Dazzling Dubai

We flew direct from Dublin to Dubai with Emirates, in Business Class which was outstanding – fantastic food, exceptional comfort, super entertainment and faultless service. On disembarking in Dubai, I left the aircraft feeling like I had already been somewhere!

We stayed at the Jebel Ali Beach and Golf resort. It’s a 40 minute drive from Dubai’s centre and the hotel is set next to the beach with acres of lush green lawns where hundreds of peacocks roam. It is a relaxed resort, has a golf course, a spa, kids clubs, water sports, and also has a complimentary shuttle to/from Dubai city. On our first morning, after an impressive breakfast, we took to the skies in a seaplane for an aerial tour of Dubai. I would highly recommend this tour, especially at the start of your trip as it gives a great outline of the city and surrounding areas. We spent a relaxing afternoon on the beach - there were lots of families, however, as there was so much space the hotel didn’t feel crowded.

The next day we spent time at Burj Khalifa’s 124th-floor observation deck where we got unrivalled views of Dubai’s well-crafted cityscape. Surrounded by hotels and shopping complexes, the Burj Khalifa is a magnificent centrepiece to downtown Dubai.

We visited Dubai Mall, the largest Mall in the world - last year this Mall had more visitors than New York City! There are over 1200 shops and lots of family attractions. We toured the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo which was incredible It has a 48 metre walk-through tunnel, glass bottom boat rides and an amazing 10 million litre tank. Within the mall we also visited Kidzania – a unique ‘edutainment’ experience encouraging children to role play in jobs like, a surgeon, firefighter, chef, mechanic, artist, and police officer. It is based on a city built to a small person’s scale, which allows children to ‘work’, earn ‘money’ and then spend it in a variety of ways. If you are in Dubai with children, this is a must! For older children and teenagers the mall also houses Sega Republic - a huge amusement arcade full of thrills. If that’s not enough to keep you busy there is also the Mall of the Emirates where you will find Ski Dubai – the ultimate indoor snow resort where you can ski, toboggan and even build a snowman! There are also two fantastic waterparks, Aquaventure at the Atlantis Hotel and Wild Wadi at Jumeirah beach.

We watched the Dubai fountain at the base of the Burj Khalifa - the largest choreographed water display in the world. The performance of music and light featured over 6600 lights and sent water shooting 150 metres into the air. It was spectacular and a surprisingly moving experience.

We spent our last two nights at the Palm Tree Court hotel, which is located next to the Jebel Ali hotel. It is a spacious resort with low rise 1 and 2 bedroom suites, surrounded by lush gardens full of streams and ponds. A great place to visit was Dubai Creek where wooden cargo “Dhows” from Asia still arrive with spices. We took an Abra (water taxi) across to the traditional gold and spice souks that have changed little over the centuries. The perfume of exotic spices and the dazzling silks take you back to an era of long ago.

We went on a Desert Safari, a 4x4 jeep took us into the heart of the desert for a rollercoaster tour down the astonishing high sand dunes, we watched sunset in the desert and ate dinner under the stars in a Bedouin style camp. This was by far my favourite tour.

I found Dubai to be exceptionally safe, English is spoken everywhere and transport is cheap and plentiful. Due to its large international population, restaurants offer extraordinary choice for every budget. I would recommend Dubai for a short break, a great family holiday or as a stopover point. Dubai is fascinating, surprising and affordable.