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Continuation of my journey through the mysteriously distant and fairytale-like Dubai.
The 1st part is here >>.
Friday, October 15, 2021 – Dubai EXPO
I slept in until 10 a.m. (which became a bad habit—I often stayed in bed for half the morning). After a late breakfast, I headed back to the beach. The weekend here falls on Friday and Saturday, so many places are closed on Fridays.
In the morning, the sea water is still pleasant, but after lunch, the heat becomes intense. Around Dubai Marina, you’ll see tourists in extravagant outfits—not just on the beach, but on the streets too. You’d think, being a Muslim country and all, that things would be stricter, especially during Covid times. But Dubai is different. It’s the most liberal of the emirates and clearly loves its tourists. Dress codes here are more like suggestions than strict rules.
There are lots of private beaches, but tourists from outside usually aren’t allowed to swim there. You can’t just go into the water anywhere. That was surprising to me—especially after Georgia, where the entire coastline is open and you can swim wherever you want.
Dubai, in general, is a luxurious, grand, and dazzling resort city. It reminds me a bit of our capital, Astana—like a smaller-scale Dubai, but without the sea. Here, it’s all about skyscrapers, glamour, and over-the-top experiences. How far you want to go just depends on your budget and imagination. You can paraglide, take a helicopter ride, go surfing, or zipline over skyscrapers. Literally anything.
But overall, it’s quite expensive. Even fast food will probably cost you around $10. A meal at a café? Expect to pay two to five times more.
After lunch, I went to the EXPO!
I had timed my trip—delayed for a year and a half—so that I wouldn’t miss it. Events like this don’t come around often, and I really didn’t want to let it pass by. I’d bought a monthly pass in advance (the October Pass) for 95 dirhams at a discount.
The exhibition area is massive—like a whole city within a city, located in the southern part of Dubai near the final metro station. At the entrance, after going through ticket checks and PCR screenings, visitors are greeted by a majestic, openwork hemisphere in a sand-colored, Arabic style—floating above the ground like something out of a dream.
Inside, there’s a network of roads and countless pavilions, including the three main ones hosted by the current organizers, each dedicated to a theme of the future: Mobility, Sustainability, and Opportunity. Near the U.S. pavilion, I saw Tesla electric cars and even a model of the now-legendary reusable SpaceX rocket—Falcon 9. Not the real one, of course, but a detailed replica that still looked amazing. Next to the DP World pavilion, there was even a model of a Hyperloop capsule.
After sunset (which happens early here, right after 6 p.m.), the interior dome of the entrance hemisphere lights up beautifully. At times, it even turns into a giant screen with dancing, dreamlike images—pure magic, creating an almost fairytale-like atmosphere.
There were huge crowds everywhere. Even with electronic booking through the app, it was hard to get into many pavilions. I managed to visit the Italian pavilion and the UAE pavilion, which showcased the history and culture of the Emirates. The UAE building itself was stunning—its architecture looked like a fantastic bird in flight, or maybe a surreal seashell. Hard to say exactly—it was just breathtaking.
By the end of the day, I was completely wiped out from the heat. My legs refused to move. At 1 a.m., I found myself sitting on the beach. Pure beauty and peace—the perfect time for a swim. A boat passed by with a searchlight, scattering some late-night swimmers… but after that, I went right back in.
You can walk at night here without a worry—no drunk people around (alcohol is prohibited), and the atmosphere is calm. Some folks were dancing in the surf, playing Russian songs from a portable speaker. Swimming at night is a real joy—quiet, empty shore, warm water, and the kind of peace that makes you not want to leave. And finally, the air on the shore is “not hot” for once. During the day, it’s impossible to escape the heat.
Out by the Palm Island, you can spot a huge cruise liner —`Carnival Splendor, 290 meters long. It reminded me of the sunken Costa Concordia, but this one was moored and added to the view, like part of the scenery.
Saturday, October 16, 2021 – Burj Khalifa!
Another late morning, which I started again with some Chinese food from Chowking and a visit to Jumeirah Beach. While sunbathing, I watched planes fly overhead. Palm Island even has its own runway—private jets were constantly taking off and landing. Up in the sky, paragliders lazily drifted around.
In the water, I spotted a few new fish—tiny ones like sprats, and one larger fish that swam right up to the shore before darting away. So yes, there’s sea life here, even with all the swimmers around. The water, though, is quite cloudy—you can’t see far underwater, even with a mask. And because of the strong sun, I had to keep dipping back into the sea every now and then—otherwise, I’d roast to a crisp in minutes.
Later, I took the tram—it’s sleek and futuristic, like something from a sci-fi movie. From the now-familiar DMCC station, I hopped on the metro in the opposite direction of the EXPO, this time heading toward the tallest building in the world.
