I’ve always been keen on visiting Dubai so when the chance of having a twenty-two hour layover en route from Manila to Oslo presented itself, I grabbed it in a heartbeat. Dubai was about nine hours’ flight from Manila, and having taken a red eye flight I could not wait settling in our airport hotel to freshen up as soon as we landed.

Our hotel was the Premier Inn Dubai International Airport. We got there via their free airport shuttle, and though we arrived four hours before check-in time they let us in for free because they said it was off-peak season. The room was clean, basic, and comfortable. After settling in we headed to the Costa cafe downstairs for a cup of much needed coffee to officially kick-start the day.

Our first stop was the Museum of the Future. We booked a cab to take us there through the Careem app. The cab ride gave us a good view of the buildings and the Dubai Frame.

When we got to the Museum of the Future I was immediately impressed by its building’s unique architecture. There was also an eye-catching sculpture near its main entrance. I thought the robot and the flying fish at the museum’s lobby were quite cool.

We did not stay long though as our intention was to only check out the lobby before walking on to the Metro to take the train to our next destination.

We arrived two train stops away at the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. Dubai Mall was big, and it consisted of many shops, restaurants and cafes. We had lunch at Markette where D and I enjoyed our butter chicken and Shish Taouk. Afterwards we had coffee and desset at the Roasters Cafe.

After lunch we watched the fish and stingrays at the Dubai Mall Aquarium. I was mesmerized by them, they were simply beautiful.

While I imagine I can spend a whole day gazing at the aquarium, D on the other hand spent time admiring the view of the world’s tallest structure from the fountain area.

Thankfully Emirates made the process of getting a 48-hour visa quite straightforward, everything having been done online and processed within a day. I think it would be more complex if we were to process a full on tourist visa with Dubai being our sole destination. After this stopover, I reckon we will cross that bridge another time, because we would love to go back for a proper vacation to Dubai someday soon.