Dubai is one of those places you simply have to put on your bucket list. The nightlife there is very interesting, the desert safari is looking so good and you just love all those luxury things around you. Before you go there, you just hear so much about it, but you never know what to expect. And that was exactly my case, but after spending some time roaming around the city and experiencing it for myself, I somehow figured out how it works there. After seeing many people going to Dubai all the time and asking about the local culture, how to dress or what is allowed and what not, I decided to put this list together with some handy tips which might show you what to do and what not.

Let´s make it clear - the UAE is a Muslim country. That simply means that it is not a democratic country and follows Muslim and sharia laws. Even though there are many expats from all around the world (around 150 nationalities), the UAE is built on generations of Islamic traditions which are rooted firmly in its culture and tribal heritage. The Emirati are very friendly and respectful people and they are very open minded, but you should always respect their values and culture, doesn´t matter if you are just a tourist or you want to settle down in Dubai or the UAE for longer time.

Is is expected from you to dress modestly. Especially in the public areas (streets, shopping malls, public transport, cafes, the airport etc.) the shoulders should be covered and you shouldn´t show too much skin, so make sure that your thighs, belly, bum and chest are well covered. Nobody is probably going to call the fashion police if you flash too much skin, but you might be asked to cover yourself up or get indignant looks from the others. Be aware of transparent clothing or clothing with offensive slogans or graphic as well. However, the hotels, some private resorts, beach and pool are usually considered as "international zone", where you can relax in shorts, tank tops or bikini. 

Alcohol consumption is allowed only by Non-Muslims and only in licensed restaurants, clubs, bars, private venues, hotel restaurants or at home (but you have to obtain a special license first.) Normal tourists and travelers can´t buy alcohol in stores or supermarkets on their own and they can consume alcohol only at those special places mentioned above. Being drunk in public areas is considered to be a crime and you can be fined or jailed for that. The drinking age is 21 years and it is strongly recommended not to try to get alcohol if you are younger.

Drugs are strictly forbidden and you can be jailed and deported for that. Smoking is allowed from 18 years old, but there are special places for smokers, you can´t light up simply everywhere, especially  don´t try it in shopping malls, shops or government buildings. 

Any kind of sexual relationship outside of marriage is illegal. Cohabiting of unmarried couple is also considered to be against the law, including hotels, but most of hotels in Dubai don´t really enforce rule "only married couples." Especially luxury hotels designed for foreigners shouldn´t have any problems when you book a hotel room and you have different surnames. However, one my friend from Dubai told me that it is always better to book a twin bed room, especially if you travel with a friend of same sex. Who should be very careful are homosexual couples. Homosexuality is not accepted in the UAE and you can be jailed or deported for homosexual behaviour. For all couples, doesn´t matter if they are homosexual or not, holding hands, kissing, cuddling up is considered unlawful in public. There are various stories of couples being jailed for kissing or hugging in public areas, so don´t do it, rather keep it for your hotel room and try to keep it low key as much as possible.

Don´t harass women, don´t use offensive language, don´t make offensive hand gestures, don´t spit. All these actions are considered to be criminal offences and you can be jailed for this. Dancing or playing loud music in public can be fined, so dance and play music at your private place, not in public places.

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The rules for driving are not really different, but it is strongly recommended not to break them. So try to avoid speeding, tailgating, racing, lane jumping, using mobile phone while driving or driving with alcohol in your blood. The speed cameras are all around the city and fines can be pretty heavy. Wearing a seat belt is mandatory. Also don´t try to cross the road where it is not allowed, you can be fined for this.

You can either use public transport or taxi service. Taxi is very cheap service in Dubai. There are many taxis on the road and it is really a great and handy way how to get around the city. Just one tip - make sure that the taxi driver puts on the meter and understands well where you want to go. Always leave to your destination in advance, the traffic in Dubai can be pretty insane. There is also really great public transportation which can take you pretty much everywhere around the city - subway or bus lines.

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You don´t have to start learning Arabic to communicate well in Dubai. English is widely spoken there and I think that everybody knows it there and can use it there. So don´t worry, if you are good at English, you shouldn´t have any problem.