From Burj Khalifa station, you can reach the enormous Dubai Mall via a covered walkway. But for some reason, I decided to go outside and walk—big mistake. The heat was intense, and with complicated road junctions and random missing sidewalks, it wasn’t the easiest route. Still, once the Burj Khalifa comes into view, it makes up for everything. What a landmark.
The height of the Burj Khalifa is truly astounding.
It’s hard to believe something like this could even be built—especially in the middle of the desert. You can’t take your eyes off it: a silver, sparkling arrow piercing the sky.
Wanting to see the famous dancing fountains at the base of the tower, I once again took a long and confusing route, constantly checking the map and melting in the heat. The area around the Burj is full of intricate pathways and surprising distances—nothing is ever as close as it looks. And in this kind of heat, your ability to walk far really drops.
Eventually, by evening, when golden lights had already lit up the trunks of palm trees, I made it to the artificial lake with the fountains. For the record—it’s much easier to get there straight through the Dubai Mall.
The fountain light show repeats every 30 minutes after sunset and is free to watch. But because of Covid, there were distancing measures in place. We had to stand along marked spots, each person in their own designated area. Still, the sight was magical: the lights of the surrounding skyscrapers reflecting off the black water, all of them seeming small next to the towering Burj Khalifa.
The fountain show matches the scale of the Burj itself—these are the tallest dancing fountains in the world. Water jets shoot up to 150 meters, forming ever-changing patterns to different music. At the same time, the entire 828-meter face of the tower turns into a giant screen, adding to the spectacle.
I had dinner at the Six Board Game Cafe, with a view of the Burj. Outdoors, under a massive fan (more than a meter wide!), I had a banana smoothie and a quesadilla. The meal cost 84 dirhams—100 with tips.
Later that night, I went back to the sea—my now familiar beach. Beams from the spotlights beneath the world’s largest Ferris wheel glided over the water, tracing sparkling paths across the waves.
Sunday, October 17, 2021 – All the most…!
Today it hit +39°C. The heat is unreal. After yesterday’s sunburn, I feel like a lobster. Honestly, it seems like the only way to survive here is to just stay in the water. Meanwhile, the locals walk around as if it’s no big deal. For them, this isn’t even hot.
In the morning, there were camels on the beach—posing for photo sessions with tourists. That’s Dubai for you.
But the main event today: I’m going up the Burj Khalifa!
I had booked a combo ticket online in advance, which included the observation deck and the aquarium tunnel at Dubai Mall. The tour of the tallest building in the world—“At the Top”—starts right inside the Dubai Mall. Groups of visitors are gathered at scheduled times and then led through a special passageway to the Burj Khalifa itself.
From there, you take one of the fastest elevators in the world (according to the MyDubai guide site—10 meters per second!).
The ride up is an experience on its own. Elevator screens play a little show, simulating an ascent into orbit. And then—ding!—the doors open, and you step out onto a fenced observation terrace on the 124th floor, 452 meters above the ground.
The view is absolutely stunning. A sprawling, golden-hazed metropolis stretches out in every direction, framed by the vast desert beyond. Skyscraper spires rise below you—it’s surreal. The whole city looks like a sci-fi dream.
The terrace was packed with tourists from all over the world. I found myself standing next to a group of tall, blonde Scandinavians—and suddenly felt quite short!
I stayed on the observation deck until almost evening—completely absorbed by the incredible view. It was hard to pull myself away from that endless, golden panorama.
Afterward, I went to the largest aquarium in the world. The Dubai Aquarium is famous for its massive single tank, with a towering transparent wall that opens directly into one of the atriums of the Dubai Mall. Even without a ticket, anyone can stop and admire the stunning underwater world—colorful coral formations, huge schools of fish, graceful rays, and lots of sharks. They even have live shark-feeding shows with real divers inside the tank.
My combo ticket included access to the glass tunnel that runs straight through the aquarium—a surreal experience, like walking on the ocean floor. It also included entry to side exhibits: vivariums with parrots, chameleons, crocodiles, sturgeons, and other creatures. Interesting, sure, but honestly? Not essential. The main tank and its jaw-dropping front view are more than enough—and that part’s completely free.
The Dubai Mall really has everything. Wandering through its endless atriums, I stumbled across an artificial waterfall with sculptures of pearl divers, a working ice rink, and even a full dinosaur skeleton!
Then, at the high floor, I found a full-size flight simulator cabin of the Airbus A380—the largest passenger plane in the world. With an instructor’s help, you can actually try landing the plane yourself. Naturally, there was a souvenir shop nearby, and I finally picked up the items I’d been looking for: a 1:150 scale model of the A380 (my first in what would become a growing airplane collection) and a perfect peach-colored cap with the Dubai EXPO 2020 and Emirates logos—exactly the one I’d been hoping to find. 🙂
Продолжение следует 😉
