Tuesday 17 May 2016

Visit Dubai?

Dubai. Why would I want to go to Dubai? I’m a dad. Not a footballer or movie star. Just a bog standard, in-over-my-head dad. Father of a six-year-old with verbal diarrhoea and a two-year-old with, well, that’s enough about nappies. My point is, why would I even contemplate Dubai? It’s just for rich big kids, right?

Hold that thought. Now screw it up in a ball and bury it with all your other compostable waste, because, as my eldest boy would say, it’s poppycock. Sure, it’s for big kids. But it’s also for little kids.

Heck, it’d even wipe the scowl off the most miserable of teenage kids too.

Finished harrumphing? Good, because now I’m going to show you why, and I’m going to start by pulling out the big guns. Or more precisely, the big jets. The water jets. The 140-metre high jets. You want a point of reference - that’s the height of a 45-storey building!

Dubai fountain.

To give it its dues, it’s the world's largest choreographed fountain system - the big brother to the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, which were designed by the same company.

Dubai Fountain

Set in Burj Lake, right outside the Dubai Mall in the heart of Downtown Dubai, the Dubai Fountain performs daily, with a performance repertoire of approximately 35 songs. The beam of light shining upward from the fountain can be seen from over 20 miles away, and is even visible from space, making it the brightest spot in the Middle East, and quite possibly in the entire world.

Small wonder it’s the city’s most popular free tourist attraction!

Another incredible showpiece at the Dubai Mall is the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, which is home to more than 33,000 living animals. Walking through the 270-degree acrylic walkthrough tunnel, children can enjoy amazing close-encounter experiences with fascinating underwater creatures, while the rainforest, rocky shore and living ocean environments offer the chance to get up close with piranhas, giant catfish, playful otters, Humbolt penguins and more. 

Shark at Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo


The star of the zoo, however, has to be King Croc. This massive saltwater crocodile weighs in at 750 kg (more than 14 big men, apparently) and is over 5 m in length (that’s about six shopping trolleys, fact lovers!). With a bite force of over 3,700 psi, I can only imagine how ugly his mealtimes get.

If that only whets your appetite, the aquarium sells a number of add-on aquatic experiences, including a shark dive and cage snorkelling; but equally, if you’re on a budget, you can view plenty from outside.

No trip to Dubai would be complete without a few hours on the super clean white sands of Kite Beach. I'd definitely catch some rays while watching the kite surfing. And if I needed some time away from the boys, I'd hire a kayak and get myself out on the water quick sharp.

Kite Beach, Dubai

There are showers, toilets and changing facilities, great views of the Burj Al Arab, and enough paddling opportunities to keep the little ones occupied for hours. I’m pretty sure you can get ice cream too...

I don’t know how may days I could spend doing beach and nothing but beach - my lads have never sat still long enough for me to find out. That’s why Dubai Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park would be high on my to-do list. Why? For starters, there’s the world's largest water slide, the mile-long river ride and the wave machine that can create tidal swells over a metre high. Then there’s the shark safari (special helmets supplied!) and the nine-storey mega-slide that will slam you down its near-vertical drop in (give or take) one second, before speeding you through a clear acrylic tube surrounded by sharks and rays. I won’t say anything about Poseidon’s Revenge, as frankly it scares me. And finally, it’s free if it’s your birthday!


Dubai Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park

So, now you know how I'd spend a few days in Dubai with my family. But how would you spend your time if you you were lucky enough to go there? Would you visit the Burj Khalifa and see what the world looks like half a kilometre above ground level, go dune bashing on a desert safari or cool yourself down at ski camp?! Let me know in the comment section below! If you need a little inspiration, check out the Visit Dubai website. 

This post is an entry in to the Tots100/Dubai Dreams blogger challenge. The prize is a family trip to Dubai courtesy of Dubai Tourism. Sound interesting? Get over to the Tots100 website and have a look! If you aren’t the lucky winner, don’t worry – because Tots100 and Dubai Tourism are giving away a SECOND family holiday to Dubai! Once the blogger challenge winner has been selected, Dubai Tourism will be selecting the best reader comment on the winning challenge blog post – and the author will win their own family break to Dubai! Good luck!


45 comments:

  1. I would love the chance to take my family to Dubai, the mixture of fun, sandy beaches, kite surfing and maybe even a little shopping would be enough to sell it for me! Love the idea of watching kites on the beach with an ice cream, good luck with your entry, sounds like you would have lots of fun.

