Dubai is a fascinating place. This shiny, ultra-luxurious city springs out of the desert along the coast of the Persian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates, and the majority of it feels (and is) brand new. I recently spent a few weeks traveling in the Middle East, and with Dubai being the main airport hub I flew through, I knew I had to stop for a few days to check it out. Here are my trip highlights, city tips, and recommendations.

The Best Things I Did in Dubai

• Cruise through sand dunes in a vintage 1950s Land Rover on a desert safari tour. I booked a tour with Platinum Heritage, who picked me up from my hotel to drive an hour out to what felt like the middle of nowhere. Once there, I was given a shayla (headscarf) to protect myself from the sun and blowing sand. Then I climbed into a vintage Land Rover along with 8 other tourists as our guide took off into the desert at sunset. We were on a wildlife conservation, which allowed us to see and learn about the animals and their habitat. Afterward, visited a desert night camp where we ate traditional Bedouin cuisine and watched a musical performance.

• See Dubai from the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper. Completed in 2009, the Burj Khalifa has 163 floors comprised of both businesses and residences. I opted for the SKY At The Top ticket, which allowed me expedited entry and access to the 148th floor, which I highly recommend if you visit. You still get all of the perks of regular admission (which is to the 125th floor, which I visited afterward), but the SKY floor was significantly less crowded and had a luxury feel with complimentary tea and coffee. It allowed me to take my time walking around without fighting crowds to see out the window or take a picture.

• Take a day trip to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was named the #2 most loved landmark in the world by TripAdvisor in 2017 (second to Angkor Wat in Cambodia), and it’s no surprise. It is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever laid eyes on. The architecture is absolutely stunning, and with it being only an 1.5 hour drive from Dubai, it was really easy to make the trip. There are strict dress codes for entering the mosque, and complimentary robes are available for women if needed. In general, ladies must cover the wrists, ankles, and head/hair, but as long as this is done with loose clothing, a robe isn’t necessary.

Where I Stayed: Fairmont The Palm

Dubai is an enormous city and there are a lot of options when it comes to choosing accommodation. In the end, I just chose something that looked nice and I was really happy with my stay at The Fairmont. It has a beautiful view of the city from its beach and the grounds are fabulous. It also isn’t located too far up The Palm (which is ENORMOUS), so getting into the city was quick and easy.

Getting around Dubai

Catching a taxi around the city of Dubai is pretty easy. The beige-colored cars are the standard and they should all be equipped with credit card payment options inside, however I always recommend confirming that the machine is working prior to starting your ride.

If you’re looking to get outside of Dubai at all, however, I recommend hiring a private driver for a set number of hours to take you where you want to go. I did a photoshoot out in the desert with a local photographer, and my hotel was able to arrange for a driver to take me out, wait, and bring me back. The rates were fairly reasonable. I used the same method for getting a ride to and from Abu Dhabi (my hotel offered a special driver package specifically for a day trip).

The Best Time to Visit

Real talk here: don’t go in October (which is when I went). I’ve never been hotter in my life, no exaggeration. I was walking around one evening in the Dubai Marina, after dark, and could feel sweat rolling down my stomach. I opened my weather app and it said temperature was 92F. Then I looked at the “Feels Like"… and it was 115F. At 8pm at night. I swear, the days felt like 130+. To be fair, I knew October wasn’t ideal when planning my stop, but because I had fixed plans elsewhere in the region around that time, it was then or not at all. If you’re flexible with your dates, aim for December through February.

How To Dress

The only place that I ever encountered a strict conservative dress code was when entering a mosque. Otherwise, I found dress standards for women to be pretty easy to follow. Generally speaking, as long as your knees and shoulders are covered, you shouldn’t have any problems (ie: t-shirt and midi-skirt or pants). That being said, I saw pretty much everything during my time there - strapless tops, miniskirts, short shorts. However, I always recommend dressing with the culture in mind, and there are establishments in the city that may turn you away or ask you to cover up if you’re dressed in revealing clothing.

Is Dubai on your travel list? Have you been?