Dubai & Fujairah: Family Sunshine, Desert Drives and Indian Ocean Magic

Dubai & Fujairah: Family Sunshine, Desert Drives and Indian Ocean Magic

Dubai had been on our family wish list for a long time, so when we finally put the plans in place, we wanted a mix of relaxation, adventure and “wow” moments for the kids. This trip gave us all of that and more, and I wanted to share a little of what we got up to as a family.

After our time in Bangkok, we flew to Dubai with Emirates. The 7‑hour flight was really comfortable: good food, great entertainment and the children were kept happy with little extras like Polaroid photos and gifts, which always makes such a difference on a long journey as a family.

Arriving into Dubai Airport, the first thing that struck me was how smart and organised it is. Bags came through quickly and before we knew it we were walking out to the arrivals hall where the children were thrilled to spot our driver holding a sign with our name on it. Those little moments are the ones they remember.

First Stop: Fujairah & Our First Dip in the Indian Ocean

We had decided to start our trip with 3 nights in Fujairah, which is around a 2‑hour transfer from Dubai. It is a long drive after a night flight, but it turned into part of the adventure. We passed stretches of desert, spotted flamingos and camels, and saw lots of small developing towns along the way.

Fujairah sits on the Gulf of Oman, part of the Indian Ocean, and we stayed at the Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa on an All Inclusive Plus basis. After the flight and then the transfer in 37‑degree heat we were all flagging a bit, but the welcome at check‑in and from the concierge instantly lifted us.

Our room was not quite ready, so we dropped our bags and wandered down past the pool to Sharkey’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. This was our first proper view of the Indian Ocean and the hotel’s beautiful private beach. We sat back, let the sea breeze do its thing and tucked into some really good food. The children’s menu was great and the portion sizes were huge, which went down very well after a long travel day.

Once our room was ready we got changed straight into swimwear and headed for the pool, then down to the beach. Swimming in the Indian Ocean was a real highlight: the water was warm and clear, the sand soft, and we could see little fish darting around. The kids were in their element and we spent a lot of our time there in the sea over the next couple of days. For us, that moment of finally getting in the water made the long taxi ride completely worth it.

Back at the resort, the main pool area had a swim‑up bar and there was a separate children’s pool with a slide, which of course the boys loved. I could not resist joining them on the slide at least once. The buffet restaurant offered plenty of variety and it was always busy and buzzing.

We happened to be there over Halloween and the resort went all out for the children. The staff were dressed up and organised a huge trick‑or‑treat trail around the grounds, complete with little bags for the sweets. Alex and Jack loved the kids’ club too, which can be hit or miss for them, so that was a big plus.

We left feeling that 3 nights just was not quite long enough and all said we would happily go back for an extended stay. Yes, the transfer is long, but for us it was worth it.

Into the City: Dubai & Apartment Life in Business Bay

From Fujairah we took a transfer back to Dubai. Our driver was really friendly and pointed out places of interest, as well as more camels for the kids, along the way.

Driving into Dubai for the first time and seeing the skyline and all the iconic buildings was a bit of a “wow” moment. We had decided to base ourselves at Sonder Dubai in the Business Bay area. We chose an apartment and loved it as soon as we opened the door.

We had a huge bedroom with a balcony and en suite, while the children had a big double sofa bed in the living area and their own large balcony. There was also a kitchen, dining area and an additional bathroom, which worked brilliantly for us as a family. Our balconies overlooked the pool, which the kids made full use of.

We were very close to the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall, which was ideal. On our first day we made the classic mistake of trying to walk to the mall and quickly learned that in that heat, anything more than a very short stroll is too much. That is when we discovered just how handy Uber and Careem are in Dubai.

Dubai Mall itself is on another level in terms of size. I am sure we did not manage to see even half of it. We did, however, do our fair share of eating there over the course of the trip, with familiar favourites like TGI Fridays, The Cheesecake Factory and McDonald’s making easy family choices.

Burj Khalifa, Fountains & The Green Planet

We visited the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo which the children enjoyed, but it is probably not something we would rush to repeat next time.

The Burj Khalifa fountain show, on the other hand, really impressed us. We watched it several times and it was different on each occasion, which kept it special. We also went up to the viewing deck at the Burj Khalifa for those famous views. It really gives you a sense of how much of Dubai is still being developed.

One of the absolute highlights for us, especially for Alex who adores animals, was The Green Planet at City Walk. It is a unique indoor biodome recreating a tropical rainforest, with over 3,000 plants and animals. We took the lift straight up to the top level and made our way down.

Stepping out of the lift into a space filled with parrots flying around and a lemur just casually sitting on the railing was incredible. I even managed a selfie with a surprisingly energetic sloth. The animals are very visible and the whole experience felt immersive and educational without being overwhelming. We went round twice and easily spent 2–3 hours there. When we came out, the children played in a shaded playground with mist sprayers, which was perfect after being indoors. We all agreed we would happily go back and I would definitely recommend it to families.

We also used the metro and tram to visit The Palm, as we like to use local transport where we can. We stopped at Atlantis for an ice cream and had a good look at the waterpark and surrounding area, mentally adding it to our “next time” list.

Already Planning Our Return

We absolutely loved Dubai and left already talking about when we could come back. There is still so much we want to do: a proper desert safari, the big waterparks, exploring the marina, seeing the Burj Al Arab up close, wandering through the souks and more.

Our journey home was on the inaugural Emirates Edinburgh–Dubai flight, which the aviation geek in me was very excited about. There was a special feel to the flight, with a little gift on boarding and even a pipe band on the runway when we landed back in Edinburgh.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip that gave us a mix of beach downtime, city excitement and plenty of family memories. It is exactly the kind of holiday I love helping my clients create: a balance of relaxation, adventure and those little “we will talk about this for years” moments.

If reading this has you dreaming of your own Dubai or Fujairah escape, I would love to help you plan something that feels just as special for your family.