United Arab Emirates advice please.

callum9999

I've never understood why Dubai is such a big holiday destination for "normal" people (i.e. those not content with flying all that way just to stay in fancy hotels and spend all day in shopping malls) - but I was gob smacked to see people recommending it as a family holiday!

What exactly do you all do with your families ? I was bored stiff there (slightly worse as I was there in the Summer so was on the verge of fainting if I did anything other than a gentle walk further than 10 minutes!) - I can't imagine what I'd do if I was a child!

Doshwaster

Dubai/UAE will always be a "marmite" destination. Some people love it, others find it unbearable.

Personally, I found it a fascinating place. I wouldn't stop there for 2 weeks but for a 4-5 day mini break, not too far away and with almost guaranteed good weather, then as long as cost isn't your most important issue then it's worth a try.

Mr_Wang

Doshwaster wrote: »

Dubai/UAE will always be a "marmite" destination. Some people love it, others find it unbearable.

Personally, I found it a fascinating place. I wouldn't stop there for 2 weeks but for a 4-5 day mini break, not too far away and with almost guaranteed good weather, then as long as cost isn't your most important issue then it's worth a try.

Totally agree.

What some people don't realise is that for many of us Dubai is a stop off from somewhere dirty, where we have been backpacking and eating Dal bhat every day along with bus journies that you look back on and wondered how you ever survived.
For us Dubai is a real haven, back to normality in a way that only the Emirates can offer.

For the other poster saying families would be lost etc... The beaches in Dubai (Jumeirah) is one of the cleanest beaches I have ever been on anywhere across the globe. There are showers, restaurants, lockers and every amenity a family would want. Additionally there is no surf at all and the sea is fairly shallow for at least 20m out.
The malls are world class, public transport system the best in the world. The parks in Dubai are pristine, and there is a children's museum in one of them. As well as water parks there are watersports and some of the best hotels on the face of the earth.

Whilst the Emirates is not somewhere worth travelling to for a fortnight its an amazing place and for those willing to travel there is Abu Dhabi and Masdar a bus ride away, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman nearby too. Additionally through Air Arabia the Emirates is cheaply connected to some amazing places.

To simply discard the Emirates is foolish. It really is the jewel of the Middle East and the gateway to some of the most amazing places on earth.

dickydonkin

Mr_Wang wrote: »

For us Dubai is a real haven, back to normality in a way that only the Emirates can offer.

The beaches in Dubai (Jumeirah) is one of the cleanest beaches I have ever been on anywhere across the globe.

One of my trips was during the building boom - thankfully I was at the Hilton on the Creek - not at their sister hotel (behind me) where we had a free shuttle to use the Jumeirah Beach facilities.

Along with Bondi, Jumeirah Beach is a location that left me completely underwhelmed. I have been after the completion of the construction - but I gave the strip of sand a miss.

The sea is nice and warm though!

Doshwaster

Mr_Wang wrote: »

The malls are world class, public transport system the best in the world. The parks in Dubai are pristine, and there is a children's museum in one of them. As well as water parks there are watersports and some of the best hotels on the face of the earth.

The biggest thing which struck me about Dubai was the cleanliness. Whether you were on the beach, shopping malls or public parks the whole place is spotless. You could virtually eat your dinner off the pavement. It's the cleanest place I have ever been too even compared to Singapore.

Now some people may find that too clinical or artificial but at least you never find yourself walking over drunken teens and pools of vomit.

As Mr Wang says, it's the ideal stopover destination for a trip to/from SE Asia or Australia. Somewhere to recharge your batteries for a few days and spoil yourself rotten.

callum9999

Fair enough - it's just personal opinion I guess. I just can't think of a single thing I saw in Dubai that isn't beaten somewhere in Europe - with a much more convenient location and far cheaper flights. Yeah they have flashy hotels and shopping malls - but is that really that big on a list of childrens holiday plans?

I spent a week there on a stopover from Australia and I was bored stiff for the whole period. This was during Summer so it was too hot to use the beach - but if the beach is what you enjoy I'd wager there are hundreds of better beaches between here and Dubai.

Mr_Wang

dickydonkin wrote: »

One of my trips was during the building boom - thankfully I was at the Hilton on the Creek - not at their sister hotel (behind me) where we had a free shuttle to use the Jumeirah Beach facilities.

Along with Bondi, Jumeirah Beach is a location that left me completely underwhelmed. I have been after the completion of the construction - but I gave the strip of sand a miss.

The sea is nice and warm though!

That photograph stinks of 2004.

This is Jumeirah in 2011: http://thesummerholidayofalifetime.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/loving-dubai.html

If you head back now you'll find a pristine slice of paradise set around white sands, turquoise waters, searing heat and every amenity you could hope for without a building site...in sight.

dickydonkin

Mr_Wang wrote: »

That photograph stinks of 2004.

This is Jumeirah in 2011: http://thesummerholidayofalifetime.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/loving-dubai.html

If you head back now you'll find a pristine slice of paradise set around white sands, turquoise waters, searing heat and every amenity you could hope for without a building site...in sight.

I think it was around that time as I recall.

I have been back since and yes, it has obviously improved since the construction has now been completed - well those projects that did not run out of money are anyway!

I will still stick to my belief however that JB is not one of the better beaches I have visited.

At the time however, the sands were still white, the water was still turquoise and the heat was still certainly searing - it was just the pile drivers and 'views' that were a bit offputting.

Each to their own of course, but I wouldn't be too heartbroken if I never went back there. As others have pointed out, the place is very clean, somewhat sterile and certainly hot!

As for taking kids - many will believe that the blog you provided is testament that it is not an ideal destination for kids - well certainly not in the summer months anyway.

As for extoling the virtues of Dubai's econony and vision.........

The city is obviously run like a business with success at its core

You do know that they are nearly bust and is being baled out by Abu Dhabi - so comparing them to the UK in the blog, we do have something in common with them!

The folly of trying to be bigger, better and best is costing the Dubai government dearly - and don't get me started on their human rights record.

To add - yes I am aware that governments of other destinations that are also popular leave a lot to be desired as well!

Ali_Baba

joaniemerc wrote: »

If you've got children (and even if you haven't) make sure you get yourself an Entertainer Book (Google it) - it's full of buy-one-get-one-free vouchers for restaurants/excursions/cafes/ice creams/childrens activities/waterparks. Costs about £50 but you will easily get your money back the first time you use it.

PS: we used Qatar Airways when we last went but via Doha (it was a good price and as we don't travel with our children any more indirect wasn't a problem) and stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road - excellent location and 5 mins walk from a Metro shop (the Metro is brill and saves you a lot of money, although cabs are cheap, it all adds up). This year we've booked direct flights with Royal Brunei. They fly to Brunei but stop off in Dubai.

I would echo that advice about staying at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dubai. The location is excellent and it means you don't have to pay for expensive taxis to/from the airport, malls and other attractions as the Metro stop is close by. Or you could stay at the Rotana Rose Rayhaan, supposedly the tallest hotel in the world, which is also close to a Metro station and has a pizza hut and large supermarket across the road, plus lots of smaller convenience stores nearby.

But why go to the UAE? It's so artificial. Why not try somewhere like Oman, which isn't very much farther away and has much more natural beauty.

vegasvisitor

We stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road. Was very good, same area as the Crowne Plaza, would stay in that area again no problem.