Major Attractions in Dubai
Dubai, the desert emirate is fast becoming one of the major tourist hotspots of the world. The emirate has witnessed a construction boom in the last decade, providing the city with plenty of options for family holidays. Dubai family holidays invariably become a memorable experience because of the variety of options available and the effort the government puts in to promote family tourism.
Dubai Mall: Located adjacent to Burj Khalifa, one of the tallest freestanding structures in the world, Dubai Mall scores for its sheer size and splendour. The major attractions are a giant aquarium, a musical fountains that dances to popular Asian and Hollywood tunes, and an ice skating rink. The mall itself is one of the biggest in Asia, with more than a thousand shops selling merchandise from all over the world. Be it the fabled oudh, perfumes, Arabic and oriental delicacies or the latest in fashion, Dubai Mall is a convenient one stop shopping zone for the entire family.
Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai: Mall of the Emirates comes a close second to the Dubai Mall in size and splendour. The shops are even more upmarket, but then mall is more famous for Ski Dubai, an indoor alpine ski resort and one of the must-see. What better way to beat the summer heat than chill out in freezing alpine conditions. Single entry (unlimited hours) costs AED 120 per adult and AED 110 per child. Lockers to store your goods when inside the resort costs AED 25 extra. A put off is non-admission of children below two years. Once inside, those who know skiing can use the ski slopes at AED 180 per head. The ski park, the place for non-skiers has a couple of adventure rides thrown in.
Ibn Battuta Mall: A theme mall with sections for Egypt, Persia, India and Africa, this mall commemorates the travels of Abu Abdulla Mohammed Ibn Battuta, one of the earliest globetrotters who covered all these place son foot. Trust Dubai to commemorate a historical icon with a shopping mall, but it is nevertheless a good job done. The Geant supermarket there is the icing on the cake. He laid back and relatively less crowded atmosphere of this mall makes it optimal for a family hang out.
Dubai Festival City: The Festival city buzzes with fairs and activities during the famous Dubai Shopping Festival in January every year, but even otherwise it is the best that Dubai has to offer for a family holiday. IKEA is literally an oasis in the mass commercialisation of Dubai. Kids get to play in a secure play area for free compared to AED 30 in Ibn Battuta Mall while adults can shop to their hearts content for gifts and home decor items at the world famous IKEA showroom. Next-door Hyper Panda is among the best supermarket in Dubai. If you are into gardening or into something that require hardware tools, make a beeline to Majid al Futtaim’s ACE hyper market next door.
Palm Atlantis: Any Dubai family holiday is incomplete without a visit to this architectural marvel. The best way to view the island is by taking the monorail from the mainland, near the Nakheel metro station. The last stop is the famous Palm Atlantis. There are two major attractions there: The Lost Chambers aquarium and Aquaventure water theme park. Aquaventure is must visit, but only if you have a full day to spare and your kids are above 13 years of age. If not Aquaventure, make a beeline to the similarly themed Wild Wadi in Jumeirah. The Lost Chambers is equally good, and one gets to see a variety of rich marine life in real underwater setting.
[highlight]All these family attractions are popular landmarks familiar to any taxi driver. Most of these places have dedicated metro stations as well.[/highlight]
