I am finally telling you about Dubai but it is with a lot of delay, that’s where we were last March. If you remember, we spent a week in the United Arab Emirates to visit friends and a week in Oman for a family road trip. I was so in love the Sultanate of Oman that I didn't take the time to tell you about Dubai.
Dubai is a city that deserves a visit, a fascinating and special city, a city where man had to fight against nature, against the desert to build this city from almost nothing. Dubai is not the kind of place where I would like to spend all my holidays: too many skyscrapers, too many cars, not much nature but it's to see! So if you stop in Dubai for a stopover, try spending two or three days in Dubai.
The big advantage with kids is that Dubai is a very safe, very comfortable, and very rich city. Nothing you need to worry about. You just have to be careful not to visit in the summer because it's really too hot! The best period is from October to April. One last tip: on the spot, to move around, the subway is very nice but does not cover the whole city so don't hesitate to take a taxi. It is not expensive and it will make your life easier because it is not easy to walk: too many roads and sometimes few pedestrian crossings!
Once there, what do you do in Dubai with kids?
Enjoy the beaches:
Quite simple, kids will enjoy the fine sandy beaches. There are many of them in Dubai. We particularly enjoyed the beach near Dubai Marina because we stayed nearby but you can also try the beaches of Jumeirah or Al Mamza.
Admire the Architectural Curiosities:
The Burj Al Arab in the shape of a huge sailboat or the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower will fascinate both kids and adults! In front of the Burj Khalifa, a magnificent show takes place every evening around 18:00. Not to be missed! It's free and once again, the kids are captivated by this show.
Walk around old Dubai:
This old neighbourhood is charming. It is very nice to walk with the kids through the maze of streets because there is a large pedestrian zone with many art shops and nice cafés. The kids enjoyed taking the water taxi, a traditional boat called abra to cross Dubai Creek. On the other side, we took a quick tour of the spice souk.
Visit the Dubai Museum:
In the old Dubai, this museum is interesting for its architecture and its collection: Ticoeur liked it because it shows staging of traditional life, models, weapons, guns. We also discovered the history of the city.
Admire the sharks in Dubai Mall:
In the huge mall of Dubai Mall is the Dubai Aquarium. We visited it: it's small and very expensive so I recommend not to pay the entrance fee and to enjoy the largest pool of aquarium which can be seen for free from one of the alleys of the mall. So, since the best part of the aquarium is free, there's no point in ruining yourself!
Walking and boating in Dubai Marina:
I really liked this small neighborhood, artificial but well designed for a nice walk along the marina. We stopped there for lunch in front of the port and the kids enjoyed a little boat trip!
And if the kids were older we would have gone to the Wild Wadi Waterpark to enjoy the huge water slides.
Finally, if you have time, I recommend a day trip to Abu Dhabi to admire the beautiful Sheikh Zayed Mosque.
In conclusion, for us Dubai was not a crush but it is to be seen, especially for architecture. We already know that we will most certainly return to Dubai because we have friends who live there: we will be delighted to visit them and experience Dubai in a different way. Moreover, Dubai is an excellent starting point for a few days in Oman!
What about you? Are you attracted to Dubai?