Hey guys!
I’m so excited to finally be putting my Dubai post up!
When your best friend says “I’m going to Dubai for my birthday” you correct her and say “no WE are going to Dubai for your birthday!” Then BOOM, you’re in Dubai for her birthday! 😀
Let me just say this, I have no idea what the “need to know” details are when traveling to a new place. I just know my journey and a lot of that includes my friends and I figuring it out.
So, this is in no way a “I know everything about travel” post. This is a “I’m a regular woman from Richmond, VA just figuring it out. So, if I can go, you can go too” post.
First Things First, My Flight

Since I’ve returned from my trip, my flight has been the most asked about detail. This was probably the easiest thing to figure out. I used an app called Hopper to monitor flight prices for about 2 months before I purchased my ticket. I found that Emirates, an airline based in Dubai, UAE was the best option for my travel needs.
A few fun flight details:
- I found it cheaper to leave from Dulles in Washington, D.C. Even with the drive to the airport from Richmond, the price leaving from DC was still much cheaper.
- I flew from Dulles to Dubai with no layover. My flight time was about 14 hours.
- Emirates did charge a fee for seat selection. The seat prices varied between $35 USD-$135 USD.
- My flight total was $796 USD. This included my round-trip ticket and my seat selection price.

Before and during travel, Emirates offered a variety of accommodations that were very helpful. I was able to enter my dietary restrictions prior to boarding and at the beginning of each flight they gave each passenger a blanket, pillow, headphones and travel pack that included a toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask, earplugs and a pair of socks!
Hotel Accommodations
During my stay in Dubai, I stayed at the Marriott Executive Apartments Al Jaddaf, Dubai. Each apartment had 1 king bedroom, 1 double bedroom, 2 and a half bathrooms, a full kitchen and living room. With my group needs, that space comfortably slept 3 people (I’m sure that number can be turned to 6 depending on your needs, but as for me, I needs my own bed! Yes, I meant needs lol).
The hotel staff was amazing. I asked endless questions at all times of the day and night. They were helpful and pleasant no matter what time it was. The fact that they had a late night hookah bar just made me love this hotel even more.
Fun Activities

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing day at the beach, a site seeing day in the city or a turn up session at the club, Dubai is the place to go. Google and Instagram are the two tools that I’ve always used to find an activity of choice before traveling. I always find the best places with ease. Usually following one or two Instagram accounts that are associated with your destination is enough. After that the pages will find you, I promise.
Before travel, my group found a company by the name of Viator. They offered so many options to explore not only Dubai, but Abu Dhabi as well. We booked a desert safari and a day trip to Abu Dhabi through the company. They provided hotel pick up and drop off, which made everything very convienent. They went above and beyond to make sure your day with them, was a day well spent.
A Day In The Desert

A Few Highlights From My Day In Abu Dhabi
One of the places I could not wait to visit while in Abu Dhabi was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This Mosque was absolutely beautiful. Learning about the culture and wearing the traditional clothing during my visit was one of the highlights of my trip.
A Day On A Yacht

Chelsea Brown
This is amazing! Keep.Going. There are so many people that need to hear what you have to say! Love, love , love this. Thank you for sharing.
KortInTheCity
Thank you! Those words mean so much! Love it!
Kateena
Kort you are AMAZING! Love love 😘
KortInTheCity
Thank you so much!
Sierra Radden
Great info! Everyone looked amazing and now i must add Dubai to my list
KortInTheCity
Yes, everyone must go!
Karen C. Milon
Thx for sharing Kort. When I grow up I wanna be just like you!! 😊 Keep doing you Shawty! #LiveLifeLaughOftenLoveHard!
KortInTheCity
Thank you boo!
Marissa Dawn
This is awesome! Dubai has always been a place I wanted to visit and this was very very informational. Love this!
KortInTheCity
❤❤❤ thank you so much for continuing to read!
Calvena Jordan
I love this and the trip sound like it was relaxing but fun and smooth sailing.
I’ll for sure be keeping up with your future post!
KortInTheCity
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
Latisha Taylor
Thank you so much the flight information was very beneficial , how did you find your hotel and was it economical ?
KortInTheCity
Thank you for reading. The hotel was great, we stayed at a Marriott because a friend has rewards with that chain. We did look up reviews and called a few times to find the best option.