Keeping Up With Kaya: May

A mini guide to what to do in Dubai this May

May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. And in Dubai? It’s just HOT! If, like me, you need to get a dose of the outdoors everyday then early mornings (pre 7am) or late afternoons (4pm until sunset) are just gorgeous, especially out in the desert or on the beach. There’s nothing like it for soothing the soul and prepping you for the day ahead – and evening swims in the sea with the kids are just about the highest thing on my ‘love’ list these days. From indoor fun to ways to get outside (including dreamy travel options and evening picnics in the desert), these are some of the things I’m doing and loving this month. Enjoy!

Booking…

Summer staycations guaranteed to chill the whole family out! During Ramadan (from end of May for a month), the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah is offering rooms from only AED 700 per night including complimentary breakfast buffet or in-room suhoor depending on whether you’re fasting or not. And while their gorgeous beach may not be accessible in the heat (unless you’re up at the crack of dawn or love a post sunset dip), there are beautiful temperature controlled pools to lounge in.

If you’re up for a short flight then Salalah in Oman is much cooler in the hotter months. From AED 1,300 you can book into the Anantara Al Baleed Resort for 2 nights (for 2 people, prices for family rooms available on request) plus breakfast, a cocktail each, late check out and a discount of 20% on food for your stay. With fab kids and teens clubs plus a freshwater lagoon, beach, infinity pool and loads more – this is the place to go for a dose of green when it’s hot!

Playing…

At The BEEhive, a really smart little edutainment centre in Business Bay with a variety of activities that cater for kids aged 1 – 12 years old. Each area (or ‘hive’) is themed and offers different interactive activities including Science, Sewing, Music, Art and Crafts, Doodling, Reading and lots more. This place is about allowing children to explore, learn and acquire new skills – plenty of fun without the awful soft play sensory overload if you know what I mean!

Glamping…

Or rather picnicking in style with Arabian Glamping who not only offer desert nights under canvas in the coolest way possible but also evening picnics under a blanket of stars with twinkly fairy lights, a fire for toasting sausages and marshmallows and a perfect table set up complete with rugs, cushions and heaps of delicious food. One of the best things I’ve ever done in Dubai, we even had a go at boarding down dunes with Above sand boards, my son found a snake (don’t worry, this is rare!), we watched daylight fade to night and ran around. Brilliant fun – can’t wait to camp with Arabian glamping when the season starts again (the picnics will continue for a while longer as evenings are still cool enough).

Ordering…

Organic milk from homegrown brand Koita whose family of varieties (my fave is the good ol’ full fat version) has been joined by a lactose free and soy which are perfect for anyone with dietary restrictions or for when you just want to change things up a bit! Produced by happy Italian cows who munch on lush green grass and roam around on pretty Italian pastures (heavenly!), Koita milk is fortified with vitamin D and served up in recyclable tetrapak cartons which make me SO happy (say no to pesky plastic…). The Koita milkman will deliver right to your door too. So easy.

Signing Up…

To Rise, a fab new concept set up by a mama with a mission to help us invest in our helpers and nannies and help them grow. Simply download the Rise app on  your and your helper’s phones and then pay for her to take courses in everything from emergency healthcare procedures to nutrition to ways to calm tantrumming toddlers – for as little as AED 50 per session. Empowering and educational, there are plans for more to look after all of the migrant workers in the UAE via Rise so we’ll update you as and when!

Planning…

To cook up a storm and try my hand at some Middle Eastern dishes with a scrummy modern twist via a beautiful new book called Levantine Harvest by Lara Ariss.

Lara’s Lebanese roots and her appreciation for fresh fruits, local harvest, and the balanced food that abound in the Levantine cuisine has made for a stunning book with the most inspiring pictures. Simple to make (really, there aren’t endless lists of never-heard-of ingredients), think Hummus With Sun-Dried Tomato Confit, Pumpkin Kebbeh and lots more yumminess.