I know you want to take as many photos as possible, but be very careful what you take photos of. It can get you into serious trouble if you take photos of locals or government buildings without any kind of permission. This also applies to videos, so be careful and respectful.

So these are just some basic tips I got while staying there, some of them are also tips from my friends living in Dubai. Of course it is definitely worthy to go there and experience it for yourself, but try to be as much respectful as possible. Dubai, but also the UAE, are really interesting places to see, so make sure you have enough of time to go around and enjoy it as much as possible. However, as I mentioned above, respect the local culture. Thank you.

Have you ever visited Dubai? How did you like it over there?

Germany is a country with so many little towns and villages, which hide the biggest gems of architecture, nature or local traditional cuisine. I find new places every time I visit Germany and I think that sometimes it is better to stop and do a sightseeing than just pass by. And of these places is definitely German town called Altenburg, which I visited in November 2013. 

I volunteered in Mathare slums in Nairobi during my stay in Kenya in July 2015. Because of my work especially at the local school, I had an opportunity to spend a lot of time with little kids. The youngest ones were around 3-4 years old, the oldest ones were around 12-13 years old, I guess. I was looking forward to meeting these little ones so much and when I finally got a chance, it was much better than I had thought it could be. If you ever get any chance to meet the children from Kenya, here are just a few reasons why you will love them.  

1. They are so friendly

I even did not have to make a first step, because they did it instead of me. I loved their smiles, and how they made me happy all the time. They were asking me - "How are you?" everytime they had a chance to talk with me. I had to answer many of their questions about my country, my family or my school. However, I never felt somehow annoyed by it. I enjoyed their company pretty much and it was hard to leave them.  

Before going to Kenya, I asked some kids in Czech schools about their dreams or wishes. The answers were various. The girls want to work as teachers, models or singers. The boys wish they could work in the army or IT industry. Then I asked them - Why? The girls replied - We want to be beautiful, we want to have expensive dress and makeup. The boys replied - We want to use tanks and weapons, it has to be cool. I decided to ask same questions the kids in Kenya. Their answers did not surprise me a lot. Their dream careers also included teachers or soldiers. What was different were their reasons why they want to do so. "I wish I could be a teacher, so I could teach poor and disabled kids who can´t go to normal school." "My dream is to be a doctor because I could heal sick people," says another child. They want to help others. 

In my country, almost every child has a mobile phone, tablet or computer. It is a common thing that children have Facebook account, they post photos on Instagram and share their thoughts on Twitter. It is different in Kenya. The Kenyan kids are not affected by modern technologies so much as kids in other parts of the world. It touched my heart to see them playing with each other and not being on mobile phones all the time. It was much better to see the kids playing the football than to see them sitting in the corner with tablets or smartphones. 

I mean, do I have to say something more? Just look at the photos! I think I don´t have to explain anything anymore. 

Who does not love the babies and kids? They are all so sweet, cute, adorable and beautiful. When you add friendly personality and admirable character, you will get Kenyan kids. These kids go through a lot and if you give them love, they will give back to you much more than you need. I know that if you ever meet them and you make a strong bond with them, you will never regret it. Trust me. 

After spending good and quality time with my friends, I had to say goodbye and continue in my journey. And my next destination was somewhere where I had never been before - Assisi. I was excited, because visiting Assisi and discovering places in this part of Italy had been my dream for long. But let me start from beginning.

Traditional Christmas Markets are originally from Europe, but now they are spread all around the globe. The markets provide beautiful and magic Christmas atmosphere and people can enjoy many things while shopping the gifts or just sightseeing around.

I´m glad and feeling very happy I can live here, in Europe, where this is tradition and there are a lot of incredible markets which provide typical specialties of that country, for example chocolate, drinks like a grog, wooden toys and much more. If you are thinking about visiting Europe for Christmas or you are from Europe and you are thinking about traveling abroad for Christmas Markets, here are some tips for best ones.

1. BERLIN, GERMANY