TIME OF YOUR LIFE

The Insta-worthy locales of Dubai offer a sartorial, cultural, and technological escape.

- Radhika Bhalla

We’re four women in a black SUV, whizzing down a sinuous flyover as Tetris-like buildings rise from the ground, their quadrate windows lit brightly. A somewhat sensational narration on my part, I’ll admit, as I stare out at the landscape of Dubai, but this videogame-Esque cityscape is the system upgrade that two years of lockdown had left me yearning for.

I had, after all, been cooped up at home until last December. So a visit to one of the most adrenaline-pumped cities in the world seemed like a gift from the heavens...

Following a quick and very organized Covid-test at the Dubai airport, we were well on our way to the golden glitz of our hotel, Raffles The Palm Dubai. This palatial, beachfront, luxury resort, located on the Palm Jumeirah’s West Crescent, has been home to many A-listers from across the world, including musician Alicia Keys who performed at the Dubai Expo while we were there. We checked into our plush rooms (that boast crystal chandeliers, s’il Vous plaît) waiting for the Covid test results, and it was smooth as pie. It helped that the view was beach-facing from my private balcony, and the cool breeze that drifted in from the resort’s 500-meter private beach was just Mother Nature being generous.