Family holiday in the United Arab Emirates – Our experiences with a toddler in Dubai & Co.

In November, we were craving sunshine instead of dreary weather and decided on our first long-haul holiday with a toddler in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai, beaches, and modern hotels sounded promising – but how family-friendly are the UAE really? Here we share our honest experiences of Dubai with a child, the heat, hotels, and culture.

United Arab Emirates – Country & Distances

The United Arab Emirates are significantly smaller than Germany, but much less densely populated. Everything is spread out. For a family holiday in the UAE, this means one thing above all: distances are long. With a small child, we strongly recommend a rental car, especially if the hotel isn't located directly in Dubai. Alternatively, a hotel shuttle should be provided if you're on a package holiday. While the public transport system is modern and well-developed, including air-conditioned bus stops, it can quickly become tiring with a stroller and the heat.

Green lawns and palm trees are found mainly in cities and hotel complexes. The Emirates are a desert state. Outside the urban areas, sand dominates. Heading towards the Gulf of Oman, one traverses the foothills of the Hajar Mountains with rugged, rocky landscapes reaching altitudes of around 1,500 meters. The scenery is surprisingly diverse.

Traffic in Dubai & Abu Dhabi – Car rental with a child?

Traffic in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is not for the faint of heart. Especially during rush hour, the highways are packed. The massive interchanges are almost impossible to navigate without a GPS. Refueling, on the other hand, is straightforward: you stay in your car, and they fill it up for you. And this service costs just €0.50 per liter. When we were last in the UAE in 2014, a liter cost only 1.78 dirhams (approximately €0.33). Fuel has thus become almost twice as expensive, but it's still cheaper than in Germany. Fuel prices are therefore very low compared to Germany.

Outside the major cities, things become more relaxed. Kilometers of straight roads wind through the desert. Sand to the left, sand to the right. Driving here is peaceful and stress-free. Speed cameras seem to appear every few meters. We don't know if they're all working – we certainly drove strictly according to the rules. For families with children: If you drive safely and use a good GPS, you'll have no problem.

People & Culture – Experiencing Dubai with a toddler

We were already 2014 We visited Dubai without a child and found the people extremely friendly. With a toddler, we experienced the Emirates even more intensely.

People are incredibly fond of children. However, this also means that many want to touch the child without asking. This was particularly unusual for us at the airport at first. Our rather shy son wasn't immediately happy about it. Over time, we understood: it wasn't intrusiveness, but genuine warmth. Children are highly valued. People even asked for photos, especially because of the blond hair and blue eyes.

What struck us most was that no one reacted with annoyance to tantrums. People helped, lifted strollers, and picked up dropped items. A composure we don't always experience in Germany.

The UAE is a Muslim country, but strongly influenced by Western culture. There are many immigrants from India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and several other Asian countries. In the malls, you see abayas next to designer boutiques like Dolce & Gabbana or Victoria's Secret. A fascinating contrast.

Weather in the United Arab Emirates – Best time to travel with a child

„"Hot, hot," were our son's first words at the airport. Even at 11 p.m., it's warm. However, the heat is dry and therefore more pleasant than in tropical regions. We quickly noticed when it became too much for our son and deliberately took breaks at the hotel.

Best time to travel to the UAE with a child: November to April. Temperatures between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius. In January and February, temperatures can drop to around 20 degrees. In summer, however, temperatures can reach 50 degrees. Not recommended for family holidays, even though hotels are cheaper then.

Important:

• high sun protection factor
• regular breaks in air-conditioned rooms
• Activities in the morning or late afternoon

Beach holiday in the Emirates – Suitable for families with children?

Although the United Arab Emirates is a desert country, beach holidays are absolutely possible here. Many hotel beaches are man-made. The sand often consists of shells and small stones. It's not quite as soft as you might expect, but still suitable for children. Public beaches consist of natural desert sand and are sometimes less well-maintained. We recommend a beach hotel for families. The sea is warm year-round. In the north, along the Gulf of Oman, the tides are somewhat stronger than in the Persian Gulf.

We tested several hotels with beach access. In some, there were plenty of sun loungers, and you could always find a spot. They also made sure that no one reserved a lounger with towels for hours without using it. This meant that families with children, in particular, quickly found a free spot with a parasol. In other hotels, the "party resort" mentality had taken hold: People quickly spread their towels on the loungers at 6 a.m., and then finally showed up at the beach around noon. With a small child, you then had virtually no chance of finding a spot. This is completely incomprehensible, as there are signs everywhere stating that this is exactly what's forbidden, but the hotel staff ignored them. We usually just removed the towels and used the loungers for ourselves. We don't expect or accept this kind of behavior in a 5-star hotel!

In contrast, the public beaches mostly consist of reddish-brown desert sand. While this is softer and contains fewer stones, cleanliness is not a priority. The locals don't treat their environment very well. The beaches are usually littered with trash. We wouldn't recommend swimming here with a child. Instead, find a hotel with a beach; they offer sun loungers and parasols, which are essential in the strong sun.

The water is warm all year round. In summer, it's sometimes too warm, and there's hardly any cooling off. In the north, on the Gulf of Oman, where we spent our first few days, the sea is supposedly a bit colder – but we didn't notice any difference. However, the tides are much more pronounced there than on the Persian Gulf. So it can happen that by the afternoon, there's hardly any water left in the artificial bay.

Hotels in the United Arab Emirates – Are they child-friendly?

Our clear answer is: Yes.

We found the hotels in the Emirates to be exceptionally family-friendly. Even the luxury establishments welcomed families. Cribs and highchairs were readily available. The rooms were spacious, and there was no problem accommodating strollers. Everything was wheelchair accessible and reached by elevator. The staff was extremely helpful. They even responded immediately to our request for soy milk for our son. At one hotel, they even discreetly cleaned under the highchair during meals. Kids' clubs are common, although we didn't use them. What we did miss were more shaded outdoor play areas.

The staff, especially at breakfast and dinner, were always in a playful mood. Our little boy was constantly being touched, which he didn't particularly enjoy at first. Towards the end of our holiday, however, he warmed up to them and joined in the playful teasing. No matter how much crumbs and spills our child made, it was never a problem. In one of our hotels, a cleaning lady even came while we were eating and cleaned up the crumbs under the high chair. That was a bit embarrassing for us.

Most hotels have a sufficient number of cribs and highchairs available. We always had clean and fairly new cribs. We have no complaints there. However, there was sometimes a shortage of towels for our son. Unfortunately, he didn't always have his own set. We were pleasantly surprised by the housekeeping at one of our hotels, as rooms with a child are usually not very tidy. Toys were often lying around, which were then thoughtfully placed for our son. A nice touch. Playgrounds, on the other hand, are not so plentiful in public areas. At one hotel, we had a huge water playground, but our son was still too young for it. We would like to see more playgrounds with shade.

All the hotels we chose had a kids' club, but we never used it. Firstly, our little boy is too shy, and secondly, we vacation with our child, not alongside him. However, if you need a day to yourself, you can leave the little ones there with peace of mind.

The hotel rooms were all spacious enough for two and a half people. The crib didn't need to be squeezed in, and there was always room for the stroller without it being in the way. Since every hotel has elevators these days, everything is easily accessible with a stroller.

Shopping in Dubai & the Emirates

The United Arab Emirates are the masters of enormous shopping malls. The Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates, to name just two, are gigantic and vast. However, in our opinion, the UAE isn't the best place for extensive shopping. Clothing is more expensive than in Germany, and since the introduction of value-added tax (VAT) in 2018, it's hardly affordable anyway. Only electronics like mobile phones or digital watches from major, well-known manufacturers (especially those with the bitten apple logo) were cheaper than in Germany before VAT was introduced. While you can still save money with the new VAT, the savings aren't quite as significant.

You can get everything you need for daily life in the United Arab Emirates. We packed so much before our trip. We didn't even need diapers and snacks. If you want to save space in your suitcase, you'll always find a Carrefour or a similar supermarket in the large malls. They have everything you can find at home. Some even carry exclusively German products and store brands with all the labeling in German. No one here can read that, so we assume they're aimed solely at German tourists. Prices are a bit higher than at home, but there's a huge selection, especially of fruits and vegetables. You can also pick up a few bottles of water at the small shop around the corner, although the selection isn't as extensive. Whatever you might have forgotten, you'll find it in a mall.

Dining in the United Arab Emirates – Relaxed dining even with a toddler

The selection is huge. There's Indian cuisine, Asian restaurants, and European dishes. Hotel buffets are varied and of high quality. There are usually special dishes for children, such as fries, mini schnitzels, or mac and cheese. A particularly positive aspect is that individual requests are easily accommodated.

No one will starve here. Even those who don't want to try foreign food will find McDonald's and other fast-food chains in the malls' food courts. Traveling with a small child doesn't mean you won't find something they like, even if it's just fries. There are countless restaurants that have sprung up thanks to the many different immigrants. You'll find Indian, Asian, and even European cuisine, among others. You'll also find exclusive burger chains like Shake Shack and what is arguably the best ice cream parlor, Cold Stone Creamery, in the UAE. We recommend using the review platform Yelp to find the perfect restaurant.

The food options in the hotels are enormous! Most large hotels have several themed restaurants or offer a lavish buffet. However, you should book half-board or all-inclusive to take advantage of these. At every buffet we experienced in our hotels, there was a different theme each day. Sometimes it was Asian cuisine, sometimes European, or typical regional dishes. If you can't find something you like, it's your own fault. Plus, there are always the most amazing salads and desserts – the kind you can only dream of! Fresh fruit is, of course, included with breakfast and dinner in all the hotels.

The breakfast selection ranges from a typical European buffet with hot and cold dishes to an Asian buffet. Everything your heart desires is there. Of course, the quality of the food always depends on the hotel. We've consistently had excellent experiences at all the hotels we've stayed in. For children, all the hotels offered special dishes in the evenings, such as fries, mini schnitzels, or mac and cheese. Every child is sure to find something they like.

We found the personal milk service at all our hotels to be particularly thoughtful. Our son only drinks soy milk, which we couldn't find at any of the buffets. So we asked for it and each time a cup of warm soy milk was brought to our table. If you're missing anything for your children, don't hesitate to ask. The hotels are very helpful with children.

Animals in the Emirates – and what you won't find

Now everyone's thinking of camels! After all, they're typical of the United Arab Emirates and the desert. Well, almost—they're dromedaries. What's the difference? Camels have two humps, dromedaries only one. Smart aleck ;-) But you'll see, we haven't spotted a single camel there yet. Inland, a bit further away from the big cities, you'll find more and more farms with large herds of dromedaries. Some also live in the wild, but you rarely see them. In the small parks in the heart of the cities, you can not only relax but also observe exotic birds.

With this point, I don't mean to talk about the animal world, because there really aren't that many animal species in the UAE. I'm talking about the smallest creatures, like mosquitoes, beetles, and cockroaches. All the things parents with children find disgusting. These are practically nonexistent in the United Arab Emirates. At least, we haven't seen any. The climate is too hot and dry for mosquitoes. Apparently, the same applies to beetles and cockroaches. Even in the best hotels in the USA, you often find insects, and you're not immune to them in Italy or Greece either. Here... – nothing! There's nothing to be seen on the streets, in the narrow alleys, or in the backyards. It's not particularly clean, and there's always some litter lying around, but somehow the climate doesn't seem to suit the little creepy-crawlies. For this reason alone, the United Arab Emirates is an ideal travel destination for families. So you don't have to worry about unpleasant bites and stings. This means you can even take a beautiful evening stroll without being immediately eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Conclusion: Family vacation in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates are ideal for a holiday with young children. Sunshine in winter, modern infrastructure, very child-friendly people, and comfortable hotels make it a relaxing long-haul destination for families. However, it's important to be prepared for cultural differences and to take the heat seriously. Those who do so will be rewarded with a safe, clean, and surprisingly relaxing holiday destination.

For us, Dubai and the other Emirates were an ideal first long-distance travel destination with a child – and certainly not the last time.

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