I love any excuse for a celebration, but none more so than my own birthday! I knew this year’s celebrations would be slightly different though. Birthday celebrations during COVID-19 may be a little more difficult…Or so I thought. Actually, I had an amazing day filled with activities, love, laughter, and great food. If you’re looking for budget-friendly birthday celebrations in Dubai, read on! 

Surprise!

I woke up to a lovely surprise from my husband. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling filled with balloons and the walls covered with pictures of us. I knew from that moment that my birthday celebrations during COVID-19 would be special, as I still got to spend them with him! 

To start the day, we stopped at Eggspectation for a tasty breakfast. Located at JBR, this stylish restaurant-café is the perfect place to eat before a day out in Dubai. It serves an egg-focused breakfast menu, plus American lunch dishes. I went for the Eggs Benedict and didn’t regret it – it was so yummy! A great start to my day.

Birthday Celebrations during COVID-19

For those of you who don’t know what JBR is, it’s a 1.7-kilometer-long waterfront area adjacent to Dubai Marina. The leisure project launched in 2002 but wasn’t completed until 2010, and cost over 6 billion dirhams to create. It’s an amazing area and one of my favorite places in all of Dubai. Here, you’ll find 40 towers – 35 residential and 5 hotels. Plus, there are numerous restaurants, shops, a beach… everything you need!

JBR covers 3 areas – The Walk, The Beach, and Bluewaters Island. The Walk is the place to find fantastic outdoor attractions. You can see street painters, comedy shows, sand sculptures, and much more. I’ll touch on The Beach and Bluewaters Island more later! However, it’s a truly beautiful area and a great place to spend a day wandering around. If you’re on a budget, there are no entry fees to this area. Simply go for a stroll and take it all in!

Blue Waters Island

The next part of my birthday celebrations during COVID-19 was a trip to Blue Waters Island. This man-made island is just a short 10-20-minute walk from JBR. Unfortunately, construction on the island is affected by the coronavirus outbreak. However, there’s still plenty to see and do here!

Blue Waters Island houses the Dubai Eye, a 210m-tall Ferris wheel. It’ll be the tallest in the world when it’s finished! As you walk around the island, the views of the wheel and the gulf are unparalleled. This is a true Instagrammers dream! As you walk down the shop-lined streets, the Ferris wheel is the focal point of your attention. 

The fancy Caesar’s Palace Hotel is already up and running, and there are a couple of restaurants open too. I got a real sense of ‘island life’ as I explored Blue Waters Island. I felt a real sense of calmness and relaxation walking around the area. I’ll be heading back.

Despite construction falling behind, the development will undoubtedly end up being one of the best places in Dubai. When finished, it will comprise of hotels, apartments, villas, dining spots, and entertainment venues. And the wheel of course! There will also be a monorail system that links the island to the Dubai Metro. This will make it easily accessible and a great spot for tourists and locals alike. I’m looking forward to visiting again when more is open!

Jumeirah Beach Residence – JBR

Then it was back to JBR for a really special activity and my favorite part of the day.

The Beach at JBR occupies the beachfront between the Hilton and Sheraton Hotels. It’s here that you’ll find over 70 retail, food, and beverage outlets, plus numerous entertainment facilities. If you’re in Dubai, The Beach will become your new favorite hangout spot. There’s nothing better than soaking up the sun, sand and sea. It’s a perfect mix of locals and tourists too. Well – it usually is when there isn’t a pandemic going on.

We weren’t visiting for everything I’ve listed above though, instead, we’re here for sunset kayaking! We walked to the waterfront to hire our kayak and set sail. I have to stress that this isn’t exactly a budget-friendly activity. It costs around 100 dirhams for a 30-minute kayaking trip. However, I think it’s worth every penny!

Our timing couldn’t have been better – we took to the water as the sun was setting and the sky lit up in shades of gold and orange. It’s amazing to sit there and take in the city skyline from the water. The water was a little rough that day, but it was nonetheless peaceful. What an activity to end my birthday celebrations during COVID-19. I loved being able to spend time with my husband just floating on the sea, spending quality time together. Birthday celebrations aren’t just about what you’re doing, but who you’re doing it with. I’m lucky that I get to spend my birthdays with him! Plus, despite everything, it really did feel like a normal day.

Birthday Celebrations Continue at Home

After an amazing day, it’s time to head home. My birthday isn’t over yet though! On our way home, we stopped to buy steaks to try making a homemade restaurant-quality meal. If things were to go badly, we’d be eating at a restaurant instead…

However, it turns out we’re great chefs! My husband had a few final surprises for me too. As we sat down for dinner, he lit the candles he’d placed around the room. It was so special and the effort he put in made my day feel all the more amazing. When I opened our front door, I also had a teddy, hamper and other gifts waiting for me… he is so good to me!

Birthday celebrations during COVID-19 may seem scary at first, but if you plan ahead, you can have a relatively normal day. My birthday was filled with picture-worthy moments, goofiness, love and lots of laughter. What more could you need?

Stay safe!

Check out my last post on the 9 Road Trips to plan during this pandemic!