The Dubai Diaries
My life as a flight attendant in the Middle East!

An Instagram Guide to Chicago

Having already visited Chicago twice with work, this time around I decided to do a bit more exploring and put together a little “Instagram Hotspot” guide.

I did some research before I left, and saved a few places on Google Maps to pay a visit whilst there. I was a little too optimistic and didn’t quite manage to fit them all in, but if you have a bit more time than I did (and don’t stop too often to drink bellinis…) you might just be able to fit them all in in 48 hours.

Cloud Gate & Millenium Park

Of course, you can’t come to Chicago and not go and see The Bean. The official name of this sculpture is Cloud Gate, but due to the shape it has been nicknamed The Bean. Whatever you prefer to call it, make sure to stop by and admire your reflection.

View Post

Swinging by the Seychelles

I was so happy to finally be rostered a flight to the Seychelles, and despite only having less than 17 hours there, I was determined to make the most of my layover!

The flight from Dubai is just over 4 hours, so it’s nice and easy, although the aircraft we were on didn’t have a first class so I was working in economy this time.

However, I couldn’t complain as it meant I got a chance to be down the back of the aircraft and see the tail up close, which doesn’t happen too often!

I was also sitting by the window, and had some spectacular views of the island on approach.

View Post

May Roster

Once again roster day has come round so quickly, I can’t quite believe we’re over halfway through April already! Summer is slowly starting to arrive in Dubai and it’s heating up, so I’ll be glad to get out of the country once it gets even hotter.

Next month I’ll be heading off to:

  • NBO – Nairobi, Kenya
  • ORD – Chicago, USA
  • ALG – Algiers, Algeria
  • SEZ – Mahé, Seychelles
  • KRT – Khartoum, Sudan
  • MAD – Madrid, Spain
  • DFW – Dallas, USA

As you can see – quite a varied roster next month!

First up is a trip to Nairobi, which I’m hoping to swap as I have a family event in the UK that I would love to attend, so stay updated for that one.

After that is Chicago (which I first thought was Orlando, despite having just been there and knowing that the airport code is MCO – oops!) and it’s been a few years since I last visited. We used to stay right in the city but I think the hotel has changed to an airport one now, so I’m not sure what I’ll get up to on my layover there.

Next is a flight to Algiers, which is right at the beginning of Ramadan. I’m not sure how strict they are there, but if it’s similar to Dubai I might try and swap that as I’m guessing there won’t be too much to do if everything is closed for Ramadan.

Then I have another trip to the Seychelles – after bidding for this flight for years it’s finally taken me 5,5 years to get it in April, and now they’ve rostered me a second one in May! No complaints here, as I’m sure it will be beautiful.

My only turnaround (unless I can swap my Nairobi) in May is to Khartoum, a flight I haven’t done before. It’s long – around 4 hours each way, so hopefully I won’t be too tired afterwards!

After that is a layover in Madrid. It’s been a while since I’ve visited, and hopefully my sister Lizzie, who lives in Valencia, will be able to come and stay so we can go out and explore.

Lastly is a trip to Dallas, a new destination for me. I’ll have to do some research about what there is to do there – maybe a Texan rodeo?!

Stay tuned on here as always to see what I get up to next month on all of my trips.

P.s. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter for more day-to-day updates of where I am in the world! 🙂

Cruising the Backwaters in Cochin, India

For my first trip to India I was rostered a layover in Cochin, Kerala. It’s a short flight from Dubai at around 3 hours, but due to the departure time in the middle of the night we were lucky enough to get a layover.

We arrived in the hotel early morning, and a few of us who’d never explored Cochin before decided to hire a driver to take us to the Kerala Backwaters for a boat ride.

The network of backwaters includes 5 large lakes, which are connected by canals, rivers and inlets, and make up more than 900km of waterways.

It was around a 2 hour drive from our hotel near the airport, and despite the crazy drivers and near-death experiences on the Indian roads, all of us soon fell asleep in the car, having been awake all night!

View Post

Snapshots from Orlando, Florida

It was my first time visiting Orlando, Florida, and after a long 15 hour flight we finally touched down around lunchtime.

The weather was gorgeous and sunny, and knowing that my sleep pattern would be completely messed up if I went to bed straight away, a few of us opted to share an uber to the nearby outlet mall once we’d checked in and freshened up.

We agreed on a time to meet later for dinner, and split up to hit the shops.

View Post