Traveling with Tots: Dubai, UAE
Stunning mosque on the Dubai Marina
In November 2020, we went on a family trip to Dubai. Well, in reality, Betre had a business trip and when I learned that it was in Dubai, I pulled out the kiddos’ suitcases, stuffed them with a hodgepodge of things, and said “we’re in!” Hey, invitations are what you make of them ;).
In total, we spent a week there. We had an exhausting blast. (Is that even a thing? Yes, traveling with a 5, 4, and 1 year old is always going to be an exhausting blat at best.) Trip was cool, and for those of you with littles thinking about going to Dubai, I wanted to share some logistics, as well as some suggestions of fun things to do there with your little ones (LINK THE NEXT POST) in case any of it may be helpful as you plan your next family trip.
COVID Testing Procedures: I don’t know if this is still the case, but the COVID testing procedures for those traveling from certain countries in Africa were pretty stringent when we went. We had to take a PCR test 48-hours before our trip, and again a rapid test at the airport 6-hours before departure. Because of the quantity of people traveling from Bole International Airport, that meant we had to arrive at the airport SIX hours before our flight to guarantee getting our results in time to check in and make our flight. With three little kids, sitting at the airport for six hours waiting for a rapid test result was mighty painful on many different levels (rapid tests are supposed to be rapid, no? Moreover, try sitting anywhere with a rambunctious one year old.) Again, upon arrival at DXB, we took yet another COVID test and we were texted the results. Thankfully, testing requirements don’t apply to kiddos under 12 so that lessened the pain.
Flight & DXB Airport: Since we were flying from Addis Ababa to Dubai, we took a direct flight via Ethiopian Airlines. The flight was uneventful and we got in safely. I think our pilot was a friend’s brother but was too preoccupied with my 1-year old’s poopsplosion to confirm. Yes, basically nothing to report in this department.
We arrived in Dubai on a weekday and DXB airport was phenomenal. The stores, the food, the fast food options (oh, how I’ve missed you Mickey D’s!)
Another thing I liked about DXB is that rolling with kids gives you VIP status and we whizzed through all the lines: the visa lines, the COVID testing lines, and so on. Yo, ‘Murrica, you listening?!
Transportation:We took an Uber to our accommodations which was about a 30-minute drive from the airport. I noticed that most of the Ubers were designer cars in Dubai – Beemers, Benzes, Bentleys, Teslas, you name it. A girl could get used to this!
Accommodations:We split up our stay between two locations: for the first three days, we stayed at the Princess Dusit Residences on the Dubai Marina, a short stay, apartment-style hotel. We had rented a two bedroom, two bathroom condo but upon arrival were upgraded to a three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment! Woot woot!
The apartment was the perfect place to stay with little kids: it had a laundry machine, a full kitchen, and a small grocery store right across the street. Added bonus: they had a German Bakery called Baker’s Kitchen in the lobby. They pride themselves on having “innocent food” meaning most of their food –from their freshly baked bread and treats to their omelets and sandwiches– is health-conscious (and delicious – a rare commodity!)
I also loved that we were on the Dubai Marina which has tons of restaurant options up and down the marina. We walked for all our dining needs (yes, even the preschoolers – the 1-year-old was in a stroller).
For the latter half of our stay, we were at The Palm Atlantis. It is a luxury five-star resort, but to be honest, we were more comfortable as a family at the apartment-style Princess Dusit Residences. Why? Because we only got one room at The Atlantis. One room with two double beds and a crib, plus suitcases for 5 people, one of whom wears diapers and has bottles, etc., didn’t feel like a luxury stay at all. The room was jam-packed. If I could have a do-over, I would have probably stayed at the Dusit and just visited the Atlantis or/and depending on budget, gotten two rooms or a suite at the Atlantis.
Nevertheless, The Atlantis itself is beautiful and has tons of things to do such as the The Lost Chambers Aquarium with 21 exhibits, Wavehouse: a fun bowling alley and arcade with bar food, a private beach, tons of luxury shopping options, a Kiddie Club, and a huge Aquaventure waterpark (more on that in my post HERE). They also had countless restaurants made created in a foodie’s wildest dreams including: Nobu for sushi, Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant Bread Street Kitchen (try their velvet agave drink – it was especially amazing at helping me keep my zen when my 1-year-old was having a complete meltdown in the restaurant!), and Ayamna, a swanky Lebanese restaurant that I heard was phenomenal but haven’t tried to be honest, just to name a few.