Holidays in the UAE with children in 2021 - where is it better to go?

Do not go children to Africa for a walk! You'd better fly. And not to Africa, but to the Emirates. It's hot there, white sand, sea, and most importantly - top-level security. The water can be drunk from the tap, there are no volcanoes at all. Well, the chances of seeing a domestic leopard are higher than anywhere else! 🙂

To the Emirates with descendants: when and where is it better to go? We collected good accommodation options, monitored prices adjusted for holidays in the UAE with children.

You can relax in the UAE. As before, you can fly away: Independently - from Moscow, Kazan, Yekaterinburg (see flights on Aviasales and hotels on RoomGuru) Tour - now scheduled flights (see Tours on Travelata)

Vacation season in the UAE - when to go?

In fact, the Emirates is a desert. It has been upgraded, made ultramodern, but the air outside the beaches and air-conditioned hotels is dry, the daytime temperature rises to a scorching 43 ° C. This should be taken into account when planning travel with babies.

When is the best time to go to the UAE? Comfortable beach holiday starts in September (even in the middle). The thermometer's mark behaves decently, no more than + 39⁰С. The sea has brought relief since October: the water is + 27⁰C, the very thing to refresh, but not freeze. This grace ends in November, but the cycle repeats in April-May.

• About the UAE in November
• About the UAE in May

Most hot months: June July August. During the day, rarely less than + 40⁰С. The weather clearly shows how it is there in hell. Therefore, it is definitely not worth going in the summer.

December to March in the UAE non-swimming season (looking for someone). Air temperature + 20⁰С… + 25⁰С, water temperature - the same. Many of our compatriots swim, not realizing that it is actually winter.

• UAE in December
• UAE in February
• Or is it better in March?

Our experience: we have been to the UAE four times - two in December and February. And we (the adults) liked to swim: you get used to the water for a couple of minutes and don't want to go out. And until the middle of December - it is completely warm, as in the height of the season.

Why UAE? Features of rest with a child

An excellent place for families with children in Dubai is La Mer beach. That's just
it is inconvenient to get

Emirates is a beach destination. People come here for the sun, warm sea (no jokes: + 30⁰C and this is not the limit!) And service. That is, the obligatory three must-haves when on vacation with children have a place to be. What are the other "pros" for a trip with a child?

✓ Accessible environment: elevators, ramps, convenient exits and sidewalk entrances. Parents of toddlers traveling in strollers will appreciate it.

✓ Cleanliness. You can eat from the floor - this is just about the UAE.
* Better not, but not as much as in India, for example 🙂

✓ Availability of a "complete set" of children's resort entertainment: water parks, attractions, aquariums, zoos and other pleasures of leisure 18—.

✓ A visa to the UAE is not required. At the airport, they simply put a stamp in the foreign country.

✓ Short flight - about 5 hours.

About entering Dubai in 2021.
Children under 12 years of age are exempt from testing. The rest must have a certificate in English about a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours (the time is counted from the moment of the test!), A Covid-19 DXB Smart App on the phone and insurance covering covid - such policies are available on Cherehapa ...

During the flight, you fill out a health declaration, and at the airport you take the free test again and wait for the results at the hotel. If the retest is negative - you are free, if positive - continue the isolation in the room.

The best resorts in the UAE for families with children

The promenade and the beach in Ras Al Khaimah - it's nice to walk here in the evening

Resorts where it is better to relax in the UAE with children (and not bad without children too):

✓ Dubai - the city is good by several criteria at once: a short transfer from the airport within an hour and a half, leisure for children and adults of any age and range of interests, clean and equipped beaches (free!). You can diversify your beach vacation or completely abandon it by making a choice in favor of an excursion program - and it is very rich.

✓ Abu Dhabi - the official capital of the country, but not the place where it is better to go to the UAE with a child: yes, there are several beaches with coral sand, a Ferrari park (for big and small car lovers), a water park and other entertainment concentrated in one place on the island Yas (approx. Artificial island in the emirate). But there is nowhere to swim! There are only a few beach hotels. It's good to come to Abu Dhabi for a day or two, take a walk and check out the local achievements of the entertainment industry.

✓ Sharjah and Ajman, located at a distance of 10 km from each other, have a very convenient location: about 30 km to Dubai, while living is much cheaper.

✓ Umm Al Quwain Is one of the few resorts in the UAE where you can enjoy the traditional, relaxed Arab lifestyle. There are fewer skyscrapers, and life in the old city is in full swing. But is it necessary with a child?

✓ Ras al-Khaimah - the northern emirate, located on the border with Oman. There are not many entertainments, but gorgeous beaches, there is no prohibition and a tour to the top five can be taken one and a half times cheaper than in Dubai.

