Dubai (UAE) 2021. Part 1

My first trip to Dubai, UAE, was meant to be an exciting and adventurous journey. Before that, I had only visited Russia and Georgia, and I hadn’t flown much at all. But Dubai – the magical and mysterious Arab world, far to the south – was a whole new adventure waiting for me.
However, this trip also turned out to be the most complicated one I’ve ever planned. I had originally booked my flight for April 2, 2020, with all tickets in hand. But then, the global pandemic hit, and suddenly, all travel plans were swept away by a wave of restrictions and lockdowns. Airlines weren’t offering refunds, so I ended up with travel vouchers instead, stuck in limbo and unsure of what would happen next.
What was supposed to be a short wait turned into a long delay – a whole year and a half later, in mid-October 2021, I was finally able to make the trip!
Despite the setbacks, my adventure in Dubai was filled with unforgettable experiences – both the good and the not-so-good.

October 13, 2021, Wednesday. Almaty and Medeo!

Yesterday, I flew to Almaty, escaping the cold weather and diving into what would become the start of a long-awaited adventure. The journey began with an unexpected twist: instead of the usual FlyArystan A320, we were upgraded to a larger and more comfortable Airbus A320 Neo from Air Astana. It was a pleasant surprise, and since I’d paid a small fee (100 tenge) to select my seat, I ended up in seat 7A—right in business class!
Yes, for just 100 tenge, I found myself sitting in a leather seat, living the high life in business class. Although we weren’t served a full meal, we did get a small waffle and a bottle of water. Considering the ongoing COVID restrictions (everyone was still wearing masks), I took it as a good sign for the adventure ahead.

The flight to Dubai was scheduled for the night, so I had some time to explore. I climbed the endless stairs to Medeo and stood on the dam, taking in the breathtaking views of the mountains glowing in the warm light of the setting sun. I couldn’t help but notice the electric cars zipping by, especially the Teslas. I was tempted to take a ride, but decided to wait for a better time (as it turns out, Tesla cabs no longer go to Chimbulak, much to my disappointment).
The excitement of the trip was building. I couldn’t believe I was about to experience a new land, completely different from anything I’d known before.

I was absolutely nervous about my PCR test at the airport check-in. I had taken the test before the flight, back in Semipalatinsk, and printed out the results in Almaty. However, I didn’t have the clinic’s stamp on the document, while other passengers did. I was worried they wouldn’t let me board, but thankfully, they accepted my test without any issues. What a relief!
My flight was with FlyDubai, and let me tell you—it wasn’t the smoothest experience. The plane was old and dirty, feeling tired, and it was packed with noisy tourists, as well as Indians and Arabs. The ticket price had also increased since 2020, jumping from 170$ to around 200$.
I had paid extra for a window seat, hoping to enjoy the view of the night city lights, and I wasn’t disappointed, looking at the lights of the night cities.

October 14, 2021, Thursday. Hello, Dubai!

It was a long, sleepless night—more than 5 hours in the air—and I was surprised by how little I could see out of the window, even as morning approached. The whole city of Dubai was covered by a thick, hot, humid haze that made it nearly impossible to see the horizon, let alone any distant buildings. Even at night, the stars were barely visible, hidden by the blanket of mist.
We finally landed in the massive Dubai International Airport, but the journey wasn’t over. We spent a good 20 minutes taxiing along the tarmac before reaching the parking place. As soon as the plane touched down, the usual chaos ensued. Passengers immediately jumped to their feet, grabbing their bags and crowding the aisles. The flight attendants were doing their best to maintain order, asking everyone in both English and Arabic to stay seated, but it was no use. Eventually, they switched to Russian, and that seemed to get through to the crowd.
As soon as I stepped off the plane, the intense heat of the Arabian desert hit me like a wave—40°C (104°F) in October. The air was so hot, it felt like I was melting and boiling all at once. Lovely weather in October! X)

Dubai International Airport is absolutely massive. To avoid getting lost, I tried to follow the crowd of passengers from my flight. But with so many other planes arriving at the same time, I quickly lost track of everyone. Instead of a single luggage carousel, there was an entire hall filled with endless rows of baggage belts. I had no idea where to find mine! After about 20 minutes of waiting at the belt for the Moscow flight (where the passengers looked quite familiar), the bags stopped coming, and that’s when I noticed the flight number sign. So I finally found the right carousel.
Next up was exchanging currency. I had changed $200 into dirhams, lured by what seemed like a decent exchange rate. However, I didn’t realize they’d charge a service fee of about 50 dirhams (~7,000 tenge), which made the rate less favorable than it initially appeared. This sneaky commission caught me off guard, and it was only later that I figured out what had happened.
A lesson learned: never exchange money at the airport unless it’s just for the essentials you need to get into the city. The most reliable way is to show the cashier your bill and ask how much local currency you’ll get in exchange. This way, you can calculate the actual commission or rate for yourself. Also, be aware that older US dollar bills aren’t accepted at exchange offices in the Emirates—or they’ll be exchanged very reluctantly. It’s better to keep this in mind when planning ahead. For reference, in October, the exchange rate was 3.673 dirhams to the dollar, but in exchange offices, the rate was closer to 3.5 to 3.6 dirhams per dollar.
To make things easier during my 10-day stay in Dubai, I decided to buy a local SIM card from Etisalat, which came with an internet package. It was definitely more cost-effective than relying on roaming. However, I quickly discovered a bit of a drawback: making international calls isn’t as straightforward as I expected, and internet calls didn’t work either. But on the bright side, I could still send voice messages without any issues.
Once I arrived at the metro terminal, I spent about 15 minutes grilling the employee behind the counter with questions. I was trying to figure out how to buy the reusable silver NOL Emaar card (which costs 25 dirhams, with 19 dirhams loaded on it), how to refill it, and how to get to the DMCC station. I also asked about the women’s-only cars to make sure I didn’t accidentally end up in one, and how to ride in a gold-class car. Thankfully, there was no line, so I had plenty of time to ask everything I needed )
Dubai’s metro system is fully automated and elevated, offering stunning views, especially from the head golden carriage – there’s no driver! This was my first time riding on it, and I used a special disposable red card, which cost 17 dirhams. The stations themselves are like something out of a sci-fi movie, looking incredibly futuristic and resembling space terminals.

