8 days in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with two kids 10,13 at the middle of October
I was pleasantly surprised by Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the perfect combination of East and West, past and future. As they said today on one of the tours in the Old City, “everyone who comes to the Emirates feels at home here.” It’s a strange feeling, but it’s true. The people here are very friendly and hospitable.
Some tips:
We flew to Abu Dhabi because the flight there was cheaper than Dubai. Wizzair and Etihad also fly there.
It is very convenient and cheap to get around by taxi in the cities, including traveling by regular taxi between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. We didn’t use the app, we just took a taxi and drove according to the meter. We were two families 8 people with children, so we took a large 7-seats taxi and didn’t have any problems with it. So it turned out to be worthwhile.
I also hope that a rental car will not be expensive because the price of gas there is very low.
Except for the museum of the future and a desert safari, we didn’t book anything in advance. All through the Klook app.
Once we took the metro to EXPO and it was very convenient, but metro stations are not everywhere.
Everything is very organized in the Emirates, everyone speaks English and everything as in any western country.
Day 1: We landed at Abu Dhabi Airport and from there it’s a 15 minute taxi ride to YAS Island to the WB Hotel at the Warner Brothers World Theme Park. In the evening we went to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which seemed to have been stepped from the tales of the “One thousand and one nights”.
Day 2: Yas Waterworld, Qasr Al Watan and Emirates Palace Hotel. Both are must-see in Abu Dhabi.
Day 3: Today we went to Ferrari Park. Exciting rollercoaster, one of the fastest in the world. From 0 to 240 km/h in 4.9 seconds.
We also visited a branch of the local Louvre museum.
In general, Abu Dhabi is very friendly, except that the distances between attractions are very long. The destination is family friendly, especially the WB hotel where we were staying. For every night, the hotel gives a free ticket to one of the three huge amusement parks, and the hotel itself is a 5-minute walk from all three parks. It is best to travel around the city by taxi. Without children, it is enough to come to Abu Dhabi for one day in an hour drive from Dubai.
Day 4: First day in Dubai. We stayed in the Marina area in a very convenient Wyndham Dubai Marina hotel. We visited the Miracle Gardens flower park, after that we went to the View on the Palm Jumeirah, and in the afternoon we went on a desert jeep safari through the red dunes and an amazing show and dinner at a Bedouin camp.
Day 5: Morning on the JBR Beach. We took the metro to the pavilions built for the EXPO2020 exhibition, and in the evening a walk along the Marina Promenade near our hotel.
Day 6: Dubai Mall is so huge! Sky View observation deck with transparent floor and glass slide outside the building. Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, and an evening fountain show.
Day 7-8:
Oriental bazaars Diera Old Souk, crossing the canal on a traditional Abra boat, two areas of the old city of Al Fahidi and Al Seef. An amazing museum of the future, mainly for children. In the evening we split up, some of us went shopping to the Outlet Mall, and my son and I went to see sports cars of all brands in one place F1rst Motors. On the morning of our last day in Dubai, we went to the Dubai Venice of Madinat Jumeirah. But I would recommend going there in the evening when all the cafes are open and full of people.