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    1. Hey, thanks for stopping by! My kids aren't quite old enough, but KidZania and Sega Republic look pretty awesome too :D

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  2. Wow - loads of fantastic fun outdoors, I really like the sound of these. If I wanted to retreat into the air con for a while I'd try the Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world) and perhaps watch the fountains from there or stroll around the malls trying not to spend too much money. Hope you get to make the trip. :)

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    1. Hey, thanks for dropping in! The Burj Khalifa is something else, isn't it?! I cricked my neck trying to get an eyeful of the Petronus Towers in Kuala Lumpur, so I'd recommend giving those neck muscles a warm up before trying to get a picture!

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  3. To Dubai or not to Dubai....that is the question!?!? Two children under 6 experiencing the uniqueness of Dubai compared to their city life in Sheffield with some sunshine thrown in...to Dubai! That is the answer!!! It sounds and looks amazing and would really be a family memory in years to come!

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    1. Indeed! Although Dubai can't compete with the Abbeydale Miniature Railway ;)

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  4. The water fountains look amazing don't they. I would love to take the family for dinner and watch this amazing show, I think we would all love it. I know KidZania would also be a big hit and no trip to Dubai would be worth it's salt without a trip to one of the amazing water parks. I hear it's so hot the water has to be chilled.

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    1. I'd love the chance to eat out in such a cosmopolitan city - exciting meals out are something I really miss about my pre-parenting days - and you're right - what a display! I hadn't considered the temperature of the water at the water parks, but chilling it makes perfect sense, otherwise it'd be like swimming in a cup of tea!

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  5. Like you I have young children, and I am completely sold on the idea of Dubai as a holiday destination. The world is definitely a much smaller place than it was when I was growing up, and to be able to let our children experience somewhere so different to their normal can only be good for their development. We are also big fans of the beach, and I love all your ideas. Good luck.

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    1. You're so right about the world being smaller - we have family in the USA, so my six-year old has crossed the pond twice already. That would have been unthinkable when we were kids! What I like about Dubai, however, is that the jet lag would work in my favour for once - no little ones waking up at 4AM on the first day out there!

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  6. The Dubai Fountains are spectacular and are one of my very fondest memories of the stunning Dubai. I could of watched them for hours, they were utterly captivating and I would love to show my children. They didn't believe me when I told them you can see them from space!

    Good luck with your entry!

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    1. I've just tweeted Tim Peake for a picture of the laser - wonder if he'll get back to me! If not, then perhaps this will suffice: https://twitter.com/astro_timpeake/status/719183773179461632

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  7. A Dessert Safari sounds amazing. It's something I think I would be very scared of doing but would kick myself if I didn't do it x

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    1. There's so many things to do, you'd need weeks to fit them all in ... but how do you decide what to leave until "next time"?!

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  8. Dubai is one of those places on my bucket list to take the children before they're too grown up and no longer want to travel with us, as you say its not really a destination that a lot of people think of but our next door Neighbours daughter lives there with her two young daughters and when she visits her mum its great to hear of her adventures, it always sounds so exciting!

    A trip to the Water park would be at the top of the list for my boys I'm sure, proper little water babies! And I'm pretty sure they would love to see king croc... they've only seen the little crocs in the uk and they love to look out for their teeth. And of course a trip to Dubai wouldnt be complete without seeing the fountains for going to the top of the tallest building in the world



    We would just love to go to Dubai and make some AMAZING family memories to treasure forever... memories are made from these amazing experiences and those experiences are something i intend to give my children for as long as possible.

    Manfalou. (Samantha Mann)

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    1. I'm yet to reach the point when my kids are too grown up to want to come on holiday, but I imagine Dubai would get them along for one last year, if only for the bragging rights!

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  9. great choices! A water park is a must in that heat, right?

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    1. I can't imagine doing Dubai without splash time, though if you really want to cool down, there's always Ski Dubai!

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  10. Our best friends have 7 year old twin and they have taken them for a short break every year for 5 years they love it and say its so child friendly so I just know out adventure mad teen and tween will love it, good luck x

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    1. The last time I flew, my eldest was a telly-refuser (whoever heard of such a thing?!), which didn't make for the most relaxing of long-haul experiences. London-Dubai, however, is only about 7h, so the journey duration isn't too oppressive with small ones. Since my last flight, I've also trained my children to love TV, so I'm pretty sure I could make it to Dubai in relative tranquillity!

