DUBAI FAMILY ATTRACTIONS DESTINATIONS 1 2 3 Dubai might be about glitz and Parks Dubai. Finally, water babies RAS AL KHOR The alpine cafe is ideal for glamour, but that doesn’t make can enjoy thrills without the spills WILDLIFE SANCTUARY sipping a hot chocolate while it a no-go for families. at Legoland Water Park, the A haven of tranquility watching people have their ski 4 5 Quite the opposite, in fact: region’s first water park aimed amid the city hubbub, and snowboard lessons, and if few destinations boast such a at kids aged two to 12. 3this bird sanctuary is made up of they’ve still got energy to burn, welcoming attitude towards Book it: Premier Holidays 2.4sq miles of natural landscape there’s the Mall of the Emirates’ kids and an expansive family- offers three nights’ half-board made up of mangroves, mudflats, countless shops, department friendly offering, from glistening at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray in a salt flats and lagoons bordering stores and food courts to scour. shopping malls and desert safaris Deluxe King Arabian Sea View Dubai Creek, and is great for Book it: A one-hour lesson at Ski for teens, to vast resorts with room for two adults and two nature-loving families. Dubai costs £37 for adults and water parks and theme parks children from £2,549. The price In winter, more than 5,000 pink children with Attraction World. for the younger ones. includes flights, transfers and a flamingos steal the show, and attractionworld.com Year-round warm weather, one-day, unlimited three-park it’s impressive to see the birds an expanding all-inclusive hotel pass for Dubai Parks and Resorts, in their natural habitat as they WILD WADI WATER portfolio and a host of child- for travel in June 2017. feast on algae from the nutrient- PARK friendly activities also explain trade.premierholidays.co.uk rich waters. (In summer, their This water park is one why the destination is so popular numbers dwindle as many move of Dubai’s most popular with families looking to keep the Children’s City in northwards to avoid the heat). tourist5 attractions thanks to its 6 7 whole brood entertained. Here DUBAI CREEK PARK The flamingos share the fantastic location and choice we round up the best family Learning is all about reserve with more than 270 bird of more than 30 rides and attractions the emirate has having fun at Children’s species, including herons, eagles, attractions. DUBAI FAMILY to offer. 2City in Dubai Creek Park, an kingfishers and egrets, which From the top of Jumeirah educational city with interactive clients can spot from one of Sceirah, a knee-trembling ATTRACTIONS DUBAI PARKS AND learning stations geared towards two hides. 32-metre-high slide, clients can With so much to see and RESORTS kids aged two to 15. Book it: Entry to this area is free. see the Burj Al Arab and the From the end of this For tots, play is about visitdubai.com/en/pois/ras-al- Arabian Gulf, before they feel the do, families are spoilt for month, Dubai is set discovery, with building blocks, khor-wildlife-sanctuary ground open beneath them as to1 give Orlando a real run for sandpits and water pools, while they plunge down the white- choice, says Aby Dunsby its money with the opening of bigger kids can learn about SKI DUBAI AT MALL OF knuckle tandem slides. @AbraDunsby mega theme park Dubai Parks space, the human body, science THE EMIRATES There’s plenty for babies and and Resorts, which integrates and tech via interactive displays When the sunshine gets toddlers to enjoy too, including a three separate parks: Motiongate and games. The star attraction too much, clients can children’s play area and lazy river. ture N Dubai; Bollywood Parks and has got to be the flight simulator, 4cool down in the city’s very own Entry is free for clients staying at adve 8 9 10 Legoland Dubai, plus a Legoland allowing kids to don an outfit and winter wonderland – Ski Dubai. Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Make sure of Water Park. ride a camel, a magic carpet, or The Middle East’s first indoor clients know the park is closed For teens, Motiongate Dubai an aircraft. The centre also runs ski resort boasts five runs of from January 14 until February 9, worlds in particular will be a huge draw, daily educational workshops and varying difficulty for clients to 2017, for refurbishment, to avoid img featuring a host of adrenaline planetarium shows, competitions ski and snowboard down, plus a disappointed kids. ; rush-worthy rides and attractions and story events. Outside, there’s 150 metre-long zip-line, the Snow Book it: Gold Medal offers three dubai inspired by Hollywood movies a playground and the chance for Bullet, which allows clients to soar nights’ half-board at Jumeirah ski ; including The Hunger Games and kids to enjoy camel and horse up to 16 metres above the slopes. Beach Hotel in an Ocean Deluxe Kung Fu Panda. Legoland Dubai riding, too. For younger kids, there’s also Room from £769 per person, is bound to be a hit with the Book it: Entry to Children’s a park with toboggan slopes and based on a family of four, and youngsters, featuring 15,000 Lego City costs about £2.10 per snow caves to explore, and they’ll including flights and free access shutterstock : S models and 40 themed rides, child aged two to 15, and love meeting the colony of cute to Wild Wadi Waterpark, for travel while fans of cinema shouldn’t about £3.20 per adult. snow penguins that make a daily between February 6-27, 2017. PICTURE miss the one-of-a-kind Bollywood childrencity.ae march through the park. goldmedal.co.uk 58 travelweekly.co.uk 13 October 2016 13 October 2016 travelweekly.co.uk 59 DUBAI FAMILY ATTRACTIONS DESTINATIONS KIDZANIA desert and ocean, the experience also AQUAVENTURE AT from £739 per person. Valid for There’s a reason that playing includes a multimedia presentation ATLANTIS THE PALM departure on February 13, 2017. ‘mummies and daddies’ is about Dubai and the building of the Set on the grounds of the travel2.com such an enduring game for Burj Khalifa. gargantuan resort of Atlantis kids:6 they love pretending to be grown- Those looking for a premium 9The Palm, this 17-hectare water park is DESERT SAFARI ups, and KidZania has cleverly cottoned experience can opt for At The Top free for guests staying at the hotel or Dubai’s vast on to this concept in its ‘edutainment’ Sky on the 148th floor, a VIP trip that its sister brand One&Only. desert dunes await park for two to 12-year-olds. includes refreshments in a private As well as offering a staggering adventurous families, The premise revolves around kids lounge and a guided tour. array of heart-pumping rides and 10who can enjoy the fun with dune pretending to do adult jobs for the Book it: Viator offers a Burj Khalifa slides, including two that thrust riders safari day trips that allow them to day. Unlike conventional theme parks, At The Top entrance ticket from £23 through shark-filled lagoons, the ride camels, dine in the desert and KidZania does away with rides and per child (aged four to 11) and £30 Middle East’s largest water park also drive a four-wheel dune buggy. instead creates a mini-city where kids per adult (12 and above). features a Shark Safari, the longest zip Active types can take to the dunes can play at being everything from a viator.com wire in the Middle East, and cownose for a spot of sand boarding, or fulfil fireman or a doctor, to a TV presenter ray feeding. their Indiana Jones-style dreams with or a model. IMG WORLDS OF For little ones, there’s the Splashers a longer stay in a desert camp, Kids must also learn about their ADVENTURE Children’s Play Area complete with complete with shisha pipes for job from a ‘Zupervisor’ and they can The city of superlatives has gentle rides, climbing frames, and the grown-ups and entertainment then have fun raiding the fancy dress just gained another thanks to hanging bridges. Parents can take time including belly dancing and sword box and dressing up in a uniform for 8IMG Worlds of Adventure, a 1.5 million out to relax on the 700-metre-long balancing that the kids will love. their chosen occupation. They’re even square foot indoor theme park – the private beach while their kids run riot Book it: A Desert Safari costs £60 paid for their endeavors in KidZos, largest of its kind in the world – that in the park, or dine in one of 15 on-site per adult and £50 per child, including KidZania’s own currency, which they opened in August. RIGHT: restaurants. travel in a luxury four-wheel drive can spend in the shop. The giant funhouse is made up of Aquaventure at Book it: Travel 2 offers three nights at car, camel riding, sand surfing and a Atlantis The Palm Book it: Entry to KidZania costs from four zones including the Marvel area, Atlantis The Palm for a family of four barbecue at a Bedouin campsite with £20 for toddlers aged two to three, which features rides from Spider-Man, BELOW: staying in a Deluxe Room on half- traditional entertainment. £30 for children aged four to 16, and Thor and The Avengers; and a Cartoon Desert safari board, including flights and transfers, dosomethingdifferent.com £20 per adult.