The Marina is an area of Dubai that is fairly new. It is home to the most expensive real estate in Dubai, which looks out to the water that runs through the centre of the skyscrapers. As it is home to the richest people in Dubai, it is no surprise that the waterfront is filled with luxury yachts and speed boats. The walkway is lined with beautiful cafes, expensive restaurants, traditional shish lounges and some of the best night clubs in the world.

A group of friends and I got dropped off at The Marina at about 10 pm. Not knowing where the bars were, we left the taxi and strolled down the walkway, peering up at the multiple skyscrapers that were all lit up. It is a beautiful walk as there is so much to see! I couldn’t believe the number of private boats moored up. There must have been a Billion dollars worth of boats here!

There was a lot of hustle and bustle in the cafes and eateries, but we were after something a little bit more lively, so we asked a local where we could find the clubs.  He instructed us that we could find clubs at the other end of the walkway so we should keep walking. Along the way to the club area, we stopped off at a shish bar. There was traditional live music playing in the background which created a lovely ambience. We all shared a ‘shisha bong’ which had apple flavour shish inside. My favourite flavour. After also having a drink here we carried on our walk towards the clubs.

20 minutes later we came to a large circular building, called Pier 7.  The building is 7 stories high and each level is a different club. We walked through a tunnel that leads you into a space-ship like building and came to a row of 3 lifts.  Once inside the lift, the floor numbers had the names of the clubs by them, but as it was our first time we had no idea which one to choose.  We pressed every number so that the lift doors would open at every floor.  When the doors opened we would all listen to the music to see if it was what we wanted, and after listening to what all the clubs had to offer, we went back down to Cargo. 

Cargo was playing a combination of R&B and Latin music. It had an amazing atmosphere and was filled with people from all over the globe. The space was big enough so it wasn’t uncomfortable, but not so big that it felt empty.  We went on a Friday so it was Ladies Night which was brilliant. We got 3 tokens for three free drinks and they weren’t like the rubbish free drinks you normally get with some unbranded vodka and Pepsi… We got Smirnoff vodka and Gordan’s pink gin. Of course, they could have switched bottles, but it tasted like the real thing.

There isn’t a dance floor as such, people just find a table and dance around that, which I actually prefer.  However, if all the people dancing around you gets a bit much, then you can spill out onto the terrace which surrounds the bar, and enjoy the spectacular views of the Marina. 

We spent the majority of the night here because the music and atmosphere was exactly what we were after.  However when Cargo was closing at 1am, instead of heading back to the Cruise Ship we moved up a few floors to 7 and went to the only bar that was open in the building, Atelier M. This is by far the most luxurious club/bar I have ever stepped foot in. The velvet sofas surrounding the dance floor and the gold bar that was a circle in the middle of the club. It was insane. Helen, one of the girls I was with, went to the bar and ordered herself a double gin and tonic. We had had the free drinks so now had to pay. After the barman had made the drink, he asked for payment in Dirhams and Helen being a little bit tipsy didn’t think anything of paying 129 Dirham’s for her drink until I worked it out and shockingly told her that she had just paid £27 for a gin and tonic.  Let’s just say, she made that drink last.After Helen finished her drink and we had enough of dancing, we made our way out of the ultra-glamorous club and back onto the waterfront. We wandered along the walkway, all a little bit tipsy. At no point did I feel unsafe or on edge. We walked through a cafe, onto the road and very easily caught a cab that took us back to the Cruise Ship.

My night out in the marina was unforgettable and if you find yourself in Dubai I would highly recommend you go to Pier 7.  Due to the prices being so high, I would definitely suggest going out in the Marina on a Ladies Night. Even if you are with guys like we were, you can all chip in paying for the guys if you want to, but if you can get it for less, why not?

A list of the ladies nights at Pier 7.

What- Three complimentary drinks
Where- Asia Asia
When- Tuesday 6 pm- 1 am

What- Three complimentary drinks
Where- Fumé
When- Tuesdays 8 pm till 12 am

What- Three complimentary drinks
Where- Ocacti
When- Tuesday 6 pm till 12 am

What- Three complimentary drinks
Where- Cargo
When- Tuesday 8 pm till 1 am
           – Friday 8 pm till 1 am

What- Three complimentary drinks
Where- Atelier M
When- Tuesday 8 pm till 11 am