You may think of Dubai as somewhere affluent singles or couples go to relax at private beach clubs, dine in swanky restaurants, and party the night away. This is all true, but there is another side to Dubai which makes it the ideal place for a family holiday.
Flights
I researched flights through Skyscanner.net and discovered that with a short stop in Bahrain we could fly to Dubai for £279 per person with Gulf Air. This was cheaper than flying to Rhodes on the same dates, and a great deal for October Half Term. The total travel time was 7.5 hours. Perfectly manageable for a weeks holiday.
Our flight with Gulf Air was very comfortable. The boys enjoyed the entertainment and were given activity packs containing colouring pads, cards, play dough, and puzzles. I had prebooked children’s meals, which can be done online up to 24 hours before the flight. The main meal on the long flight from London to Bahrain was chicken goujons, mashed potato and carrots. There were vegetable sticks, cheese and crackers, a bread roll, chocolate pudding, and chocolate bar on the side. On the shorter flight from Bahrain to Dubai they were given cheese sandwiches and savory snacks.
The adult meal was either chicken or fish. The chicken option was a curry rice dish which was tasty but probably wouldn’t have appealed to the children.
Where we stayed
Continental Towers, Dubai Marina
I booked a one bedroom apartment through Airbnb with the idea that the kids could sleep in the bedroom and I would sleep on the sofa bed in the lounge. As our flight didn’t arrive until late on Sunday evening I emailed ahead to check that someone would be there to collect the key from. It turns out that these apartments are managed by Golden Stay Vacation Homes. They have an office on the ground floor which is staffed 24/7. We received the key and access pass to the car park, swimming pool and gym with no hassle. The cost of the apartment was £85 per night, plus tourist tax on arrival.
The apartment was a decent size with a full bathroom, plus separate toilet. The kitchen seemed well equip for three people (plates, cups, glasses etc) and had a fridge, microwave, oven, washing machine, hob and kettle. Perfect for our needs. We were on the 23rd floor with a balcony overlooking the stunning skyline of Dubai Marina.
The apartment complex included a pool and gym. We spent a day at the pool which, although not that big, the boys really enjoyed and it kept them entertained. There were shady areas surrounding it all day (if you move your sunbed).
The apartment was by no means smart and could do with some TLC, but it was in a great location. You are able to walk to the beach, shops and restaurants of JBR in about 10-15 minutes. The Marina Mall and restaurants are also a 10 minute walk away. The apartment block is opposite the JBR Tram stop and about a 20 minute walk to the nearest metro station, DMCC Metro Station 1. There is a small shop/cafe next to Continental Towers which serves great coffee and has a small terrace overlooking the marina. There is also a pool table and chess boards which the boys enjoyed while waiting for my morning coffee. A larger supermarket is just down the road as you turn right out of the building.
Nuran Marina Serviced Apartments
On a previous trip we have stayed at Nuran Marina Serviced Apartments. These are lovely big modern apartments, also in Dubai Marina, and include a delicious a la carte breakfast. We were lucky and got a good deal when we stayed there a few years ago, but haven’t been able to afford it since. If you are able to spend a little more then I would highly recommend staying there.
Exploring Dubai on a budget
When researching for this holiday I was very conscious that Dubai is not a cheap place to visit. I spent a lot of time looking at what we could do that would not blow the bank balance. Below highlights what we got up to and how we saved money.
Burj Khalifa
My six year old was desperate to go up the tallest tower in the world. I looked at how much it would cost the four of us to go to ‘At The Top’, on the 124th and 125th floors. This comprises of information on the Burj Khalifa and history of Dubai, floor to ceiling windows providing a 360 degree view of the city, sea and desert, and a souvenir shop. For four of us (my sister joined us) it was going to cost £111. Having been to ‘At The Top’ about five years ago I thought that this was a lot of money when the boys would probably race around the viewing platform and then want to move onto the next activity! I then discovered that At.mosphere, the lounge bar within the Armani Hotel, was located on the 123rd floor and between the hours of 7-9am do ‘Coffee in the Clouds’. This has a minimum spend of 75 AED (£15.55) for all adults.
It is great value for money and a fantastic experience. We entered the Burj Khalifa from the prestigious Armani Hotel and enjoyed delicious coffee and freshly squeezed apple juices while taking our time to enjoy the view. We reserved a table and were given a window seat which was absolutely ideal.
You may be wondering how child friendly this experience is, and in all honestly I wondered the same thing. However, they were made so welcome by the staff and, despite their initial excitement in the hotel lobby, behaved beautifully (proud mum moment right there!) They loved taking in the view and used their cameras to take lots of photos. An additional bribe to take them to a sweet shop afterwards sealed the deal in the behaviour stakes!
Dubai Aquarium
Situated within Dubai Mall is the Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. Even from the outside it is stunning. The giant fish tank which spans three floors can be seen from outside the aquarium for free. The array of fish, sharks, rays and occasional scuba diver is impressive. The boys loved watching it all.
