Our Weekend Escapes to Dubai

Festival City - Cruises

Jason loves the weekend in Al Ain.  Because he is able to get out of it!  Friday comes, and so does Patty.  Lily bounces out of bed (she has to be dragged out of bed weekdays) and asks if it is a weekend day.  She loves the answer.  The first job of the day is to tidy the house for Patty and get the lunch bag packed for a day away.  When Patty arrives we usually get out of her hair and head out.  Our favourite place to go on Fridays is Dubai.  For many weeks we have headed out the door at 9am, not to return until around 4.30pm.

Dubai Mall

Dubai has a lot going for it.  It is only 1 1/2 hours away from where we live and the drive is 120-140km in speed along a 6 lane highway.  The car could almost drive itself now, we've been so many times. The drive is always punctuated with the kids yelling from the back seat every time they see a camel on the sand dunes or in a camel truck as we pass it.  Within 30 minutes of the trip Lily will inevitably be asking how long until we get there and looking desperately to see the Burj Khalifa on the horizon.  Ben will be melting down at about that time too, wanting food and having a minor tantrum.  We've taken to asking him if he wants to be 'put on the roof' and he says 'NO' and calms down.  All the while Lily is yelling 'Put him on the roof! Put him on the roof!' enthusiastically.



Ikea at Festival City has become a regular haunt.  We're usually there to buy the odd bits and pieces; drapes and curtain rails, lamps, pictures, tv cabinets, chairs and the 5 dirham children's lunches that are just a few things on the shopping list.  It is only one stop in the journey though, as Festival City has a lot to offer.  We've been out there with our friends Pete, Ange and Meriana on a cruise around the inlet, walked along the boardwalk and spotted the expensive restaurants and hotels (none of which we could ever afford to enter) and done a little shopping in the extensive mall.

You can pay to dive in the aquarium!

We've stayed at a hotel just outside the city while Jason, Pete and another friend Andrew went on a desert safari out in the sand dunes.  Ange and I took the opportunity to go to another of the big Dubai Malls (called Mirda I think) only to lose our daughters momentarily whilst they decided to go shoe shopping!  The malls here are huge, flash and adorned with interesting things to do.  Dubai Mall, the biggest mall in the world has an amazing ice-rink.  Lily has of course tried it out, with her father in tow.  It is also the home of the aquarium and underwater zoo.  The kids particularly loved the underwater zoo which contained penguins, piranha, crabs, fish, turtles and crustaceans of all kinds!  A lunch at the Rainforest Cafe was a huge highlight.  The animals adorning the walls move occasionally and Ben in particular was scared senseless by them!

At the underwater zoo

Malls seem to be the destination of choice in many ways.  Much of the place is still under construction; some of it being completed and others waiting, it would seem, for increased finance. We have ventured out to the Dubai Outlet Mall, where many things are marked down to 50% of their original prices.  Some bargains were to be had, especially in warm clothes for the kids for when we travel.

But Dubai still has more to offer.   We've recently been to Jumairah beach which is fantastic for families.  It is a lovely beach for swimming and sun-worshipping.  At the edge of the beach is a wonderful playground for kids set against a backdrop of trees and grass.  Hopefully in spring break we'll be able to head out to Atlantis which is a hotel and water park.

Recently we ended up at Jumairah Beach with our friends the Rouvi family.  We had a fun-filled day swimming, building sandcastles and playing at the park.  They have three children's playgrounds that cater for all the age groups and needs.  Lily loves to climb on the challenging apparatus while Ben is happy to sit in the little ones' playground that has a boat he can drive.  We had an awesome meal at a restaurant on the other side of the road called Chili's.  The kids are welcome at this place and cater for them superbly.

Ben and Evie

The temperature at the moment is lovely.  It is a mild 28-30 degrees during the day and a little cooler over night.  In the mornings we sometimes have to put on a sweater as it is a chilly.  Soon the heat of Al Ain will be too much for us to go out and enjoy ourselves at the beach and other places.  We'll be largely stuck inside.  So, we're pleased that the winter/spring season has gone on for a longer time this year and we've benefitted from nice weather.  Funny though...yesterday at the beach our friend Andrew commented how the wind was a little bit cold.  It was 28 degrees!  Perhaps we're getting too used to this!

Jason and I were keen to take the kids to the Global Village, near Dubai which has stalls selling items from all nations around the world.  It was going to be a challenge all right.  However, with Ben not well (again...) and the closing date the end of February we thought we lucked out.  But unlike most things in this country sometimes things work in your favour.  They've just extended the date to the end of March and with my mum coming mid-March we're now smiling.  We don't have to drag the kids around the place...we can go on our own.  We have a ready-made baby-sitter who will gladly play with the kids while we finally get a chance to go off and have a day to ourselves.  We can't wait.  It has been a long time between drinks...so to say.

A perfect family outing!

Speaking of drinks...it is time to sit on the balcony, soak up the warmth of the evening and enjoy the quiet. Oh and to plan our future trips to Dubai.  In a land that is 'dry' we have certainly found something to whet our palate!