The Scenic Route to Dubai
Hello from Dubai! Since my last update, we’ve nearly circumnavigated the globe in just a week. After the Dolomites, we drove back to Munich and flew to Hawaii, by way of Istanbul and LA. You might be wondering why we’d travel halfway around the world instead of continuing through Europe, but we had a good reason: a wedding in Honolulu for one of Hanqing’s high school friends, Andy (it didn’t hurt that it was in Hawaii). After the celebrations, we made our way to Dubai, with a quick stopover in Tokyo. In total, we covered 19,093 miles in seven days — my body barely knows what time it is, let alone what day.
Union and Reunions in Paradise
The 16 hour flight from Europe to the U.S. was surprisingly pleasant thanks to our Capital One miles, which we redeemed for lie-flat business class seats on Turkish Airlines. I drank champagne and ate a delicious meal, watched a movie, read two books, and took a 4 hour nap. It was only our second time flying business (both on points), but it has forever spoiled me for future long-haul flights. Sadly, I know I’ll be back in economy soon enough so I can’t get too comfortable.
As much as I loved our time in the Dolomites, nothing compared to the joy of landing in Hawaii. We were thrilled to celebrate Andy and Brandi’s wedding and to catch up with our friends Tom and Payton, who were also in town for the festivities. The ceremony took place against a golden Hawaiian sunset, and the whole evening radiated joy and love for the newlyweds.
On top of that, my best friends Grace and Amy (along with their husbands, Dougie and Ricci) planned vacations in Honolulu at the same time, turning the weekend into one big reunion. We floated in the turquoise waters of Waikiki Beach, devoured poke and açaí bowls, and went off-roading on UTVs through Kualoa Ranch, where Jurassic Park was filmed. The weekend passed in a blur but left us feeling so full, both physically and emotionally.
Before long, it was time to hop continents again. From Hawaii, we flew to Tokyo for a 36-hour stopover. Since we’re planning to spend a month in Japan next year, this was more of a preview than a deep dive. Hanqing and I have both been to Tokyo a few times, but we managed to squeeze in some new experiences, including eating our way through the Tsukiji fish market and immersing ourselves in the sensory wonderland that is teamLab Planets.
Dubai, Old and New
And now, we’re finally in Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. Driving in from the airport, my first thought was that it didn’t look real. The desert horizon slowly gave way to an endless skyline of glass towers so tall I had to crane my neck to see the tips. At the center of it all stood the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, every bit as magnificent in person as I’d imagined. What amazed me most, though, was how new it all is. Up until the mid-1900s, Dubai was just a small fishing and pearl-diving village. The discovery of oil in the 1960s was the key turning point — though with far less oil than its neighbors, like Abu Dhabi, the city invested early profits into infrastructure, trade, and tourism, transforming itself into the global hub and futuristic metropolis it is today.
Another of Dubai’s engineering marvels is the Palm Jumeirah — a man-made island shaped like a palm tree, so distinct it’s visible from space. It’s home to some of the city’s most luxurious resorts, and we treated ourselves to a few beach days there to celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary. After a week of nonstop travel, it felt incredible to simply do nothing but read on the beach and nap under the sun.
Still, Dubai isn’t all futuristic skylines and luxury hotels. We spent the second half of our stay in Old Dubai, where the city first took root as a fishing and trading port along the Dubai Creek. Wandering through the Al Seef and Al Fahidi Historical Districts felt like stepping into another era — narrow lanes lined with sand-colored buildings, carved wooden doors, and traditional “wind tower” chimneys that once channeled desert breezes into homes. One morning, we took a wooden boat across the creek to the famous souks in Deira, where alleys overflowed with stalls selling spices, gold, perfume, and textiles. The air was thick with the scent of incense and spices, and shopkeepers called out greetings in different languages as we walked by. The attention could get a bit overwhelming at times, but it was fascinating to catch a glimpse of the Dubai that existed long before the skyscrapers.
What’s struck me most about Dubai is how global it feels. Emiratis make up only about 10% of the population — the rest are expats and migrant workers from around the world. Walking through the buzzing Dubai Mall one afternoon, I was amazed by the mix of people and languages swirling around us. The food scene reflects that same diversity: we had wontons and bubble tea in the mall (which even has its own Chinatown wing), a Thai tasting menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant for our anniversary, a Pakistani breakfast at a hole-in-the-wall spot (for under $10!), and, of course, plenty of Emirati dishes with grilled meats and flatbreads.
And then, there’s the heat. The brutal heat. I know — it’s the desert — but still. My weather app shows me the same exact forecast for the next 10 days: sunny, 95°F, not a cloud in sight. Dubai gets fewer than ten days of rain a year, and in the city, the lack of breeze makes it almost unbearable to stay outdoors for longer than a few minutes. Every time we mentioned the heat to locals, they laughed and said, “This? This is cool! Three months ago, we couldn’t even go outside.”
We leaned into the hot climate one afternoon on a guided desert tour. Our driver picked us up in a 4x4, along with a family from Houston and their two young kids. The adventure started with dune bashing — essentially a rollercoaster on sand. After deflating the tires, our guide sped up and down the golden dunes while the kids squealed with delight and I clung to the grab handles for dear life. We stopped to sandboard down the slopes, caught a gorgeous sunset, and ended the evening at a desert camp, where we rode camels, watched a fire show, and shared an Emirati feast under the stars.
On our last day, we took a day trip to Abu Dhabi, about an hour and a half away. First up was the Louvre — yes, there’s another Louvre (though this one still has all of its treasures intact) — which opened in 2017 through a partnership between France and the UAE (the Emiratis reportedly paid a whopping $500 million for the name rights over 30 years). The museum’s architecture was breathtaking: a massive geometric dome that filters sunlight into a mesmerizing “rain of light” across the courtyard. From there, we visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world. Getting in was a bit of an adventure — the entrance was through a large underground mall where visitors could purchase traditional attire to follow the dress code — but we made it just in time for sunset. The sight was jaw-dropping: gleaming white marble and intricate mosaics glowing softly against the twilight sky. It was a magical finale to our time in the UAE.
As always, thanks for following along. Next up: Turkey!
Talk soon,
Tanya
