Back from a UAE trip (Dubai & Abu Dhabi
So I just came back from an 8-night trip to the UAE - spent first 5 days in Dubai & remaining ones in Abu Dhabi. I had my wife & 9 year old Son with me, and most of the planning was around activities that my Son would enjoy as it was his birthday trip. Total expenses - over 4 lakhs (because we tried a lot of activities & experiences). What we covered along with cost + my opinion-
Dubai Mall + Fountain (Free) - Good experience. The Mall is really big, has an indoor aquarium you can visit (we have been to such Aquariums elsewhere, so skipped.
Ski Dubai (~19k for 3) - Unless you are an experienced skier, this place is absolutely not worth it. They don’t allow you in the Ski area unless you know it well. Other rides or games are just not worth it & the place is just too cold This was money wasted from my pov.
Aya Universe (~7.5k for 3) - Good experience, something different, colourful & fun for the kid. Don’t expect too much, I won’t go again.
Bur Dubai - Old Dubai area full of markets like Meena Bazaar - very crowded, you’ll feel you are in Delhi, but good to visit. Al Seef street has a great vibe & good to visit. Cross the creek in a boat & get into Gold Souk. You can buy Gold at cheaper price than India.
Burj Khalifa - At the Top 124/125 floors (~15k for 3) - Almost a check-list item when visiting Dubai. Good view of the city & depends on time of day.
Desert Safari (150 AED per person + Extra charges for Quad biking) - the Desert safari itself is a Good experience. However the dinner & performance afterwards depend on your preference. For us, it was a waste of time (Cheap tasting food & place). Would recommend to go for a better premium safari company if you want better experience.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (Abu Dhabi) (10AED per person) - Extremely beautiful - a must visit if you are in Abu Dhabi. Very well managed for tourists & the praying area is separate. Just make sure you wear full sleeve clothes. They do sell scarves & sleeves for women which are not very expensive.
Warner Bros world, Yas Island AD (~37k for 3 people including Ferrari World) - This place is a lot of fun even for us & brings back our memories from the Cartoon Network Era. There a a lot of rides & visual experiences which kids & elders should enjoy equally. It took us between 3 to 4 hours to cover this & it wasn’t busy at all.
Ferrari World (We had purchased 2 park ticket along with WB) - This was also a good experience for my Son & myself. Any car enthusiast will love this place. Some roller coasters were closed, but there were still enough open for those interested. There is a Go Kart academy but it was booked for the day already so I couldn’t experience it. There was a simulation E Sports area which was really good & you get to race against others in the lobby.
Natural History Museum Abu dhabi (5.8k for 3) - Really good visit for the curious. My son loved the dinosaur & meteorite exhibits
Al Ustad Special Kebab - Bur Dubai - Very good place to eat Iranian kebabs. Loved the food here & wasn’t very expensive.
Places missed due to closure -
Legoland, Museum of the Future, Global Village
We stayed inland near Palm Jumeriah area & right next to the Tram, so it was easy to visit the JBR area which has great restaurants & the beach. We also used the Tram & the Metro a few times & it was cheap & easy. Choose your accommodation closer to the Metro/tram station if you want to save some money on Taxis. Both Dubai & Abu Dhabi have plenty of govt. Approved taxis that you can hire.
Overall, it was a great trip & the cities are really nice to visit. You feel really safe at all times & I would love to visit again.
Lengthy post, but I wanted to provide enough details for anyone planning to visit soon. Feel free to ask my anything. Will try to help if I know.