Outings – DubaiSwan

The Block

Play is the highest form of research
Albert Einstein

There are so many fantastic indoor activity centres in Dubai, allowing the children to burn off energy on any day of the year. But, I’m used to an outdoor lifestyle and I do love to get them outside, running and scooting in a less structured environment, where they can make up their own games and play freely. Obviously there are a few months of the year when this just is not possible, when it’s too hot to take even a few steps outside. The rest of the year, we’re up and out early in the morning, and enjoy the lack of humdity and the lack of people too.

The Block attracted my attention as a large outdoor space, running alongside the water of the Creek in Dubai Design District. Opened in 2018, and accessible by water taxi, it is an imaginatively designed well-shaded area which has plenty of natural materials in its structures. It also made use of the recent extensive construction work on the canal, recycling 27 tonnes of concrete to build its walls and ramps.

It will appeal to children, like mine, who are no longer kept entertained for long on a simple swing and slide. There are wooden climbing frames, tunnels and swings but also an outdoor gym, several climbing walls and a skate park.

On a bright Friday morning, we arrived as a group charity walk was finishing and were gifted with bottles and t-shirts, before having the park almost exclusively to ourselves.

There are a few food shacks in the park, but if all this activity has worked up a real thirst and appetite, then the cafes and restaurants of the Design Quarter are an easy walk away.

Tall buildings

It must be every inch a proud and soaring thing, rising in sheer exultation….
Louis Sullivan

Dubai Marina

I prefer to stand on the ground and look up at tall buildings than to climb to the top and look down. In Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities to do both. The city is packed full of skyscrapers and they really are marvels of architecture; twisting, shining and soaring.

Dubai Marina is a scenic spot for a stroll, with a back drop of water, boats and tall buildings. The promenade extends for 7km and at certain times of year is populated by food and drink trucks. We jumped on a RTA ferry at Marina Walk which is a great value boat ride, stopping at Marina Mall and out to Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) for a short hop across to the beach.

Burj Khalifa

Dubai is home to the tallest building and tallest free-standing structure in the world. The Burj Khalifa was officially launched in 2010 and stands at over 828m. There are many extraordinary facts and figures about the construction of this vast tower. It took only 5 years from the start of excavation to completion of the spire with 12,000 workers on site daily at the peak of construction.

It is awesome to stand and look up at this immense tower, which is illuminated every night with a different light show on one of its facades. I’m sure it’s every bit as impressive on the observation decks at the top or enjoying tea in the clouds, but the experience does not come cheap and I’m saving those trips for another time.

The Dubai Frame is a less costly and more relaxed way to look down on Dubai. Standing at 150m tall and 93 m wide, the Dubai Frame is positioned in such a way that modern Dubai is on view from one side and old Dubai from the other.

We visited on a Saturday in November and bought our tickets at the gate. There is an interesting exhibit of Dubai through the ages and a quick lift trip to the top. The children particularly enjoyed walking over the long opaque glass bridge which connects the two towers of the Frame. As they stepped on the bridge, the glass cleared allowing a view to the ground below. Walking on air.

Old Dubai

We are not makers of history. We are made by history.
Martin Luther King Jr

There are days when the polished sky scrapers, white washed residences and glossy malls all feel too polished, white and glossy. An escape to a bit of history is needed and there is plenty to be found in Old Dubai. Situated in the northern part of town, Bur Dubai and Deira, separated by Dubai Creek, are vibrant and diverse districts, full of historical and cultural interest.

Al Fahidi Historical District (Bastakiya Quarter) is a good place to start a tour of Old Dubai. It lies along the bank of Dubai Creek and offers a glimpse back at life in Dubai from the mid 19th century until the early 1970s. The beautifully preserved and restored gypsum and coral buildings were the residences of wealthy merchants, whose privacy was protected by the tall stone walls and lack of front windows. It is the last wind tower quarter left on the Arab side of the Gulf.

Barjeel (wind tower) sits atop the walls and funnels wind into the building below.

I easily whiled away a few hours strolling around the shady alleyways, stopping at the old buildings which have been converted into art galleries, museums, cafes and quirky little shops.

