The Dubai Arabian Emirates! It should be on your luxury travel bucket list!
I’ve heard a lot of exciting things about Arabian countries, now I experienced it myself and I must confess this luxury family travel went beyond my expectations so I am excited to create this luxury travel and lifestyle blog.
No words can express what an amazing city it is! If you are looking for something exotic and unique, safe, and blowing your mind, visit Dubai. Nothing can compare with personal experience. Especially when it is positive all over.
So what to do in Dubai for 5 days? Here are some ideas on this luxury travel blog.
Table of Contents
First thing, observe.
In Dubai, everything is made to impress. Everything you see has a unique story or history behind it. Listen to this one.
Dubai is built in a desert with no freshwater around, and no trees. To create a tourist attractive surrounding they had to plant trees but not all the trees the same, only Australian heat-resistant palms could survive the desert climate. So? They imported every single palm tree! And it’s not it. Now how do you water trees with a lack of water? You got to be wise, you can’t just pour it on the ground, water will evaporate and get wasted. Guess what they did? They attached a hose to every tree and water it round-o’clock with the drop method. Isn’t it cool?
If they take so much care for a tree, can you imagine how much they care for people? Especially, tourists?
Dubai was created specifically for luxury travel, and the amount of money they poured into its development was royally generous. Everything is prospering and flourishing here.
There are a few places we visited during our 5-day trip and they were unforgettable. Are you ready for your mind to be blown?
If you on your luxury family travel to Dubai, this place is a must-visit. We stayed here the whole day and there still was much to do. Plan at least 2 days to take full advantage and to try everything without killing yourselves.
Rides
My favorite one is Master Blaster. It’s a lengthy water ride where you go up and down, swirl and twirl on a water balloon. It’s just enough to give you some adrenaline, but not to feel beat up and dizzy. Just perfect!
If you are more on the extreme side, try Jumeira Sceirah. This slide is like a skyscraper height, it has an open top and you lay down on your back to go down. It’s so steep you feel like falling and then it gradually gets you to a horizontal position and you finish it at top speed and a tremendous splash of water… It makes my palms sweat every time I think about it. Beware of your bikinis. The top might fly off and the bottom might just get ripped off.
We also enjoyed Surfing attraction. With wipeout and riptide, we got a full experience of surfing. Super fun!
After so much splashing and rides, we got tired and wanted to do something relaxing. They had that covered too. Juha’s Journey took us for a peaceful 360 meters river journey. Nice! That one was so calming I thought I could easily fall asleep, but we got hungry.
The food at Wild Wadi
There are several places to eat. To my surprise, they were serving mostly American type of food such as pizzas, hotdogs, hamburgers, French fries, and chicken nuggets. Everything we tried was fresh and yummy. Can’t really recommend anything, just get what you are in a mood for. I promise it will be good:). You can’t bring your own food, but it’s ok to bring a bottle of water.
In a heated place like Dubai, where the summer day temperature might reach a boiling point, businesses close for siesta between 2 to 5 pm. Park doesn’t, but it is wise to go back to the hotel or an indoor place unless you are that tough and are willing to tolerate tremendous heat, bright sun and a dominant desire to sleep.
What to do in Dubai for 5 days?
Third, eat!
Emirati Food
Living next to the ocean makes it predictable that national cuisine consists mainly of seafood. The main side dish is rice, but for tourists, restaurants are serving a variety of dishes out of lamb, beef, and chicken. Fruits, veggies, and pasta are also always on the menus.
Since we had tours almost every day, most of our meals were included in the trips, but there is one restaurant that I like called Golden Fork. It’s a seafood restaurant.
Prices are reasonable, portions are generous and the food is delicious! My favorite menu item was a cream soup. Oh, my gosh! Just try! Delicious! Seafood soup is also worthy of attention.
Our tour guide recommended this restaurant and honestly, we didn’t want to try anything else. I think we had all our meals there.
On the first day, we got an appetizer, soup, and entrée for each of us. Oh. That was a mistake! We couldn’t get to the entrée. Appetizers filled us up and then we had one scoop of soup, which was amazing, and one bit of an entrée. But that’s how you learn. Right? Next time we were smarter.
The overall experience of the trip to Dubai is definitely 10 out of 10. If you are looking for luxury family travel with exotic adventures, this is the place you should go to. It’s clean, safe, the experience will be unique, unforgettable, and endless, and you can go as luxurious as you can imagine.
Just FYI Dubai built the first “Seven-star” hotel in the world and it is still there (that sail on the first picture is the hotel). Service in Dubai is at the highest level. Dubai constantly develops and adds new attractions and sightseeing.
I will definitely go back to put one more luxury travel on my lifestyle blog.
Have you ever been to Dubai? Please share what would you do for 5 days there?