✓ Fujairah - located on the shores of the Arabian Sea, an interesting underwater world. The resort is actively under construction, which somewhat spoils the idealistic picture of a relaxed vacation.

However, construction in the UAE is underway everywhere. Nowadays, the likelihood of getting a landscape of a construction site instead of a peaceful view from the window is higher than in any other "beach" country.

By the way, one of the main advantages of the Emirates for children's recreation is the availability of tours, however, so far due to restrictions with a flight only from Moscow.
You can find out prices for tours for the required dates on tour aggregators:

• Travelata
• Level.Travel
• Onlinetours

They monitor offers from all leading tour operators (and no extra charge), so the choice of tours is wide.

Dubai with kids

Dubai is very kid-friendly. But it's a pity that they are not at all friendly to the parents' wallet :)

So what is it about a city that looks like a movie poster for the future?

+ In Dubai sandy beaches... They are also free, beautiful, clean, with blue water and without these suspicious water activities like parasailing or catamarans - choose La Mer or Dubai Marina beach.

+ Accommodation in Dubai Marina - a paradise for both the child and the parent. An excellent beach, many playgrounds, a supermarket-pharmacy-cafe nearby, and the views, when the skyscrapers are lit in the evening, are amazing!

+ Entertainment there are both for kids and teenagers. For the smallest ones who are not yet allowed to enter the water parks, amusement parks have also been built in Dubai.

+ Large selection of hotels and correspondence of stars to reality - you rarely meet a "five" with the filling and maintenance of a "troika".

+ Restaurants and cafe with European cuisine is everywhere, problems like "sharp / exotic / incomprehensible" can be easily avoided.

+ But in general, this modern citywhere the infrastructure does not cause inconvenience - taxis at every corner (official and with a taximeter), metro with escalators and elevators, crossings with travelators. Oh yes, and it's hard to name what is missing in Dubai from Western shops and catering - even LuluLemon and Wendy’s work here!

— Expensive everything - from food to sun loungers on the beach. Get ready to shell out ≈ 1000 rubles for a dish in a cafe and ≈ 800-1000 rubles for a deck chair with an umbrella for the day. If the second can be excluded from expenses, sitting on a towel, then the first is more difficult. Yes, you can go to a non-tourist area and eat for 500 rubles per person, but will a tourist with a child go there, given the distance in Dubai? Therefore, families cope in a different way: they book an apartment or an apart-hotel and cook on their own.

— The city is not for pedestrians: there are no sidewalks, it's hot, crazy transport junctions that just can't be crossed. In Dubai, alas, you don't walk in the fresh air, but indoors.

— No nature as such, apart from the sea and palm trees. Around the high-rise buildings, skyscrapers, dry air, concrete and desert.

But the pros and a short flight outweigh the cons, and many tourists fly to Dubai with children. If the city is yours, then we suggest:

... and learn more about:

• Prices in Dubai
• Major attractions
• Areas to live

Sharjah

An option for those who want to eat a fish and not choke on a bone. Beaches, half an hour from Dubai. What else?

Our friends chose Sharjah for a trip with the baby in October (hotel - 4 * Golden Sands Hotel Sharjah) and were satisfied. The hotel is located on the border between the emirates, and skiing to Dubai every day is not stressful at all.

Ras al-Khaimah

You see, the sidewalk turns to the left, there is no crossing over the road, and there is no path ahead either? And if you need to go straight? :) So often in the Emirates

The resort is located in the north of the country, it takes about two hours to get to Dubai by car or bus.

Walking the streets drunk is not worth it - you will be fined. Despite the open sale in stores, many hotels are banned from drinking alcoholic beverages. Girls in a number of establishments are given a separate menu, in which there is no bar card and hookah.

Fujairah

The climate in Fujairah is somewhat different from other emirates: humid air comes from the Indian Ocean, and the mountains from the mainland protect the desert from the land. Thanks to this, according to some sources, at + 50⁰С here you can survive (but it is better not to try).

Prices for tours in the UAE in 2021

Fly to Dubai from Moscow and Kazan is about the same, about 5 hours

Traveling on your own in the Emirates is an expensive pleasure. Prices for tours to the UAE are much more pleasing. Especially in anticipation of the relatively low season in winter.

You need to understand that with a small difference in prices across resorts, in Dubai for that kind of money you will have to live in very dubious places. And in Ras al-Khaimah or Sharjah it can be 4 *, under favorable circumstances.

