10 Things You Only Appreciate About Dubai When You’ve Been Away

It’s Good To Be Back In Dubai!

It’s easy to get too caught up in our daily routines to really appreciate just how amazing Dubai is! And you know what they say, mamas, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone –or, in our case, when we spent a few weeks away from our desert city over the summer, only to return and understand why life here is good! From kid-friendly everything to beautiful beaches, these are 10 of the things to really appreciate about the city of gold.

Beaches

There is almost nothing in Dubai better than a day at the beach! Even when temperatures rise, an early morning or sunset session is heavenly and the best way to get your dose of the outdoors and your kiddos exercised! All winter long we can enjoy everything from Stand Up Paddle boarding to beautiful breakfasts on the sand from Jumeirah to JBR and everywhere in between. Oh and if you like your beach to come with a touch of hotel luxury? Sign up for a Privilee membership and you can be chilling on sun loungers in loads of partner properties all for one flat fee. Heaven.

Read More: Fun In The Sun; The Best Beaches In Dubai 

Convenience

Want a tub of ice cream delivered to your door at 10pm? Or a last-minute car to whisk you off to a last minute meeting? How about valet parking your car when you’ve got all the kids in tow and need to get from a/c to a/c quick fast? There are heaps of services that make life in Dubai that much more convenient and hassle-free! Our faves? Drive-thru coffee at Starbucks and Costa Coffee (the perfect school-run pit stop – don’t judge!) and spa treatments from the comfort of our own home (often booked last-minute). Anything is possible here!

Read More: The Best At Home Services In Dubai

The Desert

Drive half an hour away from the coast and you can be in the middle of rolling sand-dunes – the ultimate kiddie playground with vast amounts of space perfect for everything from dune-boarding to kite flying! Pack up a picnic or prepare for a night under canvas (if you’re a novice and ‘glamping’ is more of your thing then check out Arabian Glamping, a boutique business offering everything from picnics under the stars to overnight stays in the desert – but all in comfort and heaps of style!). Oh and head to Al Qudra Lakes, a series of man-made lakes that a huge number of geese, ducks, swans and over 130 species of other birds call home! Perfect for a picnic and a little wade in the water – you can even pitch a tent here too. Head out on Umm Suqeim, parallel to the Al Qudra bike track until you get to the bike shop and roundabout – then prepare for a small amount of gentle off-roading. Our fave time to go is just before sunset when the light is beautiful and the birds come home for the night.

Read More: Camping For Families In The UAE (& Beyond!). 

Helpers/Nannies

While not everyone in Dubai has home-help, as a predominate expat society, most of us aren’t lucky enough to have family around the corner so having a live-in helper is very much the norm. Helpers allow women in Dubai to fully participate in the work force. They give us the ability to spend quality time with our children while alleviating stress about household chores. They feed us. And so often, they do this while leaving behind their own families so they can financially support them as best they can. It is such a tremendous sacrifice and we are so eternally grateful for it! We certainly couldn’t cope without the wonderful ladies who support our families at team Sassy, allowing us to juggle 10 kids, work and all the stuff in-between! And after a loooong summer holiday or a few days away, we can’t wait to get back to our helpers, not least of all because our kids miss them (yes, they do become part of the family) and also because, thanks to their hard work and dedication, we can get that moment’s peace every now and then!

Read More: Why We Should All Invest In Upskilling Our Nannies 

Kid friendly everything

Let’s be honest, sometimes it feels like you need a vacation when you get back from a vacation but coming home to Dubai is just that when it comes to the kids! Where else in the world are little people not only welcomed but adored, fauned over, catered for at every level? Take them to brunch and there are areas dedicated especially for them to roam, eat and have fun. Book a staycation and they’ll have kids clubs and mini pools to enjoy – or explore the city through a series of mini adventures, be it to the creek, Dubai Marina or along the canal – this city is a huge playground for kids and we love it!

Read More: Indoor (Non Soft-Play Fun) In The UAE 

Ladies night

Where else in the world can you grab your gal pals and head out for a night on the town FOR FREE?! (well, practically…).Yup, we might not get to do it often but when we do, ladies night in Dubai is fab! From free bubbles to complimentary nibbles, special cocktails to discounted deals plus loads of cool experiences from Karaoke to pampering and even the chance to win everything from diamonds to hotel stays. Traditionally on a Tuesday, lots of places now host ladies night on other days of the week too. Our faves? ‘Berries and Bubbles’ At The Champagne Lounge, Dubai – a very classy affair with 3 free glasses of bubbles and a bowl of berries per lady plus live jazz and a gorgeous setting. Or if you want something a little more ‘buzzy’, try ‘Miss Independent’ at Ramusake where you’ll get unlimited wine until midnight (go easy, mamas!) while a DJ spins his tunes.

Read More: Dubai Is Going Crazy For Ramsake, So We Checked It Out

Multiculturalism

More than 80% of Dubai’s population is made up of expats from over 200 countries all living and working together. Our kids go to school with children from a huge variety of nationalities, they learn about their cultural practices, they embrace a life outside of theirs and they really don’t understand the concept of ‘foreign’. In today’s world, we are so grateful for all of these things.

Pampering

Judge us not, mamas, we’re rather partial to a spot of pampering and Dubai is just the place to do it! Not only is this city home to some of the best spas in the world but also to heaps of fab nail bars, blow-dry bars and beauty salons where teams of lovely ladies will get you looking and feeling a million dollars (but without a million dollar price tag!). And if mama can’t get to the salon then the salon shall come to her! From massages to beauty treatments – you can get them all from the comfort of your own home. There’s nothing like booking in for a quick mani/pedi after a stint away to make you feel great, right mamas?!

Read More: The Best Nail Salons In Dubai 

Restaurants

From super cool homegrown cafes to uber fancy shmancy date night options, our city is choc full of fabulous places to eat out. And the best bit? Most of them come with gorgeous interiors or spectacular views and staff who’ll do anything to please. Whether you’re looking to impress guests or go out with the gals, there’s a table to suit and a huge list of places to work your way through. Bon appetit!

Read More: Foodie News Roundup, New Restaurants To Try In Dubai 

Sunshine and Blue Skies

We might moan about the weather here but frankly, we’ll take waking up to blue sky and sunshine 99% of the time over persistent grey and drizzle (did you know that human beings need sunlight for optimum health and happiness?). And with reliable weather we take the stress out of deciding what to wear every day (oh look, another day for sandals and a tee – hooray!), we can plan outdoor events for when it’s cool enough without panicking that they may get rained off (when it does rain, we go completely nuts over the grey skies and flooded streets because they’re a novelty) and we can get outside and enjoy the best of life (beach, barbecue, parks and more) for much of the year. Yup, we’re walking on sunshine here in Dubai!

Read More: Dubai’s Best Outdoor Play Areas