Entry to the aquarium itself is Adult (12+) 310 AED, Child (6-11) 210 AED, and child (0-5) free, but using a discount code from the Entertainer you can get 2-4-1 entry. Once inside you start the tour by walking through a tunnel through the giant fish tank. This is probably the highlight of the experience. From there you go into the main part of the aquarium and view hundreds of species in more typical tanks. The underwater zoo includes King Croc, an enormous five metre long, 750kg salt water crocodile.
Candylicious
If you have a sweet tooth then this is the place for you. Candylicious is a sweet shop located opposite the aquarium and is an absolute dream of a place. I think that I was just as excited as the boys to see such amazing displays of goodies. This place is well worth a visit but agree a budget with the kids (and yourself) before you enter as it is easy to get carried away!
The Dubai Mall Waterfall
This art installation is one of my favourite things in Dubai Mall. The waterfall flows the full four floors of the mall and is embellished with silver fiberglass divers. It is a really calming place amongst the bustle of shoppers and there is plenty of seating to enjoy it from.
The Dubai Fountain
Reputed to be the worlds largest choreographed fountain show. The shows take place daily at 1pm and 1.30pm. Evening shows start at 6pm and are every thirty minutes until 11pm. This is a very popular free tourist attraction so be sure to take your place early (particularly for the evening shows). There are plenty of restaurants surrounding the fountains so it is a great location to stop for lunch or a coffee.
Friday Brunch
Going for brunch on a Friday is an iconic Dubai experience. Most hotels and restaurants put on a brunch which consists of all-inclusive food and drink. Each restaurant has their own take on brunch and will tailor it to their audience. For example some of the brunches are notorious for free flowing alcohol and a party atmosphere, while others cater to families, or food connoisseurs.
We wanted to go to a typical Dubai Brunch which also catered towards the kids so that they would have a good time and we could relax. There are usually two or three packages, house beverages, soft beverages, or sometimes sparkling grape (if you see hops and grape mentioned on menus it means beer and wine). Many of the brunches are on the Entertainer so check for discount codes before you book.
Meydan Hotel Family Brunch
We opted for the family brunch at the Meydan Hotel which runs from 1-4pm every Friday in Farriers Restaurant. This is located next to the racecourse and has tables either inside the restaurant or outside on the terrace. Our house beverage package included wine, beer, spirits and cocktails. It cost 390 AED but was on Entertainer so we paid 195 AED (£40) each. Children under seven eat for free and those aged 7-12 cost 120 AED (£25).
An array of international food is served from various cooking stations and is beautifully presented. Options included seafood, sushi, salads, pates, pasta, pizza, breads, a large selection of BBQ meats and fish, noodle and rice dishes, and roasts. The hardest thing is making sure you leave room for dessert!
There is a dedicated kids area which has a bouncy castle, face painting, slime making, and a number of other activities to keep them busy. They also have their own buffet which serves up mini burgers, pizza, pasta, a chocolate fountain with fruit and marshmallows, popcorn and ice cream. The boys were in food heaven.
Time Out Dubai has a great guide to brunches in Dubai.
Waterparks
The thing that the boys wanted to do more than anything while in Dubai was go to a waterpark. At age four and six their experience of waterparks ranges from non-existent to minimal. We wanted to find a park that we would all enjoy, our youngest would be able to go on the majority of the rides, and that wouldn’t scare them off waterslides for life. The three that we looked at were:
Due to our four year old only being 107cm Laguna Water Park and Wild Wadi were ruled out as he wouldn’t have been able to go on very many slides. Legoland seemed perfect for their age and as 107cm was the minimum height for almost all the rides our youngest just scraped through. Although not on the Entertainer we managed to find a good deal on tickets through Qidz (IG: @qidz_uae).
We booked a two park ticket which gave access to the water park and also Legoland Dubai for 204 AED each (£42). The water park opened at 10am and we were some of the first through the gate. This meant that we had a good two hours with no queues and were able to walk straight onto the rides. It was safe to say that the boys loved it and that we had picked a park that was perfect for them. Once we had done all of the slides and activities we got dry and walked through into Legoland Dubai. We were anticipating much longer queues (as is normal at theme parks) but again we walked straight onto each ride. It was amazing. The park was clean, the staff were really friendly, and we all had the best day.
Our Legoland top tips
- You cannot refill your own water bottles in Legoland Water Park or Legoland Dubai and bottled water is expensive to buy. I suggest taking plenty with you and storing it in a locker with your bags.
- Lockers cost 70 AED (£14.50) per day and you are able to access them and re-lock them at any point. This is expensive but means that you don’t have to carry towels and bags around with you, and can store plenty of water for the day.
- The body slides are all single riders only, meaning you cannot go down any slides with your child on your lap. If you have children who are nervous in water or not strong swimmers then life jackets are provided.
Money saving Apps
The Entertainer
I have mentioned the Entertainer numerous times during this post. This is a money saving app which offers 2-4-1 discounts across restaurants, takeaway, hotels, and activities. You do have to pay for the app but with a couple of uses you will have recovered the cost. You can find more details on the Entertainer website. Over the course of the week we saved close to 1000 AED (£200) using this app, and have saved similar amounts on previous trips.
Qidz
You can download this app free and it gives you loads of discounts on activities and events focused on children. For more information see Qidz.com or download the app.
What are your favourite things to do in Dubai?
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