But here's a little travel hack that we also use.
If you are ready to live ≈ 10 km from the beach and travel to the sea on a transfer from the hotel, then in Dubai you can pick up tours to very decent business hotels for reasonable money. They are usually concentrated in business districts like al-Barsh (we will tell about those where we stayed below).
How to find? Go to tour search engines, sort by "cheap to expensive" and look for chain hotels such as Hilton, DoubleTree, Holiday Inn, Novotel, Ramada, etc .:

• Travelata
• Level.Travel
• Onlinetours

What can you do? Entertainment

Laguna Waterpark by Meraas (next to our favorite beach La Mer)

UAE resorts for families with children are comfortable not only because of the sea. Entertainment from 0 to infinity here is at the highest level. We thought that it would be logical to make a division by age - after all, a two-year-old will not be allowed on the slides in a water park, and a thirteen-year-old will obviously get bored in Legoland.

In general, the standard set of activities in the Emirates includes the following:

• Desert safari - just "ah-ah!". These are our emotions about the desert (if you see it for the first time), and about jeep racing on the dunes. We would only advise with teenagers, because the trip is really extreme and swaying.
• Climbing Burj Khalifa - follow the link to our text about everything you need to know, and where it is more profitable to buy tickets (including the aquarium in Dubai Mall).
• The fountain show at Dubai Mall is beautiful, yes, the fountains soar high. But the crush is terrible ... Held from 18:00 every half hour.
• Dubai Marina promenade in the evening
• A trip to Abu Dhabi - if you are ready with your child for a long excursion. The tour necessarily includes a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, and then the program varies - maybe Yas Island with Ferrari World and the Emirates Palace Hotel, or maybe Sheikh Qasr al-Watan's palace.
• Excursion to 6 Emirates - express tour of the Emirates, capturing the characteristics of each.

All links lead to sites where we ourselves book excursions or entrance tickets. These are large services with a good reputation, and they are great for the UAE, because 1) excursions from a tour operator are expensive, 2) it is difficult to find an agency on the street like this, after all, this is not Turkey.

We tried everything from the list of standard entertainment - and we took it online.

Food prices in the UAE

We really liked The Duchess cafe on La Mer embankment
(the price of one dish is 50-70 dirham)

On average, in the Emirates, lunch / dinner in a cafe will cost 120-150 dirhams for two (2500-3000 rubles). It is slightly more expensive in Dubai, cheaper in Sharjah. Yes, an inexpensive tour does not mean that the costs on the spot will be small. It is strange in an Arab country to see price tags at the US level.

Here are some good European food establishments we tested in the most expensive of all resorts - Dubai:

1. Leopold (Dubai Marina) - there are breakfasts within 55 dirhams and the main menu: salads, bagels (delicious with salmon, 58 dirhams), pasta, pizza (take one for two).
2. The duchess (La Mer) - a beach restaurant with prices more or less: for 70-80 dirhams you can take one huge dish, enough for two adults; for 50-60 dirhams - pancakes.
3. Nefertiti Restaurant (Burjuman metro station) - close to Russian cuisine: soups, cutlets, etc. When a child is picky about food and refuses to eat "overseas" dishes. A meal for two plus a small one will fit well within the budget of AED 100, because it is located far from tourist locations.
4. Afghan Khorasan Kabab (al-Safa) - Afghan cuisine restaurant with an inconvenient location, but from here - huge portions, tasty, budget. Dinner for two around AED 80.

Many Russian tourists, "regulars" of the Emirates, recommend Afghan public catering as optimal places for recreation in the ratio of tasty / inexpensive. There have been a lot of similar establishments in the UAE recently. They feed well and a lot, a lot.

5. Bice mare (Burj Khalifa) - a view restaurant on the dancing fountains and Burj Khalifa. Mediterranean cuisine, the price tag is high, but delicious and beautiful. Dinner for two is about AED 300.
6. Five guys (Burj Khalifa) - fast food at its best: a terrace overlooking the tower and quality burgers (36 dirhams) with potatoes (16-26 dirhams).
7. Paul (Emirates Mall or Dubai Mall) - you can eat thoroughly, or you can limit yourself to desserts, they are good here.

If in Dubai itself the choice of catering is wide enough, then in many resorts everything is not so simple. Hotels are located far from settlements. To eat, you need to take a taxi. In most cases, it makes sense to take a full board tour. The food in four- and five-star stars is delicious, there is a menu suitable for children. You don’t have to run around with a hungry child in search of “not spicy, not spicy, I don’t want meat, I want soup,” etc.

The best hotels in the UAE for families with children

On the left is the Atlantis The Palm hotel in Dubai, and on the right is a hotel in Ras Al Khaimah

The success of a trip to the UAE with a child largely depends on the correct place of residence. If you are planning a family vacation with children, then it is wiser to choose hotels by the sea. Alas, Dubai is not accessible to everyone in this regard. But you can pick up a good option at other resorts: Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain. In the winter season, the prices of the coolest "fives" fall to numbers that you can look at without tears.

