AROUND THE WORLD IN DUBAI

FROM A NIGHT UNDER THE ATHENIAN SKY TO A SUN-DRENCHED AFTERNOON STRAIGHT OUT OF A MIAMI POSTCARD, DUBAI OFFERS SOME BEST-OF-THE-WORLD EXPERIENCES

- SHREYA CHEEMA

DUBAI IS HOTTER THAN EVER. AND I DON'T MEAN just the weather. When you're in the world's highest 360-degree infinity pool, suspended 210 metres above sea level on the 50th floor, gazing out at a poster-worthy view of the Palm Islands with a cocktail in hand, the weather barely matters. And it barely seemed to matter to anybody at Aura Skypool Lounge. But pull up any list—from the best hotels to the World's 50 Best Bars—and you will know what I mean.

Which is why, even in peak summer, when it came to choosing where to head for a break, I defied the sacrosanct rules of seasonality and chose Dubai. Not because it is one of the safest destinations for a solo female traveller, but because if there's any city from where you return feeling like you've been around the world, even in just four days, it is Dubai.

ALL STARS 

Take, for instance, my afternoon spent at Nobu by the Beach. Located in Dubai's most talked about hotel since last year, Atlantis The Royal, the beach club leaves no stone unturned to make you feel like you might just be in the thick of the coolest scene in sunny Los Angeles or Miami. Thrumming with the latest hip-hop tunes on loop, serving up bite-sized Nobu classics and mixing up cocktails that match the turquoise blue of the pool, a day here is exactly what summers were invented for.

But my night was a stark departure. Unlike a sun-drenched day, my evening was meant to be spent under the romantic Athenian sky at the Galaxy Bar. Located in DIFC, the cocktail lounge is a portal to a celestial world—its dim and intimate setting perfect for a dreamy escape.