Sandra sent us her reader success story to Dubai – and it was a doozy! She packed it with fun activities to celebrate her 40th birthday. This is how she did it!

 

Sandra’s Reader Success Story to Dubai

I just got back from eight days in Dubai to celebrate my 40th birthday, and I only spent a total of $336 on flights and hotels (and that included a business-class flight on Emirates)!

 

To say the trip was magical would be an understatement. Because of points and miles, I could do all the bucket-list things I wouldn’t have been able to do if I had paid full price for my flights and hotels. The Hyatt Regency in Dubai was truly $0, including free breakfast (as my wonderful friend gifted me Hyatt Globalist Guest of Honor).

My hotel in the desert was pure luxury. Each room was its own private bungalow. All I paid was $30 in taxes. Each bungalow had a private pool, and it was all-inclusive, which included breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a tea-time snack. It also included two resort activities per day. One of my favorites was the camel trek to the middle of the desert, where we sipped champagne on the sand dunes at sunset.

Some other Dubai activities included:

• Going to the top of Burj Khalifa
• Swimming in the clouds at the Aura Sky Pool pool overlooking the famous Palm Jumeirah.
• Going to the top of the Dubai Frame
• Taking a Mega-Yacht cruise to celebrate my birthday — VIP-style
• Zip Lining across the city
• Shopping in the famous spice souks (think Carrie from Sex in the City buying spices and shoes, only I didn’t meet a hot ex-boyfriend).
• Customizing my own perfume and watching a robotic machine make it at the Museum of the Future.

 

All of the other activities were expensive, and I probably spent about $1200, including food. But when your flights and accommodations are nearly free, it doesn’t matter. Oh, and the $336 I mentioned at the beginning, that also included even more legroom seats from Dubai to Istanbul and Istanbul to Miami.

Now, where shall points and miles take me next??

(Sandra, you know how to do it in style – can I go too?)