Sun + Sand in Dubai

My family and I had the opportunity to travel to Dubai to visit my father, a long-time resident of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I could have researched all I wanted to about Dubai; when to travel, where to stay and what to do, but the reality is that once we landed in-country we were instantly overwhelmed. I take pleasure in understanding the local history of places I travel to, but the UAE is a relatively young country, where everything seems to be shiny and new! Dubai is unlike any city we have ever traveled to and the one word that comes to mind when summing up our trip would be interesting.

We spent our ten day Dubai vacation attending barbeques in the desert, riding in land utility vehicles over miles and miles of sand dunes, spending hours under umbrellas at private beaches and, of course, walking the popular malls in Dubai to escape the heat. We were fortunate enough to stay in an apartment hotel and ventured into many local grocery stores to purchase staples for making breakfast and dinner at ‘home’. We even rode a commuter bus to Abu Dhabi and perused their city life for a day. People in Dubai are extremely hospitable and helped us maneuver our way around the city. If we were ever to venture back we would stay an extra day or two and definitely visit more of the neighboring areas.

Kia Gregory is a photographer based in Central Valley, CA (a mere 59.2 miles from San Francisco). She enjoys photographing children and families but finds her heart really soars when she is photographing everyday things from her personal life.