When I first moved to Dubai I was determined to make the most of my time here and experience everything Dubai has to offer. But after almost 7 months into my Dubai adventure I found my goal slipping as I struggle to adjust to the demands of working life in Dubai and it's alluring nightlife.

After some reflection at the start of this week I decided enough was enough, it was time to refocus and get back on track and start developing a comprehensive list of everything I want to see and do before my time here is up, however long that may turn out to be.

Whether you are a visitor to Dubai or an expat resident like me, I hope that My Dubai Bucket List will act as an inspirational guide and help you to maximise your time in this amazing Emirate. 

Afternoon Tea at the Burj Al Arab
Thanks to the growing Brit community 'afternoon tea' has quickly become a Dubai institution. At 350 dirhams per person, this afternoon tea might be a bit on the pricey side but with exorbitant room rates this is possibly one of the cheaper ways to experience this 7 star hotel. 

Book a Desert Safari
With so many tour options available, there is a desert safari tour to suit all tastes and budgets. Keep your eyes peeled for desert safari deals on Groupon.

Drinks and dancing at 360
Have a few drinks and watch the sunset at Dubai's circular nightspot featuring panoramic views of Dubai's shoreline and the Burj Al Arab.

Experience a bird's eye view of Dubai
A seaplane tour of Dubai is one of the best ways to see the entire Emirate at a glance. 

Try paddle boarding
Sign-up for paddle boarding at The Beach at JBR or Surf School UAE which offers tours around the Burj Al Arab.

Skydive (without jumping out of a plane)
For the more adventurous amongst us, Skydiving is often top of most Dubai to-do lists. If, like me, you're not brave or crazy enough to actually jump out of a plane you can still discover what it feels like by learning to skydive indoors.

Swim with dolphins
Visit Dubai Dolphinarium at the Atlantis and meet their resident dolphins. 

Visit The Royal Island Beach Club
Escape Dubai's stresses by visiting this remote public beach located on The World’s Lebanon Island. To ensure a truly relaxing experience - hire a cabana for the day. 

Ride in a hot air balloon
Watch a sunrise on-board a hot air balloon for the ultimate airborne adventure. 

Experience traditional Dubai
Visit the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding and go on a walking tour around Dubai’s oldest district – Bur Dubai.   

Dhow Boat Dinner Cruise
Have dinner on one of Dubai's many floating restaurants.

Party on the beach at Sandance
Watch live music acts at the Atlantis music festival.

Stay at a desert resort
Stay overnight at one of Dubai's desert resorts. 

Have a picnic at the Miracle Garden
After a leisurely lunch take a leisurely stroll through the park and discover over 45 million flowers. 

Visit Dubailand
Visit one of Dubai's entertainment and retail hubs located on the outskirts of the city.

Visit the 6 other Emirates
Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain.

Stock up on Arabic souvenirs
Visit traditional Dubai souk's to stock up on momentos and soak up the ambience.

Eat dinner at Dubai’s revolving restaurant
Literally watch the world go by from the Al Dawaar revolving restaurant located in the Hyatt Regency Dubai in Deira.

Stay overnight at a luxury Bedouin camp in RAK
Get back to nature and sleep out under the stars in a luxury campsite.

Overnight escape on a dhow in Musandam, Oman
Sleep overnight on a traditional dhow boat. Tours also feature dolphin watching, kayaking, snorkeling plus much more.

Visit Kite Beach
Watch experienced kite surfers do their stuff at Kite Beach or, for the more adventurous, sign-up for lessons and give it a go yourself. 

Invest in custom-made, bespoke clothing
Purchase made-to-measure clothes at a reasonable price. Popular tailors include the Hollywood Custom Tailor in Bur Dubai and Dream Girls in Karama.

Spend the day at Al Mamzar Beach Park
Grab some friend and pack a picnic for a day of relaxation.

Go on the Big Bus Tour
Explore Dubai in an air conditioned bus that travels the length and breadth of Dubai.

Go to the Rugby 7s
Watch rugby and party to into the wee small hours at this yearly event operated by Emirates.

Visit Global Village
Experience the world's largest tourist and entertainment venue.

Visit the Festive Village at the Atlantis (Christmas 2014)
Get into the festive spirit with a visit to the Atlantis' festive village.