A selection of hotels by emirates, different in level and budget, with good guest reviews.
* the price for the tour is indicated for the composition of 2 parents + child over 2 years old

Five-stars in the Emirates are real 5 *. Guaranteed. There may be nuances, but that's a matter of taste. In general, you can not be afraid of pitfalls. Good renovation, well-trained staff, restaurants - everything is at guests' disposal. The best hotels in the UAE with children are worth looking for among them.

How much does all inclusive cost in the UAE?

Many tourists go on vacation with children to the UAE on an all-inclusive basis. And they are not disappointed. Where is the best place to relax on all inclusive?

We compared prices for tours with accommodation in hotels of different categories in the main resorts. The cost of the voucher is indicated All inclusive for 7 days, room designed for a family vacation with children: 2 adults + a child from 2 to 11 years old:

All inclusive meals in 3 * hotels are available only in Sharjah. The cost is from 87,000 rubles.

Undoubtedly, an all-inclusive vacation in the UAE with children (and without them) as part of the tours turns out to be significantly cheaper. The chic Dubai 5 * Rixos The Palm Dubai (which sounds more often than others in responses to a request: advise a hotel for families with children), for example, as part of a tour, it will cost 210,000 rubles per week for a family of 3 people. You can book a room on your own for 180,000 rubles + flight / insurance / transfer.

UAE beaches for families with children

One of the main advantages of Ras Al Khaimah is
that there are few people on the beach / One of the best beaches in Dubai - La Mer

Beach vacation in the UAE with children. Where is the best place to go? There are many options, depending on the interests of the family, the age of the children and the presence of "cultural outings" in the plans.

The best beaches in the UAE for families with children:

✓ Marina Beach or JBR Beach (Dubai) - the most children's sandy beach in the Emirates is located in Dubai. Overlooking the huge Ferris wheel (which has not yet opened), free, well equipped, with inflatable slides and a gentle entrance to the turquoise water. Plus, it is convenient to get there by metro, from the station to walk for about 10 minutes. Cons? They are - in the season it is extremely crowded, the shower is paid (5 dirham for 1.5 minutes), 2 sun loungers - 195 dirham (4000 rubles!).

✓ La mer (Dubai) - a brand new beach in Dubai, appeared on October 18th. Small, with an adjoining promenade and oh-oh-very beautiful and stylish! Lots of cafes, shops, white sand, free shower. There are not many playgrounds, but everything here is so bright and unusual that the little ones like it. The entrance to the water is sharper than at the Marina. Of the shortcomings, you will have to get there by taxi (from Burj Khalifa, we got there for 15-20 dirhams).

✓ Corniche Beach (central city beach) - Abu Dhabi's beaches are famous for their coral sand, which is not heated by the sun. Dig in the sand, wander barefoot all day. The main thing is not to be hot! The entrance to the water is shallow.

A lot of decent beaches designed for families with children belong to hotels on the first line. Almost everywhere there are playgrounds, and somewhere there are toys and water slides. This information is usually found in hotel descriptions.

But it’s difficult to form an idea of ​​the beaches in words, isn’t it? Therefore, watch our video from the last trip - here we show Marina Beach, Jumeirah and La Mer ↓

Tips and reviews of tourists with children

Is it worth going on vacation to the UAE with children? Which resort to choose? We publish travel tips collected from the vastness of the Internet and our personal recommendations after four trips.

➢ Travel should be planned for the velvet season. Suitable weather for swimming and sunbathing:

• October
• November
• April
• May

Summer is VERY hot and stuffy. September and March - how lucky. Winter is perfect for excursions, swimming pools and seasoned swimmers at sea!

➢ The UAE has its own peculiarities of recreation: in a number of emirates there is a dry law, the nightlife stops after 23:00

➢ Children are loved here, the attitude is very good

➢ All goods necessary for babies are presented in the assortment of any supermarket: diapers, milk, cereals, toys, etc.

➢ How to get around the city? In any emirate there is a taxi - such a beige color, it is official, with a taximeter inside. In Dubai, for example, for short trips of ≈ 10 km, we got from 25-30 dirhams (515-620 rubles). Only in Dubai there is a metro, where a ticket costs 3-5 dirhams (60-100 rubles). Buses also function, but we did not study the routes and cost.

➢ Car rental in the Emirates requires an international license. Necessarily! The proven rental service is Myrentacar (ours, Russian, working with local agencies as well).

➢ The Emirates is one of the safest countries to travel to. But even here it is not worth neglecting good insurance, especially for a child.

➢ Cheaper vacation in Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah. Fujairah can be "caught" by a great tour in winter
➢ Remember to agree to travel abroad if you send your child to rest with your grandmother / sister / etc. (that is, without parents).

Well, a universal advice: understanding what you want from your vacation (water parks and attractions, quiet walks, the beach in the morning and in the evening, malls and excursions), will help you determine the place of residence and the time for the flight. The best vacation with children in the UAE is a pre-planned vacation!