Dubai, January 2025
Dubai is a city of superlatives. Everything here is the biggest, the tallest, the shiniest: skyscrapers, malls the size of a town, attractions at every turn. If you're coming for entertainment, shopping and impressions, there's almost too much to take in.
But this futuristic megacity comes with one thing worth preparing for: it's built for cars, not for people. There's barely any real pedestrian life - wide highways, huge distances, and getting around without a taxi or a car is genuinely inconvenient. Factor that into both your budget and your plans.
The weather: go in winter, summer in this desert means death. In January it's superb - warm, sunny, comfortable. In summer the whole city retreats into air conditioning. That's actually why the malls here aren't just for shopping. Inside you'll find aquariums, an ice rink, even an indoor ski slope. In a climate like this, life moves indoors.
New Year's in Dubai is something else. The city is one of the world's best New Year destinations, and ringing in the year here is unforgettable. The lights, the show, the fireworks. Be ready for the city to fill with crowds of tourists around the holidays especially Indians. Indians are Dubai's largest expat community, among both residents and visitors.
Who I'd recommend it to: anyone who wants glamour, entertainment, and comfort on a grand scale and isn't expecting cosy walks through an old town and, of course, whoever the budget allows