I’m a Londoner who just visited Dubai for the first time, and even though I found it magical at night, I wouldn’t rush back

• I visited Dubai for the first time when working on the Dubai Air Show in November 2019.
• I also had some time to explore the city, and it was unlike anywhere I’ve ever been. However, I know I didn’t see everything Dubai has to offer in my limited amount of time there.
• Not every building was actually as slick and shiny as it looked from afar, and even though I knew it was a new city, I still found it weird that there was no historic architecture like in London.
• It was also incredible to me that no one seemed to walk anywhere, though a lot of the time, this is likely because of the heat.
• I’m in no rush to return to Dubai, but I did think it was magical at night, especially by the marina.
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Jet-lagged after a 14-hour flight from Melbourne, I arrived in Dubai and gazed in awe out of the window of my taxi from the airport as we whizzed past endless skyscrapers to the marina, which is where I was staying. My first impression of Dubai? Shiny.

Although I was in Dubai for the Air Show, which took place outside of the city, I had some time to explore, so tried to see as much of Dubai as I could (though I certainly didn’t cover it all).

Another thing I noticed right away was how tall the skyline was. I’ve never seen so many high-rise buildings. This was the view from my hotel window.

The tallest of all the skyscrapers, of course, is the Burj Khalifa, which is found downtown. Dubai felt to me like it was made up of two cities: Downtown …

Read more: I visited the world’s highest restaurant at the top of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, and don’t know why anyone bothers with the official observation deck

… the marina …

… and not much in between.

It was strange to me that there were these two built-up areas that weren’t really connected, and my colleagues and I quickly learned that everyone got between the two by taxi.

Although shiny and sleek from afar, some of the buildings weren’t actually that attractive once I saw them close up.

Lots of them were home to downmarket stores selling budget knick-knacks, which wasn’t the image of Dubai I’d been sold — the city had always been presented to me as luxurious and glamorous (which parts of it were, no doubt).

I saw a few mosques during my brief time there, but they still looked new. The whole city felt remarkably young to me…

… Especially coming from a historic city like London, which I love for having both the shiny new buildings as well as incredibly old architecture.

I was amazed that there was still so much ongoing construction work, though this is often the same in London and any other big city for that matter.

Dubai seems to be continuing to grow and develop.

You didn’t have to go far, however, to find yourself in the desert, which I discovered one day when I attempted to find a particular camel farm in the middle of nowhere (I failed, and I ended up on a bizarre adventure with my taxi driver).

Although I failed to find the farm, the contrast between the empty desert and the busy city was shocking — and pretty cool. There was suddenly nothing to see.

I did find some camels, though, at a camel hospital and race track. I certainly wasn’t in London any more.

Back in the city, I realized there was something about Dubai that felt artificial to me, almost like it was a toy town.

Speaking of toys, Dubai is all about the malls — as far as I could see, the city doesn’t really have high streets like many European cities do. I only found one major shopping street in my time there.

Read more: I spent 2 days at The Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping malls, which is so big it contains an aquarium – but I kept getting too lost to actually enjoy the shopping

The biggest of all the malls is the Dubai Mall, which has over 1,200 stores. I like shopping as much as the next person, but this was truly overwhelming.

The mall has more than just shops, though: There are “selfie rooms,” both an aquarium and an underwater zoo, an ice rink, and lots of eateries.

My colleagues and I failed to work out what the difference was between an underwater zoo and an aquarium, but it was quite cool.

The mall was overwhelmingly huge, and I got lost multiple times.

Although there was an area for high-end brands, it was also interesting to me to see designer stores like Dior and Gucci next to budget labels like Missguided.

There was every shop imaginable inside, and lots of American eateries like Wendy’s and the Cheesecake Factory.

Other than inside the mall, no one in Dubai seemed to walk anywhere, which seemed odd to me, though I was told it’s because it’s too hot a lot of the time. Everyone drives — and the traffic is horrendous.

There is a metro, but it’s not very extensive. I liked the futuristic terminals, though.

The metro has a cabin solely reserved for women and children. When you’re actually inside, there’s no barrier to stop men getting in though. It felt weird to me.

Read more: I rode the women-only subway car in Dubai, and while it has some plus points it’s not something I’d want to see everywhere

The strangest thing about my Dubai metro experience, however, was that a fellow passenger told me off for getting my water bottle out — I didn’t realize that if you eat or drink anything, even water, on the metro, you can be fined. I thought this was ridiculous, but I did like that the train was overground.

One day, I got a taxi to the Burj Al Arab, which is on the coast. There are beaches in Dubai, but if you’re after a beach holiday, I can think of better places to go where the beaches are much prettier and feel more natural. It’s cool to have the option of doing watersports though.

Read more: I went inside the most luxurious hotel suite in Dubai, and it was the most extra place I’ve ever seen

I liked Dubai best by night.

As the sun went down, the city lit up.

The marina looked particularly pretty, as the water reflected the twinkly lights — this was one area of the city that actually did seem to have been designed to walk round, and it was lovely.

However, it was at night that I started to think about how segregated Dubai seemed, as one resident had told me: It felt a bit like there are two communities, ex-pats and locals, that don't seem to mix much.

Certain bars and restaurants seemed to market themselves to the ex-pats and tourists, and there people turn a blind eye to anyone flouting Dubai's strict laws on public displays of affection, and conservative dress codes.

You can find any food you want in Dubai, like a classic combination of pizza with cheesy churros (don't knock it till you've tried it).

I was not expecting alcohol to be so expensive, though: In one bar, I bought two double gin and tonics, and it wasn't until the next day that I converted the price and realized it had cost me about £45 ($58). However, that same bar also offered a "ladies night" on Fridays where all women got three free drinks. This turned out to be a common concept in Dubai, and it struck me as bizarre — though it turns out it's a thing in plenty of big cities.

If you're a fan of a glitzy and glamorous night out, Dubai has a lot to offer — but I won't be rushing back.

I found Dubai to be unlike any place I've ever been.

The cityscape is undeniably impressive and I like all the slick, shiny skyscrapers, but coming from London, I think I would find it odd to live somewhere with no genuinely historical buildings, since they bring real character.

For such a young city, I was also surprised that everything didn't run more smoothly - I had so many failed attempts to do things or get to places over the week, and the congestion was truly outrageous.

People didn't really seem to spend much time outside, either - I'm not sure I saw any parks - and one Uber driver told me everyone just goes from home to work to a mall ad infinitum, though this is likely due to the extremely hot weather a lot of the time.

Dubai does have its own charm, particularly at night - the fairylight-draped palm trees, twinkly buildings, and illuminated fountains all sparkled, and it did look quite magical.

I'm also well aware that there's a lot more of Dubai that I didn't see or do, and I'm sure I could've had a different experience had I been shown round by a local, but I still learned a lot from my time there.

I'm glad I experienced Dubai, but I'm in no rush to go back.