Dubai: The ultimate family getaway

The sun is out and kids are gearing up for the holidays. With exciting theme parks, kid-friendly activities and shopping and dining options, Dubai is the ultimate destination for a memorable family holiday this summer, even living your dreams of flight at Skydive Dubai.
With three theme parks and one waterpark, Dubai Parks and Resorts offers visitors a thrilling experience like no other. Featuring more than 100 incredible indoor and outdoor rides and attractions at Motiongate Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai, Legoland Dubai and Legoland Water Park, this labyrinth of fun will keep young hearts enthralled.
Meanwhile, the centrally located Riverland Dubai provides entertainment and dining options for the whole family.
Dubai is home to spectacular parks and garden destinations that are perfect spots to spend a great day outdoors with the whole family.
The region's first glowing theme park, the Dubai Garden Glow features sparkling floral displays, aquatic installations and more than 100 life-size animatronic dinosaur figures.
Also, perfect for a stroll are Dubai's newest outdoor lifestyle destinations, offering ideal outdoor settings to eat, play and unwind. The Pointe is Dubai's new waterfront destination on Palm Jumeirah, featuring a retail, dining and entertainment complex across the bay from Atlantis.
The 130,000 square metre destination hosts spectacular fountain shows, a vibrant promenade and more than 80 restaurants and retail outlets for dining and shopping.
Nestled between Pearl Jumeirah and the upcoming Jumeirah Bay, La Mer comprises of distinct zones, including the beach, a leisure and entertainment hub, a spread of tantalising cafes and restaurants and the latest addition to Dubai's exciting waterparks, Laguna Waterpark.
With twinkling lights and artsy murals along the beachfront promenade, La Mer is teeming with unique, Instagrammable backdrops to capture in that square frame.
The newly-opened area of Al Seef is making its mark on Dubai's heritage district. Located near the iconic Dubai Creek, the 232,000 square metre development includes a distinct heritage area featuring old architecture, which then blends into more contemporary structures.
Al Seef is also home to a myriad of shopping concepts throughout the open-air market, as well as an irresistible collection of restaurants.
Located in Dubai's rapidly developing Al Khawaneej area, The Yard is a lakefront suburban hideaway that comprises a rustic courtyard, an organic farmer's market, a bakery, air-conditioned and open-air restaurants and dining spaces, a unique mix of shops, a lake with two bridges spanning it, shaded walking trails and expansive landscaped picnic areas.
Dubai's latest iconic island destination, Bluewaters Island is set to boast 200 retail and dining concepts in a modern district featuring unparalleled views of the Arabian Gulf.
Located off Jumeirah Beach Residences, Bluewaters is also home to Ain Dubai, the world's largest observation wheel, rising as the centrepiece of the island.
The city's Ripe Market is a great place to relax with the whole family on the weekends. From musical performances to some of Dubai's best-loved food concepts, there's a treat for the whole family.
The market also features artisans, designers, jewellers, artists and creators, with yoga classes, kids' activities, a petting zoo, horse riding, workshops, live music and more.
Great outdoors
Dubai also provides the perfect settings to escape the bustling city life and enjoy the great outdoors. Arguably one of Dubai's most breathtaking natural attractions, Hatta is set against the stunning backdrop of the Hajar Mountains.
Celebrating the serenity and spectacular scenery of the mountain enclave, a range of new developments and attractions have recently opened that offer visitors a unique perspective of the national park - from the high-energy Hatta Wadi Hub, to the serene eco-lodging experiences Hatta Damani Lodges and Hatta Sedr Trailers.
Visitors can also choose overnight stays at the dedicated Hatta Campsite where tents can be set up to offer a curated indoors-meets-outdoors experience.
The Al Qudra Lakes allow visitors to discover Dubai's sprawling desert oasis, with a series of manmade lakes sprawled across 10 hectares of Dubai's Saih Al Salam Desert landscape.
Visitors can tuck into a picnic after a leisurely ride around Al Qudra Cycling Track for a chance to spot some local wildlife in their natural habitats including flamingos, swans and many migratory birds.
The newest addition to the manmade cluster of lagoons in Al Qudra is the Love Lake, carved in the form of two hearts entwined together.
Al Marmoom Desert is the latest of Dubai's collection of nature reserves. It will soon be home to the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, the largest tourism project of its kind in the region.
It is also the first unfenced desert conservation reserve in the UAE, rich with hundreds of species of wildlife - from the Arabian Oryx, Arabian Gazelles, Sand Gazelles, to foxes and wild cats. The reserve includes ten animal and bird observation platforms, star and sunset observations decks, and even an outdoor theatre.
High-adrenaline activities
With year-round sun and a combination of both the desert and beach, Dubai is the perfect setting to be swept away by high-adrenaline activities such as Skydive Dubai that offers visitors the chance to live their dreams of flight. Check out the special summer promotions.
The city's forest-style playscapes have been specially designed to bring children closer to nature with grass to roll on, dirt to dig in, plants to explore and water to splash through.
The Aventura Nature Park is a one-of-a-kind rope treetop adventure destination that features ziplines, horizontal and vertical climbing walls, and a rope course challenge, perfect for the whole family.
The XPark Jr adventure park, meanwhile, features tree houses, wooden bridges and climbing nets, a sandy play area, petting zoo, and even a "mud kitchen" to help young children connect with nature. Aventura Nature Park is suitable for ages above six years. XPark Jr. is ideal for ages 1 to 12 years.
Dubai's burgeoning skateboarding scene offers some awe-inspiring facilities for skateboarders (or aspiring skateboarders), with ramps to suit every ability, and lessons to help improve your technique.
The XDubai Skatepark is the biggest skatepark in the UAE, offering a whopping 3,100 square metres of pure skate heaven.
The Dubai Autodrome is a great way to spend a day with the family, while dedicated activities for youngsters who are keen to learn the basics behind the wheel. 
Waterparks
Visitors can splash their way into fun this summer with waterparks across Dubai. Perfect for the city's year-round sunshine, the parks have something for everyone. The latest addition to Dubai's exciting water-based playgrounds, Laguna Waterpark features a number of adrenaline-pumping rides, a lazy river, and a children's zone, as well as a flow-rider surf simulator.
Perfect for little ones, the Le Water Park allows little ones to race each other, ride together in groups, or construct their water vehicles and test them against the current to see how well they fare.
The biggest waterpark in Dubai, Aquaventure at Atlantis, The Palm, boasts adrenaline-pumping rides spread across two main towers (Poseidon and Neptune) that are connected by a giant lazy river that transports riders between slides.
An old favourite amongst residents and visitors since 1999, Wild Wadi is home to thrilling ramps and raft-based slides, all set against spectacular views of the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
- supplements@khaleejtimes.com

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