Special Birthdays holiday to Atlantis The Palm Dubai
Dubai continues to thrive, and the buildings still keep going up! It has changed so much since our first visit back in 2005. The weather in September was still in the early 40’s, with the average daily temperature being 43 degrees and dropping in the evenings to about 37 degrees. Care needs to be taken with the heat and especially with children, of course once indoors everything is air conditioned to the max!
As we travelled as four adults this time, we stayed in a fantastic, two-bedroom terrace suite which was spacious to say the least with two full bedrooms, two big bathrooms, living/dining room, dressing room, guest cloakroom and a lovely double balcony with views of the Palm, sunbeds and table and chairs. The suite also came with complimentary access to the Imperial Club where breakfast could be taken, afternoon tea was served, and evening cocktails and canapés were enjoyed. This was a really worthwhile benefit.
All guests staying at Atlantis receive complimentary access to Aquaventure Waterpark, which is great for all ages. There is a brilliant choice of water slides/rides, the group rides - Aquaconda and Zoomeranga being two of my favourites. For the less adventurous the lazy river and rapids will suit, and the thrill seekers will love the Leap of Faith! For anyone interested in interacting with dolphins or sea lions, there are payable experiences for this.
The hotel offers a vast choice of restaurants from their own buffet restaurants to Gordon Ramsey’s Bread Street Kitchen, NOBU or the unique Ossiano Restaurant offering floor to ceiling views of the aquarium.
First time visitors to Dubai have a wide range of activities and sightseeing opportunities, such as taking a trip out into the desert in a four-wheel drive vehicle for dune bashing, followed by a BBQ dinner in the desert, complete with camel riding and belly dancing. Anyone not afraid of heights must take a trip up the Burj Khalifa Tower, currently the tallest tower in the world. A good time to go up is just before dusk to experience the sunset. The world’s fastest elevators travelling at 10 m/s, will take you in no time to level 124 where the views are not to be missed. A city tour will give those who want to experience a little of the original Dubai the chance to see the Mosque, The Dubai Museum, the Gold and Spice Souks, and an opportunity to take an abra boat ride on the Dubai Creek.
If you like to "shop till you drop," Dubai boasts some of the best shopping malls in the world, the main one being the Dubai Mall. Located in the same area as the Burj Khalifa, the mall is surrounded partly by a lake and the dancing fountains which come to life every 30 minutes and put on a captivating water, music and light spectacle. The mall has over 1200 shops with all the big designer names being housed there. Here you will also find an aquarium, ice skating rink, cinemas and a whole host of dining options.
Getting to Dubai is easy with most UK airports having at least one direct flight a day. There are many other airlines offering indirect routes into the city too. In Dubai you can choose from a massive range of accommodation, whether this be a luxury hotel on the Palm or Jumeirah Beach, a city hotel stay, apartments or hotels in the Marina or Creek areas, most budgets can be catered for. The new metro system and affordable metered taxis make getting around Dubai easy and cost effective.
Whether it`s a holiday in Dubai or a stopover en route to somewhere further afield, Dubai has something for everyone!
