Dubai

Love it or loathe it, man made beauty or monstrosity, everyone has an opinion about Dubai. Personally I liked it the first few times I went, but it’s getting a bit too busy for me now. I first went about 12 years ago when it wasn’t as grand as it is now, but I feel everyone needs to try it once in their life. You might be surprised.

Famous for its glitzy five star glamor and bigger is better attitude, Dubai and its Instagrammable places are only set to get bigger. With a flight time of around 7 hours from the UK it’s an all year round destination and especially for winter sun. It’s also a great half way stop over on the way to Asia or places like Mauritius. Emirates do great offers for stop overs if you fly with them, including free hotel stays depending on your connecting onward flight times. Dubai Connect

Dubai is known for some of its famous landmarks, the Palm Jumeirah which has many luxury hotels built on it and the famous Atlantis Palm hotel with its waterpark and aquarium, great for families. 

The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world with stunning views from the top for those with a head for heights.

There’s also no shortage of new attractions popping up like the museum of the future and China town that has been added to the popular Dubai Mall shopping centre.

Kids are also reaping the benefits of new builds with Neon Galaxy, a multi level indoor adventure playground and Glitch another indoor playground with over 30 games for all ages including a ninja warrior style course. These are added to the list of ski Dubai, waterparks, amusement parks like IMG world of adventure and Legoland. For the adults there is always skydiving, both indoor and outdoor and yachting adventures.

Shopping in Dubai is on another level, huge malls, with every single shop and food outlet you can imagine. Dubai mall even has an aquarium and ice rink to keep the whole family amused.

Global Village is another great family day out, an entertainment and cultural hub showcasing various countries through pavilions, food, and performances

The annual Dubai shopping festival runs from mid December to mid January and is a great time to seek out some bargains. Remember Dubai is tax free too.

The beaches in Dubai are all spotlessly clean and all have their own type of vibe, kite beach is great for watersports, JBR beach is great for a stroll along and has many activities and shops to stop at along the way, it even has a running track for those feeling active. Sunset beach is known for its surfing and snapping that envy-inducing selfie with the Burj Al Arab as a backdrop.

Food in Dubai is huge, where else in the world can you find such a diverse mix of cuisines and flavours. From 5 star fine dining to local street food, Dubai really does have every taste and budget covered. Every famous chef has a restaurant in Dubai and I can’t talk about food without mentioning the legendary brunches.

Hotels and restaurants host these extravagant brunches from 12- 4 most weekends. Think large quantities of all types of food and drink which is all included in the entrance fee, (venue costs do vary). Certainly worth a try, even if you just chose a small one as they are great value for money, especially the alcohol packages.

If all of the above doesn’t float your boat Dubai also has luxury spas to chill out in and some great places close by to visit. Desert safaris are always a popular choice where you can go dune bashing in a 4x4 car or maybe a more chilled out camel ride.

It’s also worth a visit to Dubai creek where you can wander round the various souks including spices, gold, perfume and finish off with a traditional Abra boat crossing. It’s a great day out to see the older, more traditional side of Dubai.

Hotels are grand, but there are smaller hotels if you just want the more basic, cheaper options. It really depends on which location in Dubai you want to be,, be it beach, Creek, the Marina, Palm, JBE or newer places further out. It’s worth researching where to stay though as some places do feel like you're on a catwalk runway when walking round the pool. If that’s your thing, then great, but there are options for more family friendly, and low key hotels.

Another great thing about Dubai is it is also very close to Abu Dhabi which can be a great day trip in itself. It can also be an alternative to fly to Abu Dhabi if the flights are cheaper as there are several options to get to Dubai, including free shuttle buses if you fly with Emirates or Ethiad There will also be a new Ethiad rail service connecting the two Emirates coming soon.

All in all Dubai is a great all round destination for all ages, there's something for everyone. My only suggestion is watch the temperature in summer as it can get very hot there and you may miss out on being able to eat outside and a few other activities. The perfect time to go for me would be November to March where you get the best of both worlds, sun, being outdoors, but you can head in doors for some aircon if you are too hot

If you want to book a trip to Dubai or any other of the Emirates then contact me on info@ninapricetravel.co.uk. Our World, Your Way