Oh hello there! It feels like forever that I actually sat down and was able to write something without any other household chores lurking arund. Must be because I am sitting right now in my hotel room with a finished bowl of spaghetti bolognese, half a glass of wine, husband out at a work dinner and baby peacefully asleep - in Dubai. Dubai has always been on my list but somehow I just did not make it pre-baby. Skydiving, waterslides, indoor skiing, sand dune trips on a quad… well all those things that were on my list, are now off. 4 days in Dubai with baby… what to do. Let me tell you!

We flew straight from Singapore at 3pm to Dubai with Singapore Airlines. It was Allie’s first long-haul flight and I was somewhat nervous, not about her being difficult but more about keeping her entertained for 7 hours. Thank goodness she napped on and off and we could fight through the time difference quite efficiently. (Dubai is 4 hours behind Singapore, 5 for Jakarta). Here are the places we visited:

The Dubai Mall - Burj Khalifa

Yes, the Dubai Mall is a pretty big Mall. If you want to go shopping you can go nuts there. And not just that, you can go to the Aquarium, Ice-skating and so much more. It’s the perfect place for what in the tropics would be a “rainy day” and in Dubai I guess, just every day in 50degree summer. I mostly enjoyed the outdoor area where you will find the Dubai Fountain. Check the fountains show times. The “show” is only 3 minutes long but Allie loved it. From the outdoor area of the mall you also have an amazing view of the Burj Khalifa - to date the tallest building in the world with 828metres. (Another fun fact: The building was finished and opened to the public within 6 years of construction… 6 YEARS ONLY… I find that amazing… coming from Indonesia). For Burj Khalifa we opted for the VIP tickets which are per person around S$130 that takes you up to the 148th floor. The VIP ticket lets you skip the queue (which can take up to 2hours on a normal day!), you get to go to the top lounge where you are welcomed with a drink and can enjoy the view from the top with only a handful of people in peace and quietness. After being on the 148th floor you can also go down to the observation deck on the 125th floor (this is how high the standard tickets will take you) and it was very crowded and I felt immediately that I wanted to leave. Too many people, too packed. I was very happy to spend a little more money for the VIP experience and especially with child, I would recommend to do the same.

Souk Madinat Jumeirah

The Madinat Jumeirah is a luxurious resort complex which has been build to resemble an arabian town. As soon as we arrived I felt like we were in Disneyland - in the Aladdin chapter. You will arrive in the Souk (marketplace) area where you can stroll around little stands that sell everything from souvenirs, perfumes to traditional carpets and clothing. After strolling through the souk you will be led out into an open area by a man-made canal, surrounded by restaurants offering cuisines from all over the world. For around S$20 you can take a ride on a boat around the resort and see it all up close. (Highly recommended!) I loved strolling around here and being just amazed with the fascinating architecture and grande-ness that the resort has to offer. Note: You do not have to stay in the resort to visit the souk and restaurants!

Jumeirah Beach Club

The Jumeirah Beach Club is located at the Jumeirah Hotel and is open for non-hotel guests to spend a day by the beach and also their leisure pools. The entry fee was S$100 which we found very expensive (it does include a minimal voucher to be exchanged for F&B) but since we were already there we thought we might as well stay. The beach is located right on the foot of the famous Burj Al Arab. After all it was a nice place to spend the day by the beach and pool. It is located right next to the Madinat Jumeirah so after watching the sunset by the beach you can stroll to the Madinat for some dinner.

Besides that I took Allie for a stroll around the Marina, we visited a beach side called La Mer an even squeezed in a lunch by the Palm.

Overall, Dubai is a very baby-friendly city to visit and in the “winter months” the temperature is so nice that you can easily stroll around the city in 27 degrees. The perfect combination between a city and beach vacation.

A few facts that surprised me in Dubai:

you can wear swimwear by the beach and pool, even the public beaches
you do not need to be fully covered as a woman but dress accordingly. A T-shirt and skirt or pants just under knee are totally fine unless of course you want to visit the Mosque or other historic sites
you need to go by car nearly everywhere - Uber works great

Here are a few travel essentials for Allie that I found priceless during our short trip:

Travel Stroller - we have the Yoyo and love it!
Travel size Sterilizer - we used to bring our big sterilizer but with a handy travel sterilizer you save SO MUCH SPACE
Baby Carrier - we love our Baby K’Tan baby carrier, it’s small and easy to bring around town
Baby Turban or Hat - I loved just having a little Turban over Allie’s head to protect her from the sun (and it’s super cute!)

You can find some of our favourite items on our store soon! (for Indonesia: click here )

We will definitely visit Dubai again. Hope this helps! Enjoy your travels Mamas!

#Dubai with Baby