One of my best friends moved to Dubai in 2015 to teach. I was so happy for her, but of course I missed her dearly and promised to come visit. I did just that the following year and had a wonderful time. Dubai is one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The official religion is Islam and the official language is Arabic. Dubai has the largest population of the emirates, with 3.33 million people. During my trip, I also visited Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. Dubai has become a must-visit destination with its luxurious hotels, malls and restaurants. It did not disappoint and I plan to go back because I didn’t have an opportunity to do all the things I wanted to do while there. I purchased roundtrip tickets through Emirates airlines and I loved the flights and service. I later learned I could’ve saved money by using Google Flight alerts, which I use now. It was my second time taking a flight that long and I did not want layovers, so I opted for non-stop flights.

Here’s a recap of my favorite events, places and excursions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

I spoke to a few people who'd already visited Dubai and they all recommended I make time to visit the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. This was my first stop after arriving in Dubai and it was a great experience.

Two native Emirati led a conversation with visitors from all over the world about the history, religion, cuisine, language and culture of the United Arab Emirates. I enjoyed learning and conversing with our presenters

Ziplining over the Burj Fountain

I used to be afraid of heights...actually I still am (just a little), so I’ve made it a point to do fun, adventurous excursions that involve heights to help me get over the phobia. During a visit to one of the massive malls (which house a ski resort and indoor sky diving center) I signed up to zipline across the Burj fountain (think Bellagio fountain in Vegas)

I was nervous but the guys running it, helped me calm down and it was one of the most exhilarating experiences I've ever had.

Burj Khalifa

As I ziplined, the tallest building in the world was to my left and of course, I had to make my way to it. I enjoyed learning about the Burj Khalifa before we made our way to one of the observation decks where you get remarkable views of the city.

Global Village

This huge marketplace with pavilions representing countries from all over the world is a great place to find unique souvenirs, apparel and cuisine.

Dubai World Cup & Janet Jackson Concert

The world cup horse race was taking place during my visit in 2016, so my friend got tickets for us to go. I enjoyed seeing the incredible fashions and watching a little of the horse race (not my thing). My favorite thing about that night was seeing Janet Jackson perform. I wasn’t able to get tickets to see her in the US, so this was a treat (I am a live music lover), and what made it spectacular was that the concert wasn’t seated, so I was able to get very close to the stage to enjoy the show.

Dubai Butterfly Garden

I thought I would love this experience a lot more because I love butterflies. I have two butterfly tattoos and I love that they represent transformation. However, I forgot they were actual bugs and was absolutely terrified when a staff member at the butterfly garden put them on my arms. They were huge and I almost fell out of my skin.

Abu Dhabi

I was in Dubai for almost a week and in Abu Dhabi for two days. During those two days I caught a great Kevin Hart show and missed a fabulous boat ride because we got lost on the road. I also went on a desert safari and it was one of the highlights of the trip for me. As you go through the desert, the drivers take you on a wild ride, called dune bashing. It’s like a roller coaster ride through the desert. We rode camels, ate dinner, dressed up in native attire, got henna tattoos, saw beautiful belly dancer and smoked shisha (hookah). You can also sand board and ride quad bikes, which I’ll have to do when I go back.

During my last day in Abu Dhabi, we visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is one of the world’s largest mosques where Muslims come to worship and visitors come to admire its beauty and architecture. It is free to enter and they will give you traditional clothes to wear if you do not have any. “The mosque was built to embody Islam’s foremost message of peace and tolerance and welcome people of all beliefs.”

I definitely felt a sense of peace and the beautiful energy of worship when there, although there were hundreds of people around. I loved Dubai and Abu Dhabi and can’t wait to return and spend time at the beach, take a boat ride and maybe even skydive over the Palms.