The ride was long—over an hour—because Dubai is massive, stretching more than 130 kilometers from one end to the other. The fare depends on the number of zones you cross, with prices ranging up to 7.5 dirhams. The great part is that any extra fare you’ve paid is refunded to your card when you exit the station. Plus, if you change to another mode of transport within the same zone within 30 minutes, the second trip can be free. For example, I transferred from the DMCC station to Dubai Marina on the tram, which also looks like a spaceship.
In many ways, Dubai truly feels like a city of the future. For navigating around, I found 2Gis (a local map app) to be incredibly helpful.

My hostel was located in the heart of Dubai Marina, a stunning harbor surrounded by luxury yachts and towering skyscrapers that seemed to cling together like massive stalagmites. After braving the intense heat, I finally made my way to the coast, but my next challenge was finding the entrance to the building that housed the hostel—something that turned out to be trickier than expected.
The building, Bahar 5, was a majestic sand-colored colossus towering over a massive underground parking lot, connecting the entire neighborhood. To reach the hostel on the 40th floor, I had to wander around a bit more.

Once I made it to the top, the views were absolutely spectacular, offering a luxurious panorama of the Palm Jumeirah island and the coast. The breathtaking sight was definitely the highlight, as the hostel itself was fairly basic. But with a price of only $15 a night, it was incredibly affordable.
The hostess was of African descent, and the hostel was buzzing with foreign tourists from all over the world. It was amazing to be part of such an international community all at once. The fridge in the kitchen was filled with the strange aromas of unfamiliar foods—some of which seemed to be starting to spoil)
For lunch, I ventured to Chowking, a Chinese restaurant, and tried some interesting dishes—chicken, soups, and noodles. I also tasted a dessert called “butch,” a large, sweetish ball that was quite nice.
The skyscraper where my hostel was located was on the second line, so it only took about 5 minutes to walk to the shore, passing an alley lined with sun-drenched, sprawling palm trees.

Jumeirah Beach (JBR) is one of the best public beaches in Dubai. The soft yellow sand, the lush green water that tastes bitter and salty, and the bath-like warmth of the sea—it was an experience to remember. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the beach was packed with tourists, and everyone was mask-free, breathing freely. With the intense heat, it felt like no virus could survive in such conditions) There were pretty windy.
One thing that stood out was hearing Russian being spoken every 100 meters along the beach. It gave me the distinct feeling that Dubai is a bit of a Russian hub XD
I caught the sunset on the beach, which happens quite early here—around 6 pm. The sky turned a soft peach color, and the oppressive heat finally began to ease up. I walked along the shore for a couple of kilometers, passing rows of hotels that lined the coastline, all the way to the edge of the Palm Island.
On the private parts of the beach, you’re not allowed to swim, and lifeguards will quickly signal for you to get out of the water. But I still found spots to swim, and even encountered a blue jellyfish about the size of a fist. It stung like a wasp! Near the shore, small fish swam through the surf, and the waves were gentle and soft, perfect for a leisurely dip.

After the sun dipped below the horizon, a boat with a searchlight began cruising the shoreline, blaring its horn to signal late swimmers to get out of the water. But as soon as it sailed off, people quickly returned to the sea, though not as enthusiastically as during the afternoon.
I decided to grab a quick bite at the local “Subway”—a familiar fast food spot where you can customize your sandwich with whatever ingredients you want. After that, I set off to explore the luxurious Dubai Marina.

That evening, I had an interesting encounter with Pascaline, a vibrant social worker from Ghana who’s working in Dubai. She was a colorful character and an engaging conversationalist, though she seemed a little too eager in her pursuit of finding a husband. Her persistent questions left me feeling a bit awkward at times, but I didn’t mind—she was entertaining and full of energy.
We strolled along the inner harbor, marveling at the sparkling skyscrapers and the glowing light trails on the water. It was a truly magical sight, the city alive with energy and color. By the end of the night, I realized I had surprisingly packed a lot into the day.

And the description was long, to match. Continued in the next post 🙂