Dubai Anyone?

Hello,

This is from a friend who has lived there for a couple of years.

"I would recommend that she avoid summer (mid May-mid Sept) which will make the kids very uncomfortable and antsy from being inside all the time. Several activities/events only happen in the winter so it will be easier to find things to do during that time.

Dubai is kid friendly, although several hotels are very business oriented so check first. There is a severe housing shortage so it is unlikely that you will be able to rent a house.

As a resident of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi is a much more family-oriented city with a bit of a more relaxed pace. It's about 70 miles from Dubai with a major international airport."

Good luck it is a beautiful place.

I will e-mail my sister-in-law. I know that Dubai, in the past, has been an incentive trip for the sales reps at her company - that's the extent of my knowledge. I'll get back to you when I get some feedback.

Before becoming a SAHM I worked in the travel industry and planned an incentive trip to Dubai. It is a very expensive destination but a great experience if you can afford it. I would try to stay at a "chain" hotel such as Hyatt, Hilton, etc. They have the chain name but are governed by the country so you get the true Dubai experience. Not sure if you can rent a house or how that works as I just dealt with hotels. I'm not sure about activities for a family as I planned it for a large group but I know the markets are great. It is a popular destination right now so you may need to plan a few months in advance to get a good hotel and rate. Have a great trip if you decide to go.

I'm sorry but I can't give you any advice about hotels or activities but I do have a friend who's traveled there many times and absolutley loves it. I'm not bragging since it's her money and not my own (darn it!) but she's a very affluent gal who can travel anywhere she chooses and this is the place she makes sure she goes every year. From what I know, it's the Riviera of the Middle East, complete luxury, beauty and grandeur in everything. I think it sounds like a wonderful place to travel to. The sight seeing alone sounds impressive enough. I would just hope they'd have enough to keep your children occupied.

Happy travels!