Dubai Christmas and New Year's Eve 2024/25

Kiki
Jun 6, 2025
4 min read

Suddenly, everything happened very quickly.

The last time we returned from Dubai, my husband expressed a wish to spend New Year's Eve there someday to see the breathtaking fireworks.

After living in Uthweiler for a while, we developed a very good friendship with our landlords.

So much so that during an evening together on their lovely terrace, we came up with the idea of spending Christmas and New Year's Eve together in Dubai.

And believe it or not, just a week later, our friends and we had already booked everything.

Unfortunately, we didn't really have time to plan this trip to Dubai.

We were far too busy organizing, going to farewell parties, and generally saying goodbye, so we didn't have much time for that.

Then there was also the matter of packing our suitcases, because in November 2024 we deregistered from Germany and emigrated to Cyprus.

And this time, everything in Dubai was truly different.

Not only did we go completely against our principles and stay in a hotel right in the heart of the action, but we also went on vacation with friends for the first time.

We usually travel alone because we're perfectly in sync.

Our hotels are always located a bit away from the main tourist areas.

This time we stayed at the Hilton on Jumeirah Beach, similar to Mallorca.

Two years ago, we much preferred the Rove Hotel in Dubai Marina.

This time, we spent the first week in a hotel right in the thick of things and directly on the beach—definitely our last time there. The hotel sun loungers were so crowded that we were constantly bumping into strangers.

We then moved to the upper terrace, where there was much more space, even though it meant we were a bit further from the water.

We didn't mind, though, because we didn't spend all day at the hotel like some other people. There are so many beaches there that you can jump in the water almost anywhere. And we always have our swimsuits with us.

Unfortunately, we also saw the disrespectful people again who, despite being asked, reserved their sun loungers with towels before breakfast, and what I personally cannot understand at all in such a country is that they then lie topless on the beach.

We didn't do quite as much as we had two years prior, but it was still a very nice vacation.

In the evenings, we spent time with our friends to wind down the day.

But what we did manage this time, and this was one of the best things about the holiday, was to have an appointment at what is probably the highest swimming pool in the world. Aura Skypool receive.

It was simply breathtakingly beautiful, a wonderful day with a view over Dubai. The service was excellent and we would do it again in a heartbeat.

Of course, we also went to the Gold Souk and Old Dubai this time. Because they simply have the best camel milk ice cream there. If you're ever in the area, you absolutely have to try it.

On Christmas Eve, we booked a table at the hotel restaurant with our friends.

It was fantastic and first-class.

The menu was amazing and the staff were super friendly. It was a wonderful evening which we ended together on the beautiful rooftop terrace.

There was live music on the rooftop terrace every evening, and from there you could admire the beautiful light show, or rather the drone show, which consisted of thousands of drones, twice a night.

This time too, we made sure to take an evening boat trip with live music and dinner. Everyone should treat themselves to this; it's truly an unforgettable experience.

Another must-do was the zipline, which this time only the men went on.

For New Year's Eve, we moved to the Conrad near the Burj Khalifa. A fantastic hotel with a rooftop terrace and pool.

Great rooms and truly excellent service.

The maids surprised us every day with new animals made from towels.

We chose this hotel so we could celebrate New Year's Eve closer to the city center, right by the Burj Khalifa. However, that idea quickly faded. The restaurant wanted almost €8,000 for two people for just two seats.

We then decided to celebrate a little further away, but even there it still cost €3,000 for two people.

It was on a beautiful rooftop terrace with a direct view of the Burj Khalifa, but unfortunately, the price-performance ratio was completely off. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic party and a wonderful experience with our friends.

Unfortunately, we were still too far from the Burj Khalifa to get a proper view of its sea of lights.

We'll definitely be back for New Year's Eve sometime, but next time we'll be in the front row.

The next day, Rainer and I went to the Selfie Museum. We were initially very skeptical, but you won't believe it—it was so great that we spent hours there.

It was just so much fun and a blast.

We definitely recommend it, no matter where in the world you are.

It was another wonderful holiday in Dubai and of course, this time we also visited what is probably the best fish restaurant. BuQtair should not be missing..

However, this time it was so crowded that it took us almost three hours from waiting in line to order until our food finally arrived. But we would have waited even longer for this fish.

An absolute must-try in Dubai!!!!

We then spent the second-to-last day with our friends. We then went together again to the Frame, the world's largest picture frame, and back to the old town.