www.dubaicalendar.ae
Difference between regular mall and malls in Dubai is, they are purely entertainment centers, not only for shopping! Most of the attractions are located inside of the malls. Here is my list:
1- Mall of Emirates: Mall of Emirates has many activities, one of the famous one is 'Ski Dubai'. Probably, there not many people left on earth that have not heard about Ski Dubai! I remember the news when it was opened few years back. And until I saw it with my own eyes, it did not make much of a sense. Obviously it is fake:) but such a great idea, right? Bringing the ski in the middle of dessert! Sometimes, having money is not enough, you gotta have a vision! While we were there, it was packed with tourists and locals (there are not really locals! Expats or the immigrants who come for work to Dubai count as "locals"!'You do not get to see real locals in Dubai:)). Anyway, we did not do the ski, we did "Penguin Encounter". And let me tell you something, not only kids but also we loved it too:) To be able to touch and hug these small cute creatures was a life time experience:) Expect to pay quite a price tag for it, but money goes to the foundation:) Ski Dubai also has "ski school"! Whether you visit the penguins or ski, all necessary equipments are provided and included in the fee. There is also a large movie complex, an art centre and indoor family entertainment centre in Mall of Emirates. There are may be not hundreds but tons of restaurants inside, even the food court is very upscale! For up to date information, visit website www.malloftheemirates.com
2- Dubai Mall: It is one of the largest shopping mall in the world! When we were taking a stroll,
we were not able to pass by from the same spot! Do not tell anyone:), but we even got lost inside!!!
It is easy to spend all day in Dubai Mall, not because of shopping, but activities keep you very busy! And here is a big confession, I did not shop! Did not even step inside any of the stores! And I am very proud of it:)
- KidZania: Such a fun place for children. Expecially my 7 yr old loved it! Kids get to play grownups, there are 80 different roles to play, each activity takes somewhere around 20-30 minutes. It is very crowded during weekends (remember, weekend in UAE is Friday and Saturday, Sunday is a work day!). Be prepared to spend at least 3-4 hr! Kids run from one corner to another one! Coolest thing, when they work, for an example as a police officer, children get to be pay and they can spend KidZania money for something they like. My daughter loved the idea, but when she tried to buy Monster High with her money and could not, she was disappointed:)
- Ice Rink: Another fun activity for children, even for adults! Try to do during non rush hour, because fee changes dramatically! It was my daughter's first time on ice rink, and she loved it! So whole family had to watch and wait for her for three hours, she just did not want to go:)
- "At the Top", Burj Khalifa: Probably, you also heard about this, tallest building on earth! If you want to take a 360 degree of view from 124th floor, this is the place for you! Not sure what you can see from that high! but since it is very popular, surely it is gotta to be an experience! I am not a fan of high rise buildings, honestly they make me very nervous, so we did not do this one! But I saw the line, and tickets were sold out for two days! It is not a cheap activity by the way! If you plan to go up, make sure to purchase your tickets ahead.
I recently watched on AlJazeera that skydivers jumped from the top of Burj Khalifa, definitely gotta watch it on youtube!
- Dubai Aquarium: It was the one of the biggest water tank I have ever seen! Dubai Aquarium has more than 33,000 living creatures and 400 of them are sharks! Aquarium is located in the centre of Dubai Mall. Without buying another pricey ticket, you can still view these amazing creatures! During the weekends it is packed with tourists who are trying to take a selfie in front of it:)
- Dubai Fountain: It is basically a water show in a man made lake, like the one in Vegas, I think this one is more spectacular, and good news you do not have to pay to watch it!!!! Fountain shoots water somewhere around 100-150 meters high! Show runs during the daytime and nighttime. I definitely recommend night show, it starts at 7pm and runs every 30 minutes! At dark, it was pretty impressive with large fountain lightnings! I read that the beam of light shining can be seen 20 miles away! Try to be there 10-15 minutes before, because it gets too crowded! From the same spot, you can also view Burj Khalifa! There is also a lake ride with a price tag:)
For more up to date information, visit http://www.thedubaimall.com/
3- Dubai Harbour/Marina: Dubai Marina is an artificial city, build along 3km strech of shoreline. Since we stayed at marina area, it was very convenient for us. Kids were able to run and jump freely. We also did marina boat tour for half an hour, it was a very nice ride, it goes all the way at the end. You can also go to the shoreline, see the famous 'Palm Island' or Burj Al Arab. Luxury apartment buildings are surrounding the marina area, you can see people jogging or taking a stroll with their children. There are many restaurants, offering different type of cuisines. There is also a mall, Dubai Marina.
4- Dolphin Bay: This is one of the top activity in the city. We found it very expensive (my daughter was very upset, I am sure this is a great experience but we were not not willing to pay $140 per person for half an hour swim, and adults have to company children!) , so cannot provide personal views on it. It is located in Atlantis-The Palm and heard so much about it. If you stay at Atlantis, you pay less, and for more information, visit
http://www.atlantisthepalm.com/marineandwaterpark/dolphinbay.aspx?CID=sm_gplaces_dolphinbay
5- Beach: We did not have time for beach, but from our hotel room window, I can easily say beaches are very crowded and popular any day of the week! There are few public beaches in Dubai and because of lack of facilities, they are not really recommended. So beaches are private, therefore to get in, you have to pay a fee. If you plan to go to the beach, try to go weekdays because there is a big fee difference. Hotels located on the shoreline have beautiful beaches and you can also use their pools. Hotel concierges are very knowledgeable, they can provide lots of information. Most popular one is Jumeriah Beach Park.
6- Water Parks: There are three water parks in Dubai. Great place to spend all day in hot weather. All of them offers different experiences for visitors. My children loves to play in water, and it is never enough for them. There are different activities for each age group. Further information I recommend to check each ones web site. List of water parks:
- Wild Wadi Water Park---this is the most popular one!
- Aquaventure Water Park---it is huge, one day cannot be enough!
- Wonderland Water Park
You can also check http://www.timeoutdubai.com/kids/features/8139-best-waterparks-in-Dubai
There are still many activities I did not cover in here such as safari in dessert, hot air balloon ride, race course, High Tea at Burj Al Arab, Dubai Museum and much more. So definitely recommend you to check www.tripadvisor.com
No comments:
Post a Comment