Fourth thing, shop.
Gold souk, Dubai.
Gold Souk, Dubai. What to do in Dubai for 5 days?
Souk means “a market”. Can you imagine a gigantic market filled with gold? Well, there is one in Dubai. If you are a jewelry person, stop by and get yourself a little gift.
Lots of designs, sizes, and items from simple rings and bracelets to dresses, all made of gold! Even if you are not a gold lover, include this place in your luxury travel bucket list and just visit and see how much yellow metal could be possibly collected in one place. It will blow your mind and blind your eyes.
What to do in Dubai for 5 days?
Fifth thing, swim.
Jumeirah Beach.
Jumeirah Beach. What to do in Dubai for 5 days?
One of my favorite parts of the vacation was definitely the Ocean. I love water, but nothing will compare with the warm ocean water of Jumeirah Beach. Its temperature is more like a hot tub, which is my favorite.
You walk in, and it relaxes all your muscles and mind. I could spend here the whole day just standing, or laying on the back… And that’s exactly what locals do. They get into water up to their necks and just stand there and talk.
Coral atoll
Coral Atoll. What to do in Dubai for 5 days?
The next day we went to coral atoll Oh! What a place! Beautiful and quiet. Another location for luxury travel.
Paradise! Not crowded compared to other beaches. The shore is clean and beautiful. You can scuba dive or snorkel, or both.
When we tried snorkeling, it opened the underwater world for me in a novel way. I swam with a mask before, but snorkeling at atoll is a bright and unforgettable experience.
I’ve seen corals before on a TV and aquariums but nothing compares with an Island size atoll inhabited with thousands of bright-colored corals, with dark green, lemon yellow, deep blue fishes, sea hedgehogs, and starfishes all lighted up with the sunlight.
It is nature in its genuine beauty. You can reach and touch fishes (if they let you:)), watch them hunting and eating, playing, hiding, and it’s right in front of your eyes. You are part of it. It’s all around you! Mesmerizing, breathtaking, and entertaining!
When I visit places like this, I feel so thankful to have a travel and lifestyle blog so I can share this treasure with you.
So, what to do in Dubai for 5 days?
Sixth thing, go for an adventure!
Desert Safari, Dubai
Desert Safari, Dubai. What to do in Dubai for 5 days?
Oh, that one is special!
Just imagine 30-40 white Range Rover Jeeps surfing a desert, flying over the dunes at sunset.
It felt great and exciting! They sat us by four and you got to hold on tight because it shakes you pretty well. By the end of the safari, I got an upset stomach so my recommendation if you get motion sick easily, take some Dramamine beforehand to enjoy the tour in its fullness.
Other than that minor hiccup, the tour was beautiful and exciting.
Belly Dance in a Desert. What to do in Dubai for 5 days?
Sunset. Safari is over, but not the fun. We stopped by at a tent camp where we got an amazing shish kebab with grilled vegetables and rice. Yum! Just what I needed to calm down my upset stomach:). While we were waiting for supper, they offered us henna tattoos.
After supper, entertainment!
It was a belly dance. To my surprise, the dancer was not young or slim, but wow! How she danced! Everybody was silent. We were watching with our eyes open, embracing every movement. She was light and flexible and tireless. It seemed like she could dance for hours.
I got esthetic pleasure and was impressed with her professionalism and the beauty of the dance. It made me want to dance like that.
Are you curious about flying with kids? Do you want to know what to expect when traveling with your little ones? Check out our kids on a plane, a family travel blog post!
Travel is a fun enterprise; I remember when we landed in Amsterdam, a stewardess said: “Welcome to Rio de Janeiro!” and while the whole plane froze in shock, she smiled and added: “It was a joke:).”
I hope each journey made you smile, and traveling with a toddler can be enjoyable if you follow simple guidance.
I fly with each child from the US to Kazakhstan to introduce her to my extended family. I do it before they turn 2 because they are strong enough to travel for 30 hours, plus kids up to two years old fly for free.
They fit in a cot on International flights that allows them to sleep the whole flight comfortably. And also, sitting on the first row in economy class gives me some extra legroom. What could be better?
I took 2 round flights from the USA to Central Asia and back. My trips usually last from 26 to 30 hours if you count door-to-door time. Each way involves 3 flights, 2 layovers, and one passport control. And my kiddos had absolutely zero meltdowns or issues.
Kids on a plane a family travel blog. Get free tickets for yourself
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So how to travel with a toddler for free?
Sleeping Schedule is your friend when you travel with a toddler for free
Flying with a baby can be tricky. If it is just you and there are no extra hands to pass the child to and to take a break, then planning around your child’s sleeping schedule would be a brilliant decision.