Invest in custom-designed gold jewellery
Get rings, necklaces and bracelets designed to your own individual taste for a fraction of the price you would pay back home.

My Dubai Bucket List is a work in progress and I will be updating it regularly as I continue to discover new and exciting things to see and do in Dubai. 

Feel free to download this FREE  printable version (coming soon!) of My Dubai Bucket List designed to help you make the most of your time in Dubai.

What are you waiting for? Get your pens (or pencils) at the ready and start ticking off your Dubai to-do list today!

Keep up to date with my progress on getting through this ambitious list by following me on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.
 

As Dubai's popularity amongst British expats and tourists continues to grow, many hotels in Dubai are capitalising on this expanding community by offering their unique take on the traditional British Afternoon Tea.

Having sickened ourselves of Dubai's infamous brunches throughout the holy month my friends and I were looking for or a non-alcoholic activity to pass the time during the recent EID break. So after some brainstorming and I Internet research we decided to embrace our British heritage and indulge in a traditional Afternoon Tea.

Dubai has many Afternoon Teas to choose from but given that 'Tea at The Ritz' is a British institution we decided to stick with the British thyme and book Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Carlton on the Walk at JBR.

Normally served in the Hotel's Lobby Lounge, on the day we'd chosen to visit Afternoon Tea was served in their Splendido Restaurant due to ongoing renovations and construction work taking place throughout the Hotel.

On the day we visited the Ritz Carlton, the restaurant was very quiet (only one other party were seated) which was surprising considering it was during the school holidays and a public holiday. We were greeted by the Hostess on our arrival and promptly shown to our seats and given menus showing a choice of over 20 types of tea and the following 4 afternoon teas:

• Ritz Carlton Afternoon Tea (English tea sandwiches, freshly baked scones, Devonshire clotted cream and preserves, assorted afternoon pastries and premium tea leaves of your choice)
• Royal Tea (One glass of sparkling cocktail, English tea sandwiches, freshly baked scones, Devonshire clotted cream and preserves, assorted afternoon pastries and premium tea leaves of your choice)
• Devonshire Tea (Two home-made scones, Devonshire clotted cream and preserves, and premium tea leaves of your choice)
• Ritz Kid’s Afternoon Tea (Fresh baked scones, finger sandwiches, surprise skewers and hot chocolate)

My friends and I all opted for the 'Ritz Carlton Afternoon Tea', but if I'm completely honest I wish I'd gone for the 'Devonshire Tea' or the 'Ritz Kid's Afternoon Tea' as I'm a fussy eater and struggled to eat some of the items included in the traditional Afternoon Tea.

Our food was beautifully presented on cute little stainless steel stands but the food itself was noting to rave about. Even the scones, which I was looking forward to the most, failed to impress.

I love the concept of Afternoon Tea but for the price we paid I was really disappointed. Whilst the overall Afternoon Tea experience at the Ritz Carlton was pleasant, I won't be rush back.

Afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton is served daily from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Follow me on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook to read future posts and continue with me on my Dubai adventure.

I'm not a typically lucky person which is why I was recently shocked and excited to discover that I'd won a seaplane tour of Dubai through Twitter, courtesy of Brndstr and Seawings.

How did I win such a spectacular prize? Very easily I'm almost embarrassed to admit.  I simply retweeted a tweet posted by Brndstr through their Twitter account and voilà! a few weeks later I received notification from them that I'd won!

The Prize

My prize consisted of a Seawings Jebel Ali Silver Tour* for two people departing from the Jebel Ali Golf Resort for a date and time of my choosing (depending on tour availability).

*aerial sightseeing tour of Dubai taking in popular landmarks including the Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa, World Islands,  Burj Al Arab plus much more.

Tour Experience

Our journey began at the Jebel Ali Golf Resort where we were welcomed by a member of the Seawings team who booked us in for our flight. Following a cold beverage, we were given a brief overview of what to expect from the flight and shown a video presentation which ran through some basic safety instructions that we had to observe on-board. We were then whisked off on a golf cart to the jetty to board the seaplane for the start of our aerial sightseeing experience over Dubai.

Prior to boarding the Seawings operations team completed some minor security checks before helping us on-board the plane where we were introduced to our pilot and informed where to locate the plane's emergency exits, life vests, safety instructions and complimentary water.  