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  11. We visited to Dubai and did Dubai Mall, fountains, Burj Khalifa, aquaadventure and the lost chambers and rode a camel. I was worried we wouldn't have enough to do! As it turns out I would love to go back so that we could go into the desert as we missed that out as we couldn't fit everything in!

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    1. Sounds like you packed in a whole bunch of things - how long were you there for?! I'm pretty sure my fear would be running out of time!

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  12. Dubai looks simply amazing. So much to do, so many different worlds all wrapped up in one gorgeous place. Looking at what Dubai has to offer, I've been really impressed by the range of family-friendly options - theme parks, indoor fun sessions, skate parks - as well as sports, stunning beaches, and entertainment. And the underwater zoo looks incredible!

    What I hadn't realised was how much variety there is in Dubai in terms of food and culture. Our son is a huge foodie, despite being only 10, and would love visiting some of the restaurants and tasting the new flavours.

    As a family we would love to be able to visit Dubai, and experience just a taste of what is on offer. Our elder son loves nature, so would enjoy the different wildlife on show. And dad... well, quad-biking in the sand dunes would suit him perfectly. As for mum... of course Dubai is a shopper's paradise! And I'm sure we would all enjoy a tour of historic Dubai, as well as the many museums. There truly is something for everyone.

    The hardest part will be choosing what to do. It really does seem that Dubai has it all, a wealth of opportunities to explore and experience.

    Dubai really is the city of possibilities and I want to 'Discover All That’s Possible In Dubai'.

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    1. Did you see the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project? It's an amazing opportunity to see these amazing creatures close up (and for free!).

      If you're after shopping, but don't want to get your wallet out, I recommend window shopping at the gold souk and imagining how the other half live!

      I'd love to join you for the quad biking, but it might have to wait till my boys are old enough to ride too - they'd never forgive me otherwise!

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  13. Dubai has been at the top of my bucket list for many years now and reading you post has made me want to visit so much more!

    Souks, skyscrapers, sand and sea, Dubai really has something for all the family and the possibility of visiting this incredible city is making me super excited.

    I'd love the opportunity to win our perfect family holiday in Dubai; a holiday for the four of us, that combines unlimited opportunities for fun and adventure. We'd be able to
    escape the ‘day to day’, making memories and recharging our batteries. And it would give us the chance to simply spend our days together as a family, enjoying each other’s company before Jack starts school in September.

    There are so many amazing adventures we'd like to experience, but our top 3 would have to be:

    1// A day of aquatic fun at Atlantis’ Aquaventure Waterpark to cool off in the Dubai heat. Aquaventure caters for all the family with its record-breaking rides and slides for thrill seekers and the Splashers’ Children’s Play Area, which is a haven for little ones with water cannons, slides and climbing frames.

    2 // A once-in-a-lifetime experience at Dolphin Bay. As there’s no age limit, we could enjoy this amazing experience as a family and I can only imagine the joy on the children’s faces when they get up close to these amazing creatures!

    3 // Experience the heady heights of Burj Khalifa. We couldn’t visit Dubai without venturing up the tallest building in the World, and although I'm afraid of heights, I’d still feel compelled to visit the observation deck on the 144th floor. As long as I don’t stand too close to the edge, nor look vertically down, I think I’d actually enjoy it.

    I'm now off to spend the day daydreaming about Dubai and all it has to offer...

    Best of luck with your entry! X

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    1. I don't know why I failed to mention the dolphins myself - I'd be squealing with excitement if I could get in the water with them. My lad would be talking about it for months (the dolphins, that is, not his squealing father!)

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  14. A waterpark would win hands down with us everytime! I do like the look of kite beach - so beautifully colourful and I would definitely use the fountain as a great photography subject. Good luck with your entry.

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    1. I'd have to watch the fountains once for myself, and then a second time with my camera, and then again at night!

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  15. Wow the Dubai fountain looks absolutely amazing! I would love to go to Dubai just to see that yet there is so much more all in one place – it is almost too hard to imagine so I will have to go there to find out for myself 🙂 The beautiful beach beckons me, incredible concerts and entertainment, retail heaven and then relax and unwind by trying out traditional spa therapies at the hammam! The food in Dubai looks divine and I bet it is delicious. My husband would love the adventure sports, golf courses and falconry. There is something here for everyone. Dubai is my dream destination.

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    1. Food is such an important part of the holiday experience isn't it?! Normally, we have to cater to the tastes of our wee ones, but on holiday that goes out of the window. I'd love to check out the spice souk too - the colours and smells would be amazing, though I would have bother keeping my son's fingers off the wares!

