arab Emirates is an Islamic Country, you, as someone who comes from the outside will need to obtain a license to buy an alcohol. It could be issued on the spot, while the printed version will arrive weeks later. Not a big fan, thought it could be handy for different occasions from time to time (133).

If you get lost and don’t have a ‘focal’ point that you could rely on, just ask for a nearest assembly point or use it as a mark when setting a catch-up outside (134). The taxis mostly in airport or in the big malls would have their designated spot to help passengers to find them easily and don’t disturb other services (135):

Each building has an index that is printed on a designated plate at the front entrance (136). The local system called Makani allow to use QR code or unique number to find the place on the map (137). Interestingly, Google Maps have quite limited information about the actual nomenclature of streets.

There is plenty of sun in the area, but if you need to get an even tan, there a place providing such services for your body (138). Near one of the ROXY Cinemas, you could see a huge poster with famous writers and their quotes (139). The nice touch is that each line is written on their very original language for authenticity.

Every time you go back home, there is a little moment of surprise whether it’s yours or someone else’s door. The country is so safe, so that you could see a grocery boxes, Amazon parcels or even laundry items hanging on the handlers (140). Sometime it’ll be little ads (141) or business cards on a door mat as well.

If you want to do laundry, company will send a courier, who will offer a set of colorful bags to sort the cloth. Each type goes to a separate one, and you don’t need to use all of them (142). Sometimes you just can leave it at your doorstep which will make both drop-off and further collection smooth for all parties.

The landlord of your apartment may welcome you with a generously-loaded fridge: you can find water, soft drinks and some sweets in the apartment (143). As for the liquid, it’s been noticed, that residents use to order bottles and keep them outside while putting the empty ones out of the flat for collectors to pick (144):

When there is a holiday season like Diwali (or Deepavali), you’ll see people bringing lights out of their houses celebrating (145). Or you may find your neighbors meticulously making ornaments from the colorful powder turning into beautiful flowers or traditional shapes that would stay few weeks after celebration (146):

As for the food, there are many things that would definitely look unusual. Especially, if you used to consume them in different ways and occasions: there is a juice made of activated coal (147). Many restaurants, when open, would spread out not common flyers, but the entire menu or deliver it to your doorstep (148).

Coffeeshops may act as a last resort if your device is running out of energy without the necessity of bringing your own cables by having wireless charges (149). They may be in different form-factors and designs (150), also offering a QR codes to get an access to the menu, order or pay the bill for your meal.

The tipping is not widely spread in Dubai, although you may see the boxes here in there (151) with some cash and coins. More common way is to ask for a tip in the ordering app itself or embed it into the payment device, letting the customer to decide. Tracking of delivery orders happen in an old school way (152):

When entering the building, you may see the following picture which indicates the location of each office on specific floor (153). The beaty is that it uses two more dimensions: the size of the plate, and location of the unit, allowing more precise and efficient navigation, and, perhaps, better self-esteem of the owners :)

Forbes comes in two versions: in English and Arabic (154). Besides of the language difference, both magazines open from the different sides. Content-wise, there are also distinctions, as each version would follow their own canvas and way of picking the illustrations and copy for each fragment of same parts (155):

If you walk across the floor of office building, don’t be surprised by press or ads be laying right on the floor. It is common for companies to order periodic newspapers, as it is normal for advertising agents to deliver the materials no matter what (156). Reminds Singapore with pile of mails next to abandoned office doors.

The pedestrian signs are slightly different, then usual ones (157) and, according to rules, those who walk get more rights and respect from drivers: for example, it is not advisable to honk: use it as the last resort. Given the efforts to bring and grow plants, there are few rules on what not to do with them (158):

The restrooms areas may also be combined with spaces for praying, so there are signs prohibiting people to wash their legs in the basins (159) or not to use cubicles as the place to take care about the entire body (160). There is also a janitor attached to each washroom, who would be there to keep it neat and clean.

Visitors of different age being considered as well. If they want to wash or dry their hands, there won’t be a need to take any extra effort (161). Most of the spaces equipped with a mini-versions or items with adjusted heights for kids, so that they also could use them equally without asking someone else to help or assist.

Since being introduced, QR codes offer simple yet efficient way to send end-user to the right components for further interaction. If you want to leave specific feedback, there is a stand at Jumeirah Beach Residence that allows you to do so with ease (162). As for the parking systems, most of them are automated (163):

Dedicated storage boxes allow to collect items with no-hassle from local e-commerce megastore called Noon (164). Initially confused them with the place where you also could get your food delivered and then realized it’s mostly for articles ordered from the online marketplaces. Nevertheless, a nice idea to entertain!

There are also old-school looking mailboxes for sending a correspondence (165). What’s interesting is that they are in the red color, which is different to blue ones seen before. A little mystery to solve. Similar to Singapore, spotted a couple of boxes with defibrillators at metro stations in noticeable green color (166):

When walking across the neighborhood, don’t get lost and use the navigation system, identifying designed paths for animal owners (167). As a part of broader government initiatives, there are machines with a fresh tap water which you can use to replenish your bottle absolutely free of any charge available 24/7 (168):

Sustainability and environment care are not just declared words. You can find pretty much everywhere spots to separate the trash by different types (169), donate your items, utilize hardware or help to collect batteries through the special boxes (170). Some of them would have solar panels for better autonomy.

If you want to make a duplicate of the key, you will need to show your Emirates ID and leave the details of the address to avoid the cases of misusing them. The keys itself come in various designs, making them fancy to owe (171). To settle in condo, you need to obtain a move in permit from a management (172):

The second life could be given to the hardware where it will be repaired, refurbished or decomposed and then utilized for a good cause (173). If you see those red boxes, it means you can avoid just throwing your stuff away and bring it here to improve your karma and make a contribution to a better, sustainable world.

Good memories may not be only captured in the digital form. Your significant others may appreciate and get touched when you create their 3d-model, which copies every single detail as much as possible (174). All you need is to step into a special area with cameras and few weeks later get a package delivered (175):

There are interesting ads that you can spot on Instagram: You may go for Intravenous Therapy (176) or get a full test of your blood at the comfort of your home (177). Both of these are not any kind of the advertisement of services, but rather an observation of interesting offers that you could see online in Dubai.

The level system follows European numbering. Ground level stands for G, while second floor mostly would be called level one and so one. B stands for Basement and R reserved for the Roof (178). When using the elevator or speaking to staff, expect them to use this terminology referring to specific part of the building.

While walking on the street, you may notice the advertisement of new media channels being introduced to the public (179). The bus stands offer details on the route and stops along with the schedules (180). Noticeable, most of the people would default to using cars as they are more accessible and petrol is cheap.

In the buildings, you may see a detailed map with the floor’s layout along with the evacuation plans. Little red icons suggest the location of the tools to be used to help to fight with the fire (181). Each building would have its own community rules posted in the public areas (182). Mostly they standard with some deviations.

In the office buildings, each company will install separate biometric devices protecting the entrance from unwanted guests and saving cash on using keycards. The photo below was taken on the same floor, where each firm proudly setup different types matching their own needs or fitting the size of their budget (183):

Having relatives visiting also means thinking about what they should bring with them back home. There are plenty of things to be chosen from when it comes to souvenirs: lamps, perfumes, magnets, coffee makers, plates, cups, statuettes, bookmarks, cloths, quietly reminding: Habibi, come to Dubai! (184):