If you have to fly to the international airport first, schedule it around the baby’s nap time. That way the baby will sleep through the flight and make no distraction, no screaming or crying. Both my kids were sound asleep all 4 flights. It was amazing! No cries, no mess, no stress.
During layovers, let your child run around as much as she can and give yourself a good “workout” too. It will be a long flight and you want to make your legs tired.
I heard some kids cry during takeovers or landing because of ear pressure. If that’s the case, nursing or eating/drinking would ease it.
Once you landed, find your gate first and then care for everything else. I usually eat at a nice place and something nutritious plus something that I am sure my child will definitely eat. You never know what they serve on the plane, and I honestly prefer sleeping through the night rather than get interrupted with food.
The good news, they schedule most of the International flights from the US to Europe (and hopefully all others) at night time and the flight lasts for about nine hours, so if your child sleeps tight she will sleep through that flight too.
They feed you twice during the flight. Please do not wake your child up. She does not need to eat. It’s night. Let her sleep. And sleep yourself as much as you can unless you are hungry.
If you have to take the third flight, schedule it around the next nap time.
If at the final destination the time difference is closer to 12 hours and if you are staying there for less than 2 weeks, I would recommend sticking with your home time.
If you switch to the local timing, jetlag will last for 2 weeks and even if you do not care, the kid will get confused and might not cooperate, moreover in 2 weeks you will have to fly back, and reverse jetlag is even worse.
I usually stay for 2-2,5 weeks and sleeping through the day works just great. It’s my hometown and I am eager to see all my friends and family and to go to places but everybody is at work during the day anyway and places are open late/early so I still get to see everyone and visit everything I want.
Kids on a plane a family travel blog. Set up a routine.
We go outside in the early morning, then sleep through the day and wake up when everybody comes home from work. This is when the fun begins! We can go eat out, go shopping, visit friends, go to a park, swimming pools, etc. Anything that your toddler might like.
By the time locals ready to sleep, my kid is ready for a nap. After the nap, we eat, read books, take baths, play quiet games, do laundry, do some cleaning, eat supper and around 7 am are getting ready to go outside…
If your child sleeps for approximately 12 hours, it doesn’t matter which twelve hours she will doze, you still will have time for fun.
On weekends, when friends and family are off. I am able to sacrifice some of my sleep to stay up “late” and go out during the day, but honestly, most of the activities are scheduled for evenings, anyway. And with my baby sleeping, I can spend some quality adult time with my friends. It works great!
Also, there are some places that are open early, such as grocery stores, markets, beauty salons, saunas, gyms, and parks, just plan and go!
Staying on the “home” schedule has another advantage. Once you come back, you will be on the “correct” schedule right away. There still will be tiredness caused by travel, but you will not have to deal with two-week-long jetlag.
I enjoy flying with a toddler more than traveling with older kids or adults. Airports consider infants VIPs and as a parent, you get that benefit too. It includes cutting up lines for passport control, being checked in first, checked out first, boarded first too. You can bring in a bottle of water through security, and all airport workers will try to make your trip as easy as they can.
What are the absolute must-haves when you travel with a toddler?
A large stroller.
I take a big stroller when flying with a baby. You might think the smaller the better. No. A large stroller allows your child to sleep or sit comfortably during the layovers while you surf around the airport.
It is easier to maneuver, and you can load all your cloth and an oversized diaper bag on it and give your hands/shoulders/back some rest, rather than carrying all that on yourself. I’ve been using Premium Double Tandem Baby Stroller for all my trips. It is big but light and compact when folded and still counts as a single-seat stroller on a flight. I like it also because it “grows” with your child, and fits both a baby and a preschooler. We took it on all our trips for the last 10 years and so far had to buy only two of them.
A spacious diaper bag.
You will be allowed to have only a diaper bag as a carry-on, so it has to be big. I usually take my weekender Vera Bradley bag and pack it with a change of cloth for both of us, along with regular diaper-bag stuff for the baby for two days.
I like car rides and prefer them to flights. When we travel within a country, we usually drive, and that car rides with kids might get out of control, so I put together 8 fun things to do on a long car ride with kids.
Our kids are nine, six, and two-year-old. If we go to Orlando, we usually drive and it takes about 14 hours to get there. We wrap our driving around kid’s sleeping schedules and plan stops at their active time.
Here are some fun things to do on a road trip with family.
8 Fun Things to do on a long car ride with kids. Watch a movie
The kids are allowed to watch something for an hour. We used to download their favorite shows. Now we have wi-fi in our new car, but I would still download a few shows just in case there are problems with wi-fi.
8 Fun Things to do on a long car ride with kids. Do Quiet Activities
Once the youngest falls asleep, older kids do some quiet activities or car ride games, such as
I got these amazing travel journals where kids can make notes and drawings about their trip. I think I am going to make one myself!
