To get to Cape Town from Lisbon we flew through Dubai. To break up the journey we decided to stay a few days in Dubai. We lamented that our friends who used to live in Dubai had already moved on only to get a note from one of them after we left that she and her family were still there! Reminder to stay in closer contact with folks and always double check your assumptions.
We stayed at the Roda Links hotel and I can’t say enough positive things about it. Perhaps it was simply having a bit of luxury after spending thirty days in our petite place in Lisbon but I gloried in this hotel. There wasn’t much nearby, but taxis and Uber were cheap and available. The rooms were spacious and well equipped and the staff always helpful. The rooftop pool was lovely. There is a bar/club on the premises that we did not check out. This hotel is a full four stars and I highly recommend it.
Other than the pool, which LB enjoyed there was nothing at the hotel particularly aimed at children. This was common to our experiences in the region. Also common to our experiences is the general affection and indulgence displayed towards children. Especially wee ones. Expect to have strangers attempt to engage with your child, give them sweets, even pat them. I handled it by pulling her gently away with a smile. I feel I am a guest in their culture and should, therefore, submit to their norms. To a degree. You do you.
However, there is plenty to entertain children all around Dubai. Note that it is the desert. The summer being far too hot to function November, when we were there, is the start of the season. Even in November the days were quite warm meaning some parks didn’t open until close to sunset. We went first to Global Village which opens at 4. We went on a Monday. Mondays are family days which means men are only allowed if accompanied by their families. This can mean a female partner. It is enforced. Taking public transport there ended up taking a couple of hours. About an hour on the subway then another hour on the Global Village bus from the Mall of the Emirates. We took a taxi back.
Global Village, 15AED entry fee, is a shopping extravaganza and we had no room for more stuff. But even outside of the multitude of kiosks and shopping plazas there was still plenty to do. The best meal I had in Dubai was at a restaurant in the Turkish pavilion. The main stage has a series of elaborate shows including one, over the top, master production. On this occasion it was a retelling of the fairy tales that I enjoyed at least as much, if not more, than my 4yo daughter. We were both entranced. The other shows included one inspired by Indian Cinema and another by hip hop.
At most parks here in Dubai the rides tend to be of the 4D variety, but Global Village has actual carnival rides. They, and a few other things, cost extra but are still very affordable. They run the gamut of those suitable for young children to the most extreme carney thrill rides. There are also workshops and character meets for the littles. Each pavilion also has its own stage and there are more than three dozen pavilions. As I said, there is lots to entertain.
The next night we went to Bollywood Park, 99AED entry fee. which, though lots of fun, was not as good as Global Village. Most of the rides were 4D, but it did look like they had some physical rides under construction or repair. There was also a small carousel and Ferris wheel. The shows were energetic and enjoyable. The problem wasn’t the park. It was they fact that I am not a follower of Indian Cinema. The shows seem to be more accessible, but the rides are centered around characters and film franchises about which I knew nothing. That is not to say that if you are not a fan you won’t have a good time. But I definitely think we missed more than we got.
We were only there a few days so only hit one playground. We chose the one at Al Khazzan Park. LB had a great time. Thankfully there was a little boy about her age playing there as well. And, bonus, he spoke English. LB did not want to leave, which is nothing new. The parks typically have a shaded playground area and public bathrooms. Unfortunately, the café was closed when we were there. I don’t know if that is a seasonal thing or permanent. Baby and Child have a fulsome writeup on parks and playgrounds in Dubai that anyone with littles staying in the city longer than a few days should definitely check out.
I was first introduced to Din Tai Fung when friends in Seoul took us to their Myeongdong location. That place is amazeballs. Everything about it is well done from the sumptuous atmosphere, the excellent service, and the absolutely delicious food. This branch was underwhelming. The atmosphere was mall-like which I suppose was apropos as it, like most things in Dubai, was in a mall. Being in a Muslim country it was, of course, pork free. The xao long bao were lamb based and just didn’t have the richness of the original.
Unfortunately, this was our experience with food in Dubai. We never ate our hotel, but the places nearby were, at best, okay. The food at the amusement parks was amusement park food. At Global Village I actually ordered what I thought was a cone of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that turned out to be straight up cookie dough! That is not to say that food in Dubai is subpar. I just think we had a bit of bad luck on this trip. Like our first visit to Spain. Granted, Spain was sandwiched between France and Italy where the food everywhere was sublime. I still have a drooling Pavlov response when I think about the croissants we picked up at a random stand near a metro station in Paris. But the first time we went to Spain we found the food to be mostly mediocre. Every time we went back it was rare to find a bad meal. So, hopefully, next time we’ll have a better report.