Concerns About Dubai

NewToTheUkAgain

We did through Emirates and got the Half board platinum and transfers etc included.

Two bedroom regal suite for 9 nights and worked out £1500 pp so not too bad for the 5 of us flights, accom and transfers.

We were going to put around 3000 usd to cover expenses.

Hopefully the heat won’t melt us out there!

Do you have recommendations?

ratechaser

NewToTheUkAgain wrote: »

We did through Emirates and got the Half board platinum and transfers etc included.

Two bedroom regal suite for 9 nights and worked out £1500 pp so not too bad for the 5 of us flights, accom and transfers.

We were going to put around 3000 usd to cover expenses.

Hopefully the heat won’t melt us out there!

Do you have recommendations?

Sounds like a great price, although that's the benefit of doing it outside the school hols.

As mentioned, Locatelli and BSK are good family restaurant options. I don't do buffets in the evening but Saffron (IMO) is better than Kaleidoscope for breakfast/brunch (plus Saffron is typically open a bit later, good when you want a 10.30am brunch to see you through the day.

Seafire is good if you're into steak. Not tried Ayamna as it was closed last 2 times we visited due to Ramadan, but its predecessor (Levantine) was really good, had an a la carte lamb shoulder dish for 2 you didn't see on the HB menu but worth asking about

By the way, there are separate HB and a la carte menus, but there's a good choice normally, you just don't get the higher end options! And the drinks offered on the platinum deal are exactly same in all the restaurants that included it - wine was a bit basic but drinkable, often I stuck to Peroni...

If you wanted something more casual and could bear to eat outside, The Shore is sometimes open evenings (The Shore and The Edge are the 2 bar/restaurants either side of the royal pool). TexMex is how I'd probably classify it, and no supplement there either.

Not tried Ossiano as not ideal with kids and frankly looks over priced just for a view of the fish tank... and was never a fan of Nasimi Beach, but again was closed last 2 times due to Ramadan.

Nobu - well, I would but my family wouldn't so outvoted there.

The latest addition though is Wavehouse, which is a conversion/extension of the old nightclub. Really nice sitting out on the terrace late afternoon after finishing at the water park - 25AED happy hour beer prices which is a relative bargain. The restaurant attached should be good as well, hadn't quite found its rhythm when we went but the menu was decent TGIF sort of stuff, so family friendly, especially with the games arcade and bowling alley...

Ooh, nearly forgot the other new place, Hakkasan (takes a bit of finding, you have to go all the way to the end of the shopping mall, outside then back in again) - used to be a Chinese place called Yuan and my kids were mortified it has closed as they loved it - well the new place is really brilliant as well, in a sort of dark and moody way. Worth the supplement.

Water park, suggest you head down the far end as it's a bit quieter and the huge lazy river carries you all the way around anyway. Take flip flops, the ground is scorchingly hot at that time of year and you'll get burned trying to walk over to the water slides in either of the towers.

If dolphins are of interest, I've heard it's a better experience than you get in Florida although I can't compare. My kids loved it when younger. If nothing else, it's a nice place just to go to chill, there's a seating area with a Starbucks, good for a bit of peaceful R&R (or homework if needed!).

Lost chambers is a good 30 minute stroll before/after dinner. And diving in the big aquarium is great, if only because it's the coolest swim you'll have that week. But that assumes you can dive!

Oh, and obviously... very waterproof sunscreen needed. You're unlikely to see a cloud all week!

z1a

LilElvis wrote: »

I would. It's not language I would expect from a child that age.

What language? You can be rude without swearing.

rainbowskies

Child issues aside, I personally would not go. Even if my kids (I don’t have any kids) were behaving like little angels, I still wouldn’t go. You never know what could happen. I’m sorry, but the mentality they have over there is backwards and I would not risk it just to stay in a fancy hotel in the heat.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/10/woman-held-in-dubai-with-daughter-for-drinking-glass-of-wine-on-flight

CardinalWolsey

rainbowskies wrote: »

Child issues aside, I personally would not go. Even if my kids (I don’t have any kids) were behaving like little angels, I still wouldn’t go. You never know what could happen. I’m sorry, but the mentality they have over there is backwards and I would not risk it just to stay in a fancy hotel in the heat.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/10/woman-held-in-dubai-with-daughter-for-drinking-glass-of-wine-on-flight

Not the best example to demonstrate a point. Without reading that particular article, I don't know what it says. However, the full details of this case point to the lady being wholly at fault, and demonstrating perfectly why you should be polite to immigration officials. For a better description of the incident, read https://www.thenational.ae/uae/deported-swede-ellie-holman-concedes-she-made-visa-mistake-at-dubai-airport-1.760775

rainbowskies

It won’t let me quote on the phone.

Okay, I’ll admit that the article you linked is much better and doesn’t show the lady in good light. However, I still stand by what I said about the mentality of that country being totally backwards.

martindow

ratechaser wrote: »

We usually end up with a £2k 'incidentals' bill at the end of the week so it's not just the headline cost to consider...

That seems an enormous sum - how does it break down?

Sharon87

The Atlantis is very much an all inclusive type resort. I would be worried about the heat in June, but if you're staying in the hotel a lot then I wouldn't worry too much as everywhere is air conditioned!

The water park might be a bit too warm when not in the water - you'll also need to lather your kid in sun tan lotion every couple of hours, so be prepared for that. The water park is huge so if you go there, you'll need to keep an eye where your kids go and have an area as a base. Dubai is pretty liberal in regards to wearing a swimming costume at the water park/beaches, so that's no issue. Also buy your kids swimming shoes, the ground can get boiling (you can buy them there)

I've been to Dubai in September and it was too hot for my friend who loves the heat, so just be warned, stick to the air conditioned areas - and bring a small cardigan for when you're in the air con as it can get quite chilly in certain places!

In regards to staying safe in Dubai - as long as you don't get drunk you should be fine. You can have a drink, especially in the Atlantis as it's licensed, but it's illegal to be drunk.

What kind of swear words does your kid use? Because if it's the bad ones you may get a some funny looks from people and if it's in public it may not be the best place to visit.

It's a weird place to visit and you do have to be aware of the laws - just like when you visit anywhere. I'm more worried about visiting African and some other Asian countries than Dubai!

peachyprice

rainbowskies wrote: »

Child issues aside, I personally would not go. Even if my kids (I don’t have any kids) were behaving like little angels, I still wouldn’t go. You never know what could happen. I’m sorry, but the mentality they have over there is backwards and I would not risk it just to stay in a fancy hotel in the heat.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/10/woman-held-in-dubai-with-daughter-for-drinking-glass-of-wine-on-flight

No, it isn't backward, it just doesn't (thankfully) tolerate the 'Brits abroad' behaviour that has ruined most European resorts.

I have been to Dubai, many many times, with children, without children, with pensioners. If you're a decent law-abiding person there to enjoy everything it has to offer it is one of the safest cities in the world.