It is a short walk from Al Fahidi Historical District to the banks of Dubai Creek. This saltwater creek served a vital role in the history of Dubai, for fishing, pearling and as a gateway for traders. The Dubai Water Canal was completed in 2016, extending the Creek out into the Persian Gulf.

Abra station

I walked to the Bur Dubai abra station where it is possible to jump on a shared abra across Dubai Creek. There are over 100 of these traditional Arabian boats, constantly passing from one bank to the other. I loved the simplicity of the experience, sitting among tourists and tradesmen on the deck and handing over my 1 dirham coin to the abra driver in payment for the journey. There is little else to be bought for only 1 dirham in this city.

The spice souk is to be found on the opposite bank. As soon as I stepped ashore I felt like I had travelled to a different country. There was little of the modern Dubai to be found here, other than a passion for shopping. Atmospheric, bustling and lively, I had spices wafted under my nose and a pashmina wrapped around my shoulders by men keen to make a sale. Haggling is expected.

Further along is the more sanitised gold souk. I had to jostle with parties of tourists to get a look through the windows at gold bracelets, rings and chains. Many people travel to Dubai to buy gold so it was no surprise to see sales being made in most of the shops.

There were no purchases for me on this occasion, just an opportunity to watch, wander and experience a completely different side of this fascinating city.

Walking the Boards

Under the boardwalk. Down by the sea.
Artie Resnick & Kenny Young

It was a bright, cloudless November morning when my sister, baby niece and I decided to go for a stroll on the Palm Jumeirah boardwalk. Having visited a fair few British seaside towns, I envisaged a promenade with people walking or running and elderly couples sitting on benches eating ice-creams. Unsurprisingly, the reality was entirely different. After all, this is Dubai.

Completed in 2016, the boardwalk is an 11 km long, 6 m wide walkway which hugs the coastline around the top of the Palm. It is a striking addition to the man-made Palm. The colour of the boards contrasts with the rocky shore and the Arabian ocean beyond, making a fabulous photographic opportunity.

The boardwalk was all but deserted. We saw a few other tourists taking photographs but not another soul. Sadly, there were no ice cream vans or food trucks to be found although we had a good cup of coffee in an atmospheric hotel cafe nearby. The boardwalk is a perfect place for a peaceful walk or run, without having to leap out of the way of bikes, skate boards and scooters. It is also a great spot to take visitors for a few holiday photographs.

There are plans to develop four new extensions from the central trunk. These expansion plans also include glass-covered cafes, food trucks and refreshment stands. It won’t quite be a Mr Whippy on Worthing seafront, but it might come close.

Worthing ice cream

The Dubai Fountain

If there is magic on the planet, it is contained in the water
Loren Eiseley

I had been in Dubai for a few weeks when I was invited out for a meal in a restaurant at Souk al Bahar. At 10pm, one of the group persuaded us all to go outside to see the “dancing fountain”. I was surprised to be so moved by the display and put my teary eyes down to the upheaval of moving to a new country.

The Dubai Fountain is the world’s tallest performing fountain and the world’s largest choreographed fountain. Over 80,000 litres of water are shot to a height of 150m at any one time, illuminated at night by 6600 lights and 50 coloured projectors.

The children were keen to see the fountain for themselves, so we decided to visit early on a Friday afternoon. We easily found a bench in a prime spot opposite the Dubai Mall. Front row seats. There is something about the shock of the loud music starting and then the incredible display of dancing water that works some spell. It sounds like it should be a bit tacky, but it is really a beautiful experience.

Dubai Butterfly Garden

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough
Rabindranath Tagore

We drive past the sign to Dubai Butterfly Garden almost every day and the children have asked repeatedly to visit. I have been reluctant as it brings to mind those Victorian displays of butterflies pinned out on cork boards which always made me feel so sad.

Thankfully, the butterflies in this garden are very much alive. The children were absolutely captivated, especially as they were allowed to entice the butterflies to crawl onto their hands and land on their heads.

This is a perfect all weather outing. The 15,000 butterflies are housed in 10 huge climate-controlled domes. There is a clear educational emphasis with plenty of signage and engaging staff, one of whom brought a chrysalis over to us so that we could watch the butterfly emerge.

There was fairly tranquil music playing and lots of benches to relax for a minute while the children decorated themselves in butterflies.