Family holiday in Dubai
The Metropolis of Dubai has grown at an unbelievable rate, I first visited in 2006 and 13 years later is almost unrecognizable; new sky-scrapers have transformed the skyline. The standout is the Burj Khalifa ;the tallest building in the world reaching 828m into the sky. A visit to Dubai isn’t complete without a visit to the top and to see the dancing fountains that surround it, our three year old delighted in the experience.
Our base was the Pullman Jumeirah Lakes hotel, located a short walk away from the Marina area. Tram and metro lines were located nearby so it was easy to get around to any part of the city; a simple thing that proved to be a winner for our transport obsessed child! The Marina offers waterfront dining and you can hire bikes to cycle off dinner and take in the ambience.
We hopped on the metro down to the Creek area; the city’s historical centre to explore the gold and spice souks. You glimpse what the real Dubai was once like before they started building. Beware though you need sunglasses to walk past the gold shops; the bling is so glaring! We also took public transport to Legoland Waterpark- located quite a distance from the city but worth the journey if you have small children as it’s specifically designed for ages 2-12, as a lot of the other waterparks have height restrictions. We took the monorail onto the Palm Jumeirah, the famous man-made island home to the Atlantis Hotel, a place where in previous years we had stayed. Our destination was to The Lost Chambers, an aquarium housing hundreds of marine animals-from sharks and rays to schools of fish, our little one was amazed by the sight. Once he is older I’m sure that we will return to experience the waterpark located inside the hotel; Aquaventure. It has rapids, waterslides and is home to the ‘Leap of Faith’, a slide that plunges almost vertically straight through the aquarium. Floating down the lazy river is a great way to spend an afternoon.
Having a three year old curtails retail therapy, but if that’s your reason for visiting then you’ll won’t be disappointed. Dubai is also a good place to buy diamonds so if you’re planning a proposal then why not let your betrothed design their own ring-it only takes a matter of days to make. If you are planning this then mention it to me when booking as I can help set up a proposal and put you in contact with the right people.
After 4 nights in the city, some quiet time was needed so we hopped in a taxi and just an hour away is Ras Al Khaimah, one of the UAE’s seven Emirates. It’s a quieter, more low-key affair with the backdrop of mountains instead of sky-scrapers. The beach here is perfect white sand and the sea perfectly calm for swimming and for little ones to play in.
Our base was the opulent Waldorf Astoria, a beachfront hotel that was originally built by a Sheikh to be a palace. There is a fountain in the lobby and corridors wide enough for a heard of elephants to pass through. They treat children like royalty in this hotel, your little ones can be little hoteliers for the day (why not to put them to work? You paid for the holiday!) thanks to the Waldorf’s unique programme where 8-13 year olds get a chance to work in the hotel complete with uniform and name badge.
The food at the hotel was amazing and there was so much choice; healthy and not so; donuts and chocolate pancakes for breakfast, scoop your own ice cream and chocolate fondue for dinner, our little boy didn’t want to leave. We even had home-made ice lollies delivered to our sun beds around the pool.
The perfect mix of city and beach coupled with very little jet-lag and guaranteed sunshine meant that the UAE can really offer a lot, desert experiences are also worth doing if you’re interested. Contact me for more details.