How to get the Best Family Experience in Dubai – Have fun together in the desert metropolis

While Dubai may be most popular as a shopaholic's dream destination, the dynamic capital of the United Arab Emirates is also the perfect getaway for families with children. Offering visitors a host of family-oriented attractions and activity bases, having a great time on holiday is just a matter of hitting the main highlights in the city. Here are some tips on how to make the most of your family vacation in the desert metropolis.

1. Stay at a Strategic Base

Those who wish to enjoy their family holiday in Dubai to the fullest should first and foremost secure a conveniently located hotel. It is important to note the location of all the family-friendly attractions in Dubai and select a venue that affords easy access to at least some of these sights. Whether you select the Avani Ibn Battuta Hotel Dubai or any other marina view hotel in Dubai, families with small children should also make sure the resort base is equipped with a kids club and other family-oriented amenities such as swimming pools and arcades. As the place where you and your family will be spending a majority of your time, the hotel should be a child-friendly space complete with services such as babysitting and laundry facilities.

Image Credit: Avani Ibn Battuta Dubai Hotel

2. Splash around at the Aquaventure Waterpark

Tipped to be the biggest and the most expansive water park in all of the Middle East, no family vacation to Dubai would be complete without spending a day or two at Aquaventure Waterpark. Ideally suited for active families with a love of water-based activities, some of the highlights of a day spent at the park include the chance to ride the world's biggest waterslide aptly named the Aquaconda. Other slides of interest include Shark Attack while The Leap of Faith is a 9-storey high drop that is better suited for parents. The Splashers Kids Play Area is another favourite among seasoned visitors while Dolphin Bay and Aquaventure Beach are other areas of the park everyone should explore. The Lost Chambers Aquarium and Sea Lion Point are also part of the landscape and provide educational displays as well as diving and snorkelling opportunities for families.

3. Beach It

While no one considers Dubai a beach holiday destination, there are more than enough beach parks to convince travellers that the desert can be a seaside oasis. The Al Mamzar Beach Park is one such venue which is perfect for spending quality time with loved ones over a barbeque or a picnic spread. The sandy, white beach is lined with trees and offers families the chance to enjoy sunny skies on sun loungers or ride a train around the park. Swimming pools, cabanas with air-conditioning and a playground are just some of the many facilities available on-site at the Al Mamzar Beach Park which is open every day of the week but reserved Mondays and Wednesdays for the use of children and female visitors.

4. Hit the Malls

Shopping sprees in Dubai are a must whether one is travelling solo or in a group as with a family as the city's mega malls are not only retail attractions but leisure centres in their own right. From the sprawling and luxurious confines of the Dubai Mall to the Ibn Battuta Mall where one not only finds food courts with hundreds of restaurants and a Cineplex but also a trampoline park. Other malls worthy of visiting with the little ones in tow include The Dubai Festival City Mall and the Dubai Outlet Mall. Don't forget to wander into a more traditional marketplace in the form of Dubai's ancient souks where travellers can stock up on perfumes, spices and curios made in the region in the labyrinthine shopping hotspot.

Håkan Dahlström from Malmö, Sweden, Dubai Mall Grand Atrium (1), CC BY 2.0