New Year's Eve in Dubai 🌆

We had different plans for our New Year's Eve in Dubai. We thought we would be at the Burj Khalifa at midnight to watch the famous fireworks - until a hotel employee informed us one day before New Year's Eve that there would be no fireworks there this year. It was also impossible to get a taxi shortly after midnight, and taking the metro was out of the question - it was completely overcrowded and chaotic. New Year's Eve in Dubai is a state of emergency. Unfortunately, this was a big problem for us because on January 1st, 2018, we were supposed to be picked up early in the morning and taken to the airport. So the Burj Khalifa was no longer an option because it was too far to walk from our hotel, and we couldn't afford to arrive at the hotel late.

So we looked for an alternative. And we couldn't have found a better one! It's a shame that we can't show you any videos because we don't have any pictures. But we still want to share with you the magical place we found there. After a long search and research on the internet, we discovered a section of the beach. It was not too far from our hotel, about a 20-minute walk. There was nothing going on here at noon, but when we came back late in the evening, we could hardly believe our eyes: There were many people gathered on the beach, mainly locals, who arrived with their caravans, cars, and tents and tried to outdo each other. There were colorful lights everywhere, different kinds of music playing, people were grilling, singing, and the atmosphere was incredible! The 'campers' had decorated their caravans and equipped them with laser light shows that looked really professional and expensive. Every caravan, every tent was an attraction in itself. Everyone was friendly and laid-back, and we felt incredibly comfortable. Our expectations were far exceeded that evening. Apart from the fantastic atmosphere, the beach section had another great advantage - we could watch both the fireworks at the Burj al Arab and the ones at the Atlantis Hotel the Palm. And we could even see a third fireworks display from our spot. It was just perfect. The fireworks were the best, biggest, and most impressive ones we had ever seen. You didn't know where to look first... The sky was crackling and sparkling everywhere, surrounded by happy and enthusiastic people. New Year's Eve by the sea. Just a dream. You really can't put into words how beautiful it was. After the fireworks, the beach emptied relatively quickly. We also made our way back. It was really crowded, a huge crowd of people... Fortunately, we had decided against the Burj Khalifa. Since we were unsure which way to go, we asked a man pushing a stroller for directions. He answered very kindly that he would take us there. We weren't sure if we understood him correctly, but we followed him and his wife, who watched over two more children, as we snaked our way through the crowd together. Eventually, we arrived at a large car. 'Get in, we'll bring you to your hotel. I know the way.' We were a little surprised as we got into the car. I am constantly amazed by the kindness that completely strangers show us on our travels. There was no reason for this family to help us. They just did it. The distance to our hotel was not particularly far, after a few minutes we had already reached our destination. We thanked the family multiple times and were even able to get a few hours of sleep before unfortunately returning to Germany. This New Year's Eve was simply beautiful. The most beautiful New Year's Eve I have ever experienced. The vacation was great overall, but this one night was truly unforgettable. We can only recommend spending the turn of the year there. You simply couldn't start a new year better! (By the way, we got the weird masks from the hotel as a gift, in case anyone is wondering why we looked like that.)