I’m Anna, a designer and mum of two. We have been to Dubai three times now. The first time with our four year old when I was pregnant, the second time when our daughter was five and our son was six months old, and most recently we went in October when the children were three and eight.
We chose Dubai as it had been recommended to us by friends and other families. It had never really been on our radar as a holiday destination before, especially with young children. But we went for the first time in 2018 and really enjoyed it.
BOOKING
I booked all of the trips directly with Emirates holidays. Using their website at first and then finalising and booking on the phone as we needed connecting rooms as we travelled with my mum. I did a lot of research and chose to stay on the palm a little further from the hustle on bustle of the city.
The journey is 6/7 hours. Like any long haul flight with young children, just be prepared and take their favourite snacks, toys and electronics! The in-flight entertainment is great and we have found that the flight attendants have always taken extra care of families with younger travellers.
HOTEL We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeriah, It’s a beautiful hotel, the staff are just fantastic and so welcoming. It’s clean and well maintained and they are great with children. The rooms are beautiful and have amazing views. The pool area is well maintained the pool attendants regularly drive a squeegee machine around dispersing any puddles or particularly wet slippy areas to keep everyone safe. Our little girl loved the kids club on our first visit. The food is of a very high standard and there is plenty of choice. The kids club is well equipped with lots of activities our daughter really enjoyed it when she went. On our pre covid trips We visited the top of the burj khalifa. It was great with magnificent views, but be aware buggy’s were not allowed in the lift so I had to carry our six-month-old son for a long time and he was heavy! We also visited the Dubai mall, the Marina and The Atlantis. Our last visit was in October so we didn’t venture too far due to covid. We did go to The Pointe a couple of times last year, which is a new development on the Palm. It had some fab restaurants, games and outdoor rides for the children and a fountain show with music and lights every 30 minutes which was really impressive. Think mini version of the Bellagio in Vegas! We found that The staff are just great with children and babies. The food is wonderful and they cater for everyone. So children are well looked after. Our hotel also had Lifeguards on duty by the pool during the hours of opening.
Be aware, the sun is fierce so certain times of day so you do need to get into the shade or back inside to the air con.
There is so much to do, you cannot get bored. Water parks, shopping, dining out, aquarium, water sports and boat trips. You can also do very little just enjoy the beach /pool and the weather. It really does cater for everyone.
CONSIDERATIONS: The price of food and drink is high. So you have to be prepared for that and take into account when planning and budgeting. You do however, get what you pay for. The sun is fierce so take care, and make sure you've packed sunscreen and the appropriate clothes
Written By Anna, a designer and mum of two kids, aged 8 and three, living in Cheshire.