The moment we had been waiting for had finally arrived! As I'd never been on a seaplane before I was a little apprehensive about the this part of the journey but it was fine - both the take-off and landing were pretty similar to what I'd experienced during traditional flights.

Once in the air the cabin was bustling with excitement as we all experienced first-hand a birds eye view of all of Dubai's most popular landmarks including the Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa, World Islands, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Creek and Port Rashid. Despite the limited space we were allowed to move freely around the cabin enabling all passengers the opportunity to maximise our experience and take photos from all angles and views.

The entire flight lasted around 40 mins, which sounds like a lot of time, but unfortunately it was over in a flash. I loved the entire seaplane experience and this tour will be something that I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life.

For more information about this tour and other tour options available visit the Seawings website.

Special Thanks: I would like to thanks the Seawings team for the service they provided in relation to this trip. I was kept fully informed throughout every aspect of my booking including receiving prompt confirmation of my initial booking, email reminders in advance of my flight and an SMS notification of a minor time alteration on the day of my flight giving me adequate time to adjust my travel arrangements to the departure location. I would definitely recommend this company to anyone looking to book a seaplane tour of Dubai for themselves.

Unlike most women who stereotypically love to shop, I detest shopping, which is why I was surprised to find myself recently visiting not one, not two but three shopping malls within days of each other.

Unfortunately, as a current resident of Dubai, visiting malls is difficult to avoid. In Dubai, shopping malls are not only a place for a little retail therapy, they are a way of life. With a wide selection of restaurants, cafés and entertainment facilities including cinemas, Olympic sized ice rinks, ski slopes and indoor theme parks, shopping malls in Dubai offer something for everyone.

Spacious, modern and fully air-conditioned, Dubai malls truly are a shopper's paradise.  Not only popular for shopping, dining and hanging out, Dubai shopping malls provide a welcome escape from the city's soaring temperatures, especially during the hot summer months.  It should, therefore,  come as no surprise that Dubai is considered one of the world's leading retail destinations. 

With so many malls to choose from, as a visitor or someone new to Dubai, it can be difficult to know where to start.  Having had an opportunity to visit a number of Dubai's popular shopping malls during my relatively short time living here I share with you my reviews for what I consider to be the best shopping malls in Dubai. 

IBN Battuta
IBN Battuta Mall consists of 6 themed areas centred around the travels of the 14th century explorer, IBN  Battuta. It houses over 275 retailers, 50 restaurants and food outlets, 21 cinema screens and the UAE’s only IMAX theatre. This shopping mall is popular as it not only caters to the budget conscious shopper it is also very manageable unlike some of Dubai's larger malls. For more information visit www.ibnbattutamall.com

The Dubai Mall
No visit to Dubai would be complete without a visit to The Dubai Mall, it is not only one of the world's largest shopping malls it is also one of Dubai's ultimate tourist attractions. 

Located in Downtown Dubai, the Dubai Mall is home of the infamous Dubai Fountains. It features 1,200 retail outlets, over 200 food and beverage outlets, aquarium and underwater zoo,  indoor theme park, 22-screen cinema, an Olympic-sized ice rink and adjoining 5-star hotel.

As impressive as it is the Dubai Mall is not for the faint hearted, it's huge and overwhelming. You can literally spend hours walking around it and still not see all it has to offer.  To find out more visit www.thedubaimall.com.

Mall of the Emirates
The Mall of the Emirates is the world's first shopping resort made famous by it's indoor ski slope operated by Ski Dubai.  It offers the same level of grandeur as The Dubai Mall but on a much more manageable scale. For more information visit www.malloftheemirates.com

Dubai Marina Mall
The Dubai Marina Mall is one of Dubai's smaller malls spanning over only three floors. When I first moved here it was one of my favourite malls, namely due to its location (close to JBR where I currently reside) but  find it only really has a couple of stores I would actually shop in so nowadays, whilst I still regularly visit the mall its usually only to grab a bite to eat or to catch a movie.  To find out more visit  www.dubaimarinamall.com

Oasis Centre Mall
The Oasis Centre is one of my favourite shopping malls in Dubai. It has a good variety of stores including budget friendly fashion and is extremely family- friendly with fast food outlets and entertainment facilities that cater for kids of all ages.  For more information visit www.oasiscentremall.com

Its been almost two months since I moved to Dubai and having given myself 3 months to find a job (unfortunately savings don't last forever) I am now begrudgingly faced with the realisation that I could be returning to Scotland at the start of June. 