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  16. Good luck with your entry. Honestly, the more I hear about Dubai the more I am desperate to go! I would never have really considered it suitable for families before but it just sounds fantastic. The fountains look stunning; not something I would perhaps have thought about visiting but the pictures just blow me away!

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    1. I recommend searching Google for more pics of the fountains. The fountain images here are (I believe) creative commons - some of the "professional" images are jaw-dropping!

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  17. Wow that fountain display looks incredible! I love all the facts you have given about each place on your list.

    I especially loved reading about King Croc. I've just finished reading a book by Ben Fogle where a large part of the book is devoted to crocodiles and even DIVING with crocodiles so it would be awesome to see a huge croc like King Croc in Dubai.

    Kite beach must be so colourful and unimaginably beautiful. There is something magical about kites and having had very mixed success with flying the kids kites it gives a real appreciation about the wonder of it all and the skill involved.

    Very best of luck for your entry.

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    1. I can't even boast mixed success with kites, so you've got one on me there! All my experience taught me is that I need a ton of practice!

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  18. My dream is for me and my family to swim with Dolphins in Dubai (it makes me tear up at the thought!). I would love to do it in a much more natural setting than in a swimming pool and I have heard there are some amazing places to swim with them! I would love to visit Atlantis too as it would be a brilliant day for everyone (and I am a big kid). I also wouldn't mind chilling on the beach with my boys, building sandcastles too. Just heaven!

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    1. According to the Oracle of Google, August in Dubai regularly hits 41C - it's no wonder that folks on their summer holiday want to spend so much time in the water!

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  19. I would love to take my grandsons on a Dream Trip to Dubai – a clean, safe, family-friendly holiday destination, with plenty of activities to choose from for any age range. As well as relaxing on the beautiful golden sand of JBR Beach with its warm, calm and shallow waters we would all enjoy a dune-bashing safari followed by a camel ride and BBQ dinner in a Bedouin desert camp.

    We would visit the Dubai Museum in the Al Fahidi Fort to learn about life from a bygone era as a contrast to the amazing architecture of the modern city which we could view from the front or rear carriages of the driverless Dubai Metro system and then take it all in from the At The Top observation deck of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

    The free and impressive Dubai Fountain water, light and music show can be watched from one of many waterfront cafes just outside the Dubai Mall. The malls in Dubai have many family attractions to choose from. The boys could try ice-skating, helped by the ‘penguin pals’, visit the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo and also see the giant 155 million year old dinosaur skeleton (DubaiDino), all in the Dubai Mall.

    The boys love theme parks and this summer Dubai will open the world’s largest indoor theme park – IMG Worlds of Adventure with four themed zones inside including Marvel, Cartoon Network, Lost Valley - Dinosaur Adventure and IMG Boulevard. This will be completely enclosed and temperature-controlled with 1.5 million square feet of entertainment space!

    Our only problem will be going home with so much more left for us to see and do in beautiful Dubai

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    1. You've done your homework - What an excellent itinerary!

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  20. I had NO idea there were just so many things to do in Dubai and yet I already thought it was paradise!
    My two boys have been on at us for years to go but it's a lot of dosh to get there! However, the value for money is fantastic and so many free activities once you are there. This really is the stuff that family dreams are made of!Good luck with the competition!

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    1. There are undoubtedly cheaper destinations - but if you can manage the initial outlay, it's certainly possible to do the city on a budget. In addition to what I've mentioned here, a number of museums are modestly priced or even free (the Camel Museum, for example), and there's the architecture and mosques, not to mention the sights and smells of the various souks. The turtle sanctuary is also well worth a visit.

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  21. The fountains are incredible, something that have to be seen to be believed, I've never seen my 3 year old so quiet! Dubai has a reputation of being a millionaires playground, but it is the most family friendly place I've ever been the boys have never been so welcomed - people want to say hello, to talk with them, to engage. There is nowhere that you can't take them bar a couple of over 21 bars!

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  24. I knew 140m was high, but I didn't realise it was 45 storeys! I've just bumped them up on my bucket list, absolutely incredible.

    I had a look at the Visit Dubai website and there is so much to do. I would love to go to the Souks and buy some fabric to make cushions etc. I would also love to stock up on aromatic, exotic spices to liven up my cooking back home. My husband hates shopping, so I'd probably have to send him off to do something else, perhaps he would enjoy Dune bashing.

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    1. Dune bashing looks such fun - I might have to put my Dubai dream on hold till my boys are old enough to join in!

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