Hi traveller, want to see our malls? - The National

Dubai was not particularly high on the list of destinations Julia Deere wanted to visit. Nor was she particularly impressed with the city once she arrived.

But with seven hours to spare before her connecting flight in Dubai on a trip from London to Singapore, she decided to head out of the airport and explore.

"I got a cab to Dubai Mall, went to a few shops and then had dinner in a cafe in the mall which overlooked the Burj Khalifa and the fountain show," says Ms Deere, 28, an events manager from Britain.

* username: rupertbu