I'm still determined to stay in Dubai and will do whatever it takes to try and secure employment right up until the day I have to get on the plane, but whilst there is even a slight possibility I may have to go home in June I fully intend to make the most of the time I have left to explore Dubai.   

With loads to see and do in Dubai, my short time frame and dwindling funds I have created the following top 10 list of things I want to do in Dubai before I go home. 

1. Experience the real Dubai
Visitors to Dubai can be forgiven for thinking that there is nothing more to the country than sunbathing and shopping.  Before I leave I want to experience the local culture at least once by visiting Old Dubai, Deira, Dubai Creek, Bastakiya Quarter and the Sheikh Mohamed Centre for Cultural Understanding.

2. Ride the Big Bus Tour
Dubai is huge and can be a logistical nightmare to navigate. The Big Bus Tour is the perfect way to access all of Dubai's interesting landmarks and attractions. Prices start from 240 AED.

3. Cruise the Dubai Creek on a Dhow Boat
Dhow boats have been a part of Dubai culture for thousands of years. Dhow dinner and sightseeing cruises is a great way to relax and take in some of Dubai sights.  Check out Time Out Dubai's list of the best dhow cruises available.

4. Drinks at 360
360 is an award wining entertainment venue with spectacular panoramic views of Dubai's coastline and the Burj Al Arab.  

5. Chill at Dubai Creek Park
Situated in the heart of Dubai on the banks of the Creek, Dubai Creek Park is a great place to relax and unwind.  Open every day (Please note: Wednesdays is ladies only). 5AED entrance fee.

6. Cool off at Wild Wadi Water Park
With temperatures soaring what better way to cool off than at an adventure waterpark.  Release your inner child from as little as 215 AED per person. 

7. Camping in the desert
Desert camping is a popular Dubai activity so why not escape city living and spend a night under the stars. Whether you decide to go it alone or book through an organised tour company don't forget to watch out for scorpions, spiders and other nasty creepy crawlies.  Check out these 10 top UAE camping spots.

8. Drinks at the highest restaurant in the world -At.mosphere, Burj Khalifa 
No visit to Dubai would be complete without a visit to the worlds highest restaurant. Experience picture perfect views in a relaxed setting. 

9.  Abra tour around Madinat Jumeirah
Take in the sights in and around the Madinat Jumeirah on a traditional Middle Eastern Abra boat.  Perfect for up close photos of the Burj Al Arab. Costs 75AED per adult.

10. Visit the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
Experience a unique desert adventure with activities for every tastes including desert camping, horse riding, camel treks, archery, desert dining and wildlife drives. 

I will post reviews on all of these activities as and when I get round to experiencing them. If you want to find out what I think of them follow me on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook. 

There is no shortage of fun things to do in Dubai but, as anyone who has every visited Dubai will tell you, the costs can mount up.  There is some good news though, some of the best things to do in Dubai are free. Yes you read right I said FREE!

Below is a list of my top free things to do in Dubai:

Soak up the sun at the beach at JBR

Dubai has an abundance of beaches but many of them are connected to Hotels. The beach at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) is one Dubai's most popular beaches and the good news is it's complete free.  Thanks to recent developments at the The Walk at JBR this beach is now equipped with public showers and toilets.

Walk around the Dubai Marina

Keeping fit is a favourite pastime of many Dubai residents but gym fees can be expensive. In the cooler months get your trainers on,  get outdoors and take a leisurely stroll, power walk or jog around the Dubai Marina.  

Experience the Dubai Fountains at The Dubai Mall

From the creators of the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, the Dubai Fountains is a definite must for things to see in Dubai!  Performances daily. Visit the Dubai Mall website for more details. 

Visit the Dubai Aquarium at The Dubai Mall

The Dubai Mall is also home of the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo.  Prices start from 55 AED for the full experience but there are daily free shows and events that are just as good if moneys tight. Visit the website for a closer look.

Relax at Al Safa Park

Al Safa Park is located in the heart of Dubai. Its the perfect place for families, couples and friends offering picnic, BBQ and kids play areas to mingle and relax. Its not technically "free" as there is a 3 dirham (48p) admission charge but it is well worth it.