Dubai a family destination
Two hotels that most people would consider family hotels are the Atlantis The Palm and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, both of which have a waterpark attached- this is true but to be honest the majority of the other hotels all offer facilities for children eg child pools and kids clubs and most will include shuttle buses to the water parks/beach.
Dubai has many shopping malls including the largest in the world, but where they differ to the ones we have here are what they offer for children. Dubai Mall for example has an aquarium, a small zoo, sega world, plus the amazing kidzania - a whole city just for kids where they can experience various jobs like being a fireman or a nurse. They earn their own money which can be spent at Kidzania. You can happily leave your kids here all day while you shop ! Also a good thing in the malls is that they group shop types in the same area so if you are looking for jewellery or shoes all those particular shops are in the same place so no going from one floor to another to compare items. At Mall of the Emirates they even have an indoor ski slope ! I had never really considered Dubai as a family destination so I departed on this fam trip with interest. I have to say that by the end of my trip I can see why families would enjoy this destination there is just so much on offer!
Two hotels that most people would consider family hotels are the Atlantis The Palm and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, both of which have a waterpark attached - this is true but to be honest the majority of the other hotels all offer facilities for children with children’s pools, kids clubs and most will include shuttle buses to the water parks or beach.
Dubai has many shopping malls including the largest in the world, but where they differ to the ones we have here are what they offer for children. Dubai Mall for example has an aquarium, a small zoo, SEGA world, plus the amazing Kidzania - a whole city just for kids where they can experience various jobs like being a fireman or a nurse. They earn their own money which can be spent there too. You can happily leave your kids here all day while you shop! Also a good thing in the malls is that they group shop types together in the same area so if you are looking for jewellery or shoes all those particular shops are in the same place so no going from one floor to another to compare items. At Mall of the Emirates they even have an indoor ski slope!
We also visited Mirdif Mall which has I-Fly where you can experience what it is like to sky dive. I have to say this is a must do - absolutely great fun.
Another must do excursion is the Jeep Safari - the sundowner is great as you get to go "dune bashing" this is done in 4 x 4 closed top vehicles and consists of your driver taking you up and down various sand dunes at break neck speed - not for the faint hearted. You then get to watch the sun set before heading down to a Bedouin Camp for a barbecue and entertainment including belly dancing.
We also visited the Burj Khalifa the tallest building in the world. My advice on this is to book in advance as it is only 100 dirhams against 400 if you buy on the day.
For a bit of culture we visited Jumeirah Mosque, this gives you an insight on what it is to be a Muslim and is told in an informative way. We also visited the gold, spice and textile souks which are a mass of various shops and stalls selling all manner of things. The spice souk for example has just about every spice you could want and the smells were amazing.
One thing that people think when you mention Dubai for a holiday is "oh no too expensive" that is not the case many hotels offer deals throughout the year - for example free half board options or kids eat free. Also it is not as expensive to eat out as you may think - there are many places where you can eat for a reasonable amount - the malls especially (the only thing you will find is that you cannot get alcohol here) and also the various bars, cafes and restaurants at the marina or in the old town (here you can get alcohol as they tend to be associated with a hotel in order to have a licence to sell it).
If you have never considered travelling to Dubai because you thought it was not for families - think again - there is plenty to keep the kids happy and mum and dad too!