Dubai

I first visited Dubai in 2004 when it was still very much a building site – the Palm was in the midst of construction and there was very little to see on the drive from the airport to the hotel. We stayed at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, it was the end of August, and we had little choice (and little inclination!) to do anything but cool off from the heat in the chilled down pool (the sea was like a bath!) or in the attached Wild Wadi Water Park. (July and August is low season for good reason….it gets incredibly hot!)

This visit was pre-children for us so we experienced cocktails at the top of the Burj Al Arab, mezze on the rooftop of the One & Only Royal Mirage and countless meals in the Medinat Jumeirah resort - there are now over 40 restaurants here!

DUBAI WITH KIDS

Years later I started working for a company representing hotels and tours throughout the UAE and have been lucky enough to visit lots of the properties throughout the region and have some fabulous family holidays.

Dubai really comes into its own for family holidays – the reasonable 7-hour flight and 4-hour time difference means you can pretty much keep the kids on the UK time routine.

HOTELS

As a family we have stayed in the following hotels:

Westin Mina Salam – a firm favourite for us due to great location, spacious rooms, the huge pool and the exceptional food!

Waldorf Astoria – brand new at the time of our stay, we enjoyed being on the Palm (allowing us an effortless day visit to the waterpark at Atlantis) and staying in a beautiful spacious suite.

JA Jebel Ali Beach – one of the only all-inclusive properties in Dubai (40 minutes from airport), so lovely not having to worry about the wine bill and the inflatable water park in the sea kept the kids (and us!) entertained for hours!

Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers – this was just a stopover but I loved staying on the Creek and experiencing a little bit of Deira. Dubai is also referred to as ‘the City of Gold’ due to the 250 or so gold retail shops in Deira and this is perhaps the only place in Dubai where you will experience culture, history and tradition.

GREAT EXPERIENCES IN DUBAI

Dubai is a giant playground with activities for all ages. Some of our favourites have been:

• A Desert safari: Dune bashing followed by camel rides, sandboarding and a traditional barbeque in a desert camp. • Go to the top of the Burj Khalifa (you need to pre-book this) • Watch the fountain display at the Dubai mall (at the bottom of the Burj Khalifa) over a drink on the terrace at The Address Hotel. • Visit the water park at Atlantis (you can also book to swim with Dolphin there) • Catch a traditional abra up the Dubai Creek and wander the Gold and Spice Souks