I’ve been considering laser eye surgery for over a year now, so with my 28th Birthday last month, I booked in for my treatment as a present to myself. Whilst this isn’t the cheapest of procedures, I figured it will be well worth it for 10+ years of perfect vision without glasses or contacts. Having done my research, I chose to go with Optical Express which is the UK’s number one provider of laser eye surgery. My experience was extremely positive, from the initial consultation to find out which eye surgery I was suitable for, to the day of surgery and aftercare which is just as important of course.
I had Lasik eye surgery which is the most common type of surgery with a very short recovery time, usually only two days. Immediately after the procedure which I had on Friday it was quite uncomfortable and I had to go home to sleep for a few hours. After a good night’s sleep however, I woke up with clear vision and could see everything in sharp focus, it felt like a miracle! I went for my next day checkup back at Optical Express on Saturday morning to check everything was healing ok and my prescription was indeed back to zero. Now it’s Sunday evening and I’m feeling good and ready to return to work tomorrow morning. I have a number of drops to take four times a day for a week as well as lubricant drops I will continue to take for a month. No makeup is allowed for a week and I mustn’t touch my eyes for this time also, but everything is feeling great and I don’t doubt I’ll be ready for a face of makeup by next Friday. How refreshing going to the pub this weekend makeup free though.
I couldn’t recommend laser eye surgery more to anyone who doesn’t like wearing their glasses and finds contacts inconvenient. My treatment cost £3,500 in total including all the aftercare and it’s been worth every penny for such lovely staff and specialists who guided me through my journey and made me feel very well cared for indeed. There’s no denying the surgery is quite invasive and you are awake, but it’s only a matter of minutes and the surgeon talks you through it so you know what to expect. It truly is life changing and I can’t wait to go on holiday for the first time with my new eyes! Thank you to the team at Optical Express for making my experience with laser eye surgery so seamless and positive.
With our feet safely back on UK soil last Tuesday, I’ve been spending this week catching up with myself following our dreamy whirlwind of an adventure in Dubai. We certainly made the most of our 10 day holiday and experienced so many of the wonderful things this vibrant and exciting futuristic city has to offer.
Having researched extensively through blogs, vlogs and influencers prior to our visit, we knew all the things we wanted to pack into our time there and everyday was another thrilling experience.
Given the extensive amount of things there are to do in Dubai, I thought I’d share my favourite hotspots and activities which are in my opinion an absolute must do when visiting the city.
Starting with one of the most popular areas of Dubai for tourists and expats, Dubai Marina offers a fabulous array of beach bars, restaurants, shops and residences.
After a walk along the beach, we stopped for lunch at a great little English inspired bar The Scene by Dubai Mall overlooking the Marina. Here we had our new fave cocktails which we discovered on our trip, passionfruit Mojitos!
From the beach you are looking across the bay at Dubai Eye located over on Blue Island. Later that evening we then met an old friend of mine nearby at the popular beach club Bla Bla and enjoyed the nightly drone show and fireworks.
He recommended we go to his favourite restaurant for dinner over on Blue Island called Alici. So after drinks we walked over the footbridge to our dinner spot as we admired Dubai Marina skyline lit up at night.
Arriving at Alici for our 8:30pm reservation in the name of my friend, we were greeted with a glass of champagne each upon arrival.
Overlooking the Dubai cityscape, it was the most fantastic dinner spot along with the most attentive and friendly of service. With mediterranean inspired cuisine, we were also treated to complimentary starters of burrata and beef carpaccio which was just exquisite.
For mains we both went for pasta, I had a tuna dish whilst my boyfriend had the lamb ragu. Another delicious course finished with the second drone show and firework display of the evening over the marina!
I would have to say this was up there as one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Beautiful setting, 5* service and delectable food. To finish we were even spoilt with another complimentary course of homemade truffles and freshly made pistachio cream cannolis.
I was so very grateful for my friends goodwill and kind gesture to ensure we were well looked after for our meal at Alici – a must visit for a romantic dinner date setting in Dubai.
Next up on my hitlist is making sure you spend a day at a rooftop pool in Dubai. With many throughout the city to choose from, I thought the views from our hotel rooftop pool at The Gevora amongst those towering buildings was pretty insane.
The Gevora hotel where we stayed is in fact the tallest hotel in the world and located in the trendy and lively financial district. We went for dinner at the Highest View Lounge up on The Gevora rooftop for our final night, a perfect location to soak up that glorious Dubai cityscape by night for one last time.
With a minimum spend of only £30 each, this restaurant is very reasonable for such breathtaking views. I had a delightful fillet of seabass with truffle mash potato and stir fried veggies – a much needed healthy meal after all the food we’d consumed on this trip!
Just across the highway from our hotel was another great rooftop cocktail bar Level 43 Lounge. Again for only £30 minimum spend you are treated to one of the best views of Dubai by night accompanied with live music and fabulous cocktails too of course.
It was an absolute must that we visited old Dubai and the souk markets during our stay. Once we found the less touristy part of the spice souk, it was so peaceful strolling around the stunning streets with their ancient architecture and magnificent mosques.
The spice souk sold traditional homewares including gorgeous lamps and pots as well as spices too. I couldn’t resist grabbing a pair of garishly decorated handmade leather pointy toe slipper shoes. I was having a Carrie from the Sex and the City movie moment when she’s in Abu Dhabi and buys the shoes for ten dollars at the souk.
If we’d had more time this day we would’ve liked to have taken a water taxi over Dubai Creek to the gold souk. Otherwise, I would say a leisurely stroll around the spice souk one morning or afternoon is the best way to take in the local culture.
We had to get back to our hotel as that evening we had sundown drinks booked at Jetty Lounge over on Jumeriah Beach.
Located within the One & Only hotel complex, we arrived via a little buggy to our sunset cocktail reservation at 5:30pm.
Every sundowner in Dubai is a breathtaking spectacle and the Jetty Lounge is definitely the best spot in town to take in this magical moment whilst sipping a cocktail or two.
Delicious cocktails and picture perfect views of the Dubai skyline twinkling at dusk, it felt like we were in our own private oasis as we admired the deep pastel hues of sundown.
Following cocktails on the jetty, we made our way over to Dukes Hotel on the Palm where we had 8pm dinner reservations for Ula.
With its casual chic ambience and live DJ playing chilled tunes, we had another beautiful dinner at Ula with yet more views of Dubai skyline by night.
Simple yet super tasty food, I had a greek salad with rosemary frites and my boyfriend had a classic margarita pizza – the best he’s ever had he said!
The moment we stepped foot in Ula I knew I had to visit this place by day. So, on our final day in Dubai we went to Ula beach club to soak up the sun in style one more time.
With it being our final day, we went all out and had a boat trip over to the Burj Al Arab at noon.
From here we hired a jet ski and went for an hour long ride around the Palm and over towards the city centre of Dubai.
I rode on the back of my boyfriend’s jet ski and it was such a great way to explore the Palm. Having seen it from the air too in the helicopter, this allowed us to get closer to the main attractions including the Burj Al Arab and famous Atlantis Hotel.
After our exhilarating time on the jet ski, we had a golden hour boat ride back to the beach club. It was the ultimate way to end our adventures in Dubai.
So those are my top recommendations for anyone visiting Dubai. Of course there was also the desert safari, helicopter ride and beach clubs which were all highlights too, there’s just so much to do! It was a long awaited trip we had planned and it didn’t disappoint; I’ll never forget the many magical moments and memories we made together…until next time Dubai ❤
Dani Aneka 