Bye-Bye Summer, Winter Has Arrived In Dubai!
The signs are subtle but they’re here at last – with temperatures currently at 36 degrees and predicted to dip to 32 by the end of the month, there are lots of ways to recognise that our favourite time of year (i.e not absolutely boiling hot) has arrived. So reset your A/C, get outdoors and anticipate days on the beach and evenings by a fire-pit – because winter is here to stay for the next few months, mamas!
Remember when cold was hot and hot was… well, still hot? If you live in a villa or apartment with a water heater on the roof or in the garden then you’ll know what we’re talking about – you’ll have switched off the heater, relied on that scorching sun and used the cold faucet for hot water and the hot for cold (or not. There’s nothing like brushing teeth with boiling H20). And now, dare we say it, those heaters are coming back on as the water in our showers every morning is just a little too cold for our liking – yippee! Got plumbing issues after the summer? Call in the experts from Jim’ll Fix Itto get you sorted – and enjoy that first perfect temperature shower of the season.
Braved the beach in August? So did we – at dawn – and it was hot! Well now that refreshing ocean dip we’ve craved for the past few months is finally possible and the sand is calling. From JBR to Palace Beach, Kite Beach, Sunset Beach and Jumeirah, the beaches are buzzing with life again. Head down to Palace Beach in the morning to catch crystal clear calm waters that are absolutely perfect for kiddie paddling, rent umbrellas, loungers, Stand-Up-Paddleboards and more on Kite Beach or explore the crescent of Sunset Beach – all under the watchful eye of Dubai’s fabulous lifeguards and beach patrol. And as the sun sets, there’s nothing better than a burger at SALT – with sand underfoot and the promise of one last dip before heading home.
Read More: Fun In The Sun, The Best Beaches In Dubai
From the all-day music and food festival Party In The Park at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre (Friday, 10 November) to the Emirates Airlines Dubai Rugby Sevens(Thursday, 30 November – Saturday, 2 December) plus lots of fresh-air fun for kiddies including The X Dubai Junior Triathlon on Kite Beach (Friday, 17 November) and outdoor film screenings of family faves including Shrek, Stuart Little and Madagascar are back at West 14th– the season of taking it outside has begun!
Undoubtedly one of the best ways to spend a Friday as a family, Ripe Market is back at Zabeel Park from tomorrow, Friday, 13 October, after seeking refuge from the heat over the summer months – and we couldn’t be more excited! Every Friday from 9am – 4pm head to Gate 2 with your picnic blanket, pick up fresh fruit and veggies and browse over 100 stalls selling everything from freshly baked artisan breads to home accessories and clothes. And there’ll be live music, entertainers and often a petting zoo for the littles too. Mark it in your diaries mamas!
Read more: The Big Fat Guide to the Ripe Market
Come on admit it, food tastes better when it’s eaten outdoors – especially when the temperatures dip, there’s a cool breeze and you can enjoy a glass of something chilled. Whether it’s brekkie as a family, lunch with the ladies or a dinner party al fresco – get your outdoor entertaining set-up sorted and pick up some new furniture at one of Dubai’s furniture stores or book up your favourite outdoor dining spot – most of the restaurants will be opening up their terraces now and the rooftop drinking spots such as 40 Kong, Mercury Lounge, Cielo Sky Bar and Iris Dubai are back on the menu too!
Prepare yourself for an adventure around the world mamas – Dubai’s leading family cultural and entertainment attraction will re-open its doors on Wednesday, 1 November! Perfect for exploring different cultures and customs together with the fam through creative local items for sale (check out Ash’s Global Village shopping tips), fabulous international food to sample and entertaining dances and performances, Global Village has a carnival feel, plenty of amusement rides and games and a children’s play area to keep kids and adults of all ages entertained and busy for hours. Mondays are designated family days and therefore the best day to go with kids – entry is AED 15 per person (and there are frequent ‘kids go free’ promotions so keep an eye out for those!).
Is there anything better than sleeping under canvas – or under the stars in fact!? Pack up the kit and the kids and head out to the desert for a sleepover amongst the dunes. If you’re a novice and need advice on the stuff you’ll need to take then head to Adventure HQ where the lovely sales peeps can help with everything from tents to camping stoves and even outdoor showers (if you can’t bear the thought of a baby-wipe wipe down).
No, we don’t mean turned up as in blasting – we mean the temperature has been turned up because we’re actually cold at night, even under our fluffy duvets! Not only is this much better for our health (good-bye dry skin) but also for our wallets as according to DEWA, each degree higher can save up to 9% on cooling costs – yay! And while we’re not quite at the ‘throw-open-all-the-windows’ stage, those early morning temperatures mean that there’s opportunity to get some fresh air circulating through our homes.
43 degrees, ‘hot and humid’ has been replaced by 36 degrees, ‘sunny and very warm’ on this week’s accuweather reading –and if you look further into the future there are temperatures dipping into the high 20’s by December! And while there’s no rain predicted just yet, even the thought of it makes us a teeny bit excited.
Who needs iced-lattes these days – when the Pumpkin spice versions are back on the menu!? One of the surest signs that Halloween, winter (and Christmas… shhh) is coming, courtesy of the green siren (aka Starbucks) and apparently the most popular item on the menu. The Pumpkin Spice Latte tastes like cake in a cup and has the calories and sugar content to match – so don’t go crazy over it mamas, it is beach season now after all.
Read More: Our Favourite Dubai Cafes For A Babyccino
Boots, turtle-necks, leather, velvet, cable-knit – the Autumn/Winter collections have arrived. If you’re visiting Dubai or haven’t lived through a winter here yet you might think us mad –but it does get cold (ish) at night –and that a/c continues to blow if you’re hitting the town in the evenings so you’ll need to wrap up (and we mean cashmere and all – honestly!). Oh and gap.ae has just launched so you can buy up all your winter woolies without even leaving the house – yay!
Read More: My Current Top Picks From Namshi
This post was originally published on the site in October 2016.
Feature image by Christoph Schulz on Unsplash, Image 3 by Vanessa Bumbeers on Unsplash, Image 6 by Ali Inay on Unsplash, Image 8 by Jeremy Cai on Unsplash, Image 9 by Anthony Tran on Unsplash, Image 10 Manki Kim on Unsplash,
