Here's your to-do list for an exotic summer vacation in Dubai

If trips to Dubai mean only shopping in Gold Souk and eating out for you, then probably you haven’t been to the happening city recently. A holiday in Dubai had us gaping over the plethora of options that the city offers to a family crowd looking for an exotic summer vacation. From rolling over on the icy floors to having a laid-back day eating burger soaking in the night views of the city, we did it all!

The cold rush

To battle the dry heat, we headed straight over to Ski Dubai. This remarkable snow park in the Mall of the Emirates became the one-stop destination for living out our dreams of shooting snowballs and making snow angels. We even took the ropeway to the highest point and enjoyed an unforgettable view and a hot cup of tea apart from taking loads of photographs in the snow, with the penguins and the reindeer!

Art Attack

Opting for some artistic wonders we made a leisurely stop at the Arte Museum inside the Dubai Mall. As an art lover, this museum with its 10+ display rooms appealing to one’s sensory organs was one of the best we had seen for a long time. From feeling like standing inside a waterfall to walking into a blooming garden or seemingly being caught amid wild waves, to opening a page from the Jungle Book, we could experience it all. What caught our attention was the activity corner where we painted animals in the wildest colours possible, scanned them, and saw them move around on–screen. We reminisced our colourful cheetah long after we returned.

A short walk from the Dubai Mall was another artistic wonder- the Dubai Fountain. Set against the backdrop of the city’s skyline, surrounded by the Burj Khalifa, and several other sky-scrapers, the fountain appeared every 30-40 minutes to mesmerised the audiences sitting on boats or the many pedestrians who stopped to take it in. With songs and light play, it was an unmissable part of the trip.

We also tried our hands at painting and headed to The Jamjar to attend an art workshop. Taking inspiration from the many works hanging on the walls, we took to the canvas, painting an abstract sequence and filling it with colours and textures. Of course, our workshop guide took us through each step making the end product look better.

On a rush of Adrenaline

Coming to Dubai and not engaging in adrenaline-rushing activities would have made the trip incomplete. So we anchored ourselves on the Go Karts and raced our way through the trippy arena while collecting points throughout the way to aim for the winning position. We competed against others in the Karts for the best position and also made use of several point boosters, vehicle attacks, and more which made the race interactive and competitive in a thrilling way! At one point in time, we only triggered the accelerator while forgetting the brakes even existed! The arena of Chaos Karts also had other games like finding our way through the laser lights and we enjoyed each one of them thoroughly.

Moving on, we entered the fascinating world of football with the world’s only foot ball theme adventure park – The Real Madrid World. After a short tour of the place, we entered the various arenas to soak in the experience of stepping into the shoes of a professional football player. While the rides were extremely exciting to look at, here’s us giving people wearing spectacles a pro tip to wear contact lenses and go since the rides do not allow candidates to sit with them on. After the hearty visit to the theme park, we made sure to indulge in a softy, which was a must-try at the park.

Gift-wrapping the experience

When in Dubai, it is immposible to return home with empty suitcases, so a visit to the Al Seef Heritage Souq was a must. The narrow winding lanes of the souq with colourful displays of clothes and accessories on either side were a reflection of the vibrancy of the place. From long printed kaftans to aromatic oudhs, to intricate home décor pieces highlighting the local culture to bundles of carpets, from designer lampshades to small mementos like magnets and hampers of dry fruits, were all over the place to take our pick from. Spending a leisurely time at the souq going over the curios was a good way to spend a day.

Culinary bites

Dubai’s cosmopolitanism and indulgent luxuries in its options of food were well-reflected in the variety of culinary options available in the country. We took our picks from the home- g row n bu r g e r b r a n d , P i c k l w h i c h n o w boasts of several outlets across the city. We picked up t h e i r signature Chicken sando with customised spice and heat levels as per our taste buds. Made with fresh ingredients, the burgers were juicy, saucy, and meaty and yes the heat hit us right through!

The fine-diner, CLAP was not only extravagant in its look and décor but the food was equally delicious. We recommend aiming for their Sushi platter with a variety of tuna and salmon sushi, sashimi, pickled ginger and wasabi. Those with a sweet tooth must not give the dessert platter a pass which had ice cream sundaes, mud-pies, freshly cut fruits and more.

The Time Out Market outside the Dubai Mall can be best described as an assortment under the same roof. From Asian to Japanese, from Portuguese to Mexican, from Chinese to Lebanese, there was a variety to choose from. We settled for the Portuguese chicken roast which was perfectly cooked and succulent but we felt some spices would have elevated the taste.

Cassette Dubai had a completely easy-going and laidback café vibe. We saw several lunch meetings in progress and many who were co-working and gorging on the sumptuous meal. We opted for a range of burgers, salads, baked fish and French fries along with a minty mojito that we sipped while we watched the world go by.

We were floored by the Indian fusion spread at Revelry which took us back to our childhood. From the cocktail menu curated after the seasons of India to the food menu which had authentic Indian flavours but with a global twist, the nostalgia made our day.

With the most unusual name, Somewhere, boasted of a plethora of bohemian fare. From baos to corn salads, from crispy spring rolls to decadent desserts, the dishes with a Middle Eastern touch were truly appealing in presentation and flavour, both.

Our Take

To sum up, Dubai is just not a land of sand where one must visit the desert. While the desert activities can be accumulated for winter, there are a range of different activities that can be tried out with family during the summer vacations all within three to four days. From luxury shopping to indoor adventures, from delicious food on your plate to walking around the streets of Dubai soaking in the glamorous night scenes of the city, there’s a lot to do.

The author was extended an invitation by the Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism