A Theme-park Holiday in Dubai

By Rhonda Carrier

I’d often wondered about Dubai: it seemed like the kind of ‘Marmite’ destination you either love or hate – and not a cheap one at that. But with a slew of new openings (the pace of change here is dizzying) adding to classic offerings such as desert dune-bashing in SUVs, it was time to take my adventure-loving, adrenaline-fuelled sons, aged 14, 12 and nine, to find out whether it was indeed our kind of place.

"We only skimmed the surface of Dubai during our week there and were adamant we'd be back for more. Our best day was spent venturing out on a desert safari for quad-biking, dune-bashing, camel-riding and a barbecue under the stars."

IMG Worlds of Adventure, which was the world’s largest indoor theme park when it opened in 2026, delighted them. Superhero fiends and dinosaur-lovers, they were in heaven sampling its Lost Valley prehistoric rides and attractions and its Marvel rollercoasters and experiences. Highlights were the superb Forbidden Territory dark ride, Predator and Velociraptor (Zac’s first upside-down coasters), plus a spinning Spider-Man coaster. Because IMG is all indoors, it’s a great option for summer holidays in Dubai, when temperatures really soar.

Next stop was the vast Dubai Parks & Resorts, including LEGOLAND® Dubai and the Hollywood-themed MOTIONGATE™ with its Hunger Games rides and attractions. Read Take the Family's LEGOLAND® Dubai review. 

There’s so much more of Dubai to explore, of course, and we only skimmed the surface during our February half-term week there. Our best was spent venturing out on a desert safari combining quad-biking, dune-bashing, camel-riding and a barbecue under the stars. 

The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo in the scarily vast Dubai Mall was surprisingly large and utterly fantastic, especially the boat ride. We didn’t make it up the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, due to the queues, but we did love dining on the terrace of the Social House, a relaxed, child-friendly global restaurant in the Dubai Mall, where as well as seeing the Burj and its beautiful nocturnal illuminations, you get in-your-face views of the Dubai Fountain with its iconic choreographed displays each afternoon and evening.

We stayed at the Jebel Ali Palm Tree Court, part of the Jebel Ali Golf Resort, with riding stables, watersports and tennis centres, kids’ clubs, sea-plane rides, a spa, and 15 restaurants and bars. It's one of the few resorts in Dubai offering an all-inclusive package.

The resort also runs complimentary shuttle buses to central Dubai as well as to Dubai Parks & Resorts. 

To book your Dubai family holiday at the Jebel Ali Palm Tree Court call 020 3633 0653 or fill in our enquiry form.