Get yourself a boogie board like this:
It will save you lots of wasted paper, and space. You can use it for numerous activities from tic tack toe, to coloring and practicing writing.
Washi tape
Washi tape is one of my favorite car trip activities for kids because it’s so versatile. You can use it to decorate pictures, make patterns, or even create Games. The best part is that it doesn’t require any special materials or equipment – just a roll of tape and some imagination.
If you’re looking for some ideas to get started, check out the Melissa and Doug Tape Activity Book. It includes step-by-step instructions for making all sorts of fun creations.
And if you want to go beyond the basics, there are tons of YouTube tutorials that will show you how to make even more elaborate designs. So next time you’re packing for a long car ride, be sure to include a roll of Washi tape – your kids.
Spot it
Spot It is the perfect car ride activity for kids of all ages. The compact game can be easily stored in a glove compartment or purse, making it perfect for on-the-go entertainment. To play, each child receives a stack of cards, with each card featuring several pictures or symbols. At the same time, each child turns over one card from their stack and looks at the image. The goal is to find the one picture that appears on both cards. Whoever finds the match first gets to keep the cards. Not only is Spot It a fun way to pass the time, but it also helps kids develop important matching and memory skills.
Pop-it
This activity seems like soothing everybody nerves systems. Of the one who plays and everyone’s around. Try it yourself.
8 Fun Things to do on a long car ride with kids. Snack
We rarely snack at home, but especially for road trips, we pack
fruit pouches,
nuts,
fresh fruits,
beef jerky, and
crackers
and bottled water.
Older kids snack if they get hungry, but the baby is sleeping and we have to keep going.
8 Fun Things to do on a long car ride with kids. Play Active Games
When the baby wakes up, we stop at a restaurant for lunch or at a park for a picnic and get toys out to play some active games afterward.
Bubbles and balls work great,
frisbee,
volleyball,
soccer.
We bring an inflatable ball because it doesn’t take up much space, and big enough so even our little one can play. Sometimes, we even do not need toys, we just
dig dirt
play tag or
go to McDonald’s with a playground (if we find one).
Some times we would make a stop at a town and make a small thing, like horse riding, or visiting a family f
We play for about 2 hours until kids get tired and start asking to get in the car. In this point, they can sit still for an hour and we let them watch another movie.
8 Fun Things to do on a long car ride with kids. Eat at a Restaurant
After stopping for supper, we have another playtime, which ends up with a bedtime routine.
8 Fun Things to do on a long car ride with kids. Read books to your kids
We jump in the car, and I read books to kids. Last three trips we went to Universal Parks, so for the entire trip, we were reading and watching Harry Potter. We also were reading it while waiting in lines at the Parks. After books, the lights are out, and by 8:30 p.m. kids are asleep.
Now 11 hours of driving with brief breaks for the restroom.
8 Fun Things to do on a long car ride with kids. Listen to the radio
Kevin and I drive in turns and listen to the radio or audiobook. He drives during the day; I take a nap when the baby naps. And I am a night owl, so I drive at night till Kevin wakes up around 3 am. Kevin is an early bird, he likes to wake up with the sun and drives the rest of the trip.
Great teamwork!
Kids usually sleep till 7:30 a.m. We make another stop for breakfast, restroom, morning routine, and change of cloth, and head straight to an amusement park. Yep. We go straight to the Park and stay there till they close. Only then we head to a hotel and check-in.
Here are some car ride games/things to do on the long road trip
My favorite card game. I love it! It’s a hundred open questions such as “what is your favorite song and why?” Or “what the best memory of your childhood?” Those questions raise the best emotions in us. We all became closer and happier playing the game. It did two things: brought us in a good mood and let us open up and to know each other better.
Well, if “Our Moments” made us smile, this one made us laugh. We seriously laughed till we cried. It looks like a dollar coloring book, but the value is in the content and it gave us a belly ache. The game is simple, we just put missing words in blank spaces, but the trick is the person who chooses the word doesn’t see the text, then we read the whole story at the end, and it sounds crazy wrong, but funny. It’s perfect for 2nd graders since you have to choose the part of a speech. My son knows them by heart now.
My 5 and 8 years old would sit and fold it for an hour. I had to give them a plastic bag to keep all their creations in one place and the bag filled up quickly. This activity made them stay focused and quiet.
This game speaks for itself. We had a stack of cards with pictures and were looking around trying to spot a “man with a beard”, or “bicycle”… It was fun. The game was a bit competitive and my older son got mad that we ran out of cards and he didn’t get 10 points first. I think next time we will not keep the score…
I think the main thing to do on a long car ride is to enjoy it. So we do whatever it takes to make us happy.
